This portion of the city is quite modern; near it there is a more singular and more ancient series of buildings, called the Okella; a word, I believe, derived from castle.  This consists of one large quadrangle, or square, entered by gateways at different sides.  A terrace, approached by flights of steps, extends all round, forming a broad colonnade, supported upon arches.  The houses belonging to the Franks open upon this terrace; they are large and commodious, but the look-out does not equal that from the newer quarter; the quadrangle below exhibiting any thing rather than neatness or order.  Goods and utensils of various kinds, donkeys, camels, and horses, give it the appearance of the court of a native serai, though at the same time it may be said to be quite as well kept as many places of a similar description upon the continent of Europe.  The Frank shopkeepers have their establishments in a narrower avenue at the end of the wide street before-mentioned.  Here are several cafes, apparently for the accommodation of persons to whom the hotels might be too expensive; some of these are handsomely fitted up in their way:  one, especially, being panelled with shewy French paper, in imitation of the Gobelins tapestry.  I was not sufficiently near to discern the subject, but when lighted, the colours and figures produced a very gay effect.  I observed a considerable number of druggists’ shops; they were generally entirely open in front, so that the whole economy of the interior was revealed to view.  The arrangements were very neat; the various articles for sale being disposed upon shelves all round.  We did not make any purchases either here or in the Turkish bazaar, which, both morning and evening, was crowded with people.  Several very good houses in the European style were pointed out to us as belonging to Turkish gentlemen, high in office and in the receipt of large incomes.

We had ordered dinner at seven o’clock, for the purpose of taking advantage of the cool part of the day to walk about.  We confined our peregrinations to the Frank quarter and its immediate neighbourhood, and were amused by the singular figures of other European pedestrians whom we met with, but whose peculiar country it was difficult to discover by their dress.  Several gentlemen made their appearance on horseback, but we did not see any females of the superior class.  Two English carriages, filled with Turkish grandees, dashed along with the recklessness which usually distinguishes native driving; and other magnates of the land, mounted upon splendid chargers, came forth in all the pride of Oriental pomp.  Having sufficiently fatigued ourselves with walking ancle-deep in dust and sand, we returned to our hotel, where we found an excellent dinner, which, among other good things, comprehended a dish of Beccaficos.