in the oriental customs, the person who has the care of the mosques in Egypt; his duty is the same as that of the imams at Constantinople. There are more or fewer of these to every mosque, according to its size or revenue. One of these is head over the rest, and answers to a parish-priest with us; and has under him, in large mosques, the readers, and people who cry out to go to prayers; but in small mosques the sheik is obliged to do all this himself. In such it is their business to open the mosque, to cry to prayers, and to begin their short devotions at the head of the congregation, who stand rank and file in great order, and make all their motions together. Every Friday the sheik makes an harangue to his congregation.

SHEIK-Bellet, the name of an officer in the Oriental nations. In Egypt the sheik-bellet is the head of a city, and is appointed by the pacha. The business of this officer is to take care that no innovations be made which may be prejudicial to the Porte, and that they send no orders which may hurt the liberties of the people. But all his authority depends on his credit and interest, not his office: for the government of Egypt is of such a kind, that often the people of the least power by their posts have the greatest influence: and a caia of the janizaries or Arabs, and sometimes one of their meanest officers, an oda-batha, finds means, by his parts and abilities, to govern all things.