[145]. Arab. “Muhárabah” lit. = doing battle; but is sometimes used in the sense of gainsaying or disobeying.
[146]. Arab. “Duwámah” (from “duwám” = vertigo, giddiness) also applied to a boy’s whip-top.
[147]. Arab. “Khayr o (wa) Áfiyah,” a popular phrase much used in salutations, &c.
[148]. Another instance, and true to life, of the democracy of despotism in which the express and combined will of the people is the only absolute law. Hence Russian autocracy is forced into repeated wars for the possession of Constantinople which, in the present condition of the Empire, would be an unmitigated evil to her and would be only too glad to see a Principality of Byzantium placed under the united protection of the European Powers. I have treated of this in my paper on the “Partition of Turkey,” which first appeared, headed the “Future of Turkey,” in the Daily Telegraph, of March 7, 1880, and subsequently by its own name in the Manchester Examiner, January 3, 1881. The main reason why the project is not carried out appears to be that the “politicals” would thereby find their occupation gone and they naturally object to losing so fine a field of action. So Turkey still plays the rôle of the pretty young lady being courted by a rabble of valets.
[149]. Good Moslems are bound to abate such scandals; and in a case of the kind even neighbours are expected to complain before the Chief of Police. This practice forms “Vigilance Committees” all over the Mahommedan East: and we may take a leaf out of their books if dynamite-outrages continue.
[150]. But a Hadis, attributed to Mohammed, says, “The Prince of a people is their servant.” See Matth. xx. 26–27.
[151]. Easterns are well aware of the value of this drug which has become the base of so many of our modern medicines.
[152]. The strangest poison is mentioned by Sonnini who, as a rule, is a trustworthy writer. Noticing the malignity of Egyptian women he declares (p. 628, English trans.) that they prepare a draught containing a quant. suff. of menstruous discharge at certain phases of the moon, which produces symptoms of scurvy; the gums decay, the teeth, beard and hair fall off, the body dries, the limbs lose strength and death follows within a year. He also asserts that no counterpoison is known and if this be true he confers a boon upon the Locustæ and Brinvilliers of modern Europe. In Morocco “Ta’am” is the vulgar name for a mixture of dead men’s bones, eyes, hair and similar ingredients made by old wives and supposed to cause a wasting disease for which the pharmacopœia has no cure. Dogs are killed by needles cunningly inserted into meat-balls; and this process is known throughout the Moslem world.
[153]. Which contained the Palace.