316 
JIDDA. 
departure, which he always took. The people of consequence had 
hookahs presented to them; Jelani, who was in high good humour, 
gave me a short account of each as he entered. I was very much 
amused by the difference of their dresses, which were all very rich 
in their kind. They varied most in their turbans, but no colour 
seemed particularly to point out the rank or descent : several 
were in green who could have no pretensions to a descent from 
Mohammed, and among them were Jelani's slaves. We saw many 
Bedowee, and a Moulah from Medina. The under dresses were 
rich satins or kincaubs ; the kelauts, of English broad cloth, or a 
stuff like camelin : Jelani himself had an under one of silk lined 
with ermine, and over that, another of black fox skins. All the 
slaves had new dresses. Jelani told us we ought to pay our com- 
pliments to the Vizier, but as the crowd would be very great, we, 
by his advice, put it off till the morrow. He made an excuse on 
going out himself to pay some visits, and requested we would con- 
sider his house as our own. Tea was served to us in English tea 
things : it was execrable, and they had brought no milk ; we did 
not drink any, at which they were greatly astonished, supposing 
it was our favourite beverage. Jelani returned by one o'clock, when 
an English table was brought, and chairs placed round it. Two 
Mussulmauns, besides himself, sat down to table with us. We had 
bread placed before us all; knives and forks only for our party. 
The first dish was a soup made of milk, meat, and some kind of 
acid, which was excellent. They took it out with small horn spoons, 
and handed it immediately to their mouths ; we had ours in small 
basons. Next came very rich forced-meat balls ; then water melons 
in slices ; then meat again, stewed ; then pastry, and so alternately 
