DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4372#0366
350
cian at Patmos. He had taken him into his house a year before ;
and he assured me that in four days the boy learned the Arabic
alphabet, pronounced the single words, spelt, and read with
fluency. This precocity of genius soon comes to maturity, and
dies away at an early age; and it is no uncommon thing for a
docile and clever boy to become both stupid and obstinate at
five-and-twenty. The amiable days of orientals are old age, or
childhood. They soon forget the innocence of youth, and are
very late before they come to years of discretion. They have
all an extraordinary aptitude to commercial pursuits, the simple
principles of which they imbibe at a very early time of life.
The preference of the useful to the agreeable is very generally
prevalent.
The English trade between Egypt and India was in so flourish-
ing a state between twenty and thirty years ago, that immense
fortunes were made by all who were concerned in it; so that it
was a common expression, that Paras were not then known in
Egypt. Nothing was to be seen but gold. The house of a
certain Capis was the greatest gainer by it. This man was the
chief of the Syrian merchants, and had in his hands almost the
monopoly of Egyptian exports, particularly coffee, saltpetre,
senna, and natron. He was receiver-general of the customs
for the whole country ; and successively banker to Mohammed
Bey Abou Dahab and to Murad P>ey. Having amassed a very
large sum, he contrived that a disturbance should take place in
the custom-house at Damietta, in order that he might be sent
thither to quell it*. When there, he obtained permission to go
on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and immediately embarked for
* This ancedote is the exact counterpart of one related by Herodotus, of Hippias,
governor of Miletus; who brought about a revolt in the seat of his government, that
Darius might send him from his court.
Cyprus,
cian at Patmos. He had taken him into his house a year before ;
and he assured me that in four days the boy learned the Arabic
alphabet, pronounced the single words, spelt, and read with
fluency. This precocity of genius soon comes to maturity, and
dies away at an early age; and it is no uncommon thing for a
docile and clever boy to become both stupid and obstinate at
five-and-twenty. The amiable days of orientals are old age, or
childhood. They soon forget the innocence of youth, and are
very late before they come to years of discretion. They have
all an extraordinary aptitude to commercial pursuits, the simple
principles of which they imbibe at a very early time of life.
The preference of the useful to the agreeable is very generally
prevalent.
The English trade between Egypt and India was in so flourish-
ing a state between twenty and thirty years ago, that immense
fortunes were made by all who were concerned in it; so that it
was a common expression, that Paras were not then known in
Egypt. Nothing was to be seen but gold. The house of a
certain Capis was the greatest gainer by it. This man was the
chief of the Syrian merchants, and had in his hands almost the
monopoly of Egyptian exports, particularly coffee, saltpetre,
senna, and natron. He was receiver-general of the customs
for the whole country ; and successively banker to Mohammed
Bey Abou Dahab and to Murad P>ey. Having amassed a very
large sum, he contrived that a disturbance should take place in
the custom-house at Damietta, in order that he might be sent
thither to quell it*. When there, he obtained permission to go
on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and immediately embarked for
* This ancedote is the exact counterpart of one related by Herodotus, of Hippias,
governor of Miletus; who brought about a revolt in the seat of his government, that
Darius might send him from his court.
Cyprus,