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is very common; it comes from the neighbourhood of 
the city, and furnishes fine and good horses; but it is 
requisite to try and know them well, for there are many 
vicious ones found among them; they have not the ex- 
cellent qualities that are admired in the preceding 
breeds, but are reckoned good; and when three or four 
years old, generally sell for 600 or 800 piastres. 
The sixth breed, which comes from the neighbour- 
hood of Bassora, is called Ocel JYagdi; it is accounted 
excellent, and if it does not surpass those of Djelfe and 
Seclaouiy it at least equals them. Horses of this breed 
are little known at Damascus, and connoisseurs assert 
that they are incomparable. Thus their value is arbi- 
trary, and always exceeds two thousand piastres. 
There are very few black Arabian horses, the greater 
part are dapple gray, or bay brown. 
The dress of the inhabitants of Damascus is a mix- 
ture of the costume of the Arabs and Turks; the Arab 
cloak with large stripes is very common. The Kaouk> 
or the high Turkish cap, is worn only by the Turks, 
or very rarely by the Arabs, who generally cover their 
heads with a red cap of a monstrous size, which hangs 
more than half a foot behind them, and covers the back 
of their necks; a shawl of striped muslin or silk, passing 
round the head beneath the pendant part of the cap, 
produces a whimsical and awkward head dress. 
They also wear a species of shirt or cloak of a nar- 
row stripped black and white stuff, exactly similar to 
the Djilabias of Morocco, except that it is loaded with 
an embroidery of different colours behind. 
The women go out covered from head to foot with 
large coarse white cotton veils. They wear also enor- 
mous pantaloons. 
Those of high rank are extremely discreet and 
