DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0166
HOLY LAND, AND CYPRUS. 133
satisfied, tilL he had stood up in the boat, and cast his eyes
to the west. To the unfortunate labourer this fast is terrible;
man}r deaths are occasioned by it: to the rich man, however,
it is nothing; he sleeps away the day, revels during the night,
and thus may laugh at his prophet.
It was late Avhen I arrived at the vessel that was to take
me to Jaffa. There was no preparation, as I had been led to
expect. The rice bags were piled up in uneven heaps; my
presence excited great surprise, and some alarm to a number
of passengers, who were leaving Egypt from necessity or from
business. .Amongst the former was a sheik of the religion,
whose revenues were much curtailed by the new regulations
of the Pasha; and, therefore, many of its priests were in-
duced to seek a livelihood by emigration. The sheik, or
imam, above mentioned, had his family, consisting of his
wife, two young children, one of eight years old, the other
at the breast; an old female servant, and the wife's brother.
He seemed.to neglect them all: employed in counting his
beads he paid little attention to what was passing, and
evinced no anxiety about departure. He was quiet, which
to him was luxury; and, 1 believe, had not my provisions
been at hand to supply the wants of his family, they would
have starved: there was no ceremony used in asking for any
thing they wanted; I had sufficient to be bountiful. " Taweel
omrek," " Long life to you," was ample recompence.
satisfied, tilL he had stood up in the boat, and cast his eyes
to the west. To the unfortunate labourer this fast is terrible;
man}r deaths are occasioned by it: to the rich man, however,
it is nothing; he sleeps away the day, revels during the night,
and thus may laugh at his prophet.
It was late Avhen I arrived at the vessel that was to take
me to Jaffa. There was no preparation, as I had been led to
expect. The rice bags were piled up in uneven heaps; my
presence excited great surprise, and some alarm to a number
of passengers, who were leaving Egypt from necessity or from
business. .Amongst the former was a sheik of the religion,
whose revenues were much curtailed by the new regulations
of the Pasha; and, therefore, many of its priests were in-
duced to seek a livelihood by emigration. The sheik, or
imam, above mentioned, had his family, consisting of his
wife, two young children, one of eight years old, the other
at the breast; an old female servant, and the wife's brother.
He seemed.to neglect them all: employed in counting his
beads he paid little attention to what was passing, and
evinced no anxiety about departure. He was quiet, which
to him was luxury; and, 1 believe, had not my provisions
been at hand to supply the wants of his family, they would
have starved: there was no ceremony used in asking for any
thing they wanted; I had sufficient to be bountiful. " Taweel
omrek," " Long life to you," was ample recompence.