through Egypt and Syria. 95 
complexion aduft or dry, with eyes full of fire, and features 
abounding in expreffion: his beard is fhort, but full; and his 
countenance, though perfeétly black, materially differing 
from the negro: though fifty-five years of age, he poffeffes 
much alertnefs and activity. 
** At another of my vifits I found him in the interior 
court, flanding with a long ftaff tipped with filver in his 
right hand, on which he leaned, and the {word in his left, 
He then had chofen to adorn his head with the folds of a 
red filk turban, compofed of the fame material as the wefern 
Arabs ufe for cin@ture. The Melek Ibrahim prefented him, 
in my name, with a {mall piece of filk and cotton of the ma- 
nufaGure of Damefcus. He returned in anfwer, Barak ulla fi! 
May the bleffing of God be on him! a phrafe in general ufe 
on receiving any favour; and inftantly retired, without giv- 
ing me time to urge the requeft, of which I intended the 
offering fhould be the precurfor. It is expected of all perfons, 
that, on coming to El Father, they fhould bring with them a 
prefent of greater or Jefs value according to the nature of the 
bufinels in hand. It is no lefs ufual, before leaving the royal 
refidence, to afk permiffion of the Sultan for that purpofe. 
With this latter form, which was to me unpleafant, I fome- 
times complied, but more frequently omitted it. But-on this 
eccafion, having been long refident there, I thought fit to 
make a laf effort to promote my defign. The day preceding 
that which I had fixed for my return, happened to be a great 
public audience. I found the monarch feated on his throne 
{cérfi) under a lofty canopy, compofed not of one material, 
but of various ftufls of Syrian and even Indian fabric, hung 
Joofely on a light frame of wood, ne two pieces of the fame 
pattern. The place he. fat in was fpread with {mall Turkey 
carpets; the Meleks were feated at fome diftance on the right 
and left; and behind them a line of guards, with caps orna- 
mented in front with a fmall piece of copper and a black 
oftrich feather. Each bore a {pear in his hand, and a target 
of the hide of the hippopotamus on the oppofite arm: their 
refs confifted only of a cotton fhirt of the manufacture of 
the country. Behind the throne were fourteen or fifteen 
eunuchs, clothed indeed fplendidly in habiliments of cloth 
La or 
