Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-01-30
ruE cRIMEA GOO YEARs ACC.

A curious book published at Rouen, in the
French language, in the year 1862; entitled ga
Description of the Ukraine, including several
provinces of the Kingdom Of Poland has ac-
cidentalIy fallen under our eye. The name of
the author, as it appears on the title page, is
Sicur de Beauplan. The book contains also
an interesting account of the Crimea, and of
the race Of Tartars who Inhabited it two hun
dred years ago. we translate the following in
reference to their manners and customs:
''The Tsrtars remain several days, after they
are born, without opening their eyes, like dogs
and other animals. They are not of high stat
urc. The tallsst is only Of moderate size.
Their form is rather slender, but their limbs
are large. They have broad shoulders, a short
neck, a large head, face almost round, and a
broad forehead. Their eyes are always half
closed; they very black. They have a
short nose, and rather a small mouth. Their
teeth are as white as ivory. They have q
ssvartly complexion, and hair very black, and
as coarse as horses hair. In fine, they have
altogether a different physiognomy from the
Christians. This you would observe at the
first glance In their physIognomy and form
they resemble the Indians of America, and es-
pecialiy those who are called Caribees. They
are all brave soldiers. They are not easily fa-
tigued, and they bear without much suffering
the changes Of the climate. The mothers
bathe their children every day in water in
which salt has been dissolved, in order to har-
den their skin and render them less sensible
to the coid.'
The author thus describes, In another part
of the work, the manner in which the Cossacks
of those days made love
s.Herc, then, contrary to the custom of all
other countries, may be seen young girls ma
king love to young rHn, and superstition
very prevalent among them, and carefully OBJ
served, causes them scarcely ever to miss their
object and, indeed, renders them more sure of
success than the man would be, should the
latter attempt the wooing. They proceed
somewhat after the following manner The
maiden goes to the house of the father of the
young man whom she loves, whom she thinks
the family all together, and says on entering,
Pomega5og, which means, God bless you
She pays her compliments to him who has
made so great an impression upon her heart,
ana tcliS ann SNe IDlnkS ne Will KNOW now TO
govern and love his wife. 'Thy noble quail
ties,' she continues, shave led me to pray thee
very hunibly to accept me for thy wife, She
then asks the father and mother to consent to
the marriage. If she received refusal OF
some excuse, as that he is too young, and not
yet ready to marry, she answers that she will
not depart until he has espoused her. Thus
she perseyeres and persists in remaining until
she has obtained favorable answer TO her de-
mands. After several weeks, the father and
mother are not only constrained to give their
consent, but also to persuade their son to look
upon her more favorably. AT the same time,
the young man seeing the maiden SO deter
mined in her affection for him, begins to re-
gard her as the one who is destined to be the
companion of his life's journey. Finally he
prays his father and mother to permit him to
espouse her. Thus she accomplishes her pur-
pose, and the entire family, through fear OF
incurring the wrath of God by expelling her
from their house, are constrained to give their
consent to the union. .'-Boston Times.