Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/367

 Revieivs. 335

made the bold experiment of marrying a high-class Muhammadan, a Sayyid or reputed descendant of the Prophet, who was employed for a time as an assistant teacher at Addiscombe. She went to India with her husband and lived there with him for about twelve years, mostly spent in Lucknow, then the seat of the court of King Ghazi-ud din Haidar, the monarch whose vagaries are described in Knighton's queer book. The Private Life of an Eastern King, which will be reprinted as a companion volume to the one now noticed. Mrs. Meer Hassan Ali returned to England alone in 1829, and was then attached to the household of the Princess Augusta, who died in 1840. She was a good and sympathetic observer, who took pains to be accurate, and very rarely made a mistake. Her husband and his venerated father having been members of the Shia sect, the author's account of Muhammadan practice is necessarily written from the Shia point of view. The book may be referred to with confidence as giving a readable, trustworthy account of the beliefs, habits, and mode of life of an honourable and well-educated Mussulman family of moderate means, in a city where a Muslim court resided.

Many curious customs and superstitions are faithfully recorded. Some items of moon lore may be noted.

" If any person is ill, and bleeding is the only good remedy to be pursued, the age of the moon is first discussed, and if it happens to be near the full, they are inflexibly resolute that the patient shall not lose blood until her influence is lessened. . ..

"The full moon is deemed propitious for celebrating the marriage festivals. . ..

" When a journey is contemplated the moon's age is the first consideration. . ..

" What will be said of the singular custom, ' Drinking the moon at a draught ? ' A silver basin being filled with water is held in such a situation that the full moon may be reflected in it; the person to be benefited by this draught is required to look stead- fastly at the moon in the basin, then shut his eyes and quaff the liquid at one draught. This remedy is advised by medical pro- fessors in nervous cases, and also for palpitations of the heart. I have seen this practised, but am not aware of any real benefit derived by the patient from the prescription."