aZz TRAVELS IN UPPER 



A Turk, who was an officer of the household 

 of a bey, dispatched to collect his imposts in the 

 country, and forced to return empt} -handed, in a 

 moment of universal rcbehion, offered to conduct 

 me to SiouL He was obliged to take his de- 

 parture the day after we arrived at AbouiigL That 

 he might not be detained by me, I passed the 

 night in a caravanscra. 1 had scarcely composed 

 myself to rest, when several discharges from a 

 musket were fired with rapidity in the middle of 

 the building vvhei;e I was. Every body ran out; 

 for my part 1 remained perfectly composed, and I 

 was informed that the alarm proceeded from rob- 

 bers, who were endeavouring to break into the 

 house. 



T had passed part o{ the day in a coffee-house 

 at AhoiUige^ with the lurk, and two Serrachs of 

 Cairo, v^ho, contrary to the usual character of 

 people of this kind, VAcre courteous and afi'able. 

 According to custom, we were entertained with 

 poets and female dancers, equally devoted toJhe 

 worship of Venus. They tormed a kind of corpo- 

 ration, under the inspection of a police officer, to 

 v»'hom each member is obliged to pa} ten medinas 

 every Friday. This man, v.hose Arabian name 

 signifies Commander of the Proslttulest exercises 

 nnhmited authority over these women ; he pro- 

 tects or punishes them according to circumstances. 



Although 



