[151]Des gens parvenues, as the French express it; or upstarts.
[152]The good, or benediction.
[153]At this time I received from Marocco a caravan of many camel loads of beeswax, in serrons containing 200 lbs. each; I sent for workmen to place them one upon another, and they demanded one dollar per serron for so moving them.
[154]M’drob is an idiom in the Arabic language somewhat difficult to render into English; it is well known that the Mohammedans are predestinarians, and that they believe in the existence of spirits, devils, &c. their idea of the plague is, that it is a good or blessing sent from God to clear the world of a superfluous population—that no medicine or precaution can cure or prevent it; that every one who is to be a victim to it is (mktube) recorded in the Book of Fate; that there are certain Genii who preside over the fate of men, and who sometimes discover themselves in various forms, having often legs similar to those of fowls; that these Genii are armed with arrows: that when a person is attacked by the plague, which is called in Arabic l’amer, or the destiny or decree, he is shot by one of these Genii, and the sensation of the invisible wound is similar to that from a musquet-ball; hence the universal application of M’drob to a person afflicted with the plague, i.e. he is shot; and if he die, ufah ameruh, his destiny is completed or terminated (in this world). I scarcely ever yet saw the Mooselmin who did not affirm that he had at some time of his life seen these Genii, and they often appear, they say, in rivers.
[155]Late British Consul in Egypt.
[156]A sanctuary a mile south-east of the town of Mogodor, from whence the town receives its name.
[157]Mr. Baldwin observed, that whilst the plague ravaged Egypt, the dealers in oil were not affected with the epidemy, and he accordingly recommended people to anoint themselves with oil every day as a remedy.
[158]In Arabic, el murd el kabeer, or el murd En’sâh.
[159]See [page 138.]
[160]I mention this, from its being the popular, and generally received opinion of the natives only; the case of my servant would, indeed, seem to favour such an opinion, but his cure was probably owing to other causes.