ever, and they soon twisted their flat loaves into the shape of spoons, and helped themselves to milk and eggs, but the meat and rice they took up neatly in their hands. The ladies stood round all the while, to see that I had everything I required.
When I had eaten, the tray was moved into the middle of the room, and a large metal basin with a perforated cover was placed before me. On the top of it was a cake of native soap—stamped with a sign commonly called "Solomon's seal"—and as I rubbed my hands with it, water was poured over them, from a curious silver jug, something like an old-fashioned coffee-pot, with a long, thin, curved spout. One continuous stream ran over my hands, and disappeared through the cover of the basin. The embroidered towel was handed to me again, with some water to rinse my mouth.
The three wives of the Governor and the three wives of his brother Saleh Bek, with their children, then sat down on the matted floor round the tray, and dipping their hands together into the various dishes, they soon finished the simple meal. Two or three more dishes of rice were brought in. Each woman rose as soon as she was satisfied, had water poured over her hands, and washed her mouth. Afterward strong coffee without milk or sugar was passed round. The servants and slaves then assembled at the tray, and ate with astonishing speed and voracity, and quickly all traces of dinner were cleared away.
Chibouques—pipes with red earthenware bowls and long tubes made of cherry-stick or jasmine, with ebony mouthpieces—were handed to the elderly ladies, and two or three narghilés to the others, who took them in turn. After Helweh had smoked for a few minutes, she inclined her head gracefully, placed one hand on her bosom, touched her forehead with the pliant tube, and then handed it to the lady sitting next to her, who happened to be the second wife of her own husband, Saleh Bek. Thus it was transferred from one smoker to another, even to the hand-
