The administration of Jerusalem, like that of every other considerable town subject to the Sublime Porte, is distributed amongst several agents. The

might be attended with some unpleasant circumstances, unless they were provided with the costume of the country. They in consequence procured a complete equipment, and the reader may perhaps be amused with a description of the different articles.

The most important part of the dress resembles very large trowsers, tied round the waist with a running girdle: the texture is of cloth, linen, or silk, agreeably to the fancy of the wearer; the former description are usually worn on horseback, and are termed Salual or Sharroweel; the latter are reserved for occasions of ceremony, and are called Sintian. Next to these is the Kombos, a sort of tunic with long sleeves, and descending almost to the ankles: it is fastened by a rich belt, or sash, called Zennar, in which pistols and other weapons, gaily ornamented, are carried. The Daraben is a short riding vest, worn occasionally over the tunic, instead of the cloak called Benis, which is commonly of some light fabric, and of a lively colour. But by far the most graceful ornament is the Bornos, a long white flowing robe, composed of silk and camels' hair, and bordered with silk fringe. Nothing can exceed the lightness and elegance of its texture; its shape is not unlike the ancient pallium, one extremity being usually thrown over the left shoulder. The turban is extremely simple, consisting of a red cap decorated in the crown with a tassel of blue silk, and having a shawl wound round the circumference. The shawl may be of any colour except green;* plain white is generally preferred; but, pink and light blue are occasionally worn. It

• The peculiar badge of the descendants of the Prophet.

chief of these is the mozallam, or military governor ; next to him in authority is the moula cadi, an office corresponding to that of our police magistrates; then

is absolutely necessary that the head should be shaved; the heat is otherwise intolerable.

The shirt is formed of a material indescribably pleasant to the feel: it is composed of silk and fine threads, and cut away so as to leave the throat, neck, and arms perfectly naked.

While engaged in examining the ruins of Balbec, we were visited by the principal proprietors in the district. One of these, a gay, airy-looking personage, and of considerable rank in the place, appeared extremely desirous of complimenting the writer with his head-dress; but he had many reasons for declining the honour, and was at length obliged to hint that certain national habits would not allow him to accept such courtesy. This sort of flirtation is alluded to, as it induced a nearer inspection of the article tendered in exchange, than could otherwise have been made with safety. It should seem from this specimen, that ornaments for the head are objects of peculiar attention, for, besides other decorations, the young Emir's turban was composed of the most costly silks from Damascus.

The appearance of the feet is almost entirely neglected, as they are usually covered with slippers whose shape and adaptation are seldom studied with much attention. Anciently, indeed, considerable care and expence were bestowed in the workmanship of sandals: even the dazzling splendour of Judeth, when she went forth in the pride of her beauty to the gate of the city of Bethulia, would have been incomplete without those graceful ornaments(Judeth, chap. x. v. 4.)-Sandals were also classed by the Athenians with the elegancies of dress; Athenæus mentions

comes the mufti, who is the head of the ecclesiastical and judicial departments;-a tremendous power in any despotic government, but more particularly so in a state like Turkey, which fetters the will as completely as the person, and which founds its tyranny on the vassalage of the mind. Besides these, there is an agent for the mosque in the court of Solomon's temple; with the extent of his jurisdiction I am unacquainted; also a soubaski, an employment something like our town-majors. All these, with the exception of the mufti, hold their appointment at the pleasure of the governor of Damascus, to whose pachalic Jerusalem is assigned.

those worn by Alcibiades; and Socrates is represented by Plato,* as enumerating them among some of the most important objects of personal embellishment.

The expence of a handsome suit, and the usual accoutrements, exclusive of pistols, &c. whose value is proportioned to the richness of the material with which the stocks are inlaid, need not exceed fifty pounds sterling.—Perhaps, after all, regimentals are the best travelling dress for a stranger in this country; and where there are no anatomical objections, the uniform of a light dragoon would be by far the most convenient.

VOL. 1.

In Phædone, § 9.

LETTER X.

To SIR G. E—T, BART.

Jerusalem.

DEAR E

WE set out on our excursion to the Dead Sea and the river Jordan, the day before yesterday. There seems to be some understanding between the vagrant Arabs who infest that district, and the governing authorities here; for notwithstanding every representation to the contrary, we found we must either abandon the idea of inspecting such part of the country, or submit to the imposition of an Arabian escort. The individuals of the existing race have many of those respectable qualities which distinguished their progenitors in the time of Solyman:

gli Arabi avari,

Ladroni in ogni tempo e mercenari.

LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA,

Canto ix. stan. 6.

After much discussion, therefore, with the chief of the tribe, we agreed to take into our pay twenty of his troop; besides whom, we were likewise afflicted with the protection of certain Turkish soldiers. These last rode before us through the streets of Jerusalem with the ensigns of their office, and conducted us in military pomp to the Arabian tents, situated between three and four miles from the city. In our way thither we passed the village of Bethany, memorable as the scene of Christ's restoration of Lazarus from the grave: the ruins of the building where this stupendous miracle was wrought are still extant; they consist merely of the outer walls of what appears to have been a very small dwelling.

At a short distance from hence we arrived at the habitations of the Bedouins, which are composed of tents formed of coarse dark-coloured cloth: about fifty of these were ranged in a circle, the camels, goats, and other domestic animals straying round them. The men seemed above the middle stature, thin, and of elegant proportions; the features of some were extremely handsome, but marked with a very peculiar expression, and the skin so dark as to amount almost to the hue of an Ethiop. Their teeth