GOLD THREAD, &C» 215 quered, pink, blue, yellow, scarlet, and green : it resembles what is called, in England, Persian, but it is much stronger, and more durable, though equally light. The silk sashes, called hazaniy are made in large quantities, and are deserving of imitation in Europe ; they are very substantial, but of the same superior colours witli the hulawan. They are made generally half a yard wide, and three yards long : these sell at Fas, from two to fifty dollars each. The superior kind made for the ladies of the horam , or emperor's seraglio, for the ladies of the bashaws, and for those of the great and opulent, are intermixed with a beautiful gold-thread, much superior to any that is manufactured in Europe, insomuch, that the gold-thread imported from Leghorn and Marseilles is used only in such hazams as are made for exportation to Sudan, Draha, or Bled-el-Jereed, but those made for the great and opulent, for home consumption, are manufactured with the goldthread of the Fas manufacture. Whether these expert artificers learned the mystery of gold beating, and gold wire drawing, by which they obtain gold-thread, from the Egyptians, I am not competent to say ; The spirit of avarice does not sufficiently prevail to induce the manufacturer to make imperfect articles for the purpose of sale only. Moreover, they are restrained from deception by an officer, who inspects the quality of manufactures, and does not suffer an imperfect article to be sold.

8 This word is called by Europeans haram or seraglio ; but haram thus applied, is a barbarism : it signifies vicious* Horam is the correct pronunciation : it signifies a place of safety, that admits of no intrusion.

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