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coarse food, the traveller can place little reliance on this for his
accommodation or subsistence.
I t has been remarked, that the people of Egypt are never
truly gay, yet they are by no means without their festivities. The
view of a ball at Ned Sili will give a ju st idea of their mode of
dancing, and instruments of music; and the fair at Kafir Raduan
is curious, as a delineation of their manners on such occasions.
These fairs are commonly held once a year, and continue a month.
As the savoyard in Europe, so here the native of Yemen travels
about with the docile ape of his country, taught to exhibit a thousand
antics for the amusement of the populace, and to gain a livelihood
for his master.
The coffee-houses of the city, where the mussulman, squatting
in silence on the floor on his mat, slowly inhales the fume of tobacco
through his long pipe, or sups a simple decoction of pounded
coffee without milk or sugar, would be dull indeed, were they not
occasionally enlivened by different amusements. Among these
the itinerant orator holds a distinguished place. Some poor scholar
usually visits them at stated hours, reciting sometimes thé illustrious
deeds of Antar, an arabian hero, who lived before Mohammed,
of Rustam Zaul, the persian, or of Bibars, king of Egypt:
and sometimes the comical adventures of Bahluldahn, the buffoon
of the celebrated khalif Haroun al Rashid, in which excellent morals
are often pointedly inculcated. The skilful orator walks
about as he recites, suiting his action in a lively manner to his
discourse; and occasionally delivers tales or fables of his own composition.
When he has finished, he collects his remuneration