44 
ATHENIAN GIRL^. 
w hen they marry, cannot set up a panaal, a kind of garland, before 
their doors, made with more than three stakes or trees ; else the 
whole city would be iii motion. They are, in fact, slaves ; for when 
any person of authority dies, in the families of Komittis, Sittis, Palis, 
farriers or goldsmiths, and the relations incline to give some clothes 
to the Seriperes, their beards must be shaven ; and when the corpse 
is carried out of town to be burned or interred, they must do that 
office ; for which each receives a piece of silver worth three and a 
half sous. These Seriperes are called, at Surat, Kaialchors; that is, 
in the Persian language, eat-alls, or eaters at large. Nothing can 
offend an Hindoo more than to be called an Halalchor ; yet these 
poor people submit to all this drudgery and contempt without 
repining. 
They are very stupid and ignorant, and even vicious, from their 
wretched way of life ; the Bramins and nobility shun them as if they 
bad the plague, looking on the meeting of a Paria as the greatest 
misfortune. To come near one of them is a sin, — to touch them a 
sacrilege. If a Paria were dying, it is infamy to visit him, or to give 
him the least assistance, even in the utmost distress. A Bramin, who 
touches a Paria, immediately washes himself from the impurity. 
Even their shadow and breath being reckoned contagious, they are 
obliged to live on the east side of their towns, that the w esterly w inds 
which reign in their country may keep back their breath. And a 
Bramin may kill one of these unhappy creatures, if he does not avoid 
it by getting out of his way. In short, they think them reprobated 
by God, and believe the souls of the. damned enter into the Parias, 
to be punished for their crimes. Yet the mission have found among 
these dregs of the people very active and zealous catechists, who 
by their labours have very much contributed to the conversion of 
their countrymen, particularly one Rajanaitzen, a Paria soldier, who, 
of all the inferior missionaries, has distinguished himself most by his 
labours and sufferings. 
Description of Athenian Girls. 
From Hughes's Travels in Greece. 
** Our hostess. Signora Vitali, introduced us to our next door neigh- 
bours, who consisted of her own sister, with three fair daughters, 
considered at this time the belles of Athens. They are known by 
the title of Consuline, their father having held the post of British 
vice-consul. One of these young ladies was supposed to be that 
‘ Maid of Athens’ who is celebrated in some beautiful verses annexed 
to Childe Harolde : her countenance was extremely interesting, and 
her eye maintained much of its wonted brilliancy ; but the roses had 
already deserted her cheek, and we observed the remains only of that 
loveliness which elicited such strains from an impassioned poet. So 
fading a flower is beauty in these climates, that a very few years see 
it rise to sparkle like a meteor and to vanish. A Grecian damsel of 
sixteen is frequently angelical ; at twenty she becomes plain; and, 
in five years more, frightfully ugly. There is no transition, as with 
