The custom of wearing coins as ornaments is so prevalent throughout Syria, that the very poorest women, girls, and children strive to display as many as possible.  Where they cannot sport gold, they content themselves with silver money; and where even this metal is not attainable, with little coins of copper and other baser metals.

The Consul and his son were also clothed in the Turkish garb; but instead of a turban the father wore an old cocked hat, which gave him an indescribably ludicrous appearance.  A son and a daughter of this worthy patron of the semi-Turkish, semi-European garb, had but one eye, a defect frequently met with in Syria.  It is generally supposed to be caused by the dry heat, the fine particles of sand, and the intense glare of the chalky hills.

As I reached Joppa early in the afternoon, I proceeded in company of the Consul to view the town and its environs.  In dirt, bad paving, etc., I found it equal to any of the towns I had yet seen.  The lower street, near the sea, alone is broad and bustling, with loaded and unloaded camels passing continually to and fro.  The bazaar is composed of some miserable booths containing common provisions and a few cheap wares.

The neighbourhood of Joppa is exceedingly fertile.  Numerous large gardens, with trees laden with all kinds of tropical fruits, and guarded by impenetrable hedges of the Indian fig-tree, form a half-circle round the lower portion of the town.

The Indian fig-tree, which I here saw for the first time, has an odd appearance.  From its stem, which is very dwarfish, leaves a foot in length, six inches in breadth, and half an inch in thickness, shoot forth.  This tree seldom sends forth branches; the leaves grow one out of another, and at the extremity the fruit is formed.  Its length is about two or three inches.  Ten or twenty such figs are frequently found adhering to a single leaf.

I could not conceive how it happened that in these hot countries, without rain to refresh them, the trees all looked so healthy and beautiful.  This fact, I found, was owing to the numerous channels cut through the gardens, which are thus artificially irrigated.  The heavy dews and cool nights also tend to restore the drooping vegetation.  One great ornament of our gardens was, however, totally wanting—­a lawn with wild flowers.  Trees and vegetables here grow out of the sandy or stony earth, a circumstance hardly noticed at a distance, but which produces a disagreeable effect on a near view.  Flowers I found none.

The whole region round Joppa is so covered with sand, that one sinks ankle-deep at every step.

Consul D—–­ fulfils the duties of two consulates, the Austrian and the French.  From both these offices he derives no benefit but the honour.  By some people this honour would be highly valued, but many would rate it at nothing at all.  This family, however, seems to have a great idea of honour; for the consul’s office is hereditary, and I found the son of the present dignitary already looking forward to filling his place.