Even the poorest of Moslem wanderers tries to bear with him a new suit of clothes for keeping the two festivals and Friday service in the Mosque. See Pilgrimage i. 235; iii. 257, etc.
Arab. “Sáyih” lit. a wanderer, subaudi for religious and ascetic objects; and not to be confounded with the “pilgrim” proper.
This was the custom of the whole Moslem world and still is where uncorrupted by Christian uncharity and contempt for all “men of God” save its own. But the change in such places as Egypt is complete and irrevocable. Even in 1852 my Dervish’s frock brought me nothing but contempt in Alexandria and Cairo.
Arab “Ya jáhil,” lit. = O ignorant. The popular word is Ahmak which, however, in the West means a maniac, a madman, a Santon; “Bohlí” being = a fool.
The prison according to the practice of the East being in the palace: so the Moorish “Kasbah,” which lodges the Governor and his guard, always contains the jail.
Arab. “Tuwuffiya,” lit. = was received (into the grace of God), an euphemistic and more polite term than “máta” = he died. The latter term is avoided by the Founder of Christianity; and our Spiritualists now say “passed away to a higher life,” a phrase embodying a theory which, to say the least, is “not proven.”
Arab. “Yá Abá al-Khayr” = our my good lord, sir, fellow, etc.
Arab. “Háwi” from “Hayyah,” a serpent. See vol. iii. 145. Most of the Egyptian snake-charmers are Gypsies, but they do not like to be told of their origin. At Baroda in Guzerat I took lessons in snake-catching, but found the sport too dangerous; when the animal flies, the tail is caught by the left hand and the right is slipped up to the neck, a delicate process, as a few inches too far or not far enough would be followed by certain death in catching a Cobra. At last certain of my messmates killed one of the captives and the snake-charmer would have no more to do with me.
Arab. “Sallah,” also Pers., a basket of wickerwork. This article is everywhere used for lodging snakes from Egypt to Morocco.
Arab. “Mubárak.” It is a favourite name for a slave in Morocco; the slave-girl being called Mubárakah; and the proverb being, “Blessed is the household which hath neither M’bárk nor M’bárkah” (as they contract the words).