all its sides; and every degree of refined luxury has been added to the work, which a people, of all others best versed in the ceremonies of the bath, have been capable of inventing or requiring.

Leaving the bath, and returning along the passage by which we came, we entered what is called the Chamber of Repose. Nothing need be said of it, except that it commands the finest view any where afforded from this point of the Seraglio. It forms a part of the building well known to strangers, from the circumstances of its being supported, towards the sea, by twelve columns of that beautiful and rare breccia, the viride Lacedæmo nium of Pliny, called by Italians Il verde antico. These columns are of the finest quality ever seen; and each of them consists of one entire stone. The two interior pillars are of green Egyp tian breccia, more beautiful than any specimen of the kind existing.

We now proceeded to that part of the Charem which looks into the Seraglio garden, and entered a larger apartment, called Chalved Tiertzy, or, as the French would express it, Salle de promenade. Here the other ladies of the Charem entertain themselves, by hearing and seeing comedies, farcical representations, dances, and music. We found it in the state of an old lumber. room. Large dusty pier-glasses, in heavy gilded frames, neglected and broken, stood, like the Vicar of Wakefield's family picture, leaning against the wall, the whole length of one side of the room. Old furniture; shabby bureaus of the worst English work, made of oak, walnut, or mahogany; inlaid broken cabinets; scattered fragments of chandeliers; scraps of paper, silk rags, and empty confectionary boxes; were the only objects in this part of the palace.

From this room, we descended into the court of the Charem; and, having crossed it, ascended, by a flight of steps, to an upper parterre, for the purpose of examining a part of the building appropriated to the inferior ladies of the Seraglio. Finding it exactly upon the plan of the rest, only worse furnished, and in a more wretched state, we returned, to quit the Charem entirely, and effect our retreat to the garden. The reader may imagine our consternation, on finding that the great door was closed upon us, and that we were locked in. Listening, to ascertain if any one was stirring, we discovered that a slave had entered to feed some turkeys, who were gobbling and making a great noise at a small distance. We profited by their tumult, to force back the huge lock of the gate with a large stone, which fortunately yielded to our blows, and we made our escape.

We now quitted the Lower Garden of the Seraglio, and ascended, by a paved road, towards the Chamber of the Garden of

Hyacinths. This promised to be interesting, as we were told the Sultan passed almost all his private hours in that apartment; and the view of it might make us acquainted with occupations and amusements, which characterize the man, divested of the outward parade of the Sultan. We presently turned from the paved ascent, towards the right, and entered a small garden, laid out into very neat oblong borders, edged with porcelain, or Dutch tiles. Here no plant is suffered to grow, except the Hyacinth; whence the name of this garden, and the chamber it contains. We examined this apartment, by looking through a window. Nothing can be more magnificent. Three sides of it were surrounded by a divân, the cushions and pillows of which were of black embroidered satin. Opposite the windows of the chamber was a fire-place, after the ordinary European fashion; and on each side of this, a door covered with hangings of crimson cloth. Between each of these doors and the fire-place appeared a glass-case, containing the Sultan's private library, upon shelves; every volume being in manuscript, lying one above the other, and the title of each book written on the edges of its leaves. From the ceiling of the room, which was of burnished gold, opposite to the fire-place, hung three gilt cages, containing small figures of artificial birds: these sung by mechanism. In the centre of the room stood an enormous gilt brazier, supported, in an ewer, by four massive claws, like vessels seen under sideboards in England. Opposite to the entrance, on one side of the apartment, was a raised bench, crossing the door, on which were placed an embroidered napkin, a vase, and bason, for washing the beard and hands. Over this bench, upon the wall, was suspended the large embroidered porte-feuille, worked with silver thread on yellow leather, which is carried in procession when the Sultan goes to mosque, or elsewhere in public, to contain the petitions presented by his subjects. In a nook close to the door was also a pair of yellow boots; and on the bench, by the ewer, a pair of slippers of the same materials. These are placed at the entrance of every apartment frequented by the Sultan. The floor was covered with Gobelins tapestry; and the ceiling, as before stated, magnificently gilded and burnished. Groupes of arms, such as pistols, sabres, and poniards, were disposed, with very singular taste and effect, on the different compartments of the walls; the handles and scabbards of which were covered with diamonds of very large size: these, as they glittered around, gave a most gorgeous effect to the splendour of this truly sumptuous chamber.

We had scarce ended our survey of this costly scene, when, to our great dismay, a Bostanghy made his appearance within the apartment; but, fortunately for us, his head was turned from

57

MANNERS AND DISPOSITIONS OF THE ARABS IN EGYPT. the window, and we immediately sunk below it, creeping upon our hands and knees, until we got clear of the Garden of Hy. acinths. Thence, ascending to the upper walks, we passed an aviary of nightingales.

The walks in the upper garden are very small, in wretched condition, and laid out in worse taste than the fore court of a Dutchman's house in the suburbs of the Hague. Small as they are, they constituted, until lately, the whole of the Seraglio gardens near the sea; and from them may be seen the whole prospect of the entrance to the Canal, and the opposite coast of Scutary. Here, in an old kiosk, is seen a very ordinary marble slab, supported on iron cramps: this, nevertheless, was a present from Charles the Twelfth of Sweden. It is precisely the sort of sideboard seen in the lowest inns of England; and, while it may be said no person would pay half the amount of its freight to send it back again, it shews the nature of the presents then made to the Porte by foreign Princes. From these formal parterres we descended to the Gardener's lodge, and left the gardens by the gate through which we entered.

