Down this we crawled, with an antiquarian’s eagerness, our guide politely allowing us to go first. When we were well in, a voice came from behind us: “Rabbi, there’s a wolf who generally lives down here, but I don’t know if he’s in now!”
[106] I.e. by Kurds driving cattle into the building. This outrage is exceptional, but not unknown.
[107] Orientals usually attribute the Epistle to the Hebrews to St. Paul.
[108] We fear that other episodes in the career of this polite brigand are of a far darker hue. He was at least concerned in the murder of an American Missionary—the Rev. Benjamin Labaree—in 1905.
[109] Tea is considered a great luxury, and men of moderate means will actually ruin themselves by indulging in it. Not so much owing to the cost of tea as to that of the sugar, for they use about as much sugar as the tea will dissolve.
[110] Owing to Russian influence, this statement now needs some qualification as far as Urmi is concerned.
[111] It is a double church really: Mar Sergius and Mar Bacchus: these very popular saints in the East, among whose churches that at Constantinople is the most famous, were Persian martyrs of the fifth century; and the church of Mar Sergius near Urmi claims to mark the site of their martyrdom.
[112] The word has been adopted into English, as a relic, probably, of Crimean slang; and the “Ancient Society of Codgers” may claim khoja Nazr-ed-din as a member of their club. Literally, it means “eunuch” or “tutor”; but in common speech implies rather “old fellow.”
[113] Persian women have a high reputation for cleverness; a repute which is exemplified in the saying that every Moslem, to be happy, requires at least four wives. A Persian because of her wit, and a Circassian because of her beauty; an Armenian to do the cookery and housework, and a Kurdish woman to thrash, as a wholesome example to the other three.
[114] At the present price of silver about 3s. 6d.