[368]. In most of their juggling performances the darweeshes of Egypt are inferior to the most expert of the Indians.
[369]. Thus commonly pronounced, for Esh-Shaaránee.
[370]. From “khalweh,” a cell, or closet.
[371]. “See” is a vulgar contraction of “Seedee,” which is itself a contraction of “Seyyidee,” signifying “My Master,” or “Mister.”
[372]. Called “áyát-el-hefz” (the verses of protection, or preservation).
[373]. Just before I quitted my house in Cairo to return to England[England], a friend, who had been my sheykh (or tutor), wrote on a slip of paper, “There is no deity but God: Mohammad is God’s apostle:” then tore it in halves, gave me the latter half (on which was written “Mohammad is God’s apostle”), and concealed the other in a crack in the roof of a little cupboard in my usual sitting-room. This was to insure my coming back to Cairo: for it is believed that the profession of the faith cannot remain incomplete: so that by my keeping the latter half always upon my person, it would bring me back to the former half.
[374]. These, it is said, were Christian youths of Ephesus, who took refuge from the persecution of the emperor Decius in a cave, and slept there, guarded by their dog, for the space of 300 [solar] or 309 [lunar] years. (See the Kur-án, chap. xviii.)
[375]. Called “mukhallafát en-nebee.”
[376]. A shirt which is said to have been worn by the Prophet is preserved in the mosque of El-Ghóree, in Cairo. It is wrapped in a Kashmeer shawl; and not shown to any but persons of very high rank.
[377]. The “burdeh,” which is worn by some of the peasants in Egypt, is an oblong piece of thick woollen stuff, resembling the “herám,” excepting in colour, being generally brown or greyish. It appears to have been, in earlier times, always striped; but some modern burdehs are plain, and others have stripes so narrow and near together, that at a little distance the stuff appears to be of one colour. The Prophet’s is described as about seven feet and a half in length, and four and a half in width. It was used by him, as burdehs are at present, both to envelop the body by day, and as a night-covering.—I may be excused for remarking here (as it seems to be unknown to some Arabic scholars) that the terms “akhdar” and “ahmar,” which are applied by different historians to the Prophet’s burdeh, are used to signify respectively grey and brown, as well as green and red.