justification of the conduct of Count de Grasse, in not going out of the Chesapeake to attack the British fleet; as his force was represented to be superior in number of ships to that of the enemy.

This important event, which the great zeal and talents of La Fayette contributed to accomplish, immediately led to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis's army. This event, when communicated to the great and good Dr. Franklin, by the bearer of Washington's despatches, the Count de Lauzun, led him immediately to exclaim, clasping the Count in his arms, "THANK GOD, MY COUNTRY IS FREE."

Copy of the last General Orders issued by Major General La Fayette, to

his favourite corps of Light Infantry.

"In the moment the Major General leaves this place, he wishes once more to express his gratitude to the brave corps of light infantry, who for nine months past, have been companions of his fortunes. He will never forget that with them alone of regular troops, he had the good fortune to manœuvre before an army which after all its reductions, is still six times superior to the regular force he had at that time."

The surrender of Lord Cornwallis's army having nearly terminated the Revolutionary War, Congress passed the following resolution.

In Congress, November 23 1781.

Resolved, that Major General the Marquis de la Fayette be informed that on a review of his conduct throughout the past campaign, and particularly during the period in which he had the chief command in Virginia, the many new proofs which present themselves of his zealous attachment to the causc he has espoused, and of his judgment, vigilance, gallantry and address in its defence, have greatly added to the high opinion entertained by Congress of his merit and military talents.

Է

In 1784, when our Independence had been acknowledged and confirmed. "The Congress of the United States appointed a committee consisting of 13 members, one from each state, to receive him, and in the name of Congress to take leave of him in such a manner as might strongly manifest their esteem and regard for him; that congress continue to entertain the same high sense of his abilities and zeal to promote the welfare of America both here and in Europe, which they have frequently expressed and manifested on former occasions; that the United States regard him with particular affection, and will not cease to feel an interest in whatever may concern his honour and prosperity; and that their best and kindest wishes will always attend him.”

Conclusion of the Marquis's Reply.

"May this immense temple of freedom ever stand as a lesson to oppressors, an example to the oppressed, a sanctuary for the rights of mankind: and may these happy United States attain that complete splendor and prosperity which will illustrate the blessings of their government, and for ages to come, rejoice the departed souls of its founders. Never can congress oblige me so much, as when they put it in my power, in every part of the world to the latest day of my life to gratify the attachment which will ever rank me among the most zealous and respectful servants of the U. S.

A biography of General La Fayette has been published in France, in two volumes duodecimo; of the merits of which we know nothing. Robert Waln junr. of Philadelphia, has also a memoir in the press. General de Coudray Holstein, who is at present in this city, is also engaged in composing a biography, which will be published in the course of a few days.

JOHN FOOTE, Jun. of the Theatre, is peparing for the press a continuation of Baker's Biographia Dramatica, from the year 1811. The continuation will contain a list of nearly two thousand dramatic productions, which have appeared since that period, with notices of their authors.

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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE BEDOUIN ARABS;

From the Manuscript of J. Burckhardt.

[Concluded from page 360.]

Robberies. The son of Ibn Fayz, the great sheikh of the powerful Beni Szakher, had the misfortune of being taken prisoner or Rabiet, by an Arab of the tribe of Rowella in 1812. His father was obliged to pay for his ransom three thousand piastres ready money, in Spanish dollars, thirty camels, two fine mares, two coats of mail, and a fine sword; which may be estimated, altogether, at between eight and nine hundred pounds sterling.

Dakheel. If any one should dare to inflict any bodily hurt on the individual who has become the protected subject or Dakheel of another Arab, the Bedouin laws punish such an aggressor with much more severity than if he had committed any other action, however criminal. The protector 'whose ground,' as the Arabs say, 'has thus been walked over,' has the full right of killing ten persons of the aggressor's family, without incurring the effects of the blood revenge. It becomes extremely difficult, in such cases, for him to come to a compromise. The writer knew an Aeneze, who had already paid two fine mares and twenty camels, to an Arab of the tribe of Hamyde, because he had wounded a man whom he knew to be under the other's protection. But the latter is not yet satisfied; and whenever he meets the former, he obliges him to make him a present of whatever strikes his fancy, as a new abba, or a gun, a lance, &c.

Hospitality among the Bedouins may be called a law, as well as a virtue. The most avaricious individual is obliged to show his hospitality to the stranger; because the scorn of his tribe would follow him through life, if he were to turn out his guest; and hospitality has thus become a public duty. I have known many Bedouins whose generosity, as far as relates to innate sentiment, seemed very dubious. They exercised it, less for self satisfaction and the desire of obliging the stranger, than to have it said in the Dowar that such a one treated his guests well. The women of the encampment immediately spy out whatever has been done for the guests; and it is known all over the tribe, whether the dish set before them was well buttered or not; or whether a fat or lean lamb has been killed. Other Bedouins, indeed, are truly hospitable and benevolent. Vol. I. No. VI.

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They express, by the most ingenuous signs, that they think it an honour and a good fortune for them to possess the stranger under their tent. They treat him with the sincerest demonstrations of the most disinterested friendship; and often offer, as a present, whatever article of tent furniture is seen to attract his notice.

To find yourself an unprotected stranger, among a nation of half savage robbers, not only in the most perfect security, but even, as it were, in the bosom of your own family, when seated under the tent of a generous Arab, impresses you with a singu. lar esteem for the character of these wanderers of the desert; who live only by plunder, but religiously respect the persons and property even of their enemies, as soon as they are thrown under their protection.

