314 
BENGAZI. 
With respect to the Arab women, we will venture to say (though 
we do not think that modesty is their predominant quahty) that no 
consideration could induce them to dress themselves in the manner 
which caused such astonishment to our acquaintance: and they 
would certainly not believe that the ladies of Europe, to whom 
such costume is familiar, would object to appear in the presence 
of the other sex without their shoes and stockings. As for 
dancing with men, and taking them by the hand, it would be 
looked upon as the last stage of effrontery and indehcacy ; yet 
their own familiar dance is at the same time of such a nature 
that no modest women of Europe could look at it. It would be a 
curious experiment in natural history to see which of the ladies 
would require most persuasion ; the Arab to appear in public with- 
out any veil, or the Englishwoman without shoes and stockings. 
There can be no question which of the two is most civilized ; yet, we 
own, we cannot see that it is at all more indecent to appear in public 
with the legs and feet uncovered, than it is to expose the face, arms, 
and neck ; or that it is really more modest to cover the face than to 
leave it in its natural state. Of the two, we should certainly think 
it more modest to cover the face than the feet ; yet we know that 
the practice of going without a veil is adopted by the most refined 
nations of the globe, and that the habit of wearing it is by no means 
inconsistent with levity and want of proper feeling. 
To return to our description of the town ; we have already stated, 
that Bengazi may be considered as occupying the site of the Bere- 
nice of the Ptolemies, and of the Hesperis of earlier times; but very 
