are generally found, there are also open bazārs in which household furniture and wearing apparel, both old and new, are sold by public auction. On each side of these bazārs are always a number of brokers and other purchasers seated on benches that range along the street, who smoke their pipes and take their coffee as if their only object in assembling was ease and pleasure. The auctioneer, who is also the crier, takes the article to be sold, and elevating it in his arms, when portable, walks along the whole of the range, repeating the last offer in a loud voice; and as he goes only once the length of the bazăr with each article, the highest price offered during his walk is the one at which it must be sold. The sale is not so expeditious as by the method pursued in Europe; but it is more advantageous to the owner of the goods, from the increased probability of obtaining good prices; and this, indeed, is evinced by the fact that articles are seldom or ever sold for half their market price, as is the case in many of the hurried auctions in England.

Some of the finest buildings in Damascus are the khans or caravanserais, appropriated to the reception of goods brought in caravans from various quarters by wholesale merchants, who supply them to the retail dealers. In the course of our ramble to-day we visited several of these, and were much pleased with them all, but were particularly struck with the beauty of one that was superior to every other. The architecture of this was in the finest style of the Saracen order, and might be considered as a specimen of one of the best works of that age in Damascus. It consisted of a spacious court, the entrance to which, from the street, was by a superb gateway of the pointed arch, vaulted and highly ornamented with sculpture. The court was paved throughout with broad flat stones, smoothly polished and admirably joined together; and in the centre of this stood a large fountain sending forth cooling and agreeable streams; the whole being crowned with a cluster of lofty domes. The The masonry of this pile was formed of alternate layers of black and white stone, one of the peculiar features of Saracenic and

Turkish taste; the ornaments were profusely rich; and the distribution of light through the domes so well managed that no corner throughout the whole of the building appeared obscure. We were so charmed with this fine specimen of the best days of Saracen architecture that we remained in it for a considerable time, and closed there our excursion for the day.

On our return to the convent at sunset, we found the messenger, despatched on the 22d instant, returned from Seyda, with a letter from Lady Hester Stanhope, addressed to me. On the face of the letter despatched by me to Mr. Bankes, relating to my baggage, I had written on the outside requesting that it might be opened at Seyda, in the event of Mr. Bankes having left that place before its arrival, which was accordingly done; and this letter of Lady Hester Stanhope was in reply to that. The substance of this was to state that my baggage still remained at Seyda, from which there was no safe opportunity of forwarding it immediately, and adding, as a further reason, if that were needed, that it was, in its present state, so badly secured as to endanger the loss of half of it if sent. It was accompanied with a repetition or confirmation of her ladyship's verbal assurance, through Mr. Bankes, founded apparently on his favourable representation of my character, that I should find a welcome reception as her ladyship's guest, in the event of my desiring to avail myself of her hospitality or friendly advice. With that prompt benevolence which has won for her a name that is honoured and revered throughout every part of the country in which she resides, her ladyship adverted to the inconvenience I was likely to suffer from the want of my papers and baggage, and not knowing whether Mr. Bankes would be at Damascus when this reached me, as he had left Seyda with the intention of proceeding in another direction, but had been obliged to change his route, the letter contained a note of credit for a sum sufficient to meet my present wants, addressed with a letter of explanation to Mallim Yuseff, the rich Jew here, informing me at the same time that Mr. Barker would leave Aleppo in May, and offering me

every assistance I could need to facilitate my communications with that gentleman. This act of unasked kindness from a lady of distinction to a perfect stranger, under circumstances of this peculiar nature, and in the heart not only of a foreign, but almost a hostile country, made a deep impression on my mind, and made me rejoice that I could consider such a being my countrywoman.

To-day, however, before going out to see the bazār, I had conversed with Mr. Chaboçeau on the subject of supplying me with money; and assuring him that, though meeting with many interruptions and disasters in my route, I had still with me, among my baggage at Seyda, a letter of credit on Mr. Barker, the British consul at Aleppo, for whatever sum might be necessary to defray the expences of my journey to India, which I expected to arrive from thence, in the course of a few days at furthest: he furnished me with one thousand piastres, or about 407. sterling, for a bill drawn by me on Mr. Barker, which I hoped would be sufficient for the remainder of my journey to Aleppo. This was, therefore, sent off to Mr. Barker with a letter of advice from me, and a copy of the letter of credit, which was deemed all that was necessary; as the original would be better kept to present him when we met. Mr. Bankes had also offered me the use of his credit, if I needed money at Damascus, but I had accepted from him only about a hundred piastres, sufficient to discharge my guide without incurring further expence by delaying him. This was repaid to Mr. Bankes immediately on my thus procuring funds of my own, as I was desirous of not intruding on his resources, being aware that we were each equally liable to suffer the same inconveniencies, from failure of supplies, in a country where no precaution is sufficient to exempt even the richest from sometimes wanting accommodation in this respect.

Mr. Bankes having made up his mind, as to the plan which he had formed, and which, for the reasons before stated, I had encouraged, of his going into the Hauran, we could not hope to proceed from hence to Aleppo in company, as he desired. Added to this,

we learnt that the route from hence to Aleppo direct was far less safe than that by the coast, and was therefore seldom followed but by caravans, which were slow in their progress, and set out only about once a month. My baggage being still at Seyda, where I could join it with less delay than it could be sent to me, was also a consideration, which, added to those already enumerated, induced me to determine on proceeding to that place, and from thence along the coast to Latakeea and Aleppo. These resolutions being mutually debated on and approved, we proposed waiting together on Mallim Yuseff, the Jew, in the morning, for our respective passports, or firmans, and leaving Damascus on the following day, Mr. Bankes for the Hauran, and myself for the Syrian coast.

DAMASCUS, Tuesday, March 27. — The duties of the

govern

ment being now more pressing than usual, from the powers of the late pasha being exercised by his kihya bey, or lieutenant; and more deliberation being used by a locum tenens than would be thought necessary in one holding the full powers of a pasha by appointment from the sultan; the chief financier, and secret director of most of the affairs of the pashalic, Mallim Yuseff, was required to attend at the palace from sunrise to sunset. It had been intimated to us, therefore, that if we desired to see him in private at his own residence, our visit must be before the sun was up; we had accordingly arranged for a very early visit, in which Dr. Chaboçeau had kindly offered to accompany us, and came