COPTS, THEIR MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 195 consists of a block of hollow square wood, which is firmly nailed to the door, and through which runs a slide or bolt; a square piece of wood, that passes into a hole in the door-post, is moveable in tlie block, and by being shoved backwards or forwards serves to fasten or unfasten the door. This sliding wooden bolt is hollowed or nicked out on one side, so that the large squaresided key fits into it. Such locks can only be opened from the outside, and are, probably, the invention of Eastern jealousy. At night, the lock remains unshot, and an inner cross bar fastens the door. It was a common trick of certain wags, as a joke, to lock from the outside all the doors in a street, so that in the morning the inmates could only get released from their confinement by casting out their keys through the windows, for the passers-by to unlock their doors.

It is seldom the Copts allow a stranger to enter their houses, and these, from being ever closed, seem as if deserted. After long knocking, one hears at last, from a grated upper window (for in the ground story there are none), or from the interior of the house, a voice screaming out, " Min di ? " (Who's there ?) and announcing the absence of the master of the house with a "Mafisch" (Nothing). The Copts, however, hold fast by their sect, and visit much among one another. On the vSunday many Copts usually join to take their coflee in a garden on the water, or, taking a cold meal with thoiii, to pass the whole day there in the open air. The favourite i)lace of the Copts of Cairo is a beautiful garden, laid out in Knglisih style, on the island of Roda, formed by the Nile, on tlie soutliern jjoint of which may be seen the famous old Jsilomctrc. Here the Copts cast off their upper garments, tlie veils no longer hide the female faces, and often may there be seen forms and faces of surprising beauty.

Althougli somewhat silent and l)ashful, they are courteous and civil, and always ask you to eat with them, and seem to lose scmiewhat of their timidity wlien tliey iwt the part of entertainers. On such occasions they appear in tlieir best garbs ; rings adorn the fingers, and gold plates and ear-rings the head ; nor do they seem to be at all annoyed, although their silken dresses are somewhat ragged and dirty. Cleanliness is certainly the virtue of neither man nor woman ; in tlieir houses prevail disorder, dirt, V 3