828 clarke’s travels. 
Mary. Afterward, they are worn as reliques. The beads 
are manufactured, either from date stones, or from a very hard 
kind pf wood, whose natural history we could not learn. It 
was called “Meccafruit” and, when first wrought, appeared 
of the colour of box; it is then dyed, yellow, black, or red. 
The beads are’of various sizes ; and they are all strung as ro¬ 
saries ; the smaller being the most esteemed, on account of the 
greater number requisite to fill a string, and the greater la¬ 
bour necessarily required in making them. They sell at 
higher prices when they have been long worn, because they 
have then acquired, by friction, a higher polish. This sort 
of trumpery is ridiculed by all travellers, but we cannot say 
it is scouted by any of them; for there has not been one who 
did not encourage the Jerusalem manufactories by the pur¬ 
chases lie made. It offers an easy method of obtaining a 
large quantity of acceptable presents, which occupy little 
space, for the inhabitants of Greek and Catholic countries, as 
well as for Turks and Arabs. We provided ourselves with a 
considerable cargo, and found them useful in our subsequent 
journey.* The custom of carrying such strings of beads was 
in use long before the Christian rara; and the practice of 
bearing them in the hand prevails, among men of rank, all 
over the east.f This subject the author has already ntro- 
duced into a former publication ;J therefore its repetition here 
is unnecessary. It is not so easy to account for the origin of 
the shell, as a badge worn by pilgrims ;§ but it decidedly re¬ 
fers to much earlier oriental customs than the journeys of 
Christians to the Holy Laud, and its history will probably be 
found in the mythology of eastern nations. Among the sub¬ 
stances which they had wrought in the manufacture of rosa¬ 
ries, and for a?nuiets, we were glad to notice the black fetid 
limestone! of the Lake Asphaltites; because it enabled us to 
* Such a quantity of them is sometimes sent to Spain, Portugal, and other countries, 
that it is sufficient for the entire freight of a vessel. 
+ The Turks call a string of ninety-nine heads, tespy. This number of beads cor¬ 
responds with their names ofthe deity. Hamid Ali, a late vizier, wore one of pearl, 
valued at 300/. sterling. See Dallaway’s Constantinople, p. 84. 
+ See “■ Greek Marbles,pp.78,79. Camb. 1809. See also,the necklace worn by 
Isis, as (engraved; in Caper’s Haypocrates, p. 109, Utrecht, 1687. 
§ It w-as an ancient symbol of Astarte, the Syrian goddess, as Venus Pelagia 
(avctSuopivT);) but, as the appropriate cognizance of a pilgrim’s hat, is beautifully 
commemorated in the well known ditty, 
“ And how should I thy true love know 
“ From any other one?” 
“ 0, by his cockle hat and staff, 
“ And by bis sandal shoon ” 
jj “ Chaux carhonatee .{Slide,” Haiiy, “ Pierre puante,” Laraeth, tom.XT. p 58. 
“ Swinestone,” Kirwan. “ Stinkstein ” BroehaoC tom. X.; p. 567, “■ Spatinuo fric- 
t|ohe feetidum,” Waller, tom,A. p. 148., 
