The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-01-19
Thomas N. Carr's Lecture ON tho customs
ofthc Moors, Sc.

subsc, he ore The Bereau Institate on Tuesday eve-
ming at the IJnversalist Church, of Eliza
beth and Walker streets After alluding TO the fact
thar a cursory examination alone could be given of
the topics in question at single lecture, he pro-
ceecsd as follows, after noticing maay OF the Pc
cuharites of the Moors and the geographical posi-
ton Of the country =
have now mentioned the Moors. Arabs and Jews; 1t
remans TO the most numerous and the most Ia
teresting dvisionthe Kabyles Under this term IN
clude all those people who inhabs the mountainous re-
gon of the Atlas whatever may be their specific appea
tons The most comprehensive and correct term would
be. perhaps Amazurg or reemen Tbs general opinion
their being distinct nations with different origins and
deren languages My belief that they are originally
the same people that the Berebers and sheuh OF Atlas
the quanches the and the ruarcks OF the de-
set and the people, and identical with the
Nazonones the Macea the the Geramantes, and
Gertuana OF the their differences SIM
ply the differences Of tribes and that their languages are
least and convenient and removes many
difficulties in which the subject involved would APP
n bsinhsbans Of Bsbary into
agricultural and pastoral trbesthe same distinction Is
preserved to this day shaw says that the ka0yies i've
made up of mud novels whereas the Arabs. being COM
monty the inhabitants of the plains: are therefore called
collection eo pitched usually in CIRCLE with their
doors opening to cards Mecca is called Douar Mecca
YOU will recoect a sacred city long time before
the era of Mahommed. So that the sgricuuralor Ara
bic tribes the times Of Herodus might have BEEN and
most probably were the descendants OF lskmael and
Edom speaking variations of dialect which was com.
mon Is ancient shepherds of Mesapotama Palestine
and Arabia and which, under different notifications. as
Chaldsan, Pheonican Hebrew syrisc and Arabic. con-
stute the original language Of the shemetc family
the rapid diffusion Of the saracenc language among the
people they conquered Generally, it well known it
vanqushed who give language to the conquerers but
in this case find the invaders language the predom
one and therefore is probable that the saracens
Heroatus, and to the present Arabs an speaking
guage closely resembling their own, trey readily
counts for the origin OF the Arabs and shows that the
chief stock in fact from Arabia, but long before
ter, merely added to them, and infused little Ara
bio purity into their language But explains nothing
respecting the in Tact Ine% n,r IN s
nct and different people, long before the first giimmer
pgs of authentic history: Notwithstanding that they
many centuries in contact with those people
call the Arabs the Arabic language has made no pro
gress among them They speak an original language d.
vded Into number of dialects, which has apparently
connection with the Arabic or Hebrew. know nothing
of its grammatical construction and don't believe any
else does but the Arabs and Hebrews consider it
very different language, and know that in sound isve
ry ditinct. have heard both Of its principal dialects
the Bereber and the and they have no re-
sembance the deep gutterals of the Arabic sounds
like English than any other language-in fact, the
Of the s. feature in English which instantly strikes
Arabian, very strong the SHOOK and makes We
nv curious correspondence with the assertion of Herodi
tus who says that the inhabitants Of Barbary
speak language that sounds like the Kissing Of sepents
phrases almost exactly like English as for nsance.
SHOOK SAYS shut the door" with very good English
ne sus
merely accidental The Kabyles themselves have
ry universal tea Of the nquy other language They
leye that their language was andeuvsn and was used
by Noah and his family in the ark The thorough and
and the applcaont Of those chronological principles
which have done 50 much withe few years to e"caats
DAYS be repaid by the richest discoveries This field,
present dark and mysterious but vast and inviting
collection OF few meagre and incorrect vocabulares OF
two or three hundred words by who we're unquali
fed pursue the subject with that profound pathological
erudtion that comprehensive and penetrating
that patient inu.ry which characterize the elias.
GERMANY and which already led to such glorious
suits The ancient and modern languages OF Europe the
Oriental tongues have monoposed all the critical
of Europe while the language Of the Atlas and the
Sahara has scarcely received thought This language
is have said. spoken great extent of country
In Morocco the two priI cpal divisions Of are with the
the Tuaric or the dialects which are spoken from
end Of the Sahara to the other These Tuarcs who are
~ Captain iy9h sI5 AMI T.ne sro as
the miserable Arabs who have mingled with them Their
language was once written one as aoundsntiy proved
know may be at the present day Should 1ihave the
honor Of delivering lecture upon the Desert and the eff
forts at African exploration would then have oppor-
tuniy of speaking upon this subject in detail. The
Ksbyles OF Morocco, whatever may be their specific
names Bereburs SHOOK or whatever may be the diff
rences among themselves in character customs and
tune, differ sl from the Arabs, and just as
distinct in all other national characteristics they in
language They finer looking set Of men, Of mid
die size, but active athletic and well made. Their
plexions quite Light their features fine, with almost
invariably brilliant black eyes, and teeth like snow and
the time they have look of intelligence, enter
prise and independence very different the scowling
sinister expression Of the Arabs but hardly fair
to compare people who have for ages enjoyed the
on S who su
ed under the demoralizing influence of degrading
nf he mill
NJ million, and the Jews between and eight
hundred thousand s'me four or five hundred Chrstans
and renegades the first composed of lew merchants
members she consular families and the latter Of
convict and deserer from the Spanish garrison
Their principal rites, ceremonies and religious
nearly similar to those of Mohammedsm in all quar-
ofhe world where Monammedism prevails modif d.
character which have even altered and produced
the mogreben dialect OF the Arabic Without pointing
out the little distinction, which will readily strike ali
familiar with the religious customs OF the East,
will con6ne myselfto notice of asts and feasts The
Koran directs fast and two easts TO be observed
ly by Mohammedans but custom has introduced Others
ofno less Importance to the Moors and which faith
fully observed any of the three. will speak of the
principal feast and fast days. observed in this part
Barbsry commencing with the fast OF Rhamadan. This
every year Of their and held in grea,
generation by the Moor as the month la which the first
part Of the Koran was revealed TO Mohammed BY the an
gel Gabriel At the time the moon Is expected, vi
gant watch 10 maintained by the Moors and
seen the fact proclaimed by discharge of singh.
gun from the battery From this moment the duties ofhe
sacred month entered upon. and all business is
pended untilh expiration of the fast, which continues
until the next This time is devoted to pray.
and and to the healing Of all personal snmo
Stiles enemies meet they embrace, shake hands, and
to forget the past. The Moors not allowed to
make war or to wage II during this MONTH except in sell
defence From day light until set they abstain from
eating drinking, smoking snuff taking. As the day
devoted to fast SO is the night to of dissipation
None exempt from the observance Of this law but
children under thirteen years Of age the and travel
lers journey This, however, but temporary sus
pension the duty, and is to be made fast in some
ofthe unholy months The time for breaking the fast
announce every evening by the discharge gun from
the FORTS in the fields BY the voice Of the Muedden
priest by the shr cry oil the saint from the top
Of his sanctuary, and the appearance Of white
flag in the minare Athese given signals, 1t 10 amusing
to with what aacry the Moor' seize upon the bus
nil he inf he yiuU