526 KUINS OF JERUSALEM. 



a sufficient time, certainly, for all purposes of devotion, resf, of 

 curiosity. The Franciscans complain heavily of the exactions of 

 the Turks, who make frequent and large demands upon them for 

 money; but the fact of their being able to answer these demands, 

 affords a proof of the wealth of the convent. Sir Sydney Smith, 

 during his visit to Jerusalem, rendered them essential service, by 

 remonstrating with the Turkish governor against one of these 

 avanias, as they are called, and finally compelling him to withdraw 

 the charge. The monks assured us, that the English, although 

 protesianrs, are the best friends the catholics have in Jerusalem, 

 and the most effectual guardians of the holy sepulchre. This 

 served, indeed, as a prelude to a request that we would also inter, 

 cede for them with the governor, by representing to him, that any 

 ill usage offered to Christians would be resented by the British na- 

 tion. We rendered them all the service in our power, and they 

 were very thankful. 



Friday, July 10. This morning our room was filled with Arme- 

 nians and Jews, bringing for sale the only produce of the Jerusa. 

 lem manufactures; beads, crosses, shells, &c. The shells were 

 of the kind we call mother-of-pearl, ingeniously, although coarsely, 

 sculptured, and formed into various shapes. Those of the largest 

 size, and the most perfect, are formed into clasps for the zones of 

 the Greek women. Such clasps are worn by the ladies of Cyprus, 

 Crete, Rhodes, and the islands of the Archipelago. All these, 

 after being purchased, are taken to the church of the Holy Se- 

 pulchre, where they receive a sort of benediction ; exactly after the 

 manner in which the beads and crosses, purchased at Loretto in 

 Italy, are placed in a wooden bowl belonging to the house of the 

 Virgin Mary. Afterwards, they are worn as reliques. The 

 bpads are manufactured, either from date stones, or from a very 

 hard kind of wood, whose natural history we could not learn. It 

 was called Mecca fruit, and, when first wrought, appeared of the 

 colour of box : it is then dyed yellow, black, or red. The beads 

 are of various sizes ; and they are all strung as rosaries ; the 

 smaller being the most esteemed, on account of the greater num. 

 ber requisite to fill a string, and the greater labour necessarily 

 required in making them. They sell at higher prices when they 

 have been long worn, because they have then acquired, by friction, 

 a higher polish. This sort of trumpery is ridiculed by all travel. 

 lerSj but we cannot say it is scouted by any of them ; for there has 



