The females of this class are usually placed in the situa tion of slaves, and possess many of those qualities which belont to that condition Their influence in society is consequently of litue importance. The lower ranks re gard them in proportion as they are useful in domestic duties; while the higher ranks consider them as born for their sensual gratification Women in this country have no assigned place in the community, but are what their husbands, or rather their lords, choose to make them. Excluded from all society except the company of their own sex, their labours and amusements are confined with in the walls of the haram. There, however, their occu pations are often numerous and difficult. They sew, em broider, and spin; make their own clothes, and sometimes those of their husband, and superintend all the domestic concerns of the house. As a necessary preparation for conducting their household affairs, when children they are taught at school, along with the boys, to read and write ; and when too old to go unveiled, their education is finished at home by a female Moollah. Music and dancing form no part of their education. These arts are taught only to slaves, who practise them for the amuse ment of their owners. The Persian ladies regard the bath as the place of their greatest amusement : for there they make appointments to meet, and often pass seven or eight hours together in the carpeted saloon, telling stories, re lating anecdotes, and eating sweetmeats. There also they employ themselves in dyeing their hair and eye-brows, and in staining their bodies with fantastic devices, such as the figures of trees, animals, sun, and planets. These artificial embellishments are spread over the breast, and exposed to view. Persian mothers are generally treated with the utmost respect and kindness by their children of both sexes during life, which often gives them an impor tance beyond the precincts of the haram.
The houses in this country are in general mean : the exterior being mostly built of earth or mud, one story high, with flat roofs, and no windows appearing to the view of passengers. But the form of the roofs is different in some situations. At Sultanea, they are of the shape of bee-hives ; and in some places in Irak, those of the old buildings resemble the roofs of mosques. The genera lity of Persian houses consist of a large square court, lined on all sides with rooms of various dimensions and uses ; and this court is laid out in walks, the sides of which are planted with flowers and refreshed by fountains. Distinct from this is a smaller court, around which are the inner apartments belonging to the females of the family ; and almost every dwelling has a garden attached to it. The interior apartments of the richer classes are highly su perb, yet simple in every thing that may be denominated furniture. The floor is overspread with the richest car pets ; and this serves for scat, bed, table, and devotional kneeling ; and the custom of kneeling on their carpets at prayers gives these articles of furniture a sacred charac ter, which forms one reason why a native of Persia never enters a room in boots or slippers, but always leaves them at' the door. " This people," says Kinnear, "never re cline on cushions, in the luxurious manner of the Turks, but sit in an erect posture on a thick felt, called nummud. They have seldom or never fires in their apartments, even in the coldest season ; and in order to be warm, fold them selves in their fur pelisse, or baroonee. Like other orien tal nations, they rise with the sun, and having dressed and said their prayers, take a cup of coffee, or perhaps some fruit. They then enter upon the business of the day, if' they have any; and if not, smoke and converse until about eleven o'clock, at which time they usually have their breakfast, and then retire into the harem. Here they re main until about three o'clock, when they return to the hall, see company, and finish their business; for with these people the most important affairs are discussed and trans acted in public. They are passionately fond of tobacco, which they smoke almost incessantly from the moment they rise until they go to rest; it constitutes, indeed, the principal source of amusement to a man of fortune ; and were it not for his kaleoon, or water pipe, I am at a loss to imagine how he could possibly spend his time." The Persians are all fond of society, and, from the ex traordinary cheapness of provisions of every kind, their tables are generally well furnished. Wheat is the com mon food of the people ; but the favourite dish of the rich is pillau, or boiled rice, variously dressed ; and melons, fruits, and confections, form the leading articles in their entertainments. The hog is the only animal whose flesh they are positively forbidden to eat ; and wine is prohibit ed by their religion. The wealthier classes, however, sometimes forget the law of their prophet, and as, accord ing to their belief, " there is equal sin in a glass as in a flagon," they usually, when they drink, indulge to excess.
