The ladies of Mr. Farrah’s family came forward to welcome those of our party; we were led to our various rooms and told that they were ours; and then the family retired; nor through the whole of our stay, though their hospitality was unremitting, was there any parade or ostentation of service. Our wants were all supplied, and where this was possible, anticipated; abundant tables were spread, some gentlemen of the family generally taking their seats at them, but seldom eating, giving quiet attention to our wants, and as quiet orders to the servants; but no one pressed us to eat or to drink, or spoke of the dishes, or obtruded any thing on our notice; nor did they come themselves except when we expressed a wish for their society. The business of the family seemed to go on in the usual course, and the only evidence we had that our presence was felt, was in the unostentatious supply of our necessities. This was true hospitality; we received the most essential services, but without their even seeming to imagine that they were conferring an obligation, or making us feel uneasy by allowing us to see that we were disturbing them. The Moslem inhabitants of Damascus are like those of Turkey further north both in their dress and habits, except that the turban is better adjusted, and has a smarter and more dandyish look. So at least we thought; but perhaps we should not have noticed this, if we had not been led to expect it from a passage in some book, I believe Hope’s Anastasius. And the ladies of the city, I suppose, would scarcely pardon a traveller who should neglect to notice the cobcob, any more than an American belle would excuse an eastern traveller who, in speaking of her costume, would forget to describe the elegant bishops’ sleeves by which she adds to her arms those beautiful proportions which stupid nature has forgotten to give her. The cobcob is a kind of--what shall I call it?--stilt? no; this will not describe it--nor will shoe, nor yet patten. It is a combination of the excellences of the stilt and patten. The manufacturer takes a slip of board, which he cuts to the shape of the foot; and across this nails an embroidered strap, through which the foot is to be slipped, and by which it adheres; next he fits to this board near the ends, two upright pieces about nine inches in height, narrowed above to the width of the delicate foot, but spread out to a breadth of eight inches at the lower extremity. The whole is now ornamented with mother-of-pearl in fanciful patterns, and the _cobcob_ is finished and ready for use. The height that I have given for them is that of a pair designed for a person of the wealthier classes; the height, however, is in proportion to the rank of the wearer; and if the lady be of superior grade in society, she disdains to walk with a cobcob of less than twelve inches in height; while the vulgar have to be contented with a smaller elevation, say of five or six inches.