keep his foul awake. He is active, impatient, and inconftant as the air he breathes in. The Egyptian, who for two thirds of the year almoft invariably experiences the fame degree of heat, the fame fenfation, is flothful, ferious, and patient. "He rifes with the fun to enjoy the coolness of the morning. He purifies himself, and goes to prayer according to the precept. He is prefented with a pipe and coffee. He remains foftly repofing on his fopha. His flaves, with their hands croffed on their breafts, ftand in filence at the bottom of the apartment, Their eyes fixed on their mafter, they strive to anticipate all his withes. His children tanding in his prefence, unlefs he gives them permiffion to be feated, difplay in all their beha viour the utmoft tenderness and refpect. He gravely carefles them, gives them his bleffing, and fends them back to the haram. He alone interrogates, and is anfwered with decency. He is at once, the chief, the judge, and the pontiff of the family, which relpects in him thofe facred rights. ." After breakfast he applies himfelf to his commercial fairs, or to thofe of the place he occupies. As to differences, they are very rare -amongst a people where the monfter of chicanery is dumb, where the name of attorney is unknown, where the code of laws is confined to a few clear and well defined precepts of the Coran, and where eve. ry man is his own advocate, "If any vifitors arrive, the mafter of the houfe receives them without many compliments, but in an affectionate manner. His equals go and feat themfelves by him with their legs croffed; a pofture by no means fatiguing with cloaths which do not fetter the limbs. His inferiors are on their knees, and feated on their heels. Perfons of great diftinction fit on an elevated fopha, from which they overlook the company. Thus Eneas was in the place of honour in the palace of Dido, when feated on a high bed, he related to the queen the difaftrous fate of Troy, reduced to afhes. As foon as every one is feated, the flaves bring pipes and coffee, and place in the middle of the chamber a pan with perfumes, the delicious vapour of which fills the whole apartment. They are next prefented with sweetmeats and forbet. "The tobacco made ufe of in Egypt comes from Syria. It is brought in leaves, which are cut in long filaments It has not the pungency of the American tobacco. To render it more agreeable, it is mixed with the fcented wood of aloes. The pipes, ufually made of jeffamine tipped with amber, and frequently enriched with precious tones. As they are extremely long, the fmoke one inhales is very mild. The Orientals pretend that it tickles agreeably the palate, at the tame time that it gratifies the fmell. The rich fmoke in lofty apartments, with a great number of windows. "Towards the conclufion of the vifit, a flave, holding in his hand a filver plate, on which are burning precious effences, approaches the face of the visitors, each of whom in his turn perfumes his beard. They then pour rofe-water on the head and hands. This is the last ceremony, after which it is ufual to withdraw. "The ancient custom of perfuming one's head and beard, celebrated by the royal prophet, ftill fubfifts in our days. Anacreon, the father of joy, the poet of the Graces, never ceafes repeating in his odes, "I like to perfume myfelf with precious effences, and to crown my head with rofes." "About noon the table is covered. A large flat plate of copper, tinned, receives the dishes. No great variety is difplayed, but there is an abundance of provifions. In the middle rifes up a mountain of rice boiled with poultry, feafoned with faffron and a quantity of fpices. Round it are placed hafhed meats, pigeons, ftuffed cucumbers, delicious melons, and other fruits, Their roast meat confifts of flf cut into fmall morfels, covered with the fat of the animal, feafoned with falt, fpitted and roafted on the coals. It is tender and juicy. The guests are feated on a carpet round the table. A flave holding a bafon and ewer, offers it to wath with. This ceremony is indifpenfible in a country where every one puts his hand into the plate, and where they are unacquainted with the ufe of forks. This is repeated at the end of the repaft Thefe cuftoms appear very ancient in the East. "Menelaus and the beautiful Helen, after loading Telemachus and Pifiitratus with prefents, gave them the banquet of hofpitality. "The fair Menelaus conducte his guests to the place of entertainment. He made them be feated on thrones. A female flave, carrying in her hand a golden ewer with a filver bafon, offers them to wafh. She places before them a polifhed table, on which the arranges the victuals." "The manner in which the fon of Thetis received the Grecian deputies very much refembles that of the Egyptians towards their guetis. "Achilles perceiving the deputies of the Greeks, rifes up, takes them by the hand, gives them the falute, and introduces them into his tent, where he makes them be feat ed on beds of repofe, covered with purple tapestry. The banquet is prepared. Automedon holds the flefl, the noble Achilles divides it into pieces, and fpits them. Menetius, a mortal like unto a god, lights the fire, fpreads out the coals, arranges the fpits upon the cinders, and ftrows over them the facred falt-Achilles, feated oppofite to the divine Ulyffes, fhares our the victuals.