[189] Literally, "at the seeing of which the liver would be turned into water."
[190] The pipal or "ficus religiosa," is a large tree venerated by the Hindus; it affords a most agreeable shade, as its leaves are large, in the shape of a heart. Many writers confound it with the "ficus Indicus" or "baniyan tree," or rather, they devise an imaginary tree compounded of the two species, investing it with the heart-shaped leaves of the former, and the dropping and multiplying stems of the latter.
[191] Respecting the ceremony called the tasadduk, vide note 3, p. 66.
[192] Literally, "much dust did I sift the dust."
[193] Murtaza 'Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet; one of his surnames is Mushkil-kusha, or " the remover of difficulties." The Saiyids, who pretend to be descended from 'Ali, wear green dresses, which is a sacred colour among the Muhammadans.
[194] The phrase char-zanu ho-baithna, signifies "to sit down with the legs crossed in front as our tailors do when at work." It is the ordnary mode of sitting among the Turks.
[195] The dalk, or dilk, is a garment made of patches and shreds worn by darweshes; the epithet dolk-posh, "a dalk wearer," denotes a "darwesh," or "mendicant."
[196] Ispahan was once a fine city. In the time of the Chevalier Chardin, nearly two centuries ago, it was pronounced by that traveller to be the largest in the world. It is now about the size of Brighton; yet a few weeks ago, we saw in the "Illustrated London News," an account of it by a Frenchman (a fire-side traveller), who declares it to be, still, "the largest city in the world!"
[197] The Muhammadans divide the world into seven climes, and suppose that a constellation presides over the destiny of each clime.
[198] The Arabic phrase lantarani, a corruption of la-an-tarani, literally signifies "egad, if you saw me [do so and so];" hence lantarani-wala is equivalent to our terms, "an egregious egotist," or "great boaster."