I
22
Water Pits.
[Book I.
one, the shape of which, closely resembles thegourd with the neck removed. This is their ge-neral form throughout the east. The Hindoos,have them of copper or brass, as well as of earth-enware, but they are all shaped alike. This isnot a little singulär, because a deviation from aglobular to a cylindrical form, would enable theirmechanics to make those of metal at. much lessexpense. Tbey therefore adhere to the pri-mitive model, because of its superiority overothers, or from that adhesion to ancient customswhich forms so prominent a feature in Asiatic„ charaeter. In the early ages it was the univer-sal custom for young women to draw water.The daughters of princes and chief men, werenot exempt from it. Isis and Osiris are sometimes represented with wa-ter vessels on their heads. There are several interesting examples in theOld Testament . Homer, as might be expected, frequently introduces fe-males thus occupied. When Nestor entertained Telemachus , Ire bade
.The handmaids for the feast prepare,
The seats to ränge, the fragrant wood to bring,
And limpid waters from the living spring. Odys. Hi, 544. Pope.
.With duteous haste a bevy fair,
Of twenty virgins to the spring repair:
* * * * * *
Soon from the fount, with eaeh a brimming um,
(Eumteus in their train) the maids return. lb. xx, 193 and 202.
Fountains and Wells became the ordinary places of assembly for youngpeople—especially, “ at the time of the evening, the time that women goout to draw water.” Gen. xxiv, 11. Several of the Patriarchs first be-held tbeir future wives on diese occaslons ; and were doubtless as muchcaptivated by their industry and benevolent dispositions in relieving thewants of strangers and travelers, as by their personal charms. It was.Beside a chrystal spring—
that Ulysses met the daughter of Antiphates. Travelers have often no-ticed the singulär tact with which Asiatic women balance several of thesewater pots on their heads without once touching them with their hands.“ The finest dames of the Gentoos disdained not to carry water on theirheads, with sometimes two or three earthen pots over one another, for house-hold Service ; the like do all the women of the Gentiles.” Fryer’s Trav.117. At one of their religious festivals, Hindoo women, “have a customof dancing with several pots of water on their heads, placed one aboveanother.” Sonnerat, i, 150.
A very pleasing instance of female dexterity in carrying water, is re-corded by Herodotus , v, 12. As Darius , king of’Persia, was sitting pub-licly in one of the Streets of Sardis, he observed a young woman of greatelegance and beauty, bearing a vessel on her head, leading a horse by abridle fastened round her arm, and at the same time spinning some thread.Darius viewed her as she passed, with attentive curiosity, observing thather employments were not those of a Persian, Lydian, nor indeed of anyAsiatic female ; prompted by what he had seen, he sent some of his at-tendants to observe what she did with the horse. They accordingly fol-lowed her—When she came to the river, she gave the horse some water