-The guests put their hands to the meat that is ferved out to them." A poct of an inferior genius to Homer would have thought he difhonoured a poem filled with magnificent deferiptions by mixing fuch details with them. Yet how precious are they, by making us acquainted with the fimplicity of ancient manners, a fimplicity loft to Europe, but which is ftill exifting in the eastern world. "After dinner, the Egyptians retire into their harams, where they flumber a few hours in the midst of their children and their women. It is a great article of voluptuousness with them, to have a convenient and agreeable place of repofe. Mahomet, accordingly, who neglected nothing that could feduce mankind, whofe wants and taftes he knew thoroughly, fays to them, "The guests of Paradife fhall enjoy the luxury of repofe, and fhall have a delicious place to fleep in at noon." "The poor, who have neither fopha nor haram, lie down on the mat where they have dined. Thus, when Jefus Chrift took the fupper with his difciples, he who he loved had his head repofed upon his bofom. "In the evening one goes in a boat upon the water, or to breathe the cool air on the banks of the Nile, under the fhade of orange and fycamore trees. Supper-time is an hour after funfet. The tables áre D+ fpread YPfylli of antiquity, thofe OU are acquainted with the celebrated eaters of ferpents, who amufed themfelves with the bite of viper, and the credulity of the people, Cyrene, a town fituated to the west of Alexandria, formerly a dependency of Egypt, reckoned a great many of thefe people among its inhabitants. You know that the unworthy Octavius, who wifhed to gratify his vanity by chaining Cleopatra to his triumphal car, vexed at feeing that haughty female efcape from him by death, made one of the Pfylli fuck the wound made by the afp which bit her. The attempt was fruitless; the poifon had already corrupted the mafs of biood. She was not reftored to life. Will you believe it, thefe very eaters of ferpents ftill exist in our days. A fact to which I was a witnefs will convince you of it, "Laft week was celebrated the feast of Sidi Ibrahim, which drew a vaft concourfe of people to Ro fetta. A Turk permitted me to come to his houfe to fee the proceffion. Seated at the window, I obferved at tentively this new fpectacle. The different bodies of arizans gravely marched along under their refpective banners.. The ftandard of Mahomet, which was carried in triumph, attracted a vast crowd. Every body was defirous of touching, of kiffing it, of putting it to his eyes. Such as were fortunate enough to partake of that favour returned contented The tumult was inceffantly renewed, At length came the Cheiks, (the priests of the country) wearing long caps of leather, in the form of a mitre. They marched with folemn fteps, chanting the Coran. A few paces behind them, I perceived a band of madmen, with their arms bare, and a wild look, holding in their hands enormous ferpents, which were twiled round their bodies, and were endeavouring to make their efcape, Thefe Pfylli, griping them forcibly forcibly by the neck, avoided their bitc, and notwithstanding their hiffing, tore them with their teeth, and ate them up alive, the blood ftreaming down from their pollut ed mouths. Others of the Pfylli were striving to tear from them their prey; it was a ftruggle who fhould devour a ferpent. "The populace followed them with amazement, and believed it to be a miracle. They pafs for perfons inspired, and poffeffed by a fpirit who deftroys the effect of the bite of the ferpent. This defcription, which I give you after nature, at first frightened me, and then made me reflect on man, that firange being, for whom poifon becomes food; that credulous being, whofe eyes are not opened by the spectacle renewed every year; and who in the blindne's of his ignorance, is ready to worship as a God, his fellow creature who has the art to impofe upon his understanding. You fee, thote ancient utages are not loft in a country where cuftom, that imperious tyrant of the world, has peculiarly established her throne, and her altars." ACCOUNT of the DRUSES. [Extracted from M. RUFFIN'S APPENDIX to the MEMOIRS of the Baron DE TOTT.] "Oat