they are much finer. _Such_ grapes, plums, and
apricots, mulberries, and melons, are never seen in Europe, and they are
made more refreshing by being mixed with chopped ice. Large piles of ice
stand all the summer long in the market-place, and even beggars drink
iced water. But hot tea is preferred before any other drink. In every
corner of the market there are large urns of hot tea, and small bowls of
rich milk, surrounded all day by a thirsty crowd. How much better is this
sight than the gin palaces of London!

But there is one great inconvenience in Bokhara, for which all its fruits
can scarcely make amends. There is bad water. For Bokhara is not built
on the banks of a river, or among running brooks: all the water is
brought by canals, from a small stream near the town, and when the canals
are dried up by the heat, there is no water, except in the tanks where it
is kept. This stagnant water produces a disease called the Guinea worm.
In this complaint the skin is covered with painful swellings, and when
they burst, a little flat worm is discovered in each, which must be drawn
out before the poor sufferer can recover.

RELIGION.--It is the Mahomedan. The Amir is a strict observer of his
religion. Every Friday he may be seen going to prayers in his great
mosque. The Koran is carried before him, and four men with golden staves
accompany him, crying out, "Pray to God that the Commander of the
Faithful may act justly." As he passes by, his people stroke their beards
to show their respect. Bokhara is reckoned by Mahomedans a very religious
city; for in every street there is a mosque; every evening people may be
seen crowding to prayers; and if boys are caught asleep during service,
they are tied together, and driven round the market by an officer, who
beats them all the way with a thick thong.

There is a school, too, in almost every street of Bokhara, and there the
poor boys sit from sunrise, till an hour before sunset, bawling out
their foolish lessons from the Koran; and during all that time they are
never allowed to go home, except once for some bread. They have no time
for play, except in the evening, and no holiday, except on Friday. Seven
years they spend in this manner, learning to read and write. When they
leave school, if they wish to be counted very wise, they go to one of the
colleges; for there are many in Bokhara. Some spend all their lives in
these colleges, living in small cells, and meeting in a large ha