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ling occafions, fuch as a strayed camel, or the preference of a pafture or a well. Marriages have fometimes taken place among them, that, fo far from cementing their differences, have occafioned the moit tragical fcenes. Hufbands have been known to murder their wives, and women their hufbands, to revenge national quarrels.

Parents are not encumbered with their children, however numerous they may be, for they are very early employed in domeftic affairs; they tend the flocks, they gather wood, and they affift in ploughing and reaping. In the evening, when they return from the field, all the children of the douhar affemble in a common tent, where the Iman, who himself can hardly fpell, makes them read a few fentences from the Koran written on boards, and inftructs them in their religion by the light of a fire made of ftraw, of bufhes, and cow-dung dried in the fun. As the heat is very great in the inland parts of the country, children of both fexes go quite naked till the age of nine or ten.

is adapted to the character of the Moors, and to their manner of life. The douhars are refponsible for robberies committed in their neighbourhood, and in fight of their tents: they are not only obliged to make reftitution, but it gives the Sovereign a pretence for exacting a contribution proportioned to the abilities of the douhar. In order to temper the rigour of this law, they are made refponfible only for fuch robberies as are committed du ring the day; thofe that happen af ter fun-fet are not imputed to them, as they could neither fee nor prevent them on this account, people here travel only from fun-rifing to fun-setting.

To facilitate the exchange of neceffaries, there is in the fields every day, except Friday, which is a day of prayer, a public market in the different quarters of each province. The Moors of the neighbourhood affemble to fell and buy cattle, corn, pulfe, dried fruits, carpets, haiques, and in fhort all the productions of the country. This market, which is called Soc, The douhars difperfed over the refembles our fairs, The butle of plains are always in the neighbour- the people who go and come gives a hood of fome rivulet or fpring, and better idea of the manner of life of they are a kind of inns for the recep- the Moors than can be had in the tion of travellers. There is generally cities. The Alcaides, who command a tent erected for their ufe, if they in the neighbourhood, always attend have not brought..one along with these markets with foldiers, to keep them. They are accommodated with poultry, milk, and eggs, and with whatever is neceffary for their horfes. Instead of wood for fuel, they have the cow-dung, which, when mixed with charcoal, makes a very brifk fire. The falts that abound in the vegetables of warm countries give this dung a confiftence which it has not perhaps in northern regions. A guard is always fet on the tents of travellers, efpecially if they are Europeans, becaufe the opinion of their wealth night tempt the avidity of the Moors, who are naturally inclined to thieving.

With respect to the roads, a very judicious policy is established, which

the peace: 'as it frequently happens that the grudges which thefe tribes harbour against one another break out, upon fuch occafions, into open violence. The 'diffolution of the Soc is always the prefage of fome feditious fquabble. The skirts of these markets are commonly occupied by Merry Andrews, fingers, dancers, and other buffoons, who make apes dance to amufe the idle. On one fide are barbers and furgeons, to whom the fick are brought to be cured. I have often amufed myfelf with thefe fights in travelling. I have feen men and young women, on account of fuperabundance of humours, head-acks, and

other

other diseases of that fort, receive flight scarifications; the men on the head, and the women on the face, near the hair, or on the fhoulders, arms, or legs: thefe flight cicatrices are in regular figures, and do not deform the perfon; though they would be incompatible with the cuftoms of Europe, where health is often facrificed to fashion and beauty.

The Moors have no idea of the customs of other nations, but live in the fimplicity of men in the firft itages of civilization. Entirely attached to rural life, they employ themselves in the care of their fields and harveft, and pafs the rest of the time in doing nothing. They are fo habituated to fatigue, that fome among them run as couriers; and notwithstanding their avarice, are very faithful. One can hardly form an idea of the ftupidity of thefe people. I once faw one of them waiting for his dispatches in a room where there was a mirror, and feeing himself in it, he thought it was another courier waiting for difpatches in another chamber. He afked whither this courier was going? and fome body laughing, answered, that he was going to Mogodor. That is lucky, fays the fellow, we fhall go together: he immediately made the propofal to the perfon in the glafs, who returned him no anfwer; and he was going to take this incivility amifs, when he was undeceived; but it was with great difficulty that he could be perfuaded that a perfon could fee himfelf through a ftone*.

When I lived at Saffi thére came two Mountaineers to have a fight of Europeans, and after having viewed the houfe, they did not know how to get down the ftairs they had afcended: At laft, however, they fat down on the first step, and fupporting themfelves with feet and hands, they flid to the bottom from one step to another.

Thefe people have not the leaft idea of painting or defign: they fee nothing in a picture but the variety of colours, without perceiving their order or difpofition. In prints they fee nothing but a confufion of objects, and it is only by great application that they attain the power of diftinguiting the figures. In this refpect they are in the fituation of a man born blind who is prefented with a picture at the moment of receiving his fights

The Moors that inhabit the cities differ from the others only in having a little more urbanity, and a more eafy deportment. Though they have the fame origin with thofe of the plains, they affect to decline all in tercourfe with them. Some writers, without any foundation, have given the name of Arabs to the inhabitants of the towns, and that of Moors to thofe of the plains. But the greater part of the cities of this empire are more ancient than the invafion of the Arabs, who themfelves lived in tents.

