each other. Should the latter find that he was imposed upon, and that the bride is not what he was led to expect, he has a right to send her back to her father, and is free from all the pecuniary obligations which he imposed upon himself. Should he, however, be satisfied, and see that he has not only found a wife but also a good thing,* which is generally the case, then the entertainments are repeated for seven days. The young couple are visited by their respective friends, who bring with them presents according to their respective abilities.†

I shall now briefly give you an account of a funeral. The transition is rather a severe one; and I have unconsciously reversed the order Solomon put down when he said, "A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance; whilst I put laughing and dancing first. However, it is done; and it would be difficult for me to reverse my order now. A few days ago the mother of the reigning Bey breathed her last; and, as Ahmed is understood to have been affectionately attached to his parent, it was expected that the funeral would be characterized by great ceremony and display. I determined, therefore, to go and see all that was to be seen. Of course I could only see the procession. I stationed myself opposite the city gate-at the outside of the walls -through which the bier would have to pass. Not far from that gate there is a small santo or oratory (erected over the grave of a Mohammedan maniac, and who had, therefore, the reputation of a saint), where he spent some time in prayer. A file of soldiers was stationed

* Proverbs XVIII. 22.

† The same custom prevails amongst the Jews throughout their dispersion.

Eccl. III. 4.

on each side along the road leading to the place of sepulture; and when the Bey had finished his orisons, the procession began to move. I had an opportunity of seeing the choicest soldiers of this regency, as they all went in procession before the coffin. But such soldiers and such a procession I never did see-the filthiest and the dirtiest mean-looking set of ruffians I ever beheld in all my life. Some went in one shoe and one boot; others in one shoe only; and others again bare-footed altogether: their uniforms were uniformly ragged. Upon the whole, they looked the most frightful soldiers ever sported by any prince. When those warriors passed, a promiscuous band of singers-consisting of muftis and marabouts, and other officials of the various mosques-with a frenzied and deranged dervish amongst them, began to move, in the greatest possible confusion, chanting most unmelodiously certain prayers. The Bey and his retinue then proceeded, whose gaudy and rich dresses formed a striking contrast to the uncommonly common soldiers who were first in the field. Then followed the coffin, which was carried on a yellow painted wooden bier by several muftis. It was covered with a scarlet cashmere shawl, and strewed over with jessamine flowers. A large number of the most respectable Moors then followed, and the procession closed. I confess that if it were not for the long files of the ill and fierce looking soldiers the procession would have presented a picturesque and imposing aspect. The deceased was originally a Genoese Christian.

It is customary amongst Mohammedan Princes, that if any debtor touches the coffin of a parent of the sovereign during its procession to the grave, the debtor is set free from his obligations, and the royal mourner pays the debt. Accordingly in this case, a poor woman who owed one

thousand piastres-about £30-rushed and seized hold of the coffin, but instead of saying, "God bless the Bey," she, by an unfortunate lapsus linguæ, exclaimed, "God do not bless the King," which slip is quite natural in the Arabic expression. She was put into prison for twenty-four hours for the unintentional offence, but her debt was at last liquidated. A great number of the poor congregated together at the tomb, where they expected to obtain some gifts. About fifty sheep were slaughtered for the purpose of distributing amongst them, so that the expectants were not disappointed. This custom is called al kaffarah—the expiation, which is supposed to wipe away the minor sins of the deceased. The Bey also ordered that measures be taken to ascertain the amount of the debts his subjects were owing, intending to discharge them, but unfortunately for the creditors, the amount-three hundred thousand piastres—was too large for the impoverished Bey, he therefore thought again, and changed his mind.

I purpose visiting the land which is bound to my heart by a thousand ties, about the end of next year. I may perhaps leave for Alexandria in September next, as earlier would be too hot.

Please to remember me very kindly to the Duke.

I am, dear Madam,

Your Grace's, &c.

VOL. I.

BB

LETTER XXX.

TO THE REV. SAMUEL ASHER LEVI HERBERT,

My dear Sam,

SUNDERLAND.

Tunis, Dec. 1847.

I have just returned from a ramble through the dirty streets of this city, exhausted and fatigued. I would in all probability have yielded to their influence, and spent the remainder of the day in lounging idleness, were it not for a packet of letters which I found in my room, which had the effect of putting new life and fresh vigour into me, and I am even in so good a humour, in consequence, as to be able to take up my pen and write you "a long letter." Remember, I do not bargain for "a nice one." I have no time to study nicety here. Now for a subject.

Before the information I have obtained this day flags in interest, I commit it to paper, by means of my Wedgewood, so that you and I may have the benefit in after days, of the freshness of my memory, on the things I have seen and heard this day. In my traversing several of the narrow and filthy streets of this town, I came at last to one called Ash-shu-ka-jeen. I was surprised by the existence, in the midst of it, of a sepulchral hut of a Mohammedan saint. I inquired of my companion, how it came to pass that a tomb should be found in the heart of the city, contrary to Mohammedan customs and laws; and he informed me, that the worthy buried under it, and who lived upwards of three hundred years ago, made an especial request before his death to be buried on that spot; he was a Roman Catholic priest, who became a follower of Islamism, and the following is his autobiography:

In

"Let it be known unto thee, O, reader! that I am a native of Majorca, and that I am the only son of one of the principal inhabitants of that place. At six years of age I was put to the care of a priest, who instructed me in the rudiments of the Christian religion. When eight years old, I commenced to study Greek and logic, which I pursued till my eighteenth year, when I left my native place and proceeded to which is a place of great renown for literature. the students are obliged to dress in a peculiar black habit, and to conform to a very strict discipline, from which even princes are not exempted. The students form a separate body from the rest of the people, and are not subject to the same laws. The priest, who was the Principal of the College, was an old man, of long standing, and great reputation. All differences in the Christian religion were brought before him, and he never failed in his decision to satisfy all parties; his word was almost a law to the professors of Christianity. It was under this great man that I resumed my studies, to the satisfaction of my parents. I soon gained favour in his sight, so much so that he made me lodge in his house, and entrusted to me all his property. I remained with him ten years, and my reason for leaving him then is the following:

"It happened just before the end of the ten years, that my master was taken ill, and therefore could not, as his custom was, come to lecture, in which cases I used to take his place. On the present occasion I did the same, and the part of Scripture which I chose for the instruction of my pupils, was where the Lord speaks through his prophet: Behold I will send a prophet after thee, whose name will be Faraklete.'* This prophet I tried very hard to

* A perversion of John xiv. 16.