[xvii] Aden was occupied in 1839. Eothen must have been written between the tour in 1834 and its publication in 1844, but there seems to be no evidence as to the date of composition, and perhaps it was not all written at once.
[xxxi] This is
“The moving row
Of magic shadow shapes which come and go,”
mentioned in Fitzgerald’s version of Omar Khayyam.
[xxxv] [“Our Lady of Bitterness,” said to have been a nickname of Mrs. Barry Cornwall, noted for her sharp tongue.]
[xxxvii] “Eōthen” is, I hope, almost the only hard word to be found in the book; it is written in Greek ἠωθεν—(Atticè, with an aspirated ε instead of the ἠ)—and signifies, “from the early dawn”—“from the East.”—Donn. Lex, 4th edition.
[1] [This is all changed now. There is constant communication beween the Servian and Hungarian banks, so much so that Belgrade presents few national characteristics, and looks quite as much a Hungarian as a Servian town.]
[2] A “compromised” person is one who has been in contact with people or things supposed to be capable of conveying infection. As a general rule the whole Ottoman Empire lies constantly under this terrible ban. The “yellow flag” is the ensign of the quarantine establishment.
[6] The narghile is a water-pipe upon the plan of the hookah, but more gracefully fashioned; the smoke is drawn by a very long flexible tube, that winds its snake-like way from the vase to the lips of the beatified smoker.
[7] [The wording “amber up to mine,” found in many editions, is evidently a misreading of Kinglake’s handwriting. He must have made his l’s rather small and not have dotted his i’s.]