The Worthington advance., 1876-06-29
AN ARAB DINNER.
Eating with the Implements that Were Made
Before Forks.

AN ARAB DINNER.
Eating with the Implements that Were Made
Before Forks.
A traveller among the Bedouins de.
scrlbes as follows, in the July Galaxy.
banquet which he attended : s.B and
myself, in response to an invitation to
dinner from Manmoud, repaired to the
camp of our neighbors, directing our
steps to the principal tent, which was
looped up in front. Part of the tent
was closely screened off for the wo-
men; the middle portion of the apart
ment into which we entered was sup
piled with Turkish carpets and cush-
ions something the worse for wear.
The chelf took us each by the hand
and ushered lis to seats on the carpets.
with courtesy not unworthy court
ler of the time of Louis XIV. Besides
the cheif, were three other Bedouins,
who, according to the hierarchy of the
tribe, were assigned places on the car.
pets, while several others, of subordi-
nate position, apparently, squatted on
the ground off the carpets. Coffee was
prepared, as a preliminary to the
dinner, in our presence.
Before we began to eat there was
the hand-wash enj0ined by the koran.
1ne water was poured on our hands
out Of jug outside of the tent, about
half a pint being allotted to each.
The process was brief. The Arabs
swung their hands, tapped them on
their garments, and it was done-and
they4Were no cleaner than before,
This clearly was not the hygenic ope.
ration which Mahomet intended it to
be, but as may be inferred from this
description, people here as elsewhere
are prone to obey the letter of the law
rather than it's spirit. Iobserved sub
sequently that when they desired to
cleanse themselves more thoroughly
they rubbed their hands with sand
and on rare occasions with soap.
Semi-purifed, we returned to our
places in the tent, and the repast was
served without a woman in sight. 1t
consisted of huge wooden bowl,
about three feet in diameter, lined
with thin batter cakes and overhang.
ing the sides, the bowl being filled
with boiled rice saturated with grease,
probably butter made from goats's or
camel's milk in the centre Of the rice
was piled up a quantity of boiled
mutton. The cheif setting the exam.
pie, we fell to this mess, while the re.
tainers and our dragoman, off the car.
pets, eyed us with envy and watered
mouths.
For man accustomed to a knife and
fork the eating presented difficulties,
which, however. were partially over.
come by closely observing the men
who have never known any other aid
in this way than that which nature
has given them. Yet they have an
etiquette which governs them as tyran.
nically as our own. Only the right
hand may be thrust into the bowl. He
who eats with the left is ill.bred, and
he who employs both is a glutton.
We initiated our hosts as we'll as we
could; thrust the right hand into the
rice, made ball of it the size of a
hens egg, squeezed the superfiuous
water and grease out of it, and
twitched it into the mouth by dex.
ferrous movement of the thumb, after
the BedOuin manner, prOnouncing oc.
casionally the indispensable ''taib'' in
compliment of the Amphitrycn.
Another feature of Arab etiquette
was to confine oneself to the same place
in taking from the bowl. each one
making his own hole and remaining
therein. In the beginning of the re.
past there is not much trouble in OBJ.
serving the rule but when the gen.
eral level of the rice and mutton low.
cred it required care to remain on the
pre.empted domain, and not invade
that of the neighbor. The rule was
hardly observed by my neighbor on
the left, who was vOraciOus eater,
with an indifferently clean hand he
at length ate away the barrier, en-.
tered my territory, and pushed me to
the right, where l fed on narrow
ledge until my appetite was satisfied
when this gave way, and the two holes
merged into one, stopped.
To q man seated at one of Delmon.
ico's inviting tables the nourishment
described may appear unsavory but
to hungry one on the banks. of the
Jordan it was different, and both B and
myself ate of the great platter with
pleasure a few minutes after it was
brought in, for in the beginning it was
too hot for us, although not for our
neighbors, who had skilled way OF
dancing the rice about between their
fingers to cool it, which we endeavored
IN vain to acquire. They also dexter.
ously stripped the meat from the bone,
one finger going down and rising after