sometimes thus excluded from the upper portion of his own house for
many days. Ladies of the upper or middle classes lead a life of
extreme inactivity, spending their time at the bath, which is the
general place of gossip, or in receiving visits, embroidering, and the
like, and in absolute _dolce far niente_. Both sexes are given to
licentiousness.

The principal meals are breakfast, about an hour after sunrise;
dinner, or the mid-day meal, at noon; and supper, which is the chief
meal of the day, a little after sunset. Pastry, sweetmeats and fruit
are highly esteemed. Coffee is taken at all hours, and is, with a
pipe, presented at least once to each guest. Tobacco is the great
luxury of the men of all classes in Egypt, who begin and end the day
with it, and generally smoke all day with little intermission. Many
women, also, especially among the rich, adopt the habit. The smoking
of hashish, though illegal, is indulged in by considerable numbers of
people. Men who can afford to keep a horse, mule or ass are very
seldom seen to walk. Ladies ride asses and sit astride. The poorer
classes cannot fully observe the harem system, but the women are in
general carefully veiled. Some of them keep small shops, and all fetch
water, make fuel, and cook for their households. Domestic slavery
lingers but is moribund. The majority of the slaves are negresses
employed in household duties.

In social intercourse the Egyptians observe many forms of salutation
and much etiquette; they are very affable, and readily enter into
conversation with strangers. Their courtesy and dignity of manner are
very striking, and are combined with ease and a fluency of discourse.
They have a remarkable quickness of apprehension, a ready wit, a
retentive memory, combined, however, with religious pride and
hypocrisy, and a disregard for the truth. Their common discourse is
full of asseverations and expressions respecting sacred things. They
entertain reverence for their Prophet; and the Koran is treated with
the utmost respect--never, for example, being placed in a low
situation--and this is the case with everything they esteem holy. They
are fatalists, and bear calamities with surprising resignation. Their
filial piety and respect for the aged have been mentioned, and
benevolence and charity are conspicuous in their character. Humanity
to animals is another virtue, and cruelty is openly