After breakfast was ended he took me to a house resembling those of the Arabs at Kerkil, except that the court-yard was very small, and completely filled with rubbish and puddles.  Under the door-way, four ugly women with half-ragged clothes, were seated upon a dirty rug, playing with some little children.  I was obliged to sit down with them, and undergo the usual curious examination and staring.  For some time I put up with it, but then left this charming society, and looked about for a place where I could arrange my toilette a little.  I had not changed my clothes for six days, having been exposed, at the same time, to a heat which was far greater than that under the line.  I found a dirty and smutty room, which, in addition to the disgust it excited, made me fear the presence of vermin and scorpions; of the latter I had a particular dread.  I thought at first that they were to be found in every place, as I had read in many descriptions of travels that they were innumerable in these countries.  My fear lessened afterwards, as I did not meet with any, even in the dirtiest places; in ruins, court-yards, or sardabs.  Altogether I only saw two during my whole journey, but I suffered a great deal from other vermin, which are only to be removed by burning the clothes and linen.

I had scarcely taken possession of this beggarly room, when one woman after the other came in; the women were followed by the children, and then by several neighbours, who had heard of the arrival of an Inglesi; I was worse off here than under the gateway.

At last, one of the women luckily thought of offering me a bath, and I accepted the proposal with great joy.  Hot water was prepared, and they made a sign for me to follow them, which I did, and found myself in the sheep-stall, which, perhaps, had not been cleaned for years, or indeed as long as it had stood.  In this place they pushed two stones together, upon which I was to stand, and in the presence of the whole company, who followed me like my shadow, allow myself to be bathed with water.  I made signs to them to go out, as I wished to perform this office myself; they did indeed leave me, but as misfortune had it, the stall had no door, and they were all able to look in just the same.

I passed four days among these people, the day time in dark recesses, the evenings and nights upon the terraces.  I was obliged, like my hostess, constantly to squat down on the ground, and when I wanted to write anything I had to make use of my knees instead of a table.  Every day they told me there was a caravan going away to-morrow.  Alas! they said so only to quiet me, they saw, perhaps, how disagreeable the stay was to me.  The women lounged about the whole day sleeping or chattering, playing with, or scolding the children.  They preferred going about in dirty rags to mending and washing them, and they allowed their children to tyrannize over them completely.

When the latter wanted anything and did not get it, they threw themselves on the ground, struck about with their hands and feet, howling and shrieking until they obtained what they desired.