Visits to monasteries in the Levant . window, was an object of much speculationto us how he got in, and how he would ever manage toget out of the niche into which he was so closely was the merchant, as the Arabian Nights would call,him, or the shopkeeper as we should say, who sat therecross-legged among his wares waiting patiently for acustomer, and keeping off the flies in the meanwhile,as in due time we discovered that all merchants didin all countries of the East. Soon there came slowlyby, a long procession of men on horseback with goldenbridles and velvet trappings, and women muf
Visits to monasteries in the Levant . window, was an object of much speculationto us how he got in, and how he would ever manage toget out of the niche into which he was so closely was the merchant, as the Arabian Nights would call,him, or the shopkeeper as we should say, who sat therecross-legged among his wares waiting patiently for acustomer, and keeping off the flies in the meanwhile,as in due time we discovered that all merchants didin all countries of the East. Soon there came slowlyby, a long procession of men on horseback with goldenbridles and velvet trappings, and women muffled upin black silk wrappers; how they could bear them, hotas it was, astonished us. These ladies sat upon a pileof cushions placed so high above the backs of thedonkeys on which they rode that their feet rested onthe animals shoulders. Each donkey was led by oneman, while another walked by its side with his handupon the crupper. With the ladies were two little boyscovered with diamonds, mounted on huge fat horses, * Moyah— NEGRESS WAITING TO BE SOLD IN THE SLAVB BAZAAR, CAIRO. Chap. I. BRIDAL PARTY BLACK SLAVES. 5 and ensconced in high-backed Mameluke saddles madeof silver gilt. These boys we afterwards found out werebeing conducted in state to a house of their relations,where the rite of circumcision was to be attention was next called to something like afour-post bed, with pink gauze curtains, which advancedwith dignified slowness, preceded by a band of musi-cians, who raised a dire and fearful discord by the aidof various windy engines. This was a canopy, thefour poles of which were supported by men, who heldit over the heads of a bride and her two bridesmaidsor friends, who walked on each side of her. Thebride was not veiled in the usual way, as her friendswere, but was muffled up in Cashmere shawls fromhead to foot. Something there was on the top of herhead which gleamed like gold or jewels, but the restof her person was so effectually wrapped up
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