GOVERNMENT OF THE SHERIFFS. 193 



ent from that of most other countries in the East. 

 None of that haughty ceremony was observed which 

 draws a line of distinction between Oriental sove- 

 reigns or vicegerents and their subjects. The court 

 of the sheriff was small, and almost entirely devoid 

 of pomp. He was addressed by the plain title of 

 seidna (our lord),, or sadetkum (your highness) ; 

 and the meanest of the people considered it no vio- 

 lation of etiquette to represent their grievances per- 

 sonally, and boldly though respectfully to demand 

 redress. No large body of regular troops was kept 

 up, except a few Mamlouks or Georgians as a body- 

 guard; and when war was determined upon, he 

 summoned his adherents and partisans to meet the 

 emergency j but they received no regular pay. 



The dress of this great functionary is the same as 

 that of all the chiefs of the sheriff families at Mecca, 

 consisting usually of a silk gown, over which is 

 thrown a white abba of the finest manufacture of 

 El Hassa; the head is enveloped in a Cashmere 

 shawl, and the feet in sandals, or yellow slippers. 

 When he rides out on state occasions, he holds in his 

 hand a short slender stick called metrek ; and over 

 him a horseman carries the umbrella or canopy. 



To present an account of the sheriffs of Mecca, 

 were only to describe the petty wars of rival factions. 

 Burckhardt shrunk from the task of tracing their 

 intricate pedigrees, and the historical notice of them 

 given by D'Ohsson is chargeable with several errors. 

 About the middle of the last century the sovereignty 

 was held by Mesaad ; and after his death (in 1770) 

 it was seized by Hossein, the leader of an adverse 

 party, but again returned to his family in the per- 

 son of Serour, who slew his rival in battle (1773), 



