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perfect security; others, who were already awake, look- 
ed at me as I passed, without giving themselves the least 
uneasiness; some were dressing themselves leisurely, 
and the women attended to their toilette with the same 
liberty as if ^ey had been in their dostt. I had an op- 
portunity of remarking many heavenly countenances 
among them. In reflecting upon this custom shall it be 
said that the manners of these people are extremely 
depraved, or entirely innocent? I dare not attempt to 
decide the question, as I staid a very short time at 
Hama. In the house where I lodged were several 
women, ugly, it is true, who came and went freely, and 
even entered my apartment unveiled, to do the house- 
hold duties as the servants in Europe; one of them, who 
was somewhat of a coquette, wore a large golden ring 
three inches in diameter through the right cartilage of 
the nose. The costume of these women is a large blue 
or white cotton shift, surmounted with an open cafftan, 
without a belt. They add to these vestments, rings, 
collars, bracelets, ear-rings, necklaces, ornaments for 
the hair before and behind, and in short such an infinity 
of jewels and trinkets, that when a woman of rank 
walks, she makes as much noise as the mules in the 
south of Europe, that are constantly loaded with small 
bells. 
This city is under the dominion of the Pacha of Da- 
mascus, and is governed by an Arab of the country, 
who is nominated by him. 
I remarked a school here of a new kind. Two old 
doctors sat in a mosque, the one opposite the other, 
having each a paper in his hand. A third old man, who 
was placed between them, exercised the functions of 
moderator. The two antagonists mutually attacked 
each other with scholastic arguments upon law points,. 
