50 BASHAX. 



drummer. The coffee was next boiled in a small tin-pot, and 

 wlien ready was tasted by the maker, to show that it had 

 not been poisoned. The Sheikh himself sweetened the 

 fragrant beverage, which was handed round to us in the 

 usual Eastern cups. The taste and aroma were delicious, 

 but an unfortunate detail of etiquette prevented our in- 

 dulging in such deep potations as we should have liked. In 

 the filling of cups, as in greater things, the Eastern rule is 

 exactly the reverse of the Western. Instead of filling a 

 friend's glass to the brim, as a mark of goodwill, you give 

 him a mere spoonful at the bottom of his cup ; to pour out a 

 full cup is a declaration of enmity to the man to whom it 

 is presented. After the select circle round the fire had 

 been served twice, the coffee was sent round to the crowd 

 who filled up the background. As soon as the ceremony 

 was concluded we rose to go, but the Sheikh came out with 

 us, and showed us his summer residence, the facade of 

 which was rather striking. A flight of steps led up to a 

 portico, built to catch the cool northern breezes from Her- 

 nion, and supported by two pillars crowned by magnificent 

 capitals, stolen from some ancient building. The interior 

 was gaudily painted, in the usual Eastern style, with 

 quaint representations of birds and beasts ; built into the 

 walls of the courtyard we noticed two pieces of sculpture, 

 one representing a seated figure, the other a winged wind ; 

 the latter struck us as good. 



On the way back to our tents we were taken into a 

 camel- stable, above the door of which was a beautifully- 

 cut Greek inscription. Later in the evening the Sheikh and 

 his son, a sleepy boy of about twelve years old, returned 

 our visit. The Sheikh talked a great deal of the constant 

 friendshi]3 which had existed between the English and the 

 Druses, and of his pleasure at seeing any members of our 

 nation in the Hauran. Our visitors stayed so long that our 



