DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4995#0088
Arab
Dinner.
50 LECTURE ON EGYPT.
himself, an operation which with a delicate well-boiled
chicken was easy enough. Now appeared the great dish
of the feast—a lamb roasted whole, which made us look
at each other for a moment, and feel rather awkward
and shy. Mahmoud Bey, an Egyptian engineer, solved
the problem, by dexterously tearing out a piece of meat
from the centre of the lamb, whereupon others laugh-
ingly followed his example and burnt their fingers but
pronounced the meat excellent. For myself, I took off
the tail, by a twist of the fingers.
Then came numerous well-cooked dishes served
with great rapidity, consisting of stuffed vegetable
marrows, mutton in several forms, spinach, rice and
tomato, rice meal, Egyptian sweet cake, and last of
all rice with sweet sauce flavoured with nutmeg.
After the cardinal difficulty of the lamb we got on
admirably with the other dishes. Dinner being con-
cluded, attendants came round again with water, and
poured it upon our hands from an antique long-spouted
silver jug. This time we were offered highly-scented
soap, and we washed our hands right well with soap
and water.
In accordance with ancient fashion, the attendants,
immediately after our dinner was finished, proceeded
to dine at the lower end of the same room, squatted
on the floor. Coffee and chibouks followed, and im-
mediately afterwards four professional dancing girls
with two native musicians were introduced. The girls
were dressed in bright silk gowns, and wore numerous
necklaces, bracelets and earrings of gold coins; one
Dinner.
50 LECTURE ON EGYPT.
himself, an operation which with a delicate well-boiled
chicken was easy enough. Now appeared the great dish
of the feast—a lamb roasted whole, which made us look
at each other for a moment, and feel rather awkward
and shy. Mahmoud Bey, an Egyptian engineer, solved
the problem, by dexterously tearing out a piece of meat
from the centre of the lamb, whereupon others laugh-
ingly followed his example and burnt their fingers but
pronounced the meat excellent. For myself, I took off
the tail, by a twist of the fingers.
Then came numerous well-cooked dishes served
with great rapidity, consisting of stuffed vegetable
marrows, mutton in several forms, spinach, rice and
tomato, rice meal, Egyptian sweet cake, and last of
all rice with sweet sauce flavoured with nutmeg.
After the cardinal difficulty of the lamb we got on
admirably with the other dishes. Dinner being con-
cluded, attendants came round again with water, and
poured it upon our hands from an antique long-spouted
silver jug. This time we were offered highly-scented
soap, and we washed our hands right well with soap
and water.
In accordance with ancient fashion, the attendants,
immediately after our dinner was finished, proceeded
to dine at the lower end of the same room, squatted
on the floor. Coffee and chibouks followed, and im-
mediately afterwards four professional dancing girls
with two native musicians were introduced. The girls
were dressed in bright silk gowns, and wore numerous
necklaces, bracelets and earrings of gold coins; one