New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-17

the Blood Covenant, etc. ~. A'"'' '0''
d. Wattes d. Co.
~ rrurrbrlI.s hook Is devoted largely TO COM
noraon of modern Oriental life with that described
in the Bible but Il is useful for other PURPOSES
For example he describes the meagre ia'e U, .ie
Arabs Of the desert and then aludes 10 tne' nao''
of eating enormous quantities OF FOOD "heh 'hes
have the opportunity. He observed In cros9ihs 'io
desert that most Of the Bedouns carried i''e
bog Of barley -four They ate but one meal Gay.
When evening came the three or -FOUR persons "'.o
messed together would contribute each d uouo'u
handful Of flour. One OF the party s'rie' ,"' ~,
into thick paste with little water ana SAT- me
was baked or rather dried In hole aug III inc
ground Each man ate his share OF thls 'ha' EVEN
ing unless as in some cases he KEPT POI ''o'' "
tho morning: but at sacrifices and feasts wheh
meat was cooked In great quantities. 'her h''sei
seemed to have limits On such an occasion '"'
Arabs have been known TO cevour "hole s"eVP
nj n sitting II was the custom In the author
marty for the dragoman to take the sheiR OF eao"
dstrct through which the travellers passed as hiS
guest In one case. when the sheik went away ior
a few DAYS. he appointed certain iora"ee''' "
his Mace The latter fully appreciated his opporl'!
Apparently the drasoman enjoyed MS ne" s"e''
canacity for food. Ibraheem would stretch OUT "'i
bic fingers IN clutch at the contents OF the dish anu
then opening the mouth TO It's widest extent "ou'u
toss the handful into the cavity which IL see'He"
impossible to FIJI. -
Just see him." said the enthusiastic dragonan'
"what appetite God mas give" "''''
us all such an appetite"
In the romantic story Of Alec Sher and Hunmur-
rud all the villains in which are distingu'sheu ny
their voracity. there Is one In particular "io'"
Ibraheem seems TO have resenpieu' i'"N''s
through n strange country he came TO place
where feast had been provided by the KING LOT
the people. In accordance with Arab custom ne
seated himself at the table. feeling sure OF his wei
come as guest. Before him was dish hileu
with sweetened rice. of which the Arabs are NOR
dinately fond " hen he put forth his hand toward
the dish say the story tellers. II resembed the
claw Of a raven. and when he drew IL BACK !"
looked like the foot OF a camel He rolled me
handful OF rice into a ball big as an orange ana
threw II into his mouth and 1t went down MS
throat with noise ike thunder mat such
g;utton expected to be welcome illustrates lhc
peculiar hospitality Of the East 1t Is the parause
OF tra.nps as exemplifed by another OF the
author's experiences. One day at noon the party
halted near the spot where Joseph Is supposed 10
have been sold by his brethren Just as they
began their meal the dragoman. VINO was ehuhs
with the chief muleteer. caught sight oil 'nree
peasants running down the hill toward him as II
the,r lives depended on their speed Eat quickly;
they are coming he exclaimed TO his companion
but haste was useless The fellahs rushed iorward
eagerly. The dragoman arose and with all the
suayity and gracefulness with which an American
society would greet an unweIcome VISITOR
bowed and said welcome Then the guests took
hold OF the lunch while the dragoman and the
muleteer watched complacently the skilful work OF
the visitors absorbed as they were In the occupa-
ton OF the moment" SO imperative Is the rule OF
Bedouin hospitality that the host often goes hun
gry while the guest eats his I'LL one OF their say
ings is that those who give a wedding ieast sign
for the broth There is a curious likeness between
the Arabs and the distant Samoans In this matter
Mr. Stevenson says that the same word In the Sa-
moan language means to make long can or 10
come as a calamity. Another word which means
olv''i algo nael I'm X
ing OF endless succession OF visitors. ana the
word for epidemic also bears the sense OF being
overcome with fire. food or guests There -
recognized limit, however. TO Eastern hospitality
on the fourth day the burdensome guest may be
told that he is now member OF the family and
may be set to work. This point Is illustrated by
an aecdote which Ishak FL M6silee. famous
musician at the court OF the Calph FL Mamoon
tells OF himself. He claimed 10 have found the
Caliph's wife for him and to have paid the lady
three romantic visits before he could persuade
her TO receive his master. At his third visit the
damse betrayed astonishment and exclaimed
| Probably thou art our friend? Hast thou made
our house thine abode" Ishak replied, May
be thy ransom, The right OF o stranger to hospi-
tally is for three days: and II return after that
period thou shalt be free to shed my blood"
1t must be said. however that in this matter OF
hospitality q great change Is going on In the East
Increased familiarity with Western civilization is.
perhaps the cause: at all events the ideal Oriental
host Is longer found in the cities. although he sur
Wives in the desert. In this and In other things
East has changed more In the last half century
than 1t did before In ages. BY the use OF parallels
drawn from the Bible and from the literature OF
ancient Egypt and Assyria. DR.. 1'rumbull shows
anew how well primitive customs have been pre-
served A wedding to-day In Arabia Is marked by
the same formaites as were known In the times OF
Jacob and Abraham. The cry Of the mourning
woman has changed since the pictures were
painted In old Egyptian tombs. The author points
out that the wailing at genuine Irish wake h
similar to that OF the Orient. additional evil
dence Of the remote antiquity OF the custom Re
becca still be found watering her camels." says
DR.. Trumbull. Eat the Mesopotamian well. ready to
consent her parents betrothal OF her TO her
cousin Isaac In another land whom she has never
seen The marriage Of Jacob to both Leah and
Rachel is now In progress as though 1t had been
delayed many times the seven years Of Its first
postponement. The same cry OF grevous mourning
which startled the Canaanites when the Egyptians
came up with the body Of Jacob to bury 1t in the
patrarchal tomb at Hebron. pierces the OF the
modern listener from the Nile to the Tgrs with
hardly the change Of a quavering note in all the
pa ssing centuries" The author this change
essness in Asatc social life as an argument against
some OF the theories OF modern science. He does
not think that human nature has changed much In
many thousand years. He Is particularly militant
against the SPECULATION. based on stories about
marriage by capture. Though his book Is not
narrative OF travel he refers continually. to his
experiences and observations In the East. His
method is to present In a series OF studies the
toms Of the Orient relating to betrothal and
riage TO hospitality. to funerals and mourning to
the authority OF parents TO the practices OF devo-
tion to pilgrimages to mendicancy. TO road-makng
and many other themes suggested by his travels.
He will not allow that even the famous cry for
backsheesh Is modern. The gifts Of silver and gold
and raiment with which the Egyptians loaded the
departing Israelites corresponded. he thinks TO the
gratuities demanded by the modern Arabs and II
was not by dishonesty unfairness that the Is
raelites obtained what they sought. The volume Is
Illustrated with numerous pictures OF characteristic
scenes In Eastern life.