[98]. In Hassan’s mouth the word Arab signified Bedouins; for he would not apply that honourable name to fellahs or the dwellers in villages.
[99]. The wit-wat is the Arabic name for a kind of curlew very common in Egypt.
[100]. One of the Eastern names for the nightingale.
[101]. The word literally translated in the text “wild ox” is the bakr-el-wachsh, a very large and powerful species of antelope found in the deserts bordering on Egypt.
[102]. It is probably known to most readers that nine out of ten Arabic proper names have reference to the Deity or the religion of Islam. The name Abd-hoo, literally “His servant,” means “the servant of God.” The pronoun “He,” when standing apart from any person referred to in a sentence, always has reference to Allah.
[103]. Wrestling-matches (called musàara in Arabic and kushty in Persian) are a very favourite exercise among the populations of both countries, and at them, as at the games of cricket in England and curling in Scotland, the higher and lower classes contend on a footing of equality. A highly respected and talented British Minister at the Court of Tehran used frequently to “try a fall” with some of his own servants at a gymnasium near the mission residence. We insert this note in order to prevent our readers from supposing that our hero had degraded himself by accepting the unexpected challenge of the Darfouri.
[104]. Latif signifies courteous, polite, amiable, &c.
[105]. Lest the reader should suppose that this scene has been exaggerated or represents a state of superstition no longer existing at Cairo, it may be as well to mention that it was witnessed by the author exactly as here described in the summer of 1852.
[106]. This incident actually occurred at Cairo in 1849-50.
[107]. This incident also actually took place, though somewhat later than the period of our tale.