296

PRESENT STATE OF ORFA.

and repaid his father-in-law by procuring his death; and secured the kingdom to himself by conquering it. His dominion endured for fiftyfour years.

When Zenghi, the son of Ascansar, the sole man who stood on the right hand of Malek Shah, who first proved his arms in taking Antioch, was appointed Emeer of Mosul, he overran the country, and Edessa fell. Its king, Jocelin de Courtenay, unworthy of his father, saw his kingdom wrested from him, and, finally, died in the prison at Aleppo. Saladin took it, and Tamerlane.

Of course, it is now more flourishing than it has been for many years. The baths are large and fine, particularly the Khan Kooleh Oglee and the Custom Khan: these have a mosque attached to them. In the latter, the savage mode of cotton printing particularly struck me. A number of people were employed at it. The cotton is laid on a small board, as the portion on the flat surface was stamped, the man pulled a fresh part over, letting the stamped portion fall down the other side. On his left, stood a bowl full of the colouring matter; across this, just floating on the surface so as to damp through, was a morsel of felt tied there to

MANUFACTURES OF ORFA.

297

keep it in its place. The block of wood on which was carved the pattern, was dipped on this, then put on the cloth, and there pressed. Sometimes two colours were to be printed on; then two bowls, two prints, two troublesome processes, had to be used, and the result was very bad.

Carpets, saddle-bags, and the coarse cloth from whence sacks are made, are manufactured in Orfa. Ice was plentiful, and though brought from a considerable distance, is so cheap as to be within reach of all; and a luncheon of bread, cheese, and iced sherbet, each in abundance, might be indulged in for a farthing, or five paras. The dress of the men at Orfa is much the same as at Aleppo and elsewhere; I mean that of the middle class, whom I look upon as the type. The upper classes generally dress à la Stamboul, the lower according to their means, and those are generally very circumscribed.

The sleeves here are long; generally the shirt sleeve is full, and long enough when extended to fall over the fingers. Here, however, and hence eastwards, the low pointed shirt is worn, whose sleeves, running to a point, hang three feet below the hands. This shirt is made of coarse cotton,

298

DRESSES OF THE PEOPLE OF ORFA.

and is universally worn by the Arabs, Ansayrii, and all the people who border on them. Nor are the long sleeves without their use they are graceful and ornamental, and form no small part of that wild, fly-away appearance the Arab loves to make on horseback,-his hand grasping the lance, with this wild pennon flying loose. There it is, his towel, his handkerchief-not his duster, for he has nothing to dust. When not wanted, he ties the corners of either sleeve together, and puts them over his head, where they remain till they are wanted.

The women wear different dresses. The Nestorians have on their heads a huge round pad, flat at the top; this they adhere to as the ancient dress of the Syrians. All classes wear the white veil, and here generally a piece of stiffened black crape or gauze replaces the usual coloured cotton handkerchief.

The Aleppo button extends here, and few there are who have not had it. At Orfa the traveller will first hear that medley of languages, which will increase as he goes to Mosul. This must be the land of the confusion of tongues; for about eight will be found used in the town as household lan

THE MONKS OF THE CONVENT.

299

guages by the different sects. The monks of the convent treated us with great kindness. Poor and persecuted they had been, and probably, but for our consul, would have been exterminated or driven forth to seek an asylum elsewhere. They repaid the protection he had given them by more than

reverence.

300

DEPARTURE FROM ORFA.

CHAPTER XIX.

Leave Orfa for Haran-Tels and Barrows on the Way-Visit Tel Sultan -High Tower of Haran - Description of an Arab Tent- Its Furni ture-Sheik Abdallah Some Notice of his Tribe-Alarm of an Arab Attack All Labour performed by Women-Dress of the Bedouins-Town of Haran-Its Ruins--Description of the TowerAnother Alarm of Arabs-Salt Stones, anciently used for building ----Arab Indifference to Prayer-The Mosque-Filial Affection of an Arab-Christian Worship in the Desert-South Gate of HaranAccount of that Town by Pliny - Description of the Castle Repose at a Well- Women come to draw Water How they resembled what we read of Rebekah and Rachel -- Departure from Haran.

MAY 17th-Orfa to Haran, six hours' plain the whole way. We left Orfa early, and, passing through the gardens, which on this side skirt the town, struck due south across the plain. East and west of us, ranges of hills running north and south, shut in, leaving between a plain of some twenty miles in width, which, towards the south, was boundless. Leaving the garden walls, we emerged on the sea of land; nothing broke the horizon before us but a few tels. Now, since many have been found, which, on excavation, have