67 



OLD-FASHIONED INNS. 



By W. WILSON. 



(Read at Keswick.) 



Part I. 



Inns, or places for the lodgment and entertainment of travellers, 

 are an institution of great antiquity ; they are mentioned in some 

 of the oldest writings, and were probably made use of by nations 

 from whom no written records have descended to us. They are 

 frequently mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. We are all familiar 

 with the story of the event that revolutionised the world, which 

 took place in a stable because "there was no room at the inn;" 

 also of the man who fell among thieves, how his wants were 

 ministered to by the good Samaritan, who set him on his own 

 beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 



The inn of oriental countries is the khan or caravansery. It is 

 a large enclosed space, sometimes of as much as an acre in extent, 

 surrounded by a brick wall something like two feet high; the 

 entrance is by a large gate. The inner quadrangle is entered by 

 an archway over which lodges are sometimes constructed for 

 visitors of distinction. Near the porch there is accommodation 

 for the keeper, and also shops for the convenience of wayfarers. 

 The interior is surrounded by a piazza which often forms a very 

 spacious quadrangle, and the visitors sleep under the arches. The 

 spacious court in the middle is used for the accommodation of 

 caravans, and is often crowded with camels and their loads of 



