ieroglyphics.

The interior of the fortress has a very deserted air. We found there
dilapidated clay houses for the soldiers, and, somewhat to the side, the
divan of the governor, which consists of a hall with two circular
arches, the interior containing low sofas covered with rich carpets.
There we waited upon the governor, who, according to invariable custom,
ordered coffee to be served. He then took us over the armoury, in which
was a small field-piece for mounting on camels, and afterwards conducted
us over the fortress. The entire castle, as already mentioned, forms a
quadrangle, and has four hexagonal towers, with embrasures, and a few
bronze cannons. A gallery in a ruinous condition runs round the entire
length of the walls, with a parapet of some six feet in height and
embrasures. The towers of the castle command an extensive view of the
desert, with the distant mountain chains of El Halal and El Magara in
the south-east, the magnificent palm plantation towards the sea, and the
town of Harish itself spread out below.

To the left hand of the castle gate, on passing out, is a small
enclosure overgrown with shrubs, in which is the tomb, already referred
to, of the Piraktar, or standard-bearer, who was killed by the French in
the time of Napoleon. It is of simple clay, ornamented at the corners
with ancient pillars.

Altogether, El Harish has a poverty-stricken appearance, with rugged
uneven streets, formed merely of a sandy earth. Gray is the prevailing
hue, relieved only in a few places by the green of one of the loftier
palm trees projecting above the buildings. These are of clay and
straw,--the clay tiles being cemented with sand and clay; the roofs are
flat and very roughly finished. Most of the houses have small courtyards
communicated with by rough sliding doors. It is very seldom that one
sees curved arches over these; they are almost invariably quadrangular,
with a wooden bar as head piece. To many of the doors camels' skulls
have been attached by the occupiers, who for the most part are
camel-keepers, as a protection against evil spirits. Over the entrance
doors large branches of the tamarisk are frequently hung for a shade.
These plain courtyards, which contain nothing but a few indispensable
things, are, as it were, the private domain of the inhabitants, in which
they often keep their cattle. They rarely communicate with each other,
and of course are closed to strangers, unless accompanied by the
pro