N the coast of Syria is a nation known only by name, but which merits our ferious at tention. Its laws, culoms, and religion, are peculiar to itfelf, and form a people very different from any other with whom we are acquainted. However obfcure they may be, they, nevertheless, enjoy the ineflimable bleffing of liberty; which they have taken care to pre. ferve, even though furrounded by tyranny; the glory of which circumftance alone renders them highly interesting, and worthy the attention of philofophy. "The Drufes refide upon the mountains known by the names of Lebanon and Antilebanon, feperated from each other by a fertile plain of twelve or thirteen leagues in length, and four or five in breadth, divided in its whole extent by the river Kafmic, the fource of which is near Balbec, and its mouth about three miles to the north of Sour (the ancient Tyre.) Their maritime coaft stretches for fifteen leagues from the river Sidon to Gebail; where begins the pachalick of Tripolis.-The country which they poffefs is held in fief, one part from the government of Sidon, and the other from that of Damafcus; which renders them tributary to these two pachalicks. "Their finet poffeffions, and thofe which form the principal force of their dominions, are furrounded by the Lebanon and the Kefroan, which belong to the district of Sidon; this is properly the principality of the Grand Em r, and Dair-Kamar is its capital. The annual tribute which it pays to the pacha of Sidon is 350 puries. Antilebanon, in which is fituated the plain of Bekaa, is held in fief from Damafcus, and forms another principality, poffeffed by a Drulian family allied to the Grand Emir. Hafbcia is its capital. The fame blood, the fame interefts, the fame defire to fhake off the Ottoman yoke (which they fubmit to with impatience) unite them on all occa tions. "The government of the Drufes is feudal; a prince, to whom they give the title of Emir, occupies the first station in quality of lord paramount; he receives from them fealty and homage; but his power is confined within narrow limits; it extends not to making new laws, or over-awing the people. "His finances contit only in the revenues of his perfonal eftates, the produce of the customs, and the farm of the country appropriated to his peculiar profit.-Thefe riches are, however, fufficient to 'maintain a pomp and retinue which dazzle the eyes of a people unacquainted with luxury. Refpen fible to the Porte for the miri of the mountain, he is charged to exact the payment. This tribute is affeffed with equity, and without variation, on all the poffeffors of lands. Next to the emir are the great vaffals; they confift of feven, among whom we diftinguish three principal families, whofe forces and riches might difpute for power with the reigning emir. They are the families of Chek Ali Genbilat, Keleib, and D'Abou Selame. "Thefe great vaffals, who, in the Arabic language, are called, El Sebaa Tavaif, enjoy a noble privilege, which has never been infringed, on any occafion, not even in cafe of rebellion. The emir cannot pronounce fen ence of death against them; the only punishment he can inflict is to fend troops to burn the house of the guilty, lay wafe his lands, and cut down his mulberry-trees, but the conftitution permits him not even to attempt his liberty. "When harmony and concord reign in thefe mountains, the Drufes are in a condition to make themselves refpected. They have often refifted, with vigour, the united forces of the pachas of Damafcus, of Tripoli, and of Sidon, leagued against them by command of the Porte. "The emirs of the Drufes in general make Dair Kamar the place of their refidence, a village fituated in the interior parts of the mountains, ten or twelve leagues diftant from Baruth. There their councils are held, and all the great affairs of the n tion decided. "The Drufes have no fortress in their country; but their mountains, inacceffible and impenetrable to an enemy, are a fufficient defence. The most celebrated is that of Kefroan. This is the name of that part of Lebanon which extends from Gebail to the river of Chier, the mouth of which is four leagues from Baruth. "The mountains of Lebanon are every where interfected by vallies, of which the labour and induitry of the Drufes have formed most delicious gardens. — Water melons, cucumbers, melongenes, banias, and all forts of garden vegetables grow there, under the fhade of fruit-trees of every kind, and recompence with profunion the care of the cultivator. The laborious Drufe knows how to derive advantage from the moft ungrateful foil. He poffeffes not an inch of land, proper for cultivation, on which he does not attempt to raise a tree or produce fome plant more ufeful. The ftony foil is defined for the cultivation of rye |