After the Papa has pronounced his benediction, the assembly disperse; but as gas has not yet travelled thus far, to illumine the streets, much less the pathways and by-ways of European Turkey, each person carries with him a paper lantern, gaudily painted, and lighted with a wax-taper blessed by the Papa. It is now that the war of the paschal eggs commences; these novel missiles, having been previously roasted till they are quite hard, the object of each person is to break the egg of his neighbour without destroying his own; and those whose eggs withstand the concussion, draw a favourable augury of long life and prosperity.

The season of Easter is one of great festivity; the poorest man sacrifices his paschal lamb at the shrine of hospitality, he keeps open house, and whether friend or enemy, all are welcome; rivers of raki and wine flow in every direction, and each man seems to have but one object in view, to eat, drink, and be merry. "Dobro dosli! Na'sdravi," welcome, is on every lip, and who is there, will not share the bounty of heaven, with his fellow-men, in remembrance of the "Lord having risen from the dead." At this holy season all enmities cease, or if a permanent reconciliation cannot be effected, at least, all outward demonstrations of bad feeling are avoided.

After Easter our Lord's week commences-the week of prayer and thanksgiving. The greatest criminal now repairs to his church, and humbles himself at the altar

of his creed; injuries are mutually forgiven and atoned for, since the words "did not the Lord forgive His enemies, and die to redeem us all?" is heard from every lip. Pilgrimages are made to the "city of their ancestors," the cemetery, prayers are said for the dead, and orations pronounced over the graves of those whose virtues had rendered them, during life, the objects of the respect and admiration of their fellow-men.

During this week marriages are celebrated, friendly alliances contracted between tribe and tribe, brotherhood, the Probatim, established between private individuals, and the Prosestrina between women, when they adopt each other as brothers and sisters for the ensuing year, or for life. In short, every act of importance is concluded during a week sanctified as " the week of our Lord." Christmas Day is ushered in with similar rejoicings; the churches are crowded, and in the same manner as at Easter, when the midnight hour is passed, the solemn voice of the Papa is heard exclaiming "Mir Bojii, Christos se rodi!" (Glory be to God; Christ is born!) which is responded to by the whole congregation, "Mir Bojii, Vaistinou rodi" (Glory be to God, He is really born!) At the same moment, all present embrace each other, and every one presents his friend or neighbour with a portion of the cake of unleavened bread blessed by the Papa.

They then return home, discharging their fire-arms, and, as at Easter, invite their friends, and proceed to

celebrate the banquet of some animal roasted whole, this being one of the peculiarities that distinguishes the Christmas festival, and as at Easter, the inhabitants of the different towns and villages visit each other, rejoice and make merry. Still there is one superstition observed at the Christmas festival, which I believe is only practised among these mountaineers, and which probably originated in the earliest times of Paganism.

The wood selected for roasting the animal destined for celebrating the Christmas feast, must be no other than the sacred oak, and not only is it necessary that care should be taken in choosing it, but that it should be felled at the proper season. The wood, after performing its duty, is left to smoulder on the hearth, and woe betide that house in which it should become extinguished before sunrise. At this time the whole of the family assemble in a circle round the smouldering oak, anxiety pictured on every countenance, awaiting the arrival of the Papa, or some neighbour, to perform a ceremony so full of hope or fear for the future. The visitor enters, and having crossed himself most devoutly, offers up a short prayer; he then lifts his walking-stick, which must also be a sapling of the same sacred tree, and strikes the smouldering oak, exclaiming at the same time, with great solemnity of voice and manner :

"Even as the sparks fly up and around, may the prosperity of this house and tribe increase, and as they

are numberless, may their lands yield abundance, their flocks and herds multiply, and their children's children be virtuous and grow in numbers for all generations yet to come."

After this important service is concluded, every fragment of the smouldering oak is carefully collected, and preserved as talismans to protect their cattle from disease, and themselves from the evil eye; nay, some portion is even placed in the corn-fields, and near the fruit trees, that the blight may not destroy them.

Great importance is also attached to the annual visit of the swallow and the stork, particularly the latter : happy indeed is the family whose house-top this most solemn bird selects as his summer residence, his advent is welcomed by a banquet, to which the master of the house invites his friends, that they may rejoice with him on his felicitious prospects for the ensuing year. Even the house-dog, that generally displays his barking enmity to every stranger, wags his tail with pleasure, as he looks up and recognizes the friend of last year, notwithstanding they had so often quarrelled over their dish of mamolinga.

The prophet Elijah is canonized under the title of Sveti Elia, and is presumed to exercise a dominion over thunder and lightning, probably because he ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire. His fete commences about the middle of July, and it is of course the interest of an

agricultural people to win the favour of a saint, who holds the power of hurling the bolts of heaven upon their orchards and corn-fields.

Another very popular superstition of this people is observed at the Epiphany. At midnight, when the fête commences, they repair to the woods and fields to witness the opening of heaven, believing that at this time their prayers are certain to be heard, and every wish granted.

The agriculturists celebrate the advent of spring, and the last day of harvest, by public rejoicing, and the shepherds the annual increase of their flocks and herds; they also observe the festival of St. John, when the shearing season commences. A grand procession of the shepherds then takes place, carrying banners, with the image of the saint painted on them, and lighted flambeaus; thus singing in chorus, they proceed to their flocks and herds, and plentifully sprinkle them with holy water, in order to protect them from disease, the bad genii, and the evil eye. After this important ceremony is over, and now that no danger can reach them, they repair to the hills, light immense fires, and spend the day in feasting and dancing.

The Annunciation, Pripoviiest, is the fête of the young maidens, who assemble at break of day, decorated with flowers, to chant hymns in honour of the Panagia, and dance the kolo on the banks of some clear running