•294 
BENGAZI. 
We had brought with us several papers for Bey Halil from the 
Bashaw, all of which, when presented (with the exception of one), 
he put into the hands of his secretary Hashi, his excellency not 
being himself quite au fait at deciphering the contents of his letters. 
The paper retained was the teskere from the Bashaw (already men- 
tioned) for five hundred dollars ; and it is probable that the frequent 
arrival of similar orders had rendered their appearance so familiar to 
Bey Halil, that he was able to distinguish them without the assist- 
ance of his secretary, though he could not read a word of other 
matter. 
A slight change of countenance, when he first cast his eyes upon 
the teskere, was, however, the only visible effect which it produced 
on the exterior of the Bey of Bengazi ; and his good breeding did 
not allow him to manifest in any other way that our visit was not in 
all respects perfectly agreeable to him. We may add, that the sum 
sans s’imaginer que c’6toit un chemin qui conduisoit a quelque I'iche d^pot ; une statue 
colossale a ete pour eux le gardien de I’argent depose a ses pieds, et le vengeur impla- 
cable de toute entreprise formee centre la surete de ce d6p6t. Ils ont done eu recours 
a toutes sortes d’artifices pour detruire ces statues et les degrader ; ils en ont mutile 
les figures, comme des gens qui espferoient par-la atteindre leur but, et qui crai- 
gnoient, en les attaquant ouvertement, de s’ attirer leur propre ruine : ne doutant point 
que ce ne fussent autant de coffres forts remplis de sonames immenses ; ils se sont aussi 
enfonces dans les fentes des montagnes, semblable aux voleurs qui penetrent dans les 
maisons par toute autre voie que par les portes, et qui saisissent avidement une occa- 
sion inconnue a tout autre qu’ a eux.” — (R61. d’Egypte, p. 197.) 
In this passage it clearly appears how much credulity and superstition was mixed up 
with the idea in question ; and these exist in conjunction with it, to the present day, 
among the various Arab tribes of Asia and Africa, and in a great degree among the 
Turks. 
