DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15173#0302
284-
AMUSING ASSEMBLY.
CHAP. XI.
" passing, after paying such duties as he has been
" pleased heretofore to accept. When your answer
" reaches us, we shall advance and act accordingly.
" We, a body of merchants, salute you !"
It will be seen that, in matters of importance,
the Asiatics can come to the point, and divest
themselves of their usual rhodomontade. When the
production was read aloud, there was a general
shout of " Barikilla!" (bravo!) and five or six
Toorkmuns, who had taken their seats near the
door, were then consulted regarding its conveyance.
One of them agreed to bring an answer on the
eighth day; the distance of the place being 60
fursukhs (240 miles). He was to have three tillas
for his trouble. When this second matter was
settled, the whole party, holding up their hands,
pronounced the blessing, and stroked down their
beards. The affairs of nations could not have en-
gaged an assembly more earnestly than this occu-
pied the present party. Such grave faces, such
surmises, such whiffing of tobacco, such disputes
about the words, such varied opinions about the
matter: one advocating a measured tone ; another
a supplicatory one ; and a third a detail of the outs
and ins of the whole matter. An intelligent man,
a Moollah, rather far advanced in life, had more
knowledge than the whole body, and the party at last
had the good sense to adopt most of" his views.
Will it be believed, after all this serio-comic scene,
these Rothschilds and Barings would not consent
to reward the Toorkmun for conveying the letter :
they would rather wait for a month than diminish
AMUSING ASSEMBLY.
CHAP. XI.
" passing, after paying such duties as he has been
" pleased heretofore to accept. When your answer
" reaches us, we shall advance and act accordingly.
" We, a body of merchants, salute you !"
It will be seen that, in matters of importance,
the Asiatics can come to the point, and divest
themselves of their usual rhodomontade. When the
production was read aloud, there was a general
shout of " Barikilla!" (bravo!) and five or six
Toorkmuns, who had taken their seats near the
door, were then consulted regarding its conveyance.
One of them agreed to bring an answer on the
eighth day; the distance of the place being 60
fursukhs (240 miles). He was to have three tillas
for his trouble. When this second matter was
settled, the whole party, holding up their hands,
pronounced the blessing, and stroked down their
beards. The affairs of nations could not have en-
gaged an assembly more earnestly than this occu-
pied the present party. Such grave faces, such
surmises, such whiffing of tobacco, such disputes
about the words, such varied opinions about the
matter: one advocating a measured tone ; another
a supplicatory one ; and a third a detail of the outs
and ins of the whole matter. An intelligent man,
a Moollah, rather far advanced in life, had more
knowledge than the whole body, and the party at last
had the good sense to adopt most of" his views.
Will it be believed, after all this serio-comic scene,
these Rothschilds and Barings would not consent
to reward the Toorkmun for conveying the letter :
they would rather wait for a month than diminish