sistent with the sacred character of Mekka) seems a mere feather in the scale of guilt, when we consider such excessive depravity as that to which an allusion is made at the end of the following passage, where the editor found it necessary to condense within the compass of a few lines several details on the same subject absolutely inadmissible in an English publication, as a gentleman assures us who has seen Burckhardt's original manuscript:

"It is only during the hours of prayer that the great mosques of these countries partake of the sanctity of prayer, or in any degree seem to be regarded as consecrated places. In El Azbar, the first mosque at Cairo, I have seen boys crying pancakes for sale, barbers shaving their customers, and many of the lower orders eating their dinners, where, during prayers, not the slightest motion, nor even whisper, diverts the attention of the congregation. Not a sound but the voice of the Imáns is heard during prayers in the great mosque at Mekka; which, at other times, is the place of meeting for men of business to converse on their affairs; and is sometimes so full of poor hadjys, or of diseased persons lying about under the colonnade, in the midst of their miserable baggage, as to have the appearance of an hospital rather than a temple. Boys play in the great square, and servants carry luggage across it, to pass by the nearest route from one part of the town to the other. In these respects the temple of Mekka resembles the other great mosques of the East. But the holy kaaba is rendered the scene of such indecencies and criminal acts, as cannot with propriety be more particularly noticed. They are not only practised here with impunity, but, it may be said, almost publicly; and my indignation has often been excited on witnessing abominations which called forth from other passing spectators nothing more than a laugh or a slight reprimand." (p. 150.)

On some occasions the whole square and the colonnades of the temple are illuminated by thousands of lamps, besides which most of the hadjys bring each his own lantern. This brilliancy and the cool breeze that pervades the square, induce multitudes to linger here till midnight. Our ingenious author was once present when an enthusiastic pilgrim from Darfour arrived at this imposing scene on the last night of the Ramadhan fast, after a long journey over many barren and wearisome deserts: on his entrance into the illuminated temple he was so overawed and affected that he fell prostrate, and remained a considerable time in that posture of adoration. He then rose, and instead of reciting the usual prayers of a visitor, only exclaimed, with a flood of tears, "O God! now take my soul, for this is Paradise." (p. 160.)

hadj or pilgrimage, this

But on the termination of the mosque assumes a very different appearance; poverty and disease fill it with dying and dead. Many pilgrims

“drag their emaciated bodies along the columns ; and, when no longer able to stretch forth their hands to ask the passengers for charity, they place a bowl to receive alms near the mat on which they lay themselves. When they feel their last moments approaching, they cover themselves with their tattered garments; and often a whole day passes before it is discovered that they are dead. For a month subsequent to the conclusion of the hadj, I found almost every morning corpses of pilgrims lying in the mosque: myself and a Greek hadjy, whom accident had brought to the spot, once closed the eyes of a poor Mogreby pilgrim, who had crawled into the neighborhood of the kaaba to breathe his last, as the Moslems say, 'in the arms of the prophet and of the guardian angels.' He intimated by signs his wish that we should sprinkle Zemzem water over him; and while we were doing so he expired: half an hour afterwards he was buried." (p. 161.)

Our accomplished traveller devotes a long and very interesting chapter to his remarks on the inhabitants of Mekka and Djidda, whose character and manners he illustrates by a variety of curious and entertaining anecdotes: from these, however, the limits of our notice oblige us to hasten, that we may accompany him from Mekka to Medina. He left the former city on the 15th of January, 1815, with a small caravan of pilgrims going to pay their devotions at the prophet's tomb. Among his companions were some Malays, whose opinions respecting the English he contrived to learn: they showed a determined rancor and hostility towards their present masters, and greatly censured their manners;

"of which, however, the worst they knew was that they indulged too freely in wine, and that the sexes mixed together in social intercourse: none, however, impeached the justice of the government, which they contrasted with the oppression of their native princes; and although they bestowed on the British the same opprobrious epithets with which the fanatic Moslems every where revile Europeans, they never failed to add — but their government is good.' I have overheard many similar conversations among the Indians at Djidda and Mekka, and also among the Arabian sailors who trade to Bombay and Surat: the spirit of all which was, that the Moslems of India hate the English, though they love their government." (p. 297.)

We must rapidly pass over the thirteen days' march from Mekka to Medina (including a halt of two days). In this city our author procured a lodging not far from the great mosque; but was immediately called by the Mezowar or guide to visit the holy tomb of Mohammed: it being the duty of all strangers to perform that religious task before they undertake the most trifling or important business. (p. 317.)

But the ceremonies of Medina he found much easier and shorter than those of Mekka: a quarter of an hour sufficed for the performance of all. Here he again met Yahya Effendi, the Pasha's physician; and was unluckily induced by his report

of the illness that affected many persons, to give him half a pound of bark which he had brought in his medicine-sack. Two days after he was himself attacked by a violent fever. As it was intermittent, he wished to take some bark; but on application to the physician, he declared that the last dram had been distributed his fever increased; and our author was at last reduced to such a state of weakness, that he was unable to rise from his carpet without the assistance of his slave;

a poor fellow," says he, “who, by habit and nature, was more fitted to take care of a camel than to nurse his drooping master." Here he suffered much until the middle of April; but the bad water and unwholesome climate made him extremely desirous of leaving Medina. At length, finding himself just strong enough to mount a camel, he contracted with a Bedouin to conduct him as far as Yembo on the sea-coast, whence he might embark for Egypt; and having made a plan of the town, and collected the best information respecting it (which he gives in a particular chapter), he describes the various places adjoining, which partake of the sanctity of the mosque; and his remarks on the inhabitants of Medina are curious and interesting. As to the prophet's tomb, our readers will probably not feel disappointed. "The stories once prevalent in Europe respecting its being suspended in the air are unknown in the Hedjáz." (p. 333.)

