YUSEF DANCES THE RAAS. 219 
and look after his wife and smoke his chibonck ; but the pre¬ 
sentiment was evidently uppermost in his mind that it would 
rain some time or other, and to work he would go again, 
hopping all over the roof with one foot while he kept the stone 
in motion with the other. The poor fellow was actually a 
victim of conjugal felicity. 
In traveling through Syria, as in other parts of the world, 
I always carried my flute with me to relieve the lonely hours 
at night and excite a social feeling among the natives. I had 
fluted my way, after the fashion of Goldsmith, through many 
a difficulty ; and now I was resolved to see what the magic 
of music would do in removing the prejudices of the Arabs. 
As soon as it was dark we had a good fire lit in the corner, 
and, pulling off our shoes, as custom required, we spread our 
mats close by, and sat down cosily to enjoy the cheerful blaze, 
my friends (the Southerner and the English Captain) smoking 
their chiboucks, while I brought forth my knapsack and com¬ 
menced putting the pieces of my flute together. The Arabs, 
who had begun to crowd in, were greatly interested in the 
strange instrument that I was getting under way ; and Yusef, 
who was rather proud of his superior civilization, sat by en¬ 
joying their remarks and giving us a running interpretation. 
Some thought it was a sort of pistol, with a large touch hole ; 
but this notion w r as ridiculed by the more knowing ones, who 
said it was plain enough to see that it was a new-fashioned 
pipe, and that they would soon see me put the bowl to it, and 
begin to smoke. At last I got all the pieces adjusted, and, 
commanding silence by a mysterious motion of the hand, com¬ 
menced playing that classical air of “ Old Zip Coon” which 
I dare say never was heard before among the ruins of Baalbek. 
There was the most breathless attention on all sides, inter¬ 
rupted only by suppressed exclamations of tahib! tahib! 
(good ! good !) whenever I blew a very shrill or false note; 
and soon the women and children from the neighboring houses 
began to crowd in, and there was gradually a large circle 
formed around the room, the audience squatting dowm in rows, 
till there was scarcely space enough left to breathe. I blew 
away with all my might, for not only was I excited by the 
