BUKIIAR3. 
29 
The habits of the men differ \’'ery liltie from those of the Tartars. 
Their girdics are like those of the Poles. The garments of the 
women differ in nothing from those of the men, and are commonly 
quilted with cotton. They wear bobs in their ears fourteen inches 
long ; part and twist their hair in tresses, which they lengthen with 
black ribbon embroidered with gold or silver, and with great tassels of 
silk and silver, which hang down to their heels ; three other tufts of a 
smaller size cover their breasts. Both sexes carry about them 
prayers written by their priests, which they keep in a small leathern 
purse by way of relics. The girls, and some of the women, tinge 
their nails red with the juice of an herb, called by them kena : they 
dry and pulverize it; then mixing it with powdered alum, expose it 
in the air twenty-four hours before they u.«e it, and the colour lasts 
a long time. Both sexes wear close breeches, and boots of Russia 
leather, very light, without heels, or rather soles; putting on gal- 
loches, or high-headed slippers, like the Turks, when they go abroad. 
They wear also the same sort of bonnets and covering for the head ; 
only the women set off’ theirs with trinkets, smail pieces of money, 
and Chinese .pearls. Wives are distinguished from maids by a long 
piece of linen worn under their bonnets ; which folding round the 
neck, they tie in a knot behind, so that one end of it hangs down to 
the waist. 
The houses of the Bukhars are of stone, and pretty good ; but 
their moveables consist chieffy of Chinese trunks plated with iron. 
Upon these, in the day-time, they spread the quilts they made use 
of at night, and cover them with a cotton carpet of various colours. 
They have likewise a curtain sprigged with flowers and various figures ; 
also assort of bedstead, half a yard high, and four yards long, which 
is hidden in the daytime with a carpet. They are very neat about 
their victuals ; which are dressed in the master’s chaniber by his 
slaves, whom the Bukhars either take or buy from the Russians, 
Kalmucs, or other neighbours. For this purpose there are in the 
chamber, according to the largeness of the family, several iron pots, 
set in a kind of range near a chimney. Some have little ovens made 
like the rest of the w'alls, with stiff clay or bricks. Their utensils 
consist of some plates and porringers made of Cagua wood or of 
China, and some copper vessels. A piece of coloured calico serves 
them instead of a table-cloth and napkins. They use neither chairs nor 
tables, knives nor forks, but sit cross-legged on the ground ; and the 
meat being served up, they pull it to pieces with their fingers. Their 
spoons resemble our wooden ladies. Their usual food is minced 
meats, of w'hieh they make pies of the form of a half-moon ; these 
serve for provisions when the Bukhars gd long journeys, especially 
in winter. They carry them in a bag, having first exposed them to 
the frost ; and when boiled in W’ater, they make very good broth. 
Tea is their common drink, of which they have a black sort prepared 
with milk, salt, and butter ; eating bread wdth it, wdien they have 
anv. 
The Bukhars buy their wives, paying for them more or less accord- 
ing to their handsomeness. The persons to be married must not see 
or speak to each other from the time of their contract, to the day of 
