CHAP. I. 
TRIPOLI. 
17 
presented by the Koran) is punished by cutting off a hand, and, 
if to a very great extent, a foot also ; but repeated offences of this 
kind extend sometimes to an amputation of the other hand or foot, 
and I once saw a man, who, for a capital crime, had been mutilated 
in this manner. The operation is performed with a razor. The 
limb is first tied tight above the joint with a piece of cord, and the 
hand or foot is taken out of the socket of the wrist or ankle joint. 
The stump is then dipped into hot pitch, and the sufferer is 
permitted to go away with his friends ; and it is astonishing how 
soon he recovers without any other dressing than the one which 
I have mentioned. Beating with a stick on the posteriors or soles 
of the feet is the general punishment for minor offences ; although 
in some cases it is so severe as to occasion death. Four or five 
hundred lashes are frequently given ; but fifty is aliout the general 
allowance. Some culprits, who, by bribery, or other means, are able 
to influence the persons employed to see the sentence executed, 
contrive to stuff their trowsers so as to escape without much suffer- 
ing. This punishment is inflicted equally on all ranks, at the 
pleasure of the Bashaw ; and should even his own sons, his Mi- 
nister, or the Sheikh of the town, displease him, they would be 
obliged to submit to it, as well as the lowest of his subjects ; nor 
would they consider themselves at all degraded, or their dignity 
in any degree lessened by it. 
We had resided some time in Tripoli before I had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing any other costume of the women than their walking- 
dress. This consists of a Barracan (or wrapper, like that which the 
Arabs wear, and which I shall describe when speaking of the 
costume of those people), so arranged as to envelope the body and 
head, and merely to show one eye ; they also wear red boots, and 
yellow or red slippers when in their houses. The dress of the 
D 