Their meals are ceremonious and silent, but short, and never exceed an hour.
'We extract from Mr. AIorier's work, the account of an entertainment given to Sir Hanford Jones, the British En voy, by Mahomed Nebee Khan, the governor of Bushire. " In the evening we dined with Mahomed Nebee Khan. We did not go till the Khan had sent to the Envoy to say, that the entertainment was ready for his reception, a cus tom always observed on such occasions. When we arriv ed at his tent," after the usual compliments, " we sat upon the ground, where the inflexibility of our knees rendered the position more difficult than can be described. The Khan, who seemed to commiserate the tightness of our pantaloons, begged that we would extend our legs at their full length : fearing, however, to be rude, we chose to be uncomfortable, and to imitate their fashion as faithfully as possible; and really, with respect to my feelings, I thought complaisance was never carried farther.”—" After having sat some time, kaleoons were brought in, then coffee, then kaleoons, then sweet coffee, (so called from being a com position of rose-water and sugar,) and then kaleoons again. All this was rapidly performed, when the Khan called for dinner. On the ground, before us, was spread the sofra, a fine chintz cloth, which perfectly entrenched our legs, and which is used so long unchanged, that the accumu lated fragments of former meals collect into a musty paste, and emit no very savoury smell ; but the Persians are con tent, for they say that changing the sofra brings ill luck. A tray was then placed before each guest ; on these trays were three fine china bowls, which were filled with sher bets; two made of sweet liquors, and one of a most ex quisite species of lemonade. There were, besides, fruits ready cut, plates with elegant little arrangements of sweet meats and confectionary, and smaller cups of sweet sher bet; the whole of which were placed most symmetrically, and were quite inviting, even by their appearance. In the vases of sherbet were spoons made of the pear tree, with very deep bowls, and worked so delicately, that the long handle just slightly bent when it was carried to the mouth. The pillaus succeeded, three of which were placed before each two guests ; one of plain rice, called the chillo ; one made of mutton, with raisins and almonds ; the other of a fowl, with rich spices and plums. To this were added various dishes with rich sauces, and over each a small tincture of sweet sauce. Their cooking, indeed, is mostly composed of sweets. The business of eating was a plea sure to the Persians, but it was misery to us. They com fortably advanced their chins close to the dishes, and com modiously scooped the rice or other victuals into their mouths, with three fingers and thumb of their right hand ; but in vain did we attempt to approach the dish ; our tight-kneed breeches, and all the ligaments and buttons of our dress, forbade us ; and we were forced to manage as well as we could, fragments of meat and rice falling through our fingers all around us. When we were all satisfied, dinner was carried away with the same state in which it was brought ; the servant who officiated, dropping himself gracefully on one knee as he carried away the trays, and passing them expertly over his head with both his hands, extended to the lacquey, who was ready behind to carry them off. We were treated with more kaleoons after din ner, and then departed." In an account of another enter tainment, he says, " When the whole is cleared, and the cloths rolled up, ewers and basins are brought in, and every one washes his hand and mouth. Until the water is presented, it is ridiculous enough to see the right hand of every person (which is covered with the complicated fragments of all the dishes) placed in a certain position over his left arm : there is a fashion even in this." In Persian visits, the knowledge of etiquette is the only knowledge displayed. When visited by a superior, the Persian rises hastily, and meets his guest nearly at the door of the apartment; on the entrance of an equal, he just raises himself from his seat, and stands nearly erect ; but to an inferior he makes the motion only of rising. In sitting, there is the same attention to ceremony; and he sits on his heels, or cross-legged, or in any other manner, according to the rank of the company in which he hap pens to be present. A common visit generally consists of three parts ; first, the kaleoon and coffee ; second, a kaleoon and sweet coffee ; and third, a kaleoon by itself. Sweetmeats are frequently introduced at the conclusion. This practice is so uniform, and so jealous are they of their character for hospitality, that going out of a house without smoking a kaleoon, or taking any other refresh ment, is deemed a high affront.