MEMOIR OF BURCKUARDT. 49 



Hamali to Aleppo, where lie arrived on the 1st of 

 January, 1811. 



Plis journey to Baalbec had been undertaken 

 more for his own private gratification than in the 

 hope of gathering new information ; but his tour 

 into the Haouran opened up a new field of observa- 

 tion, the fruits of which were some valuable papers 

 communicated to the committee of the African As- 

 sociation, containing a classification of the principal 

 Arab tribes near the confines of Syria, and a treatise 

 on the manners and customs of the Bedouins, giving 

 very interesting details of their encampments, tents, 

 dress, furniture, diet, arts, arm>, industry, educa- 

 tion, religion, and government. 



With a view to render himself still more familiar 

 with the manners and language of the Arabs, before 

 proceeding into Egypt, he had requested of his em- 

 jdoyers in London to allow him six months in addi- 

 tion to the stipulated two years' residence in Syria, 

 which was readily granted; and on coming back 

 to Aleppo, he resumed his studies with increased 

 ardour, in order to qualify him, not merely to 

 speak, but to act as a Mussulman. In one of his 

 letters, he writes, " I have completed the perusal of 

 several of the best Arabic authors, in prose as well 

 as poetry. I have read over the Koran twice, and 

 have got by heart several of its chapters and many 

 of its sentences. I am likewise nearly finishing a 

 thorough course of the precepts of the Mahomme- 

 dan religion, a learned Effendi having taken upor 

 himself the task of explaining tc me the book 



