ALE 



cultivated, it has been inferred from this circumftance.that the 

 winters in Syria art now more rijjorous than they were in for- 

 mer times, and this is the opinion cntcrlaintd by the natives. 

 Among tlic vegetables which form part of the diet ol the 

 iaiiabitants, the mad-apple (Solanum Mtjongena of Lin- 

 na-iis), of which there are three varieties, claims a principal 

 place. Their other efculenl vegetables, wc fliall not recite. 

 Of the vegetables produced in the fields without culture 

 there are capers, barrage, common mallow, forrel, dan- 

 delion, water crefi and truffles. Savor)- is much ufed to give 

 a rclifh to their bread. 



The number of inhabitants at Aleppo has been computed 

 at 300,000 ; but Dr. RuiTell conjectures, that they do not 

 now exceed 235,000, of whom 200,000 are Turks, 30,000 

 ChriiHan.:, and 5000 Jews. M. d'Ameux (Mcmoires, torn. 

 vi. p. 4^4, Paris, 1 735.) m:ikes the whole number of houfes 

 and public buildings in i65?3 to amount to fomcwhat more 

 than 14,100, and the number of dwelling-houies 13,360. 

 From an account prcfened by Dr. Rufiell, and fuppoied to 

 be obtained from the office of the Mohafhl, the number of 

 houfes in i 752, amounted only to 10,742; to that, if thefe ac- 

 counts be jull, there had been a decreale from 1683 to 1752 

 of .2,628 houfes. M. Volncy obferves, that as this city is 

 not larger than Nantes or Marfcilles, and the houfes coiifilt 

 only of one ftor}-, it is not probable that the number of in- 

 habitants (hould exceed 100,000. The language univerfally 

 Qwken by the natives is the vulgar Arabic ; and the Turkilh, 

 which is fpokcH by people of condition, and which is the 

 court language uftd in the feraglio, is laid to be corrupted 

 by the cpncourfe of ilrangers from the northern provinces. 

 The people are generally of a middle llature, rather meagre 

 than corpulent, and neither vigorous nor aftive. Their 

 complexion is naturally fair, their hair black, or of a dark 

 chefnut colour, and their eyes for the moll part black. The 

 females affeft to appear full and plump ; they ufe no ftays, 

 and wear their girdles very loofe. The men gird themielves 

 tightly with a broad belt, and a long (bawl cinfture. The 

 people that are expofed to the fun become fwarthy. 



The men drefs in the long eaftern habit, and during fix 

 months in the year wear furs. Under the furs their garments 

 confiil of a filk or linen fliirt, and drawer.;, wide trowfers 

 of red cloth, to which are fewed focks of yellow leather, 

 ferving for breeches, ftockings, and within doors, for (hoes; 

 but in walking, they ufe flippers without heels. They alfo 

 wear a waiitcoat, called a kunbaz, that comes lower than 

 the knee, and a long veil reaching down to the heels, which 

 covers all, and is named a dulaman. Above the dulaman, 

 they have a long Perfian ihawl, and a belt under the waifl- 

 coat, and to this cincture they attach a fmall dagger or 

 knife, and with men of bufmefs it ferves to fuppoit a filver 

 ir.Ichorn. For an account of the turban, fee Tl'RB.\n. 

