of the highest compliments according to Eastern
manners--and, before taking leave, she received an invitation to a grand
marriage festival, which was shortly to take place in the hareem. The
nuptials were not, however, celebrated during her stay in Egypt, the main
difficulty being, as she was informed, _the choice of a bridegroom_!

Though the costume of the Pasha's ladies did not differ materially from
that already described in the hareem of Habeeb Effendi, yet, as the
Kasr-ed-Dubarah may be considered as the centre of Cairo fashion, it would
be unpardonable to omit some notice of Mrs Poole's observations (somewhat
abridged) on this all-important subject. "The Turkish ladies wear the
_yelek_ (long vest) considerably longer than their height, forming a
graceful train, which, in walking over a mat or carpet, they hold in front
over the arm. The chemise is of silk gauze, fine muslin, or a very
beautiful thin crape, with glossy stripes, which is made of raw silk in
the hareems, and is cream colour: the sleeves are not confined at the
wrist. The _shintiyan_ (trousers) are extremely full, and generally of a
different material from the _yelek_; the former being of rich brocade,
large-patterned muslin or chintz, or sometimes of plain satin or
gros-de-Naples. The _yelek_, on the contrary, is made of a material with a
delicate pattern, generally a small stripe, whether of satin, India silk,
or muslin. Ladies of distinction always wear Cashmere shawls round the
waist, generally red; and those in Kasr-ed-Dubarah had a narrow edge of
gold, with gold cords and tassels at the corners." The tarboosh and
diamond ornaments are worn as before described; "but the front hair is cut
short, and combed towards the eyebrows, which is extremely unbecoming even
to a beautiful face, except when it curls naturally. The long hair is
disposed in numerous small plaits, and looped up on each side over the
handkerchief. The hair of the younger ladies and white slaves, in the
Turkish hareems, is often worn hanging loosely on the shoulders; but no
coiffure is so pretty as that worn by the Arab ladies, whose long hair,
hanging down the back, is arranged in many small plaits, often lengthened
by silk braid, and generally adorned with hundreds of small gold
ornaments, resembling oval spangles, which harmonize better with the
Eastern costume than any other fashion."

The hareems of the grandees are generally surrounded by lofty walls, as
high or higher than