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tobacco bags, having sprigs of leaves and fruit embroidered on them in gold. The moment they were seated the slaves filled their pipes, and placing their right hand over the heart, presented it with a low obeisance.

These lordly gentlemen sat enthroned in great dignity, their words were few and uttered with a gravity and pomposity very different from the meekness and sprightliness of the Bedouin Arabs. Truly might it be said of them,

"Rara sermo illis, et magna libido tacendi."

JUV. SAT. 11.

Mrs. Farren had promised one of our party that she would endeavour to get a beautiful Damascene girl about eighteen, living with her, to appear in full Damascene costume, in order that a sketch might be taken of the dress. Although the constant companion of Mrs. Farren, being a girl of good connexions in Damascus, yet we had never once caught a glimpse of her, from the abhorrence that eastern women have of shewing themselves before any man except their husbands and fathers. We were told one or two of us might drop in and get a peep, as if by chance, while the sketch was being taken, but to be cautious, otherwise she would immediately run away. When I went

in she stood against a corner of the divan by Mrs. Farren's side, at first very shy, covering her face with her hands, and on paper, pencil, and brushes being produced, she was told but little could be done if she covered her face, when she pulled away her hands and turned aside her head, bursting into a loud laugh. She had a very white skin, large full black eyes, a very proud haughty look, and kept kicking the marble pavement with her slipper, looking at us with a contemptuous curl of the lip, then at Mrs. Farren, and then again bursting into a loud laugh. She had beautiful teeth and a fine bust, and was really a sweet little thing, but very pouting and very proud. Her dress, although not so splendid as Madame Boudin's, yet was more stylishly worn, and seemed a more correct costume. Round her head she wore a double row of zecchines, or Turkish gold coins, which were brought across the forehead closely strung together; a turban was placed on one side of her head, from under which her hair fell down in long tresses intermixed with silk cords and beads. She had large ample trousers of a dark material, thickly figured, partially concealed by a robe cut into three portions, being slit open at either side and in front, trailing on the ground and confined to the waist by a shawl. She had a scarlet jacket,

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embroidered both before and behind with black silk lace and gold; the sleeves fitted close round the arm, just above the elbow, but from under them descended a rich figured silk and cotton lappel, hanging down and displaying the arm from the elbow enveloped in a transparent gauze shirt sleeve, and covered with bracelets; a light embroidered handkerchief tied in a knot, forming part of the turban, fell in graceful folds on one side of her head. She had a necklace of gold coins, and her feet, enveloped in small embroidered slippers, were thrust into the kabkabs, or high black patten worn by the ladies inside the house when they walk off the rich soft carpets. The ends of the shawl round her waist, tied in a knot and edged with a pretty fringe, descended in folds nearly to her feet.

The principal and prettiest women of Damascus frequently pay Mrs. Farren a visit, at which period no man is allowed in sight, and Mr. Farren is himself forbidden his own premises, the principal rooms being converted for the time being into a harem. Many of these ladies are described as most beautiful, with very white skins and very dark hair and eyes. They sometimes dine and spend the whole afternoon, and on one of these occasions Mrs. Farren happening to hurt herself

by tumbling down one of the steps of the saloon, nothing could induce these ladies to think but that Mrs Farren was under the influence of the evil eye! and an elderly matron insisted on performing a long and ridiculous ceremony to disentangle her from the baneful influence. This notion of the evil eye I find prevalent every where in Italy, Sicily, Greece, Constantinople, as well as Asia; the Sicilians place two of the fine branching horns of their oxen inside their houses as a preservative, and various superstitious ceremonies are resorted to by different nations as a supposed protection; the idea is, that certain individuals involuntarily entail a curse upon others by looking at them; and if any misfortune happens to them, they fancy that some one has looked upon their prosperity with an envious eye. I have often seen individuals pointed out who are said to have the evil eye, and are universally feared. If mothers see them gazing on their children, they never fail to cross themselves, and go through some ceremony that they conceive a charm against the baneful influence.

I went with my servant in the course of the morning into the saddle bazaar to get my Turkish saddle and bridle put in order. The saddlers occupy a long handsome bazaar at the northern