APPEARANCE OF ARAB FEMALES. 95

for some time. One of the women, from whom we received a vessel of milk, was offered some dates in return by our servants: not satisfied with them, she desired to have her milk again. A piastre was thrown to her, which after taking up and examining, she ran off to a considerable distance, dancing and shouting with joy. Another very handsome young woman, with a child in her arms, asked for some cloth to cover her infant's head; we gave her a silk handkerchief, which so delighted her, that she approached the boat, and, with her right hand raised to Heaven, invoked every blessing on us in return. The handkerchief appeared to excite great curiosity, for a crowd collected round her, and it was held up and examined in every direction, seemingly with much delight.

The behaviour of these females formed a striking contrast with the manners of the Indian women, and still more with those of the veiled dames of Bussorah. They came to our boats with the frankness of innocence, and there was

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APPEARANCE OF ARAB FEMALES.

a freedom in their manners, bordering perhaps on the masculine; nevertheless, their fine features, and well-turned limbs, presented a toute ensemble of beauty, not often surpassed, perhaps, even in the brilliant assemblies of civilized life. True it is, their complexions were of a gipsey brown; but, even on this point, there may be some who see

"A Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt."

The woman who was so grateful for the handkerchief, as she stood on the edge of the bank, her beautiful eyes beaming with gratitude, would have been a fine illustration of some of the striking passages in Scott's forcible delineations of female character.

ABOO NASIR.

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CHAPTER VI.

Aboo Nasir-Village Jester-Akushee-English Gentlemen attacked by the Arabs-Munjummil-Thuyn Il Swyah-Mohumud Abool Hassan-We are challenged from the shore by the Arabs-Our Boatmen's answer-Manner in which the Arabs lie in ambush for Travellers-Cheshef-Illyauts-Black Tents illustrated by Scripture-Mr. Hamilton and I shoot at a Lioness-Curious flight of birds-Barter-Gubur Jumdeer-Ali Shurgee-Animals like Bats-Filifileh and Sooroot, an ancient ruin-Encampment of Arab Banditti-Aboo Nasir's answer to their inquiries— Mudduk-il-Hujauje-Koote-Horses procurable hence to Bagdad-Description of the village-Jubul Afeez, a ruin-Arab Greyhounds-A Dandy of the Desert -Mr. Hamilton proceeds by land to Bagdad-Boats laden with firewood for Bagdad-Ummuttumim, a large Canal-Grotesque description of Boat-Shifeleh -Extensive Ruins -Observations on the general appearance of Ruins in this country-The ruins of Mumliheh-Coins-Want of instruments for digging.

AT four, P. M. we passed an encampment similar to that we had seen the night before; here our European costume and white faces so

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A VILLAGE JESTER.

much attracted the attention and curiosity of the inhabitants, that they accompanied us along the bank for upwards of a mile, singing and dancing all the way. Aboo Nasir, who was a friend of their chief, had just drank sufficient to put on that solemn aspect a tipsy man so often assumes. Seating himself in midships, with his pipe in one hand, and his silver baton of authority in the other, he returned the salutations of the mob with the most amusing gravity, while our band squeaked a tune, and our guard figured away in the sword-dance.

In every village that we passed there was a merry noisy fellow, who seemed by general consent to be the common spokesman and buffoon. At this place, in particular, the representative of the people appeared to be highly agreeable to his constituents, as every sentence that he uttered brought down from them a roar of laughter, which was immediately re-echoed by our boat's crew.

Our mode of passing the time during this

A COFFEE RECIPE.

99

interesting excursion up the river, was much as follows. We rose early, and breakfasted on rice, biscuits, butter, tea, and camel's milk; we then smoked our chibouques for half an hour, and always finished our repast with a cup of coffee, for which, as it was excellent, I beg to mention our recipe. The grain was first heated on a sheet of iron; it was then pounded in a mortar, which epicures say is better than when it is ground; the proportion of a cup of powder to a cup of water were then boiled together, and served up without either milk or sugar. I should mention, that the grain is never baked until the moment coffee is called for. To save time, we had on coming on board ordered a bag to be baked and pounded. Our servants complied with our directions, but to our surprise, on the second day of our trip, we saw them emptying into the river, as useless, a fortnight's stock of pounded coffee.

In the daytime we always found ample amusement in shooting, in searching for ancient