MANNERS OF THE HOLY RACE. 
7 
occupation. These women do all the laborious part of the 
household establishment, each having her own especial depart¬ 
ment, such as baking the bread, cooking the meat, drawing the 
water, &c. And, notwithstanding the latest espoused is usually 
spared in these labours, and the best drest, still the whole party 
seem to remain in good humour ; no appearance of jealousy dis¬ 
turbing the amicable routine of their proceedings. Indeed I 
believe this representation to be the fact; for when their lord 
shews himself amongst them, it is like a master coming into a 
herd of favourite animals ; they all rush forward, frisking about 
him, pleased with a caress ; or frisking still, if they meet with a 
pat instead. Such is the power of education, in fitting all 
human beings for a general happy acquiescence in whatever state 
it is their lot to be born. Were it not for this beneficent law of 
Providence, operating on the human character in like manner 
with cultivation on the soil of a country, human misery would 
be augmented to an incalculable degree. The four wives of my 
worthy host, with their female auxiliaries, retire at sun-set from 
their domestic toils ; and each taking her infant and its cradle to 
the roof of her division of the house, not forgetting the skin 
of water she has brought from the spring or well, she deposits 
the babe in safety; and suspends the water-case near her bed on 
a tripod of sticks, in order that the evaporation may cool it for 
the night or next day’s use. To preserve the amity between 
these ladies, which had so excited my admiration, our communi¬ 
cative host told me, that himself, in common with all husbands 
who preferred peace to passion, adhered to a certain rule of each 
wife claiming in regular rotation the connubial attentions of her 
spouse. Something of this kind is intimated in the domestic 
history of the ancient Jewish patriarchs, as a prevailing usage in 
