--Native
costumes made by the peasantry--Their beauty and variety--The
poorest class--Mamaliga--The gipsies--Their origin and
history--Their slavery--Wilkinson's account of them in his
day--Their emancipation and present condition--Laoutari or
musicians--Their other occupations--Their religion--Fusion with the
native Roumanians--Striking contrast between gipsies and
natives--Lipovans--Roumanian love of bright colours--Pictorial
advertisements--Amusing signboards--Absence of intellectual
entertainments and occupations--Want of exchange and market
buildings--Great advances since 1857--Edgar Quinet's account of
Roumania in his day--'The Roumanian Company for erecting Public
Edifices'--Funerals--Octroi duties--Their onerous character--A few
words on the Jews--Bitter journalistic attacks upon them--Curtea
d'Ardges--Its beautiful cathedral--The exterior--Fine tracery and
ornaments--The interior--Legendary history--Negru Voda and
Manole--Poem of Manole--Entombs his wife alive in the
foundation--His fate--True history--Neagu Bassarab, its
founder--John Radul--Quaint and interesting tablets concerning its
history down to 1804--Subsequent history and present
condition--(Note: Brief history of Christianity in
Roumania--Atheism and indifference to religion).

I.

The chief cities or towns in Roumania are Bucarest, the capital, in the
district of Ilfovu; Jassy or Iasi, the old capital of Moldavia, in that
of the same name; Galatz or Galati, in Covurluiu; Curtea d'Ardges, in
the district of that name; Braila or Ibrail, Craiova, Botosani,
Ploiesti, and Pitesti. We have not named them exactly in the order of
their size, as it is our intention to give some details of the first
four only.

[Illustration: PLAN OF BUCAREST, WITH THE MAIN STREETS AND BUILDINGS.

(_Reduced from Plan by Professor Zamphirolu._)

1. Filaret Railway Station.

2. Tirgovistea Railway Station.

3. Metropolitan Cathedral.

4. Palace.

5. National Theatre.

6. Council of Ministers.

7. Academy.

8. British Embassy.

9. Post and Telegraph Offices.

10. Church, Radu Voda.

11. Ministry of Finance.

12. Summer Palace (Cotroceni).

13. Asyle Helene.

14. Coltza Hospital.

15. Colentina Hospital.

16. Bank of Roumania.]

Of the capital, Bucarest, the reader will here find a general plan, in
case he should at any time visit the city. T