CUSTOMS AND MANNERS. 



399 



the ladies took off a handkerchief from her head, and presented it 

 to me, having first perfumed it. 



At my return to the camp, I had a conversation on the subject of 

 these women with a French deserter, who had become Mameluke, 

 and belonged to the family of Hassan. I was very particular in my 

 enquiries respecting the number of women that Hassan might have 

 in his possession. He told me that his master had upwards of 

 twenty, several of whom were Circassians. I expressed astonishment 

 at his having so many wives ; but the Mameluke said that Hassan 

 in reality had but one wife ; the rest of the women being her 

 attendants, and that his wife was not among the ladies I had seen. 

 The Mamelukes are not allowed to marry before they arrive at the 

 rank of kaschief, but it is common for the superior to bestow a 

 fern.de upon his followers as the reward of eminent services. I 

 attended Hassan while he was ill ; he was extremely grateful, and 

 would have given me his sabre, had it not been a present from 

 Mourad Bey, whom he called Sultan Mourad. 



The Moslem marriages are always regulated by the elder females, 

 the bridegroom seldom or never seeing the bride's face, until the 

 day of marriage. It is merely a civil contract made between their 

 mutual friends, and signed by the young man and his father. There 

 is a procession, consisting of many persons, male and female, who 

 accompany the bride on a horse richly caparisoned to the house of 

 the bridegroom, where she is received by his female friends. Some 

 time after this, the mother of the young man informs the assembled 

 females that the marriage has been solemnized, who immediately 

 raise a loud and shrill cry, which they repeat at intervals during the 

 entertainment which follows. It is the common demonstration of 

 joy among the women, consisting of a quick guttural pronunciation 

 of Luy, Luy, Luy*, and may be heard at some distance. After the 



* A similar sound expressive of mirth is used by the women on the coast of Barbary; 

 it seems to be a corruption (says Shaw) of Halleluiah. 242. The okoXvty of the Greeks 

 was generally applied to the conclamation of women in affliction, but it also expressed 

 joy. — Schultens in Job, c. 10, v. 15. 