The Bedouin women participate much less than their husbands in the fame of hospitality and generosity. I have generally observed, that whenever a woman commands in a tent, and this is almost as often the case in the desert as in the cities of Europe, she exerts her influence in curtailing the liberality of her husband towards his guests; either from innate avarice, or else in order to purloin from the provision destined for the entertainment of the stranger, a few handfuls of flour, &c. with which she buys, from the pedler of the encampment, a trifling article of raiment or ornament.

If strangers alight at the tent of an Arab, who happens to have no sheep present to kill for their entertainment, he may take one from the herd of his neighbour, without his leave; and it is even left to his generosity, whether he will afterwards reimburse his neighbour or not. Whereas if this appropriation was merely for his own use, or, as the Arabs say, 'for his womens' sake,' he would be obliged to pay the owner at least five times the value.

Many Bedouins and peasants to the south of Damascus, are rather backward in feeding the horses of the stranger who alights at their house or tent. It is the custom to throw,

about sunset, the barley sack which the horse is to eat, and which every rider carries with him, before the landlord; whose duty it is to fill it. It is known of all tribes and villages, whether they are in the habit of feeding the strangers' horses well or not; and travellers direct their route accordingly. Beni Szakher have the reputation of filling the barley sack better than any other Arabs. They have made it a rule among themselves, that if any guest should be uncivil enough to ask for an increase of the portion of barley already copiously given to him, the landlord is to pour out before him a whole sack of

barley, and to tell him not to stir until his mare has eaten the whole.

Saluting. The Bedouins who are not accustomed to the intercourse of town and country people, seldom say Salam Aleyk, in saluting each other. They content themselves with the expression "Salam." though this is contrary to the precepts of the Koran. Among the Arabs el Kebly, the men salute each other by one kiss on the right cheek, and two or three on the left; and if they are old acquaintances, they add one kiss more on the left shoulder. The friends of the family, on their return from a long absence, kiss likewise the women and girls on entering the tent; provided there be no great company of strangers. The women who meet their female friends belonging to another encampment, or others returning from a long absence, make to each other such extravagant demonstrations of joy, that a bystander can hardly refrain from laugh ing. I had once the curiosity to count the number of kisses that passed between two young girls, who met each other unexpectedly, and found them to amount to twenty-seven. They were applied in such a regular, measured manner, that it appeared as if they wished themselves to count the number. The Bedouins look upon it as very ill breeding, if a person sit down among the company without saluting all his assembled friends. But every one retires without taking leave.

Women. The whole labour necessary to be performed in the tent, rests, as I have already said, with the women. They pitch the tent, fetch water upon their back at two or three hours' distance, and load the camels if the encampment is to move. In fact they are indefatigable in their industry, while their husbands are basking in the sun. It is not uncommon to see their husbands treat them like slaves; command them with the harshest expressions; and if they do not immediately obey, throw stones at them; a treatment which I frequently witnessed. The Bedouins say, that if left to their own will, or treated in a friendly manner, the women grow impertinent and get the better of them. This is true enough; for I have entered many tents where the lady commanded. I have likewise seen happy couples; but even then, the wife is not treated according to her merits. The husband never begs, but always commands; and a man would be laughed at by his companions if he was seen to behave towards his wife in a friendly and delicate manner. A boy of ten years of age already begins to raise his voice in the tent. His mother has no authority over him; and his sisters must obey his commands. If he is fifteen, even his mother is commanded by him; he disdains to bear a hand

in the interior business of the tent; he will make her get up to fetch him water; he eats by himself, or with his father; the women must content themselves with what is left in the plate; he is now called a man; and his family is the first to respect him as such. 1, however, repeat here, that the attachment of the Bedouins principally towards their mothers, is exemplary. But the son, although he loves and reveres his mother, cannot help recalling constantly to mind that she has the misfortune of being born a woman; while nature created him a man, the lord of the desert.

Horses. It is a matter of courtesy among the Bedouins, to acquaint the enemy with the breed of those horses he may have robbed from the encampment. This is a general practice, and proceeds from an attachment to the horse; for it is a pity, they say, that a mare should only be esteemed for her qualities, while her noble breed should remain unknown.

(Here follows a nomenclature of the different breeds aad subdivisions of the Bedouin horses.)

The horses of the different breeds have no peculiar characteristic mark, by which they can be distinguished from each other. I have, however, met with Bedouins, who pretend to know the mare's breed at first sight; but they are mere quacks, who impose upon their credulous neighbours, when they are consulted about a mare, taken from a distant enemy. The Sacklawry make, perhaps, an exception. Their beautiful long necks, their high haunches, and, above all, the beauty of their eyes, seem to be unequalled by any other race in the desert.

The Bedouins, in general, odd as it may appear, have very little knowledge of horses, and of what constitutes their beauty. In buying a horse, or mare, they merely consult its breed and swiftness, and call some experienced jockey of their tribe to examine the animal, as to its marks of good or bad omen. To know these marks and their signification, as for instance, two stars on the forehead, some black hairs in a white spot, &c. is the ne plus ultra of a connoisseur. But I never heard any discussion about the comparative excellencies in the make of a horse; and the Bedouins have no standing rules to judge by on the subject. They believe that the towns-people are much better judges of the subject than themselves, because they are supposed to have read in books what relates to horses and their secret marks. I have often been called upon by Bedouins to examine their mares. They would then tell me, My mare is an Obryan, and runs as swift as a gazelle; but I beg you to look whether she is fine in her make, and has no bad marks."

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