320 
CALMUCKS. 
chap, women place themselves by the men, and begin 
^ — > songs of love or war, of fabulous adventure, or 
heroic achievement. Thus the fete is kept up ; 
the guests passing the cup round, and singing 
the whole time, until the stock of liquor is 
expended. During all this ceremony, no one is 
seen to rise from the party; nor does any one 
interrupt the harmony of the assembly, by riot 
or intoxication. In the long nights of winter, 
the young people of both sexes amuse them- 
selves with music, dancing, and singing. Their 
most common musical instrument is the bala- 
laika, or two-stringed lyre; often represented 
in their paintings. These paintings preserve 
very curious memorials of the antient supersti- 
tion of Eastern nations ; exhibiting objects of 
Pagan worship which were common to the 
earliest mythology of Egypt and of Greece. The 
arts of Painting and Music may be supposed 
to have continued little liable to alteration 
among the Calmucks, from the remotest periods 
of their history. As for their dances, these 
consist more in movements of the hands and 
arms, than of the feet. In winter they play at 
cards, draughts, backgammon, and chess. Their 
love of gambling is so great, that they will 
spend entire nights at play; and lose in a single 
sitting the whole of what they possess, even to 
the clothes upon their body. In short, it may 
