88

ARRIVAL AT DAMASCUS.

Valley of Soghd, at Samarkand; Sha Abi Bowan, Kaleh Sojid, in Fars; Masham Jud, at Hamadan ; and the Ghutchah (or plain) of Damascus, (see Nozhetu-E-Kolub). We descended the hill, and, finding a guide, after skirting the wall, entered at the gate of the Christian quarter, crossing the Barrada, "the golden stream," which has here for very delight divided itself into three branches, the more lavishly to extend its fertilisation. We passed the suburb of Salakie, and rode along a broad paved causway.

Water flowed on every side, as eager as ourselves to enter El Sham Shereef, the noble Damascus. Fanaticism has dropped its head now in Turkey: exist it does, but they know the power and dread The hat may be

the vengeance of the Frank.

fearlessly flaunted before the

turban, but we are

doomed to another scourge. All eastern towns abound in dogs; these are of a cowardly disposition, and belonging to nobody, live in and eat the garbage of the streets. As drains are unknown they are a useful evil: sets of these belong to every street, and if an unlucky dog wanders beyond his station the intruded upon attack him

in a body and generally add him to their evening meal. No sooner did Zea, therefore, appear, than the whole pack assailed him, and he wisely retired between us. Each step was now contested, and it was as much as four stout fellows of us could do to get him and ourselves into the Locanda alive. Under cover of the night I used a huge bowieknife on them with great effect, but it was no small relief when we were safely housed and the battle over. Times are changed: Damascus, however, unchanged in her beauty, must advance too, and an inn, the Hotel de Palmyra, profanes the classic town.

90

THE INN OF DEMITRII.

CHAPTER VII.

Description of Damascene Inns-The Leewan-Luxury of Fountains— A Saunter about the Streets-Bazaars-Vendors and their GoodsVaried Dresses and Appearance of those who frequent the Bazaars— The Women-Distinctions of Dress in Damascus-The Term Hadgi -Mode of wearing the Hair-The Beard-How the Beard was regarded by the Jews-Dresses of the Women particularly described —Veils―Their Origin-Dress of the Men described-MosquesChristian Churches-Mosque of the Dancing Dervishes-Probable Population of Damascus, and of whom composed-The Castle.

THE inn lately established by Demitrii, an old acquaintance of mine, is a fine large Damascene house, and as a fair sample of them generally, one description will do for all.

The walls are built of rammed mud, and present nothing towards the street but a bare continued wall with, perhaps, one lofty window, a species of balcony closely latticed. The door, a wretched illfitting affair, opens on a small court, with one or two small rooms for servants and dirt. In it another door admits you to the principal court, called Dar; many of the finer houses have two or three: it is usually of from thirty to fifty feet square, paved with marble or stone, and often laid out

DAMASCENE INNS DESCRIBED.

91

with flowers or handsome trees. Sometimes the flowers are on raised parterres; in the centre is invariably a fountain or reservoir of water. Round this are the rooms, generally a room on either side, with a large open room, or rather room open in front, in the middle. This is the Leewan: a raised dais of marble occupies the space, (except the extreme front,) and on this, round the three sides, is a raised seat of stone, a foot in height and some five broad. On this are spread cushions, carpets, and pillows, and it forms during the warm months the principal sitting-room. Some have one or two of the other rooms also fitted with divans and clear for reception, but usually they are appropriated for sleeping and stores. Some even have seven or eight reception rooms; but this is rare.

Where there are several leewans, the family migrate from one to the other to avoid the sun and court the breeze. Fountains sometimes adorn the centres of the sitting-room, and a delightful piece of furniture they are.

All must have felt the charm of pictures; perhaps the portrait of some dear and valued friend, perhaps one beloved with all a heart's love, now gone, or, harder still, now cold and changed; may

92

LUXURY OF FOUNTAINS.

be a picture of a once loved scene, a spot endeared by a thousand recollections, or, better still, the walls concealed by books, those essences of the brains of ages, those salmés of talent; but all have not felt this sweet companionship of water-the soft splash: how pleasant the tete-a-téte with this Undine

"And gentle winds and waters near
Make music to the listening ear."

In the soft evenings of the East, it is delightful to sit, and as the eve grows old, to hear the murmuring tones, so cool, so quiet, so unobtrusive; the perfumed nargilleh lends intenseness to the powers of enjoyment, and so floats on the life.

"Still o'er those scenes my memory wakes,

And fondly dreams with miser care;
Time but the impression deeper makes,
As streams their channels deeper wear."

Not idly pass those hours. The mind free from care breeds thought; the energies of the mind are awake; and so the spirit, inspired by the watertempered weed, expands-ex fumo dare lucem. Some, but few, of the houses have more than one story, and these are very desirable; for during the winter months the climate is very damp, and many a fever is escaped by sleeping in an upper room.