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hands to the left breast and bow slightly. The Governor extends his hand to the consul, and then raises it to his mouth. After this they ask after the health of their respective sovereigns, and chat about politics and the news of the day. A choqadar then kneels before the Governor and spreads a napkin of some gay colour over his knees : with a bow only he offers another to the consul. They are then served in due order with candied fruits preserved in syrup, then coffee made without sugar and served in cups which are not quite full, a custom which the Turks think more polite : and lastly with a kind of sherbet smelling of musk and amber. The talk continues as long as the Governor pleases : finally one choqadar bears a vase of rose water, another a kind of thurible, the first lightly sprinkles the face and hands of the Governor and his guest, the other censes them with burning aloe chips. This is a graceful way of indicating that the audience is over. The consul takes his leave, but the Governor does not rise from his seat. As they leave the palace the guests receive a hand-kerchief or so of muslin or gauze. The same ceremonial is observed when the consul visits a Pasha, but the Pasha's suite is more numerous, and the consul only is permitted to sit. A band plays during the audience, consisting of kettle drums, cymbals, oboes, reed-flutes, trumpets, hunting horns and psalteries. The Digdaban and Qazi, when they take up their duties, the one of Commissioner, the other of Judge, pay the first visit to the consuls. The same ceremonial is applied to both. The officer arranges the hour, and arrives on horseback with three or four choqadars. He does not take off his outer boots until he is seated on the divan. The consul receives him standing and covered. They sit down and converse through their interpreters, who stand. A janissary offers the Digdaban a pipe, and then candied fruits or sweetmeats, coffee and lemonade, and on his departure rose water and incense. His servants replace his boots, and he takes his leave. The consul 132 Constils [CH.

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