[58]. It has before been mentioned that at this game it is forbidden to aim at the head; but, moreover, in order to explain the expressions of Delì Pasha, it must be mentioned that, according to the rules of the game, every “bout” consists of two charges, in which each alternately advances and retreats. It is then considered over, and cannot be continued unless a regular challenge be given for another “bout.”
[59]. “A cup of coffee” is a very common phrase in Egypt for expressing the word “poison,” for which a cup of coffee is a frequent medium.
[60]. This peculiarity in Mohammed Ali’s character is historically true. He was hasty and severe, often unjust, in his punishments; but there was a fund of generosity in his heart, a reaction followed, and he frequently elevated to the highest posts those whom he had previously degraded.
[61]. An Eastern image proverbial among lovers.
[62]. It may not be amiss to mention that “Amina” is not only a genuine Arabic woman’s name, signifying “trusty,” “faithful,” &c., &c., but is also in high estimation, having been the name of the mother of Mohammed. The root of the word amin (true) is one of the original primitives of the Arabic and Hebrew languages: it was the “verily, verily” so often employed by our Saviour in His threats and warnings, and is still familiar to all in the “amen” (“so be it,” or “may it be true”) which terminates the greater portion of the prayers offered up in Christendom.
[63]. Kaf, a lofty and inaccessible mountain, celebrated in Eastern romance and mythology.
[64]. The last two lines are from a well-known Arabic love-song.
[65]. I.e., “treasurer of a very small treasure.”
[66]. These and other verses occasionally scattered through this tale are translations from Arabic scraps of poetry and love-songs popular in Egypt. The reader must not suppose that the interview related between the father and daughter is intended to represent the ordinary relations of domestic life in Egypt; on the contrary, it is an exceptional picture, exhibiting the fondness of an eccentric and warm-hearted father for an only child. It is scarcely necessary to say that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, marriages in the East are arranged by the parents and relatives without the slightest reference to the inclinations of the bride.
[67]. Treasurer.