At Medina it is thought indecorous that women should enter the mosque; even in their houses few females pray, except a few devout old ladies. Being regarded in the East

<< as inferior creatures, to whom some learned commentators on the Koran deny even the entrance into paradise; their husbands care little about their strict observance of religious rites; and many of them even dislike it, because it raises them to a nearer level with themselves and it is remarked that the woman makes a bad wife who can once claim the respect to which she is entitled by the regular reading of prayers." (p. 348.)

The mother of Tousoun Pasha appeared at Medina with all the pomp of an Eastern queen, and was regarded as an angel on account of her donations to the temple and to the poor. On her son she bestowed presents to the value of 25,000l.; twelve complete suits, including every article of dress from the finest Cashmere shawls to the slippers; a diamond ring worth 5000l., and two beautiful Georgian slaves. But we must refer to the volume itself for many interesting anecdotes and remarks on the inhabitants of Medina-its government, climate, and diseases; and accompany our author from that city (which he left on the 21st of April, 1815,) to Yembo, where he arrived on the 27th in a very feeble state of health.

122 Notice of Burckhardt's Travels in Arabia.

Here the plague had just commenced its ravages; a rare occurrence in the province of Hedjáz.

Ships may anchor with safety in the deep bay of Yembo, which is a very cheap place with respect to provisions; but so infested with clouds of innumerable flies, that in eating it is impossible to avoid swallowing some with every mouthful. On the 15th of May our invalid traveller embarked in an open jambouk, or large boat, bound to Cosseir, and arrived at Sherm on the 5th of June, whence he proceeded by land to Cairo in company with some soldiers and two men of Damascus; but he halted several days at a village called El Wady, where he was kindly treated, and recovered a little strength. Arriving at Cairo on the 24th, he found that the plague had nearly subsided-that the Christians had already re-opened their houses; but that a great gloom still overspread the town from the mortality which had occurred.

To the account of Burckhardt's Travels in Arabia are annexed, from his papers, ten articles forming the Appendix: of these articles, No. I. shows the route of the pilgrim caravan through the country between Mekka and Sanaa in Yemen. No. II. describes the country through which the Kebsy pilgrims travel, and the extraordinary customs of some Arabian tribes. No. III. the route from Tayf to Sanaa. No. IV. Notices of the country south of Mekka. No. V. Stations of the Hadj or pilgrim caravan from Cairo to Mekka. No. VI. Geographical notices of the country northward and eastward of Medina. No. VII. Postscript to the description of the Beitullah or Mosque at Mekka. No. VIII. Philological observations. No. IX. Topographical notices of the valley of Mekka and its mountains, extracted from the history of Azraky. No. X. Additional notes. From all these our limits will admit but of one extract, which we make from No. II. Speaking of certain Arab tribes, the author mentions that, until they learned from the Wahabys some true principles of Mohammedanism, they knew nothing more of their religion than its creed, "La Illaha ill' Allah," &c.-"There is no God but God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God."

"The El Merekede, a branch of the great Asyr tribe, indulged in an ancient custom of their forefathers, by assigning to the stranger who alighted at their tents or houses some female of the family to be his companion during the night, most commonly the host's own wife; but to this barbarous system of hospitality young virgins were never sacrificed. If the stranger rendered himself agreeable to his fair partner, he was treated next morning with the utmost attention by his host, and furnished on parting with provisions sufficient for the remainder of his journey; but if, unfortunately, he did not please the lady, his cloak was found next day to want a piece, cut off by her as a signal of con

tempt. This circumstance being known, the unlucky traveller was driven away with disgrace by all the women and children of the village or encampment. It was not without much difficulty that the Wahabys forced them to renounce this custom: and as there was a scarcity of rain for two years after, the Merekedes regarded this misfortune as a punishment for having abandoned the laudable rites of hospitality practised during so many centuries by their ancestors. That this extraordinary custom prevailed in the Merekede tribe I had often heard during my travels among the Syrian Bedouins, but could not readily believe a report so inconsistent with our established notions of the respect in which female honor is held by the Arabs; but I can no longer entertain a doubt on the subject, having received, both at Mekka and Tayf, from various persons who had actually witnessed the fact, most unequivocal evidence in confirmation of the statement." (p. 448.)

For a variety of curious and entertaining information we must again refer to the work itself, which forms a very handsome volume, printed by Valpy, and embellished with four plans and a general map, illustrating not only Burckhardt's route in the Hedjáz, but several of the Itineraries given from original authorities in the Appendix; constituting altogether a most important and valuable addition to our stock of authentic and interesting travels.

CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM GRÆCARUM; auctoritate et impensis Classis Historicæ et Philologica Academiæ Literarum Borussica edidit AUGUSTUS BOECKHIUS, Academiæ Socius. Berolini, ex officina Academica. Vendit G. Reimer, Libraria, Vol. i. Fasciculus primus, 1825: pag. 1-292. Fasciculus secundus, 1826: pag. 293-572. Fol.

PART II. [Continued from No. LXXIII.]

WE have already given in a preceding number a preliminary article on this important work, published under the sanction and at the expense of the Royal Academy of Berlin. We took a general view of the plan of the work, and promised our readers to communicate to them in a condensed manner the substance of illustrative matter, by which the learned editor has rendered his work so useful and interesting to the scholar and archæologist; and we proposed, without entering into the minute details of palæographical controversy, to lay before them such inscriptions as have either been inedited before, or on which the erudition and the divinatory faculties of the editor have thrown a new