94 MEMOIR OF BTJRCKHARDT. 



cious. Here the natives have small pavilions, where 

 they pass their festive hours; and here the rich 

 merchants of Mecca, with the Sheriff himself, often 

 retire during the hot season. 



When Burckhardt arrived (August 28th), he 

 alighted at the house of Bosari, the Pasha's physi- 

 cian, with whom he had heen well acquainted at 

 Cairo. As it was then the fast of Ramadan, during 

 which the Turkish grandees always sleep in the 

 day-time, he could not be introduced to the Pasha 

 till sunset. Ali received him very politely, inquired 

 after his health, and if he brought any news of the 

 Mamelouks from the Black countries, conversed 

 with him on every subject but that which most in- 

 terested him, viz. money. 



On European politics he was particularly anxi- 

 ous to obtain information. He had just heard of 

 the entrance of the Allies into Paris, and the de- 

 parture of Bonaparte for Elba. " Bonaparte, he 

 remarked, behaved like a coward ; he ought to have 

 sought for death, rather than expose himself in a 

 cage to the laughter of the universe." The name of 

 Wellington was familiar to him. " He was a great 

 general (he said), but he doubted whether, if his 

 Grace had commanded such bad soldiers as the 

 Turkish troops are, he would have been able to do 

 with them as much as he (the Pasha) had done in 

 conquering Egypt and the Hejaz." Of the English 

 Parliament he had some notions ; but he entertained 

 erroneous views as to the foreign policy of Great 

 Britain ; ^ he supposed that after the downfal of 



