VOL. XIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 5g 



it was left open towards the west. The king was seated at the north end, about 

 the middle of the tent, on a place raised with cushions and quilts and carpets 

 before him ; neither did he sit cross-legged, as all the rest of the company were 

 obliged to do, but in a leaning posture. I'hey seemed to observe an exact 

 order in their places ; and when any person of note entered, those that were 

 near his place, rose up and stood till he had seated himself. But far the greatest 

 part could not come within the compass of the ring, but stood behind the backs 

 of the rest, leaving a spacious area vacant in the middle. When we entered, 

 they made room for us on the king's left hand, which here is esteemed the 

 more honourable place. Before mid-day a carpet being spread in the middle of 

 the tent, dinner was brought in, being served up in large wooden bowls, carried 

 by two men, of which there were about 50 or 6oin number, perhaps more; with 

 many small ones, carried by one man each, placed here and there among the 

 larger, for a border or garnish round the table. In the middle of all was one 

 of a larger size than all the rest, in which were the camels' bones, and a thin 

 broth in which they were boiled : the other greater ones seemed all filled with 

 one and the same sort of food, a kind of plum broth made of rice, and the 

 fleshy part of the camel, with currants and spices. The smaller dishes were, 

 for the most part, charged with rice, dressed after several modes, some of them 

 having leben, a thick sour milk, poured upon them, which is in great esteem 

 in these hot countries, being very useful to quench thirst. Knives, forks, 

 spoons, trenchers, &c. are silly impertinent things in the esteem of the Arabs. 

 When the table was thus plentifully furnished, the king arising from his seat, 

 went and set down to that dish that was directly before him ; as did also the 

 rest, as many as it would contain, which could not be much short of a hundred : 

 and thus, without further ceremony, they fell to, thrusting their hands into 

 the dishes, and eating by handfuls. And because those dishes in the middle 

 were too remote to be reached, there \i:is an officer on purpose, who stepping 

 in among them, and standing in the spaces designedly left for that purpose, 

 with a loPig ladle in both his hands, helped any one according to their desire. 

 When the king had eaten what he thought fit, he rose up and washed, and re- 

 tired back to his former seat : and we also did the like ; others being ready to 

 fill our places. 



October 15, in the morning, we proceeded on oiir journey homewards, and 

 finding nothing remarkable in our road, in about three hours and a half arrived 

 at Serav ; and hence, after a short repast, we continued our journey to Sherby 

 fountain, which took us up about the same time : from which place we had but 

 7 or 8 hours travel to Aleppo, where we arrived the next day. 



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