124 
THE JATA^NESE. 
wheaa man in narrow circumstances marries a woman of> fortune, 
hfi isi entirely dependent on his wife,, and dares not divorce her. 
It is absurd; to say, as some travellers have saidi, that the Maho- 
metan wives are all slaves, entirely the property of their husbands ; 
that they are even inherited by his heirs. In this representation, 
slaves purchased with money have been confounded with women of 
free estate^ who dispose of themselves iu the East just as in Europe. 
This opinion, respecting women in Arabia, seems to have arisen 
from the mistaken notion, that fathers there sell their daughters to 
the highest bidder. It many times happens, no doubt, that a poor 
man^ who has a handsome daughter, is pleased to match her with a 
rich man, from whom he may receive occasional presents. And rich 
voluptuaries, who choose to marry more wives than one, are obliged 
to take young women of low condition, who are compelled by inte- 
rested parents, or seduced by splendour, to accept a- husband^ who 
associates them with other wives, and< at length; divorces them. 
Instead of selling his daughter, every man, in tolerably easy circumr 
stances, strives to give her a dowry, which may continue her own 
property. The marriage is made out before the cadiy and signed in 
his presence, and in it, not only is her dowry secured to the wife, 
but also a separate maintenance, in case of a divorce. The rich 
often give their daughters, in preference,, to poor men, and consider 
their children more likely to be happy, when thus settled, than if they 
were married to rich men. The wife is then mistress of all the pro- 
perty, and even of the house of her husband, and is not in danger 
of being sent away. 
Many superstitious observances, respecting marriage, still prevails 
in Arabia. The Arabs still believe in the virtue of enchantments, and 
in the tying and untying the knots of fate. The miserable victim of 
this diabolical art addresses some physician;, or some old woman ; 
for the old women are always skilled in sorcery. The Christians of 
the East have a still more certain remedy against the effects of witch^ 
craft. They say masses for the persons afflicted ; and when, at last, 
the imagination of the poor victim has> had time to recover, the 
honour of the cure is always ascribed to the powerful influence of 
the masses ! 
The Japanese. 
The inhabitants of Japan are well-grown, agile,, active, and stout- 
limbed, though they do not equal in strength the northern inhabitants 
of Europe, Their complexion is yellow, sometimes varying to brown, 
and sometimes to white. The inferior classes, who during their work 
in summer have often the upper part of the body naked, are sun- 
burnt, and browner ; women of distinction, who never go uncovered 
into the open air, are perfectly white; The Japanese are said to be 
intelligent, prudent, frank, obedient, polite, good-natured, industrious> 
economical, sober, hardy, cleanly, faithful, brave, and invincible ; yet, 
with all these virtues, they are accused of being suspicious, supersti- 
tious, haughty,, and vindictive— as indeed they shewed themselves to 
the unfortunate Portuguese. But in all its transactions, the nation 
