The mirror., 1919-04-10

"SSk we WetS Scut " lStCH iuSdt uceuSu
for the kitchen on our donkey. The but
chers'. street, l forgot to say, hardly
measured three yards across, but with the
carcasses hanging out before the shops
there was hardly room in the butchers
street for two to pass abreast. The spicers'
street resembled it in this respect and there
the merchants hung such things as cords,
nets and girdles out into the street, and Of
ten sat in front of their shops.
The Suk ell Bizar (grain market) is a
broader street, and lighter, since it is not
vaulted in, but, as many more people con-
gregated there, progress was as difficult as
in the butchers street. This was 'he busy
part; in every other region of the Moslem
quarter hardly a soul was to be seen at
some hours of the day, except in Harat Bah
ell Amud (the street of the Damascus Gate)
and Harat Bah Sitti Miriam (street of Our
Lady Mary's Gate), where grocers did an
active trade, the fellahin from the eastern
country buying necessaries there just be-
fore leaving the town. A conventional thin
veil or net was dropped over the shop
entrance. and projecting baskets of rice,
nuts, lentils, etc., from II a. m. to 1. p. m. /.
signifyfng that the owner was away, pre-
sumably at prayers in the adjacent Haran.
The projection was more real than any
police msasure could have secured.
In the Suk Ell Bizar the throng was
sometimes so great that it was Impossible to
advance step; especially was this the case
when long string of camels loaded with
grain made its way to the wheat bazaar, the
small square underneath a vault which
gives the street its name. Wheat and bar
ley, lentils and dhurra., or maize, are here
poured on big heaps and sold to the pub
lie. The official appointed to measure out
the grain in the Tabbeh (about eight rolls)
or Sa' (half Tabbeh) is quite a serious
and important parsonage. Filling his mea-
sure, he will begin by announcing Ailahu
ahad (God is One) and continues saying
this till the first tabbeh is in the sack.
"Two." "Three," he says at every mea-
sure, till he comes to seven, when he says,
sameha (pardon), instead of saba (seven).
The number seven, being that Of the
princes of the jam (genis), must not be
named while handling grain for fear the
Jann should carry off the blessing Taman-
ieh (eight), va Rabb, ell Amaneh Uord,
give me honestly.
The crowd is exasperating at times,
though comical incidents occur occasion
ally. AS l slowly pushed my way for
ward one day, stopping to avoid huge
sacks, European snob, anxious to escape
being crushed, stood in a corner, wearing
a new straw hat. Hats are as a rule, dis
liked by orientals. The European. in de-
rision, is often called abu 'l.baranit Gather
of hats). A durneytah (hat) attracks un-
pleasant notice in a crowd. A camel,
waiting to pass, looked round casually, put
out his huge lips and seized a strange straw
basket, and in one bite ate half the hat,
to the distress of Mr.. Snob and the delight
of the by ISLANDERS.
The north and northeast portion as far
as the Temple Area was most exclusively
Moslem. Like the butchers and the spicers,
the gold and silver-smiths, the blacksmiths
and the coppersmiths and other workers had
their separate streets, the last named near
the dyers; but many began to feel the in
fuence of new period and left their old
quarters bidding farewell to the ancient or
iental tradition.