The system of self-government, so general among the Slavonians of these provinces, and which the Turkish Administration of former years in some degree encouraged, leads to a very different result; hence the traveller hears with astonishment, not only the inhabitants of towns and villages, but the shepherd of the mountain, discuss his subject of complaint, point out the remedy for the evil, and pass sentence of condemnation upon the measures of the Vizier, and the administration of his civil officers, with a perspicuity, moderation and good sense not to be expected, from his imperfect education and want of intercourse with the great world. Again, if these people do not enjoy the advantages of the printing press, they have a not inefficient substitute in their native bards, who are constantly reciting the glorious deeds of their ancestors, and the most important events in the modern history of their country and everyday life.

Of every description of poetry, the bard of Bosnia prefers the epic-of which Tavor, the god of war, is frequently the hero; these poems are sung by the farmer at his plough, the shepherd while attending his flocks and herds, and the women, whether walking, working or dancing. They have also their piesmas-a species of composition between prose and poetry, not unlike the songs of Ossian; these always

record some event in the ancient and modern history of their country. Neither must we forget their love songs, which are very numerous, and generally end with the chorus, "Lelo, Lodo, il lelo, lol, idolo" (the god and goddess of love).

The fairies also occupy a high place in the estimation of these bards; a variety of poetical effusions are devoted to their praise; and the tiny sprites are always painted in the most captivating colours; hence the appellation of vila (fairy) is a term of endearment, applied by a Slavonian alike to his mistress, his horse and his dog. In addition to the good fairies, they have another species much dreaded, and who they never mention without repeatedly crossing themselves, or having recourse to their talisman. Many of the national epic poems, piesmas and lyrical effusions of the Slavonian tribes in Turkey, possess considerable beauty, and if they were collected and translated, would materially tend to elucidate the ancient and contemporary history of the people. The wandering bard with his gousla or his lute, journeys far and wide, the welcome guest at every hut the vices and virtues of the Sultan; the heroic exploits of their chiefs; the martial deeds of the Haiduc; even the political history of the country, is composed and sung by these modern Homers, with the fidelity of the most accurate historian.

With respect to their music and singing, the Servians possess a few pretty little airs, which might please from their novelty; but the natives of European Turkey, of whatever nationality, cannot claim a high rank for their musical compositions; at best, their manner of singing is wearisome and monotonous, particularly the Turks, who seem to think that the great beauty of singing consists in dwelling for a considerable time upon one note, and then swelling it at intervals, with the whole force of their lungs. Their musical instruments, which every peasant manufactures for himself, consist of the flute or fife, made from the branch of an alder, or a reed, these with the gousla, a species of mandoline, and the bagpipe, are equally primitive.

The Slavonians of these provinces, particularly the Bosnians, never having been thoroughly converted to Christianity by the Greeks, and persecuted at a later period by the Papal Church as heretics, cherish a belief in various absurd superstitions. Astrology, or, as the Osmanli term it, Munedjdjimlik (looking into futurity), is universally practised by every religious sect, alike in the large towns and the most remote village. There are lucky and unlucky days, observed to the very hour with the utmost fidelity. The flight of certain birds, or meeting with particular animals, is deemed ominous;

dreams are considered of the highest importance, and interpreted with the same gravity as they were by the first patriarchs. Charlatans abound here as in the more civilized countries of the West, and tax the purses of their dupes to a very considerable extent. The Jews and gipsies labour under the accusation of sorcery and witchcraft, particularly if they are old and ill-looking, and sometimes fall victims to the monomania of those who consider themselves, their families, or their flocks and herds bewitched. As an antidote, the Christians resort to the prayers of their clergy, and to a plentiful supply of holy water, the Mahometan to the Koran, and the efficacy of a visit to the tomb of some famous Santon; and if these fail, the charm of the magician or the astrologer is invoked.

The Slavonian of European Turkey is gifted with great facility for learning foreign languages, and displays equal ability in imitating mechanical works. The Osmanli, on the other hand, appears to be destitute of any talent as a linguist, as he is rarely acquainted with any language but his own. The love and respect manifested by children towards their parents and the aged, so pleasing a characteristic of the Slavonian tribes, equally prevails in Bosnia; their sobriety is also remarkable when contrasted with the habits of the western nations; neither are they so

excitable when under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Suicide is a crime nearly unknown in these countries, both among Mahometan and Christian, who are alike fatalists, and submit with patience to the decrees of Heaven: murder by stealth, such as private assassination, poisoning, &c., is never heard of. Revenge for injuries received, the cry of blood for blood, however does exist, but not in the same degree as among the Greeks and Albanians.

Moral purity must have been very general among the ancient Servians, when we find that their language does not contain a single epithet by which to designate a woman of abandoned character; and notwithstanding all that they have suffered, and still suffer from the brutal violence of the privileged class, the Mahometans, they are the most moral of all the nationalities of European Turkey. Forcible abduction, rape, and adultery, according to the Turkish law, are punishable with death, still this law is only enforced when the offence is committed against a Mahometan; when the injured party is a Rayah, a fine and a reprimand are considered a sufficient penalty. The indulgence uniformly exhibited towards a Mahometan delinquent is extremely impolitic in the Turkish Government, and has contributed much to embitter the Christian population towards the rule of the Sultan. We might recount many instances of