The Romance of Isabel Lady Burton, vol 2 | Page 6

envoyes of the Great Powers were
expected to keep up a little state, especially the English and the French.
They had a certain number of Consular dragomans, or gentleman
secretaries, in distinction to the travelling dragoman, who bears the
same relation as a courier in Europe. They also had a certain number of
kawwasses, who look like cavalry soldiers. The Consulate at Damascus
was then quite like a diplomatic post, and I felt like a Minister's wife,
and was treated accordingly. For instance, every time I went outside my
door I was attended by four kawwasses, with swords and uniforms
much ornamented, also a dragoman interpreter. The duty of these four
attendants was to clear the way before and behind me, and I assure you
it was far more pain than pleasure to me to see mules, horses, donkeys,

camels, little children, and poor old men thrust out of the way, as if I
were sacred and they were all dirt. How they must have cursed me! I
told my kawwasses that I did not wish them to show themselves
officious by doing more than was absolutely necessary for the dignity
of the British Consulate and the custom of the country. But their escort
certainly was necessary to a great extent. When the common people
saw a kawwass, they knew one was of importance, and made way for
one; otherwise a woman could not walk the streets of Damascus
without being molested: even the famished herds of dogs seemed to
know the difference between kawwass and no kawwass. The danger
from dogs was that they collected and ran in packs, and you were
almost caught in the eddy of wild and half-starved dogs if you were not
guarded.
I hate pomp and ceremony of all kinds, except where it is absolutely
necessary; but in this case I could not dispense with it. The French
Minister's wife was hissed in the streets of Constantinople because she
chose to dispense with her escort. A Protestant clergyman's wife was
nearly struck by a Turkish soldier for brushing against him with her
petticoats, thus rendering him, according to his religion, unclean.
Besides, women in the East want a guard. A missionary young lady
who came up in the coupe of the diligence from Beyrout to Damascus
had an unpleasant experience. A Persian, who called himself a
gentleman, was inside, and kissed her all the way up. She, poor little
idiot! saw no way out of the transaction, but came and threw herself on
Richard's protection several days after, and there was an ugly row. She
had the Persian arrested, and tried him. If anybody had tried that sort of
game on with me, I should have made an example of him myself, and
taken the law in my own hands, whoever he was. An escort was
therefore necessary. I can understand how some consuls' wives,
sometimes vulgar, ill- conditioned women, might get elated at this
newly acquired importance, and presume upon it until they became
unbearable. I found the lack of privacy very trying at first, but I was
anxious to bear it because I saw that English influence at Damascus
required lifting a great many pegs higher than our predecessor left it.
The only member or our English noblesse the people had hitherto
known in Damascus was Lady Ellenborough, of whom more anon.
As soon as we were settled down I had to begin my receptions. I fixed

my reception day on Wednesday; and it was no trifle, for the visitors
came all day long. One native lady told me indignantly that she had
been to see me three times on my reception day, and had been refused.
I said, "When did you come? and how could it happen that I had never
heard of it?" She answered almost angrily, "I came at daylight, and
again at sunrise, and again at eight o'clock." I said it was rather early;
and though I was an early riser, it was just possible that I had not made
a suitable toilet to receive her. On my reception day the dragomans
interpreted for me. The kawwasses, in full dress of scarlet and gold,
kept guard by turns, and the servants were engaged incessantly in
bringing up relays of narghilehs, chibouques, cigarettes, sweet-meats,
sherbet, Turkish coffee and tea. My visitors sat on the divans, cross-
legged or not, according to their nation, and smoked and chatted. If
there were Moslem women, I had two separate reception-rooms, and
went from one to the other, as the women will not unveil before strange
men. It was a most tiring day; for not only did people come all through
the day, but I was obliged to concentrate all my thought not to make a
mistake in etiquette. There were many grades and ranks