PREFACE. 
XXVll 
fpeaking of the affairs of the Eaft. The defign 
was, to confine that term to the natives of Europe 
and Afia Minor, y^raif is applied equally to the 
inhabitants of Syria, Egypt, and the coaft of Bar- 
bary, as well as to thofe of Arabia Proper, whether 
villagers or wanderers. The wandering tribes are 
however more frequently marked by the terms Be- 
douin and Muggrebin, 
The orthography of the word Calif conveys no 
idea of the ftrong guttural letter with which it com- 
mences ; it is therefore here written Chaltf^ or more 
properly Chalife. He is no_ flranger to the Turkifh 
word Bek or Beg ; but as thofe whofe enunciation 
of that language is efteemed moft corred, but 
faintly articulate the confonant which terminates it, 
he has retained the common orthography Bey. In 
general, the original language is efteemed the cri- 
terion of fpelling ; and if the fame word be occa- 
fionally fpelled in two different ways, it is only 
becaufe they are both equally near to that original. 
