Their shoes had been left beyond the edge of the rush mat on which they were seated. Fingers were used in place of spoons or forks.
At last they were satisfied. The remnants were again collected in a dish, and it was then probably the turn of the boys and negroes, and, after them, of the dogs; but the end I did not see.
After enjoying coffee I went out into the court where the stars twinkled overhead. In the distance I heard a strange humming noise, and the sound as of far-off explosions. After a little while the Khalifa arrived to invite me to be present at the first day’s fête held to celebrate his son Mohammed’s wedding to a second wife, and I then understood that the sounds I had heard had been the hum of many voices and of gunshots.
The moon rose in the vault of heaven, and disclosed in front of me, and on either side of the slopes, forms wrapped each in his burnous, squatting side by side. From above, the moonlight shone on the white crowd, giving them the appearance of spectres. The group opposite looked as though moulded half in black, and half in dazzling white.
Up above and to the left were depicted against the light a crowd of black, pointed figures. These were men of the Matmata mountains; they sat silent, watching apparently the dark corner in front of me, where no light penetrated, as the moon rose high on her course.
THE BRIDAL FESTIVITIES.
(From a sketch by Knud Gamborg.)
The Khalifa ordered chairs to be brought. On these we seated ourselves, Hamed standing behind us, and bending forward to each of us in turn, like a mechanical contrivance through which we carried on our conversation.
Groups of men sat behind and beside us; they continued arriving until the square was full to where the Matmata men sat on the banks.