I noticed, that they prayed very regularly five times a-day, with their faces turned towards Mecca; once immediately before and again after sunrise; then came the Assair, or afternoon prayer, between three and four o’clock; and again before and after sunset. Each service is preceded by carefully washing all parts of the body that are not covered by the clothes. The ceremony commences by several devotees standing up in one long row in front of the mosque, which is always so built as to have a proper regard to the situation of Mecca. Their open hands are first brought closely up to the ears, whilst they repeat some short ejaculations respecting the greatness of God, the compassionate, the only one; then stooping in the attitude of a low bow, the hands resting on the knees, something of the same sort is again repeated, and down they all sit together, in the Arab fashion, on the bent legs, not crossed in front, like the Turks, but turned under them the contrary way. After sundry satisfactory looks about them, and stroking their beards, if they have any, all bend their heads to the earth, pressing the forehead hard upon the ground two or three times successively; then, after a little more sitting, turning to their right and left hands, they repeat, in each position, protestations of peace with all the world, and rising up, depart to their several avocations, meeting again at the next stated hour of prayer, to repeat exactly the same devout ceremonial. On one occasion, I had a good laugh at the little play of some boys of the Sultaun’s household, who pretended to go through the ceremony of circumcision, and in which they performed their parts with great gravity, and all attention, no doubt, to the details of that, to them, very interesting operation. It must be observed, that circumcision among the Dankalli, as among other Mahomedans, is frequently deferred to a very late period, the boys, or young men rather, being sometimes sixteen or eighteen years old before they are thus made eligible for reception into the paradise of the faithful. To proceed, however, with a description of the ceremony, as it was acted in the little court before our house. The door being thrown open by the attendants, a boy, representing the grave old Kadee, with the operator, entered side by side, followed by the father and the candidate for circumcision, and these by a crowd of friends who, when the operation began, formed a circle before the Kadee and the father, who sat very sedately upon a couch. The operator, with a piece of stick, then commenced acting his part, whilst the boy laid upon his back on the ground, kicking and shrieking, pretended to suffer great pain, which, as in our pantomimes, was, of course, the fun of the whole thing. He, unfortunately, overdid his part, at least did it so naturally and with so much noise, that some of the neighbours came rushing in to see what accident had happened.