WOMEN PERMITTED TO PRAY WITH MEN. 261

taught to reverence the man as her head; thus imparting that beautiful lesson, "He for God only, she for God through him." She is also taught perhaps a harder lesson, a more painful task; to relinquish all her costly ornaments, when such may be more usefully employed in trade and traffic to consider necessaries more beautiful than costly clothes or embroidered suits. Gradually she is allowed to unite with the man in prayers, which is permitted by no sect in the East, women always having a portion of the church set apart for them, and the Moslems praying at different times. May it please Him who gives and dispenses all things, to prosper this and all other good and holy works!

A Frank traveller reached Aintab as we left; he would fain have joined our party, but was detained for quarantine. Winding out of the town, we passed over the hills that environ the town, and entered a pretty valley, through which the Sadschur river accompanies us. Here, at a small village called Naringa, we chose a pretty spot under some trees, and pitched our tents. The horses browsed at our door, the stream jumped by before us as we took our evening's repose. And

262

REPOSE AT NARINGA.

repose it is, to sit thus at the close of a day of travel, to enjoy the view of the lovely regions given man to dwell in, to see the various changes time, circumstances, and religion have wrought in the family of Adam, or, as the Arabs say, in the Beni Adam. It was a lovely evening; and as I reclined apart from my more gregarious fellowtravellers, I felt

"That the night was filled with music,

And the cares that infested the day,
Had folded their tents, like the Arab,
And as silently stolen away."

DEPARTURE FROM NARINGA.

263

CHAPTER XVII.

Naringa to Nezeb-Towns passed in our Way-Origin of Tels --Great Victory of Ibrahim Pasha described-Nezeb Pilgrims from

Bokhara First View of the Euphrates-Reflections suggested by it --Ancient Passages of the Euphrates-Pass that River-Town of Bir -Remains of its Castle-Spanish Monk-Beautiful SceneryDetention from the straying of the Baggage Horses-A Pasha-His Courtesy and Kindness-Nobbagee, or Musician-Charmelieh-Its curious Construction-Extraordinary Well-Arab Mode of churning Butter-Arrive at the ancient Ur of the Chaldees, now Orfa-Hospitality of the English Consular Agent-His Opinion of the Arab of the Desert.

MAY 10th.-Naringa to Nezeb, six hours and thirty-five minutes.

We left our encampment, and passed the village of Kurdagee on our right; in one hour and a half passed Jorkadeir, and in three hours forty-five minutes passed Orrull on our right, and Negaar, and also some others. We had no small ado either to be off; the route lay over low, undulated hills, generally planted with corn, which numerous pigeons flew over, probably very anxious for it to ripen. We halted at noon on the banks of our old friend, who frisks away S.E. at every village almost.

They gave it a different name at the place we halted at the man called it El Leban.

All now speak Turkish, so we are forced to hold our communication through two languages, both foreign to the speakers; how much of our meaning then reaches its destination! All the villages I have mentioned are built on Tels. Are these natural, or does man still fondly cling to the ruined home of his fathers? Crossing the Kirsan, two hours more brought us to Nezeb. Leaving, then, the village of Orrull, we crossed the river, and traversed a wide, undulating plain of lime. Here and there were plantations of figs, pistacios, and olives; while broad lands of wheat grew elsewhere.

To the S.E. was a range of mountains, probably those of the range said to run north of Hurassolis Banbyre to the Euphrates. In front, green trees and a tall minaret welcomed us on, and we found our tents pitched on a pretty green before the large village of Nezeb. This was the scene of the grand victory which laid all Asia Minor open to the conquering arms of Ibrahim Pasha. The Turks crossed the Euphrates at Birejek, and reached this, some 70,000 strong. Ibrahim, it is

HISTORY OF IBRAHIM PASHA.

265

said, (and nobody who glances at the map can doubt it,) intended to dispute their passage: why he did not is unexplained, save that he might have felt certain of the result and wished to crush them

at once. It is even whispered that the Sultan, secretly finding his army too strong for him, and fearing they would succeed the Janissaries and establish another Prætorian guard, ordered Mehemet Ali to destroy them.

One

Ibrahim hurried up from Aleppo, where he had concentrated his force, and arrived also at Nezeb, with a force some 45,000 strong, but incomparably superior in tone, discipline and material. account says, he manoeuvred in vain to allure them from their strong position, and at last marched and turned their flank, attacking them at daylight, himself directing the attack of the artillery. Three hours finished the affair. But I believe a truer account is, that he reached the field and encamped for the night. The Prussian officers with great difficulty persuaded the Pasha in Chief of the Sultan's forces to plant two guns; this was all they could extort from him, and with these they commenced playing on the Egyptian troops. The rout was complete, when the Mollahs and others began