The houfes of the Moors are in general very inconvenient, becauft their neceflities are not multiplied by artificial defires. Thefe houfes have generally but a ground floor, very few have a firft floor: they are almost conftantly of a fquare form, having in the centre a court fometimes adorned with columns, which form the entrance and admit the light to four principal rooms that make the fides of the fquare. They have no windows, for they never receive light from the street. Each room has a very large door with two leaves, in one of which is a wicket, and by thefe doors the light enters. The houfes, being only 16 feet high, are fheltered from the wind, and in Summer they are pretty cool. The rooms are but indifferently furnished ; their moveables confift of mats, carpets, fome chairs, a cheft, a table, and a bed, which laft is hid by a curtain. The

* The Moors have no words for glaffes, or mirrors, because they do not ufe any..

VOL. VII. No 37.

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The houfes are all covered with terraces of earth about eighteen inches thick.

The inhabitants of the towns generally content themselves with one wife: they have female negroes whom they may take as concubines; but their averfion to that colour, which the whites have every where deftined to oppreffion, reftrains them from this practice left they should have mulatto children. It is common enough, indeed, to fee Moors engaged in affairs of gallantry with the wives of Jews, who are in general pretty; and their hufbands, on account of their precarious fituation, are fo complaifant as to be ignorant of the connection.

thofe in the plains. It likewife confifts of a haique, a cape, more or lefs fine, and one of coarfe blue European cloth for Winter: but what diftinguishes them from the others is a fhirt and drawers of linen, a veft of cotton in Summer, and of woollen in Winter, which they call caftan. The white or blue cape called bernus, is ufed on ceremonious occafions, and the perfons of the court never prefent themfelves before the fovereign without this cape, a fabre, and a poinard.

They wear no jewels; few have a ring, a watch, or filver fnuff-box: it is not above fifteen or twenty years fince the ufe of fnuff was introduced among them. It is common enough to fee a chaplet in their hands, which is used in repeating the name of God a certain number of times every day particularly by those who have not

The Moors avoid all oftentation in drefs, that they may not attract the attention of their avaricious rulers. The wardrobe of those that live in towns is not much larger than that of been taught to read the Koran.

Extreme Danger of the popular Belief in Dreams *.

THE curiofity of mankind, has

been often excited on the fubject of Dreams; the lower people in all countries are inclined to regard them with reverence and awe; but the opinions of the more enlightened claffes of men have been at great variance with refpect to this phenomenon. Some have been led to confider dreams as one fpecies of proof, that there is exifting within us a principle independent of the material frame. The vivid appearance of objects, the new and furprizing combinations formed, the exertions of the paffions, the regular trains of reafoning, the play of the imagination, feem occafionally to be as much realized in the ftate of flumber, as when awake and in motion. It may be affumed as a certain fact, that almost every man has, at fome one period or other of his life, experienced in fleep a confcioufnefs of every action he could have performed

when awake. He travels over extend

ed regions; he runs, walks, rides with freedom and agility, and not unfrequently feems endued with new and fuperior powers; he foars aloft, and is wafted through the air, or, gently defcending, he glides through the waters, and with fuch perfect command and fecurity, that, when he awakens, he is hardly perfuaded it was but a dream. In oppofition to thefe obfervations, it is urged, that exactly fimilar effects are produced from difeafe; fuch is its influence in numberlefs cafes, that the fubject feems juft as forcibly prepoffeffed as from any ideas that could be received from actual impreffion. Perfons infane will perfevere in exercifes beyond their ufual strength, feeming all the while never to enter. tain a doubt but that they are moving in carriages, on horfeback, performing military exercife and evolutions, or buried in philofophical experiments. Multitudes

*Gent. Mag.

Multitudes of fuch inftances will readily occur; and it is argued, that as the mind, in thofe examples, is evidently not difengaged from the controul of the body, fo neither in the other is there any reafon to fuppofe it different, the circumftance of fleep and infenfibility being fomething not unlike difeafe, a ftate of fufpenfion of many of the active powers.

Some philofophers imagine that the mind never remains inert, that fucceffrons of ideas inceffantly prefent them felves, and thought is always employed. With respect, however, to this notion, it may be alledged, that it is highly improbable that dreams, which, according to the fuppofition, must perpetually occur, fhould be fo feldom and fo faintly recollected. To this it may be answered, that the fame thing happens when we are awake. Let any perfon try to recall the whole train of ideas that has paffed through his mind during twelve hours that he has been stirring about in the ordinary bufinefs of the day; he will be able to remember particular effential tranfactions; but, if he attempts to recover the mafs of ideas that filled his mind for that portion of time, or even only a confiderable part of the time, he will find it impracticable labour; he will in vain endeavour to trace the connection of his ideas the fame broken confused affemblage will be perceived, even by him who poffeffes the most retentive memory, as when he firft wakens with that imperfect consciousness that is ufually termed a dream. Were we to commit to writing, in the minuteft manner, every idea our remembrance then fuggested, it would be difficult, perhaps impoffible, to collect fuch a number as would employ one hour to read over.

