MOIILACCIII. 
30 
zapiz from the Christian priests, which not a little increases their 
income, as well as the reputation of the commodity. 
The Morlacchi having also much devotion, and many of the igno- 
rant people in Italy having little less, to certain copper and silver 
coins of the low empire, or to Venetian contemporary pieces, which 
pass among them for medals of St. Helen, they think they cure the 
epilepsy and such like. They are equally fond of an Hungariaii coin 
called fretizza, which has the Virgin and Child on the reverse ; and one 
of those is a most acceptable present to a Morlach. 
The bordering Turks not only keep with devotion the superstitious 
zapiz, but frequently bring presents, and cause masses to be cele- 
brated to the image of the Virgin, which is doubtless in contradiction 
to the Koran ; yet when saluted in the usual manner in that country, 
by the name of Jesus, they do not answer. Hence, when the Mor- 
lacchi, or other travellers, meet them on the coniines, they do not 
say, Huaglian Issus, Jesus be praised,” but Huaglian Bog, God 
be praised.” Innocence, and the natural liberty of pastoral ages, 
are still preserved among the Morlacchi. Pure cordiality of senti- 
ment is not th,ere res^trained by circumstances. A young handsome 
Morlach girl, who meets a man of her district on the road, kisses him 
affectionately, without the least immodest thought ; and our author has 
seen all the women and girls, all the young men and old, kissing one 
another as they came into the church yard, on a holiday on the road, 
and at the fairs in the maritime towns. In timesof feasting and merri- 
ment, how'ever, amours often take their beginning, and frequently end 
in marriage when the lovers are agreed. For it very rarely happens 
in places distant from the coast, that a Morlach often carries off a girl 
against her w ill, or dishonours her ; and were such attempts made, the 
young woman would be able to defend herself, the w omen in that country 
being little less robust than the men. But the custom is for the woman 
herself to appoint the time and place of being carried off, in order 
to extricate herself from other suitors from whom she may have re- 
ceived some token of love, as a brass ring, a little knife, or such like. 
The dress of the unmarried women is the most complex and whim- 
sical, in respect to the ornaments of the head ; for when they are 
married, they are not allowed to wear any thing but a handkerchief 
tied about it. The girls use a scarlet cap, to which they comnlonly 
fasten a veil hanging dov^n upon the shoulders, as a mark of virginity* 
The better sort adorn their caps with different sorts of silver coins, 
among which are frequently seen very ancient and valuable ones ; 
they have also ear-rings of very curious workmanship, and have small 
silver chains with the figures of half-moons fastened to the end of them* 
But the poor content themselves with plain caps, or, if they have any 
ornaments, they consist only of small exotic shells, small glass-beads, 
of bits of tin. The principal merit of these caps is to attract atten- 
tion by the noise they make on the least motion of their heads. 
Hence half-moons of silver or of tin, little chains and hearts, false 
stones and shells, together with all kind of splendid trumpery, are 
readily admitted into their hair-dress. 
In some districts, they fix tufts of various colours, resembling two 
horns, on their caps ; in others, set artificial flowers.; and in the 
