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244 festivals and entertainments. [chap. xi.
in consideration of a sum of money, binds herself to live as
the wife of a certain individual during the term of a pilgrim
age, or some other specified time only. 1 Other inmates of
the harem, chiefly Georgian and African slaves, are obtained
without any restriction, except that of the means of purchas
ing them. 2 Divorce is freely exercised by the husband
without alleging any reason, and he has merely to restore
any dower which he may have received; but the woman can
only exercise this privilege when she can give a substantial
reason before the kazi, and is prepared to forfeit her dower.
Amusements of At home the Persian of distinction spends his time chiefly
in the harem, where the household affairs, and even the
matters which relate to the stables, are regulated. Abroad
he lounges in the public baths, or amuses himself with
hawking, hunting, wolf-baiting, throwing the jereed, and
other martial exercises : splendid arms and fine horses (some
of them, for show, being stained of an orange or pink colour)
are objects in which he highly delights. Mutual visits con
sume a large portion of the day, when the guests (seated on
the rich carpets in the Biroum) are amused with fortune
tellers, jugglers, buffoons, story-tellers, music, draughts, cards,
fireworks, illuminations, and, more rarely, professed dancers,
singing in chorus. 3 These entertainments are most splendid
on such occasions as the feast of the new moon, 4 that of free
dom when alms are given, 5 and the Bei'ram : also on the
festival of the new year (Nau-ruz), the offering of the camel, 6
and that of roses; but especially the commemoration of the
death of Ali, of which there is then a lengthened representa
tion, so well managed as to produce, on the part of the
audience, loud sobs and other outward symptoms of grief,
people tlie The exercise of their several callings in the bazar, the
cheap luxury of the bath, and meeting in coffee-houses to
1 Ogilby's Asia, p. 57. a Ibid.
3 Ibid., p. 79. There is no feast made, but five or six women come to
divert the guests with dancing.—Tavernier's Persian Travels, p. 44.
4 Asciar.—Ogilby's Asia, p. 73. 5 Ibid., p. 74.
5 This animal being substituted for the ram offered instead of Isaac.—Ibid
p. 73.