GOVERNMENT OF ARABIA. 125 



across. His dress was a bright green robe with fiiU 

 sleeves, such as were worn by the caliphs. On each 

 side of his breast was a rich filleting of gold lace, 

 and on his head he wore a white turban of ample 

 dimensions. His sons sat on his right-hand, and 

 his brothers on his left. Opposite to them was the 

 vizier, Fakih Achmed, and on the lower elevation 

 were placed the European visiters. On each side of 

 the hall were ranged the principal grandees and 

 officers of the court, who all shouted, " God save 

 the imam !" as the strangers kissed the hem of the 

 royal robe. 



The pompous manner of going to mosque, which 

 is described by the French travellers, was witnessed 

 by the Danes. The better to display his magni- 

 ficence, the imam usually made along and circuitous 

 progress, passing out by one gate of the city and 

 entering by another ; his train, after prayers, being 

 joined by all the inhabitants who have performed 

 their devotions. A large body of soldiers marched 

 before ; and, besides the princes of the blood, there 

 w^ere in the procession at least 600 noblemen, eccle- 

 siastics, civil and military officers, all superbly 

 dressed and mounted ; the rear was brought up by a 

 vast concourse of people on foot, and by a number 

 of camels in pairs, bearing empty sedans, and small 

 flags fixed by way of ornament to their saddles. On 

 eacn side of the imam was borne a standard, sur- 

 mounted by a small box or casket of silver filled with 

 amulets, whose virtues were supposed to render 

 him invincible. Various other banners were forti- 

 fied with similar talismans. The same rich cano- 

 pies, called mcdallas, were extended over the heads 

 of the king and some other members of his family ; 

 these being a distinction peculiar to the sovereign 

 and princes of the blood, and claimed by the sheiks, 

 sheriflTs, and nobility in other parts of Yemen, who 

 constantly display this mark of their independence. 

 Altogether, the cortege was magnificent but disor- 



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