The popular belief, that dreams are a kind of preternatural admonition, meant to direct our conduct, is a notion extremely dangerous. As nothing can be more ill-founded, it ought to be ftrenuouly combated. Innumer

able reafons might be offered; but it will be fufficient to fay, that it is inconfiftent with the general defign of Providence, it would overturn the principles that regulate fociety. The benign intention of the Author of Nature is in no inftance more eminently difplayed than in with-holding from us the certain knowledge of future events. Were it otherwife conftituted, man would be the moft miferable of beings; he would become indifferent to every action, and incapable of exertion; overwhelmed with the terrors of impending misfortune, he would endure the mifery of criminals awaiting the moment of execution. The proof unanfwerable and decifive, that dreams are not to be confidered as prognoftics, is, that no example can be produced of their successful effect, either in pointing out means of preventing harm, or facilitating benefit. Certain inftances may be alledged, where the conformity of a dream with fome fubfequent event may have been remarkable; but we may venture to affert, that fuch discoveries have generally happened after the facts, and that fancy and ingenuity have had the chief fhare in tracing the resemblance, or finding out the explanation,

If it be granted that thought never ftops, and that the mind is perpetually employed; the wonder fhould rather be, that fo few caufes of fimilitude have been recorded. If millions of the human fpecies through the whole extent of time have been, during their ftate of flumber, continually fubject to dream; perhaps the calculators of chances would be apt to maintain, that near coincidences have probably happened much more frequently than they have been either noticed or recollected.

Amongst the various hiftories of fingular dreams and correfponding events, we have lately heard of one, which feems to merit being refcued from oblivion. Its authenticity will appear from the relation; and we may E 2

furely

furely pronounce, that a more extra ordinary concurrence of fortuitous and accidental circumftances can scarcely be produced or paralleled.

One Adam Rogers, a creditable and decent perfon, a man of good fenfe and repute, who kept a public-house at Portlaw, a fmall hamlet, nine or ten miles from Waterford, in the kingdom of Ireland, dreamed one night that he faw two men at a particular green fpot on the adjoining mountain, one of them a fmall fickly looking man, the other remarkably ftrong and large. He then faw the little man murder the other, and he awoke in great agitation. The circumftances of the dream were fo diftinct and forcible, that he continued much affected by them. He related them to his wife, and alfo to feveral neighbours, next morning. In fome time he went out courfing with grey-hounds, accompanied, amoogft others, by one Mr Browne, the Roman Catholic pricft of the parish. He foon ftopped at the above-mentioned particular green fpot on the mountain, and, calling to Mr Browne, pointed it out to him, and told him what had appeared in his dream. During the remainder of the day he thought little more about it. Next morning he was extremely startled at fecing two ftrangers enter his houfe, about 11 o'clock in the forenoon. He immediately ran into an inner room, and defired his wife to take particular notice, for they were precifely the two men he had feen in his dream. When they had confulted with one another, their apprehenfions were alarmed for the little weakly man, though contrary to the appearance in the dream. After the firangers had taken fome refreshment, and were about to depart, in order to profecute their journey, Rogers ear nelly endeavoured to diffuade the little man from quitting his houfe, and going on with his fellow-traveller. He affured him, that if he would remain with him that day, he would accompany him to Carrick the next morn

ing, that being the town to which the travellers were proceeding. He was unwilling and afhaned to tell the caufe of his being fo folicitous to feparate him from his companion. But, as he obferved that Hickey, which was the name of the little man, feemed to be quiet and gentle in his deportment, and had money about him, and that the other had a ferocious bad countenance, the dream ftill recurred to him, He dreaded that fomething fatal would happen; and he wished, at all events, to keep them afunder. However, the humane precautions of Rogers proved ineffectual; for Caulfield, fuch was the other's name, prevailed upon Hickey to continue with him on their way to Carrick, declaring, that, as they had long travelled together, they fhould not part, but remain together until he fhould fee Hickey fafely arrive at the habitation of his friends. The wife of Rogers was much diffatisfied when the found they were gone, and blamed her husband exceedingly for not being abfolutely peremptory in detaining Hickey,

About an hour after they left Portlaw, in a lonely part of the mountain, juft near the place obferved by Rogers in his dream, Caulfield took the opportunity of murdering his companion, It appeared afterwards, from his own account of the horrid tranfaction, that, as they were getting over a ditch, he ftruck Hickey on the back part of his head with a tone; and, when he fell down into the trench, in confequence of the blow, Caulfield gave him fevcral ftabs with a knife, and cut his throat fo deeply that the head was ob ferved to be almoft fevered from the body. He then rifled Hickey's pockets of all the money in them, took part of his cloathes, and every thing cife of value about him, and afterwards proceeded on his way to Carrick. had not been long gone when the body, ftill warm, was discovered by some labourers who were returning to their work from dinner,

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