it is a wall, beyond which nothing is to be seen but a vast
sandy plain, extending more than sixty miles. Within the walls, it is
equally sterile, it literally yields _nothing_; here, "all _is_ barren,"
and the water is far from sweet, yet 4,000 souls live, though the sheikh
keeps up no standing army. Mr. S. sails thence into the _Shut-ul-Arab_,
[River of the Arabs,] the banks of which are more delightful than those
of the Thames at Richmond.

At Bussorah--a _bain a la Turque_.)

Entering the hummaum, I found myself suddenly in an apartment resembling
a vaulted cellar, dimly lighted by small apertures, and glazed
sky-lights in the dome. Stone and brick benches, covered with cloths and
coarse carpets, were ranged along the walls, and there was a fireplace
where coffee and chibouks were prepared, and cloths dried. Having been
required to strip, and a cloth tied round my waist, I was led into a
second apartment filled with steam, and of so high a temperature, that
in one instant I lost my breath, and in the next was streaming from
every pore. I anticipated a speedy dissolution of my "solid flesh;" but
on reaching a third apartment, (all vaulted and lighted, or rather
darkened alike,) I had become somewhat relieved. In this apartment were
four cisterns nearly level with the floor, into which the hot water was
drawn by cocks placed in the wall above. As soon as I had decided that
the water was hot enough, I was placed by the side of one of the
cisterns, and then the operation commenced.

_Act_ 1.--Deluged with hot water from the hands of a stout Persian.
_Act_ 2.--Conducted by said Persian to a stone ottoman in the centre of
the room, and caused to sit down. _Act_ 3.--My whole body kneaded by the
fists of the aforesaid; joints cracked, ears pulled, mustachoes dyed,
limbs rubbed with a hair-cloth glove. _Act_ 4.--Enveloped in warm
towels, and served with a pipe. _Act_ 5.--Wiped dry; led into the outer
apartment dressed and--_Exit_.

(Starting from Bussorah, the author is towed up the Euphrates as
follows.)

As soon as we had got out of the creek, we found both wind and tide had
set against us. The _mallahs_, or trackers, immediately stripped,
placing their clothes on their heads, and sprang on shore. A rope was
passed from the mast-head to a girdle round their respective bodies, and
off they set along the banks; sometimes, on reaching creeks, irrigating
channels, or unequal projections, plunging up to their necks, and wa