 i lie Abai is a filk, or camelot gown, with larc^e lleeves, 

 laced down the feams with a narrow gold lace, whrch is worn 

 in fummer inftt.ad of the kurk, or loofe gown trimmed with 

 furs. Abai is the name of the ordinaiy veftment of the 

 Arabs. The drefs of the ladies in many'refpefts refembles 

 tiiat of the men. But their dulaman and kunbaz fit clofer 

 to the fhape, and not folding over the bread, leave the neck 

 uncovered. Inftead of the coftly, long-haired furs of the 

 Dien, they ufe fable or ermine, and thev' are formed in a dif- 

 ferent fafhion. The ladies are fend of thick long hair ; and 

 their hcad-drefs, confilHng of a warm cloth cap, under 

 cotton and mufliii, which compofe the reft of the attire, is 

 much warmer than that of the men. They wear ear-rings, 

 » necklace, or collar, of gold, large clumfy gold bracelets, 

 CO tJic wiift and ankles, a ilring of zcchins clofe to the hair, 



ALE 



on the forehead, atid another, very long, acrofs the body in 

 the manner of b falh. Both fexes wear rings on the fingers, 

 and fome women wear them on the toes. The ufe of rouge 

 is very little known ; but the women tinge their fingers, 

 hands, feet and toes, of a duflcy red or yellow colour, by- 

 means of a pafte formed of the powdered leaves of henna 

 and water. See Alcanna. The hands and feet are after- 

 wards covered with another paile, compofed of flour and 

 water, with crude fal ammoniac and quickhme, which 

 changes the colour into a fort of black or very dark green. 

 They alfo tinge the infidc of the eye-lids with a powder, 

 callsd kohol. See Alcohol. The women apply another 

 compofition called khatat, to the eye-brows, wliich tinges 

 them of a fine black colour, and makes the hair fmooth and 

 gloffy. It is the cuftom with the men to let the beard grow, 

 after a certain age, or after performing the pilgrimage to 

 Mecca, and mucli pains are bellowed upon drcfling it ; but 

 many of the Turks wear whilkers only. Some conceal the 

 appearance of grey hair by tinging the beard with a black 

 or red dye ; the pratlice, however, is not deemed reputable, 

 and is not common. Perfons of both fexes ufe a variety of 

 perfumes, compofed of niuflc, fandal wood, and fpikenard, 

 which they few up in fmall bags and carry in the breaft 

 pockets. Women of every clafs, when they go abroad, wear 

 thin yellow boots, reaching up half the leg, and over thefe 

 yelTuw babooge or flippers, or n\ wet weather wooden clogs, 

 called kiibkal. They never appear in the flreels without 

 their veils. The ordinary Aleppo veil is a linen flieet, co- 

 vering the whole habit from head to foot, and concealing the 

 whole face, except one eye. The veils of the Chriilians and 

 Jewiih women, are formed of plain white callico, which the 

 Turkilh vvom^en checker with blue and red, and the Jewifh 

 v^'omen have one arm free, fomewhat in the manner oi the 

 Scots plaids. 



As to the ordinary diet at Aleppo, it confifts of a con- 

 fiderable proportion of animal food, which is cut in fmaU 

 pieces and blended with rice, herbs, and ftrong fauces. The 

 lower people live moftly on rice, butter, milk, new cheefe, 

 greens and fummer fruits, with a very fmall proportion of 

 mutton. Their ordinary bread is formed into flat cakes, 

 and made of wheaten flour, not well fermented and ill baked. 

 Loaves of a fuperior quality are ftrcwed over with the feeds 

 of fefamum, or fennel flower. The Pilaw and Burgle 

 are common diflies. M. d'Arvicux remarks, that a greater 

 quantity of fruit is confuined at Aleppo, than in any three 

 cities in Europe of equal fize. The butter brought to 

 Aleppo is made of the milk of goats, cows, fhetp, and 

 buffaloes, and is c'lurncd in goat-lkins, and thus brought to 

 market. Coftcc, without fugar or milk, is in ufe among 

 people of all ranks ; this is drauk conftantly after meals, and 

 in all familiar vifits prefented with the pipe. It vj'as intro- 

 duced into Syria about the middle of the 1 6th century. 

 See Coffee. Tobacco is fmcakcd immoderately by all 

 the men, and by many of the wonr-.en. Their tobacco is 

 brought from different parts of Syria, particularly from 

 Latachia, and is much milder than the American. See 

 Tobacco. The tobaeco pipes are made of the twigs of 

 cherry-tree, almond, rofe or jafmine, dexteroufly ilraight- 

 ened and bored, in length from three to fix feet, and deco- 

 rated with filver or gilt ornaments, with mouth-pieces of 

 amber or ivory ; the bowl is made of reddifti clay and often 

 changed. See Kalian and Nargeeli. The praftice of 

 taking fnuff, though the Porte, about the year 1 760, granted 

 a monopoly for making and vending Rappee fnuff at Aleppo, 

 is much lels common than that of fmoaking. The cullom 

 of taking opium is held at Aleppo almoft equally fcandalous 

 2 with 



