OF THE OLD WORLD. 107 



to days of yore and long-lost friends, I feel those 

 bright recollections stealing vividly back to memory 

 like sunny spots and pleasant oases in my varied 

 life's career. 



Mais revenons d 7ios moutons. The ordinary 

 dancing of the kunchnees (or dancing girls) consists 

 more of dififerent changes of position than any defined 

 step or figure ; and in the elegant attitudes and 

 graceful postures with which they advance and retire, 

 the arms, hands, feet, neck, and eyes, moving in uni- 

 son with the music ; and I think they ought rather to 

 be called singing than dancing girls, for it has always 

 appeared to me that their dancing is only a graceful 

 and expletic accompaniment to their songs, which, 

 treating, as they generally do, of love, often assume 

 rather a lascivious character. The interior edges of 

 the eyelids are darkened with " soormah," a prepara- 

 tion of antimony, which heightens their beauty, and 

 gives them a peculiarly fascinating and bewitching 

 appearance. 



The nautch has charms which possess a powerful 

 and almost irresistible influence on the affections and 

 passions of the inhabitants of the East, and forms 

 the principal recreation and amusement both with 

 high and low. The European stranger who does 

 not understand the language, and is unacquainted 

 with the habits and customs of the country, may 

 look upon a nautch as a monotonous aud unmeaning 

 performance ; but to one who can understand and 

 appreciate the beauties of Sadi and Hafiz, it has an 



