292 BLIGHTED AMBITION! THE PILGRIMAGE

has since been terminated by the plague. Such are the principal facts which relate to Osman Effendi. He had been a soldier in his youth, and fought and bled with Englishmen, which alone should entitle him to a place in our memory. His services, while he lived, latterly that is, were almost indispensable to strangers in Cairo, and certainly deserve to be acknowledged. Due mention should be made of his name, if it be only for the sake of recording the philanthropy of Burckhardt, and the sufferings of those who, in obedience to their country's will, went forth with General Fraser, on the impolitic expedition of 1807.

It is much to be regretted, that Osman did not employ his leisure hours in writing an account of his campaigns, and the history of the important events and changes which he witnessed during his long residence in the East. He must have seen a great deal, and have been in possession of many facts which his country would value. He was practically acquainted with Oriental habits, and might have communicated to others the information which he did not himself feel disposed to write. His own existence had been more than ordinarily chequered: he had endured much; but latterly, when the hand of persecution was arrested, and he could sit down in peace, and enjoy that ease which every man desires after the meridian of his days is past, and when his sun is on the decline, he surely would have found it pleasing, one would think, to have brought the leading events of his history in review before him. It is curious to reflect how various are the courses which men adopt in their passage through the world-how various are the paths which lead to happiness if properly and steadily followed out; - some take the high road, others attempt to avail

OF LIFE! THE NIZAM UNIFORM.

293

themselves of short cuts, and fail in consequence; and there are those who prefer, for the sake of variety, the ins and outs, the irregularities and changes which those who go steadily forward in the straight path, avoid : some of these become involved in trouble, and having once lost the road, are unable again to find it. There are certain vicissitudes which men experience in common with each other; but there are many which belong to peculiar conditions. Osman made choice of the uncertainty and variety of a soldier's path, and like Othello the Moor, throughout his whole career, lacked not the opportunity to try his fortitude: - concerning the pilgrimage of human life, he might justly have said with the poet Ferdûsi,

"Gahi pûsht ber zeen, gahi zeen ber pûsht!"'

Sometimes the saddle bears the weight of the back, and sometimes the back the weight of the saddle.

According to appointment, we proceeded in the evening to the consulate house, where we found Messrs. Maltass and Robinson in conversation with Mr. Champion the trio luxuriously reclining, with hookah and t'chibouque! We were soon joined by Galloway Bey, who was attired in the dress of the "Nizám D'gideed," or military uniform, the costume due to his rank as one of the Pascha's principal employés. It consists of a light jacket, and waistcoat fitted comparatively close to the body, round which is bound in many folds, a handsome shawl of variegated Damascus silk; the pantaloons are wide, full, and loose, at the upper part, but are made to sit tight to the leg from below the knee, by means of hooks and eyes, along the calf to the ankle, which is covered with a white sock. The whole dress, with the exception of the shawl, is

294 REASONS FOR ADOPTING THE NATIVE DRESS.

commonly of fine white linen, and moderately embroidered with white silk trimming. The simple red "tabousch" or Greek cap suffices for the turban; the "papousches" or shoes, are red, and worn over a slipper of soft, yellow leather. A scimitar is girded round the waist, and a "bernous" or fine white Barbary mantle of camel's hair, silk, and wool, surmounted by a handsome flowing hood, is thrown over the shoulders. This dress is very becoming to a good figure, and especially if the wearer have a fine leg; but it is rather a troublesome one, on account of the hooks and eyes, and the numerous braid buttons, the complete manœuvring of which requires some little time and practice. It is customary for the wearer of this uniform to let the moustaches grow to a large size, but to shave off the whiskers up to the eyes; there is no absolute objection however to the beard, but the moustaches are a sine quâ non, that is, when they can be had!

In the course of the evening, the conversation turned upon dress. We were strongly advised to adopt the costume of the country,—not on account of any risk to which we should otherwise be exposed, (for the European garb is rather a protection than not, at least in Egypt,) but for the sake of personal comfort. Still, however, the idea seemed ridiculous, and we did not relish the thought of subjecting ourselves to the operation of the "tonsor." Each man instinctively placed his hand upon his head, and stroked his curly locks, unwilling to part with so graceful an appendage! "What!" we exclaimed together,-"have our heads shaved!-you might as well ask us to part with our heads, or to walk barefoot through the land, like lunatics or wandering friars !" "Nevertheless, gentlemen," was the reply, "you will take our advice, if you regard