•294 BENGAZI.

We had brought with us several papers for Bey Halil from the Bashaw, all of which, when presented (with the exception of one), he put into the hands of his secretary Hashi, his excellency not being himself quite au fait at deciphering the contents of his letters.

The paper retained was the teskere from the Bashaw (already mentioned) for five hundred dollars ; and it is probable that the frequent arrival of similar orders had rendered their appearance so familiar to Bey Halil, that he was able to distinguish them without the assistance of his secretary, though he could not read a word of other matter.

A slight change of countenance, when he first cast his eyes upon the teskere, was, however, the only visible effect which it produced on the exterior of the Bey of Bengazi ; and his good breeding did not allow him to manifest in any other way that our visit was not in all respects perfectly agreeable to him. We may add, that the sum sans s’imaginer que c’6toit un chemin qui conduisoit a quelque I'iche dpot ; une statue colossale a ete pour eux le gardien de I’argent depose a ses pieds, et le vengeur implacable de toute entreprise formee centre la surete de ce d6p6t. Ils ont done eu recours a toutes sortes d’artifices pour detruire ces statues et les degrader ; ils en ont mutile les figures, comme des gens qui espferoient par-la atteindre leur but, et qui craignoient, en les attaquant ouvertement, de s’ attirer leur propre ruine : ne doutant point que ce ne fussent autant de coffres forts remplis de sonames immenses ; ils se sont aussi enfonces dans les fentes des montagnes, semblable aux voleurs qui penetrent dans les maisons par toute autre voie que par les portes, et qui saisissent avidement une occasion inconnue a tout autre qu’ a eux.” — (R61. d’Egypte, p. 197.) In this passage it clearly appears how much credulity and superstition was mixed up with the idea in question ; and these exist in conjunction with it, to the present day, among the various Arab tribes of Asia and Africa, and in a great degree among the Turks.