FEMALE PEASANTS OF PHILIPPOWAN.
We have already observed that the Lipowanians, or Philippowanians, form a particular class of the inhabitants of Bukowina. They belong to the Russian Raskolniks, and to the not united Greek church. They removed about the year 1785, from the Black Sea into the Bukowina, and obtained of the emperor Joseph II. the free exercise of their religion. They are a peaceable, industrious and active people, addicted to agriculture, and partly subsist by the sale of fresh and dried fruit, fish, and cordage of their own manufacture. They are extremely skilful in draining wet, marshy lands, inhabit three villages, and are among the different sects of the eastern church what the Moravians are among the Protestants.
UNMARRIED FEMALE of JACKOBERG.
FEMALE PEASANTS of PHILLIPPOWAN.
The appearance of the Philippowanians produces an agreeable impression on the stranger. They are in general tall and well-shaped, and both sexes usually wear long cloth coats carefully buttoned from top to bottom. The women have stiff caps over which they tie a large handkerchief. A bandeau embroidered with gold encircles the forehead. The gown, without sleeves, is either green or red, bound round the waist with a sash, and the feet are covered with red or yellow buskins. The annexed engraving represents two females of this district, and displays the front and back of their rich dress, which bears a strong affinity to the Ottoman costume; the only features seemingly peculiar to the subjects before us being the ornamented shift sleeves.
The Lipowanians have but little intercourse with the other inhabitants of the country: at least, if they can help it they will not admit strangers into their habitations. Should a person, nevertheless, have obtained access through accident or against their will, they consider the spot where he has sat or stood as contaminated till they have purified it in their own way. They never eat with any stranger. They have particular plates, vessels, and utensils for guests, and when they entertain a person they press him to eat all that is set before him, or throw away what is left. They are forbidden to use tobacco and snuff, and suffer no inn or public house to be kept among them.
It is surprising with what care these people keep both the ceremonies and the doctrines of their religion profoundly secret. They have no priests but only a teacher called daskal: they acknowledge the authority of no oriental ecclesiastic, but profess to belong to a church of their sect in Moldavia, where all their marriages are solemnized. No traces of burial-grounds are to be found among them, and hence it is conjectured that they burn their dead. Their churches in Moldavia are in all respects like the other churches of the East, excepting that they are surmounted by three triple crosses, the lowest cross-bar of which is placed in an oblique direction.
The Philippowanians are said to have derived their name from one Philip, who was first servitor in a Russian convent, then became a monk, and aspired to the rank of superior. Being disappointed in this scheme, he accused his brethren of having swerved from the ancient faith; and having made proselytes of about fifty of his colleagues, he seceded from the convent, built another, and thus became the founder of a new sect.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE MILITARY FRONTIERS.
MILITARY CONSTITUTION—CARLSTADT FRONTIER—BANAL FRONTIER—SLAVONIA—BANAT FRONTIER.
The border of the Austrian empire from Povile on the coast of the Adriatic Sea to the Northern frontiers of Dalmatia, and thence through Croatia, Slavonia, the Banat and Transylvania, to Bukowina, has a military constitution peculiar to itself. In this tract, containing nearly a million of inhabitants, the men capable of bearing arms must always hold themselves in readiness to abandon the plough and home, for the purpose of averting the dangers with which they are threatened by rapacious neighbours, or by commodities impregnated with pestilence.
The inhabitant of the frontiers, at once a husbandman and a soldier, holds his lands on condition of taking up arms when required. In Transylvania he is the absolute proprietor of the ground he cultivates: in the Banat, Slavonia and Croatia, he is bound by certain restrictions somewhat like those of the feudal tenures of old, without however being obstructed in the enjoyment of the fruits of his industry.
The perfidy of an individual draws down punishment on himself alone: his family still retains its right to the possession of his lands, and this right also devolves to females when they marry of their own choice, and continue to reside upon them; nay even when there is not a male left in the house capable of bearing arms, still the land is not taken away.
As all the males capable of bearing arms are not called out at once, and every house cannot furnish the number proportioned to the land belonging to it, some other method of equalizing the burdens has been found necessary. To this end a moderate tax is levied upon the land, and from this fund a certain allowance is made to each person while in actual service. Towards the repairing and keeping up of the public works, such as buildings, roads and the like, each inhabitant of the frontiers performs gratuitously a certain quantity of labour proportionate to the extent of his land.
Agriculture and the breeding of cattle are the principal resources of the inhabitants of the frontiers. In order that the most necessary trades may not be wanting, particular places are appointed where the mechanic, artist, tradesman and merchant may exercise their respective professions without being subject to military duty. These places are called military communities, and have regular municipal institutions like other towns.
The rest of the frontier territory is divided into regimental districts, of which seventeen are appropriated to infantry, one to cavalry, and one to the Pontoneers or Watermen. Each regimental district contains on an average from forty to fifty thousand souls. Out of the males fit for service in each district two battalions are formed in time of peace. The house to which each man on duty belongs, furnishes him with food and clothing, and the state with arms and ammunition. In peace his chief occupation consists in protecting the frontiers from the incursions of the Turks, the depredations of banditti, and the introduction of the plague and contraband goods.
These men are stationed in watch-houses partly of masonry and partly elevated on high poles, which are erected along the whole frontier at such moderate distances that one post can alarm and assist the other in case of emergency. This chain of posts is strengthened, when the danger of attack or of infection by the plague becomes more imminent.