THE GREEK BISHOP. 
233 
mend all travelers who go to Baalbek to do likewise; they 
may see something, probably a bone of the ass that Baalam 
rode, or a reflected image of the face, with its full comple¬ 
ment of ears. 
The reception room of the convent was furnished in the 
Turkish fashion, with a low platform extending round the 
walls on three sides, upon which were spread rugs of every 
variety of color. There were no chairs, nor any other furni¬ 
ture except a few bad prints, and a good supply of chiboucks 
hung up around the walls. It was a great nuisance to be 
obliged to take off our shoes, as on all occasions, no matter 
how many houses we went into, how dirty they were, or how 
cold it was : whether there were rugs on the ground, or mats, 
or, what was most common, puddles of mud, our dragoman 
protested that if we kept on our shoes it would be a mortal 
offense to the inmates of the house. I was often disposed to 
rebel against this insane practice; but you know when one is 
in Home he must be romantic ; when one is in Syria he must 
bear with serious inconveniences, not the least of which is 
keeping up a good understanding with the natives by keep¬ 
ing the feet bare. 
The bishop, a venerable man, with a beard of patriarchal 
length, received us with great kindness and cordiality. He 
said it was seldom he had the pleasure of meeting American 
travelers there, and regretted that we had not taken up our 
quarters in the convent. While we were talking, coffee 
and chiboucks were brought in by a domestic, and gracefully 
presented to us in the Oriental style. As it is characteristic 
of the East, I may as well tell you the manner in which one 
is honored on paying a visit. You enter the room, furnish¬ 
ed, as above stated, with rugs all round, make your bow, and 
are politely motioned to a seat; that is, to a seat on the floor. 
If you can do it, you squat down as much like a tailor as pos¬ 
sible ; if you can’t, you stretch out both legs and get your 
back against the wall. Do let me persuade you to try it, if you 
want to know how odd it feels. The form of salutation de¬ 
pends pretty much on the relative rank of each party. Where 
(here is not much ceremony it is merely a bow and the hand 
