DAMASCUS. 
257 
much good. The British Government, in 1841, gave them 
some notion of the importance of good behavior, which seem¬ 
ed to make some impression upon them. They still vent 
their hatred, however, upon foreigners, as we found from oui 
experience, whenever they can do so without incurring risk. 
In passing through some of the more obscure streets w T e had 
stones thrown at us by the boys, and were repeatedly spit at 
by the children, and insulted by derisive shouts of Frangi! 
Frangi! The men stood by laughing, evidently quite pleased 
with the conduct of the rising generation, though it is due to 
them to say that they were too lazy or too cowardly to take 
any part in these annoyances themselves. After passing 
through several of the quarters in which the different sects 
reside, we arrived at a wall with a door in it, upon entering 
which we found ourselves in the Court of the Hotel de Pal - 
myre, the only tolerable place for Frank travelers in the city. 
From the streets the houses have the appearance of mud 
forts, most of them being bare mud walls with holes in 
them, presenting a most forbidding and gloomy aspect to the 
stranger, who is not aware of the pleasant surprise that is in 
store for him when he passes the obscure little doorway. 
We were quite charmed upon entering the Court of the Hotel 
de Pahnyre. In truth, it seemed as if we had made a mis¬ 
take and stumbled into the palace of some Pasha. It was 
a very ordinary house, as we afterward found, but appeared 
really magnificent, after what we had been accustomed to. 
There were orange trees, laden with tempting fruit; a large 
reservoir full of water, with a fountain in the centre ; a 
paved court and various archways, leading into the different 
apartments, all on the ground floor ; and then there were Arab 
and Greek servants, who were lounging about; and the host, 
with a flaming red fez in his hand, received us as visitors of 
high distinction—all very gratifying things to way-worn travel¬ 
ers, who had been for eight days wandering about over the 
mountains of Lebanon. The air was fragrant with the scent 
of oranges and rose water—we suspected the host of hav- 
nig sprinkled the pavement or himself with attar of roses 
when he heard we were coming—fountains were bubbling 