I never should have offered so copious a detail of the scenery of this remarkable place, if I did not believe that an account of the interior of the Seraglio would be satisfactory, from the secluded nature of the objects to which it bears reference, and the little probability there is of so favourable an opportunity being again granted, to any traveller, for its investigation.

MANNERS AND DISPOSITIONS OF THE ARABS IN EGYPT. From Clarke's Travels.

THE effects and wealth of the Arabs, consist generally in cattle. Their Emirs and Sheiks have gold and silver; but, like the Laplanders, they bury it in the earth; thus it is frequently lost; because the owner dies without acquainting his successor where he has concealed his treasure. Corn is extremely cheap among the Arabs.-The Arabs pasture their cattle upon the spontaneous produce of the rich plains, with which the country abounds. Their camels require but little nourishment; existing, for the most part, upon small balls of meal, or the kernels of dates. The true Arab is always an inhabitant of the Desert, a name given to any solitude, whether barren or fertile. Hence the appellations bestowed upon them, of Badawi, or Bedouins, and of Saracens; for these appellations signify nothing more than inhabitants of the Desert. Their usual weapons consist of a lance, a poniard, an iron mace, a battle-axe, and someVOL. I. New Series.

H

times a matchlock gun. The moveables of a whole family seldom exceed a camel's load. They reside always in tents, in the open plain, or upon the mountains. The covering of their tents is made of goats' hair, woven by their women. Their mode of life very much resembles that of the gipsies in England; men, women, children, and cattle, all lodging together. In their disposition, though naturally grave and silent, they are very amiable; considering hospitality as a religious duty, and always acting with kindness to their slaves and inferiors.-The French author D'Arvieux, in his Voyage to Palestine, says, that "Scandal is unknown among them; that they speak well of all the world; never contradicting any one. To break wind before an Arab is deemed an act of infamy."-There is a dignity in their manner which is very striking; and this perhaps is owing to their serious deportment, aided by the imposing aspect of their beards. Selfishness, the vice of civilized nations, seldom degrades an Arab; and the politeness he practises is well worthy of imitation. Drunkenness and gaming, the genuine offspring of selfishness, are unknown among them. If a stranger enter one of their tents, they all rise, give him the place of honour, and never sit until their guest is accommodated. They cannot endure seeing a person spit, because it is deemed a mark of contempt: for the same reason it is an offence to blow the nose in their presence. They detest the Turks, because they consider them as usurpers of their country. The curious superstition of dreading the injurious consequences of a look, from an evil, or an envious eye, is not peculiar to the Arabs. The Turks, and many other nations, the Highlanders of Scotland, and the people of Cornwall, entertain the same notion. But the Arabs even extend it to their cattle, whom they believe liable to this fascination. The Ancients, according to Virgil, entertained a similar fantasy. To relate all that may be said concerning their other customs, particularly of the delight they take in horsemanship, and of the estimation wherein high-bred horses are held among them, would be only to repeat what has been already related, with admirable conciseness, truth, and judgment, by the Chevalier D'Arvieux. He has preserved the address of an Arab to his mare, as delivered in his own presence; and this, more eloquent than whole pages of descriptive information, presents us with a striking picture of Arab manners. A man named Ibrahim, being poor, had been under the necessity of allowing a merchant of Rama to become partner with him in the possession of this animal. The mare was called Touisa; her pedigree could be traced, from publick records, both on the side of the sire and dam, for five hundred years prior to her birth; and her price was three hundred pounds; an enormous sum in that country.—

"Ibrahim," says D'Arvieux, "went frequently to Rama, to inquire news of that mare which he dearly loved. I have many a time had the pleasure to see him weep with tenderness the while he was kissing and caressing her. He would embrace her; would wipe her eyes with his handkerchief; would rub her with his shirt sleeves; would give her a thousand benedictions, during whole hours that he would remain talking to her. My Eyes,' would he say to her, my Soul, my Heart, must I be so unfortunate as to have thee sold to so many masters, and not to keep thee myself? I am poor, my Antelope! Thou knowest it well, my darling! I brought thee up in my dwelling, as my child; I did never beat nor chide thee; I caressed thee in the fondest manner. God preserve thee, my beloved! Thou art beautiful! Thou art sweet! Thou art lovely! God defend thee from envious eyes!"

ACCOUNT OF THE DANCING GIRLS OF THE EAST.

From Wittman's Travels, Savary's Letters, &c.

THE practice of educating and maintaining dancing girls, appears to have existed among the Hindoos from the remotest ages. From them the custom descended to the Israelites, as we learn from the history of David. They are called almeh, because they are better educated than the other females of the country, in which they form a celebrated society, and the entertainment which they supply is called natch, or the feats of dancing girls.

The qualifications requisite for admission into the society of these females, are, a good voice, a knowledge of the language, and of the rules of poetry, and an ability to adapt their songs to the occasion on which they have been called. They add to the splendour and the entertainment of a marriage, where they precede the bride, playing on instruments; and they increase the lamentations and the solemnity of funerals, by every tone of sorrow, and every gesture of grief and of despair. It is, however, but for the rich men and the powerful, that the most elegant class allow themselves to mourn, or to rejoice. In the lower order, there is also an inferior class, whose imitations of the former are but humble; without their knowledge, the elegance, or the grace of the higher order, they frequent the public places and the general walks; and to a polished mind, create disgust when they wish to allure. The almèh of the higher class know by heart all the new songs; they commit to memory the most beautiful elegiac hymns, that bewail the death of a hero, or the successes or misfortunes incident to love. No festival can be complete