64 LEBANON AND THE LEVANT. 



and it was amusing on Sunday to stroll amongst tlie 

 numerous companies of citizens, sitting in circles, chatting 

 and telling stories under tlie shade. The fashionable 

 ladies' dress is a white sheet, and a coloured handkerchief 

 over the head ; but the infantine population swell about in 

 scarlet and gold tunics, and all manner of 'pomps and 

 vanities.' 



At the tahle-d'hote there was much discussion about the 

 expedition which the Pasha was said to be about to make 

 to PalmjTa ; he proposed to spend a month in the trip, 

 and to take with him a small army, including artillery. 

 Some of the travellers at our hotel were staying on in order 

 to avail themselves of the opportunity of going in his 

 suite ; among them was an elderly American, a professor 

 at one of the universities in the Western States, who in 

 his quality of a Freemason had already called on the Pasha 

 and Abd-el-Kader, both of whom are brothers of the craft, 

 and now announced his purpose of ' planting the banner 

 of Freemasonry on the ruins of Palmyra.' He was unfor- 

 tunately prevented from fulfilling his mission by the Pasha 

 abandoninfj his desiofn. Before leaving- Damascus we had 

 the pleasure of seeing Mr. Rogers, the English Consul- 

 General, to whom we handed over our letter to the Pasha, 

 which we had not found an opportunity of presenting, 

 with a request that he would use it in securing for Khasim 

 promotion to a higher grade, in which we felt sure he 

 would not dishonour our recommendation. Mr. Pogers 

 kindly showed me some of the most valuable trays of his 

 fine collection of Eastern coins, and also a coat-of-mail 

 taken by the Pasha from an Adwan Sheikh in the previous 

 year, and a noble sword, which, as was recorded by an 

 inscription in gold letters on its blade, had belonged to a 

 son of the famous Saladin. 



The last days of our stay at Damascus were so cold that 



