s dress in their most costly jewels and apparel to receive or pay
visits. The children have their sports and amusements. Whenever I have
entered a Native house on these days, all seemed cheerful and happy, and
enjoying themselves in whatever way was most congenial to their particular
tastes; 'every one must be cheerful (they say) on Buckrah Eade'.

On this day, millions of animals are sacrificed in remembrance of
Abraham's faith. I have often thought how striking is the similarity
between the Mosaic and Mussulmaun institutes,--indeed my recollections of
Scripture history have frequently been realized in the views I have had of
the domestic habits of the Mussulmauns. They are forbidden the use of
unclean animals; the swine is equally abominable to Mussulmauns as to the
Jews; neither are they less scrupulous in discarding from their kitchen
any kind of animal food prohibited by their laws, or which has not been
killed by one of their faith. In this process the person, who is to slay,
turns the animal's head towards Mecca, repeats the short appointed prayer,
and with one plunge the animal has ceased to feel: they are expert in the
art of despatching life, so that the animal's sufferings may not be
protracted unnecessarily;--an amiable trait of character and worthy of
imitation.

* * * * *

'Nou-Roze'[25] (New Year's Day) is a Festival of Eade of no mean
importance in the estimation of Mussulmaun society.

The exact period of commencing the Mussulmaun new year is the very moment
of the sun's entering the sign Aries. This is calculated by those
practical astronomers, who are in the service of most great men in Native
cities;--I should tell you they have not the benefit of published
almanacks as in England,--and according to the hour of the day or night
when the sun passes into that particular sign, so are they directed in the
choice of a colour to be worn in their garments on this Eade: if at
midnight, the colour would be dark puce, almost a black; if at mid-day,
the colour would be the brightest crimson. Thus to the intermediate hours
are given a shade of either colour applicable to the time of the night or
the day when the sun enters the sign Aries; and whatever be the colour to
suit the hour of Nou-Roze, all classes wear the day's livery, from the
King to the meanest subject in the city. The King, on his throne, sits in
state to receive congratulations and nuzzas from his nobles, courtiers