198 AFRICAN AVANDERINGS.

gies in Ilalfjiia, Schendy, EUefun, &c. ; the Mograbins, Bischari, Schukurie, Batahanie, tlie tribe of Abu Ginn iu Atiseh, of the Dabaina, Homrahn, Baghara, Fungh, Haniniech, and others. And liow many secretaries and clerks has the Pascha for all this ? In all five ! Mallem Challill, with two copyists ; Sheik Effendi, as journal keeper ; and Mustapha Etfendi, as conductor of the Turkish correspondence ; and even these have at times an idle day. Much simplified, certainly, is the writing ; inasmuch as the Pascha only gives out dictatorial orders, that must be obeyed without any further remonstrance or petitioning ; and the military and civil rule are united in one person, and not so divided and subdivided as in more civilised states. He alone issues orders, passes all great sentences, and declares war or concludes peace ; thus all is shortened and simplified, and needs not the result of twenty difi'erent departments, and as many colleges or offices.

As to the religious ceremonies and usages of the Copts, which, such as they are, are closely observed by them, — they are bigots to their own faith, and hate (independent of the feelings of slavery) all Mussulmen bitterly, as also all other Christians who hold not the same opinions with themselves ; know to a nicety all saints in their calendar, strictly keep the fast days, of which they have many ; submit to, and inflict faithfully on themselves, the penances laid on them by their father confessors, even though these extend to the leaving off of their fjivourite dramdrinkings ; most regularly attend the churches on the Sundays, and arc on these occasions more cleanly in their dresses than usual. The women sit in church in balconies with blinds. The Copts marry in their own sect, and are only allowed one wife ; many of them cci'tainly keep slaves or concubines, but the children of such are not looked on as legitimate— a custom that lias crept in with Islam. On the inner flat of the right wrist each Copt has a cross (salib), which is usually cut into the flesh when he i& a boy, and is ineffiiceable ; the women generally have the same on the liollow of the chin. With these marks they are sure of kind vecej)tion and hospitality in all places where Copts dwell. jMany Coptish fiunilics in Egypt have still private property, but keep it as scfiot as possible, for were the Turks to get scent of it, they would most certainly ere long find means to deprive them of