This fellow went through numberless prayers and ceremonies, spitting in my hands, taking rose-water in his mouth, and sprinkling my face with it, reciting occasional prayers, and then washing his own mouth and hands in rose-water. After bottling up this sacred fluid, he told me to drink it on a particular day, which he named, and I then should be as highly gifted as himself; thus concluding his instructions, which, of course, I did not think myself bound to observe. There are two grand markets held weekly, one on the sands behind the town every Tuesday, and the other on Fridays, about four miles distance, amongst the gardehs of the Meshea which form a stripe of about three or four miles in breadth, between the beach and the desert. In the town are Bazaars, which are open every day. These are * streets, covered in overhead. The shops of merchants are ranged on each side, and are very small. Slaves and goods are carried about before the traders by auctioneers, who keep up a continual din, each calling the price last bidden. The Jews have a quarter of the town expressly to themselves, where they have their shops, and in which they are shut up every evening at sunset. This place is called Zanga t e l Yahood lL.Uij These people are much persecuted, yet they contrive to engross all the trade and places of profit. They are forbidden, as I before observed, to wear gaudy clothes, and are only allowed turbans of blue. Several houses set apart for the reception of merchants and their goods are called Fondook, cJjjoj and answer to the description given of the Caravanseras of the East. There are a few schools at which reading and writing, though to no great extent, are taught in a very noisy manner. A knowledge of letters, how- -ever, is by no means necessary to constitute a great man, or to advance him to any post o f trust: of this there exists an example in the present minister, Sidi Hamet (who was formerly Kais el Marsa, or Captain of the port), and who can neither read nor write. We had often heard this circumstance, and one day put into his hands the Koran, with the wrong side uppermost, begging him to repeat to us a few lines of it. H e evaded our request by pretending to read to himself for a short time, with the book still turned the wrong way; when assuming a very sagacious look, he returned it to us, observing, that “ it was very well written,” and thus convincing us we had not been misinformed respecting his ignorance. The Sheikh el Bled, or Governor of the town, is considered a very good scholar, and ready accountant, though he was once a boatman in the harbour. The contrast between the rigidity of some Moslems, and the indifference of others respecting association with Christians, is curiously exemplified in this man. He had sent his son to learn Italian under a Boman Catholic priest, without at all disguising the circumstance. Drunkenness is more common in Tripoli than even in most towns in England. There are public wine-houses, at the doors of which the Moors sit and drink without any scruple; and the Saldanah, or place of the guard, is seldom without a few drunkards. The greater part of the better sort of people also drink very hard; but their favourite beverage is Kosolia, an Italian cordial, and it is not uncommon for visitors, when making calls, to give unequivocal hints that a little rum would be well received. Prostitutes are in large numbers, and are obliged (if known to be such) to live in a particular part of the town (called Zanga t ’el Ghaab ti-vjjuj or quarter of the prostitutes), under a Chowse, or superintendent, appointed expressly for that purpose. These women are obliged daily to supply food for the Bashaw’s dogs which guard the Arsenal. A kind of bad Italian is generally spoken by the Inhabitants of
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