Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-09-06
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THU RsDAY,

( fah, who, as chief of the village, had carried
out the governors commands, touching the
beasts, birds, and babies, now thEs~ himself at
the Pashas feet. " Your highrass,' he said
"has seen that all the animals zpraise be
to God obey our lord, the sultan the inf
delaies alone are rebellious. I IaA5 aman Of low
degree and small power, and caaNdo nothing
against them; it now behovesa great viziar like
your highness to enforce the commands of our
lord and master The Pasha reliahed the joke,
forgave the flies, and left the village which was
just what all the inhabitants Of Baashiokhah
wished. I s3+A
The Yezidi religion isnot SO dreadful in sub
stance as it is in title. Their Nlelek gaous--the
Brazen Peacock is the symbol Of AEEyil Prin-
ciple;-which the Yezidis seek rad to propi-I
tiate than honor with special worship. King
peacock is thesrude image of bird % the top
OF 3 brass or copper stand, some, Ike u
candle stick II ii rather rsvrs =.
or Persian: iaol rthaa s..sasl ass 4. yckk but u
serves for IN emblem as well as anything else.
They say that the Melek Taous has never fallen
into the hands of the Mussulmans, and that it
is protected by special providence, which has
preserved it to its votaries in spite OF the dan
gers to which it has been exposed. If this
glory of his faith were to depart, the poor Ye-4
zid would feel himself in worse plight than if
obliged to wear q blue shirt, or to eat Turkish
mess. The symbolic presence Of Satan with
drawn, what further hope could there be of his
protection and good will land his protection
and good will are grave matters to the Yezidis.
They believe that the Devil was, and is still,
the chief Of the angels !; but that he is now suf-
fering punishment for his rebellion to the Eter-
nal will. Yet he will be restored to his former
honors in the end, and then he will reward, as
he now has power to torment. He must there
fore, be conciIiated, they say, that hereafter,
he may remember those who paid him honor,
and did not turn their faces away from him, in
the day of his disgrace. There is something
touching in this act of kindness to the fallen
almost equal in simplicity to the Scottish preach
er's prayer for the puir de'il," when he pray
i" but, guide Lord, dinna let him fa' in !! " when
held over the bottomless pit for an eternity of
punishment. ,---.
The Kurds have been sad enemies to the peace
full devil worshippers. The Kurds are rich:
their tents are large and luxurious, divided into
many compartments by means of canes or reeds
prettily worked, bound together with different
coloured threads, and covered with gay carpets.
The Kurdish carpets are the most celebrated in
Turkey. Their clothes are heavily embroidered
with gold and silver-the colours generally deep
red, and bright yellow, and black, in stripes J;
they tinge their eyeids with kohl, and live well
and luxuriously. The girls of the Malli tribe
are considered the most beautiful Of the Kurd-
ish women, and are greatly sought after--a
hundred pounds, or twenty p,des, being often
given for them They are tittooed by Arab
women, who wander from tent to tent for that
purpose, and who work with gun-powder and
indigo. The operation is performed at the age
of six or seven, and an elaborate pattern gains
perhaps an extra purse in the matrimonial mar
ct. The won en- show their faces, and eat with
the men. Well, these Kurds have been moral
enemies of the Yezidis have razed more val.
leys, slain more men, and captured more women
than even the Turks themselves, and are dread.
ed and hated in consequence. Because of tn,
oppression committed and the dangers in which
the Yezidis had lived, their great festival--th,
pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh Adi-ha,
been greatly neglected, of late years; but, il
the year when Layard was with them, it wa
exceedingly well attended. To this pilgrimag
all the tribes Aocked The clean white house
of the Yezidi valleys-many standing in thei
own little gardens, with stream of runnin
water passing hrough-emptied themselves @
their inmates; all pressing onward to the val
Hley of the tombof the Sheikh Ada. Every per
son bathed and put on clean clothes before enter
ing the valley-the men washing in one part q
the stream and the women in another-but ur
conscious Of evil, bathing in the midst of tn
tribe.
!. As soon as the pilgrims saw the sacred tomt
each man fred his matchbox and set up hi
war-cry the women clapped their hands an
, shouted too the children mingled their shri
, voices in the cries. Almost every one was clotf
ed in white, and wore flowers and leaves in the
hair or turbans. The beauty Of women, til
varied dresses and countenancesof the differer
tribes as they wound down the sacred valle,
the gaiety of the people, and the softness of tt
Q scenery, made up prospect perhaps unrivalle
in the whole world-all was so gay, and brigh
i. and innocent. The child-like enthusiasm of tt
pilgrims was equalled only by their child-ll
' innocence and gaiety, and it was well worth IL
t journey from Mosul to witness only their deligh
q Sheep were slain and distributed to the poor
members of herd of white oxen penned nea
= the temple shared the same fate; bread wa
baked, dried figs and raisins strung in grotesqu
: figures, fresh fruit and sour curds formed I'll
0 food of most and then night dropped over. Il
b valley, teeming with its mighty congregation
near five thousand souls. As the darkness dee
!. ened, torches and fires were lighted, m en- AZ
= women wandered into the forest, carrying ligh
-t ed masheals in their hands; thered light toss'
+ high about, and every now and then was 10
= among the trees, then glimmering out throu(
It the leaves and across the black branches, pr
y ducing,a. magical effect lamps hung round :
l. white walls of the temple, the priests and 81
d ers sitting in the full blaze, with the women
4 their own order, grouped about; the voices
it men and women came up, soft and sweet frc
If the valley, and laughter and happy childish j
10 b,ningled with them; when suddenly all was st