DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11789#0113
REFUSESBUCKSHEKSH.
103
then threw the money to a little boy and passed
on. But, to my great disappointment, our drago-
man soon after informed us that the old man was
not displeased that we had offered him backsheesh,
but that we had offered so little. He did not ex-
pect that three Englishmen* would have thought
of giving anything less than a pound sterling. The
truth is, the Arabs have very little idea of the rela-
tive value of money; but they know as well as any-
body the exceeding convenience of possessing it,
and. like many among more enlightened nations,
they consider it a most desirable thing to get it
with as little trouble as possible. Having these
views, without those nice ideas of dignity and honor,
which, perhaps, mere convention has made common
among us, it has been the universal habit among
these people to ask for, or, at least, to expect
money from Europeans on all occasions, and fre-
quently when there is no occasion whatever. A
somewhat remarkable illustration of this trait of
Arab character occurred when I was in Cairo. A
bright and interesting little boy had several times
attracted my attention by his sprightliness and
* Americans are very often, in those distant regions,
classed with Englishmen, doubtless from their Bpeaking
the same language.
103
then threw the money to a little boy and passed
on. But, to my great disappointment, our drago-
man soon after informed us that the old man was
not displeased that we had offered him backsheesh,
but that we had offered so little. He did not ex-
pect that three Englishmen* would have thought
of giving anything less than a pound sterling. The
truth is, the Arabs have very little idea of the rela-
tive value of money; but they know as well as any-
body the exceeding convenience of possessing it,
and. like many among more enlightened nations,
they consider it a most desirable thing to get it
with as little trouble as possible. Having these
views, without those nice ideas of dignity and honor,
which, perhaps, mere convention has made common
among us, it has been the universal habit among
these people to ask for, or, at least, to expect
money from Europeans on all occasions, and fre-
quently when there is no occasion whatever. A
somewhat remarkable illustration of this trait of
Arab character occurred when I was in Cairo. A
bright and interesting little boy had several times
attracted my attention by his sprightliness and
* Americans are very often, in those distant regions,
classed with Englishmen, doubtless from their Bpeaking
the same language.