98 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
fome oblong laminae of black Mica, and a very 
final! proportion of ru ( 1 -coloured Spar. 
During my (lay in Old Cairo, I ventured to do 
a thing, which I believe very few travellers before 
me have done; neither would I advife any one to 
follow my example, for it might not perhaps be 
attended with equal good fortune. It was my 
going on the 15th, into a I urkiili Mofque. Accord- 
ing to the laws of Turky, a Chriftian, who goes 
in° one of their places of worlhip, mud either 
turn Mahometan, or be burnt alive. Money will 
fcarcely obtain a mitigation of the law in this cafe, 
tho* it helps in all other cafes, even in the molt 
notorious offences, except when any perfon hath 
been too free with their women ; for this offence is 
as heinous in their eyes, as feeing their Mofques. 
The Mofque in which I went, is juft befide the 
mark-houfe of the Nile : I chofe a time when none 
of the Turks who live there were prefent; and en- 
tered it, accompanied by a French interpreter, Mr. 
- le Grand, and a good honed Janiffary, who was 
devoted to me, after I had given the door-keeper a 
handfome fee. Such things may have good and bad 
confequences, therefore a traveller (liould never un- 
dertake them, without great circumfpeftion ; and 
the more, as all the advantage he derives from his 
curiofity is, that he may fay he has feen a place ol 
this kind; for there is indeed nothing remarkable io 
them. The Mofques are almoft all built in the 
fame manner, confiding of four galleries, which 
form an open fquare; but the galleries are covered 
and fupported by columns. If thefe are of marble, 
porphyry, or granite, in thefe confifts the great el 
beauty of the Mofque. In the middle of that fid e 
which points towards Mecca, is an oblong niche cut 
in the wall, in which the Coran lies, and dire&ly °P' 
