Page 303 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

284 COAST OF ARABIA. [C1I.

provoke their laughter. This vivacity of dis­
position is accompanied with much suavity
and politeness, not only to each other, but
towards strangers. I have frequently visited
and dined with them in their houses. What­
ever then might have been their true senti­

ments with regard to Christians, they certainly
exhibited no external indications of intoler-
ance. I believe they like the English far
better than the Turks.
The scrupulous fidelity with which Burck-
hardt has noticed every important fact con­
nected with their domestic manners, renders
any remarks of mine upon that subject

wholly superfluous. Some curious details,
however, relative to their political history,
which came under my personal observation
during our sojourn there, I have subjoined,
because they occurred subsequently to his
visit in 1816.
Jiddali of late years has proved the scene
of strange events. It was formerly governed
by a Pasha of three tails appointed by the
Porte; but these officers soon became mere

tools in the hands of the Sheriffes of Mecca,
who eventually usurped the entire manage-