154 Fortitude under Misfortunes. the following anecdote, as it will also tend to show the great risks to which merchants are exposed in traversing this country, and Sahafa, or the Great Desert. A Fas merchant (with whom I had considerable transactions) went, with all his property, on a commercial speculation from Fas to Timbu ctoo; and after remaining at the latter place a sufficient time to dispose o f and barter his effects for gold dust and gum Soudan, he set out on his return to Fas; after passing the Desert, he began to congratulate himself on his good fortune and great success, when suddenly a party o f Arabs attacked the (cafila) caravan, and plundered a ll who belonged to it, leaving the Fas merchant destitute o f e v e ry thing but the clothes he had on his back. During the interregnum, between the death o f the Sultan Y e z z id and the proclamation o f the present Sultan Soliman, this man was plundered again on his way to Mogodor, whither he was going to discharge some debts, and to dispose o f gum and other Soudanic produce. Four wives and a numerous family o f children rendered his case peculiarly distressing; y e t, when condoling w ith him a few days after his misfortunes had happened, he v e r y patiently observed (Ash men doua, A lla h b ra ; u la illah , ila A llah ) , W h a t remedy is there? God w illed it so, and there is none but God. This man afterwards collected together what merchandize he could procure on credit, and proceeded again to Timbuctoo, where he realized much property, and trave lling therewith through Wangara and Houssa to Egypt, he was plundered a third time o f a ll he possessed, near Cairo, and reduced to the greatest distress: this last misfortune he bore with the same fortitude as the former. He is now, however, one o f the principal merchants established at Timbuctoo. T h e Moors are equal b y birth ; the y know no difference o f rank except such as is derived from official employments,* on resigning which the in dividual mixes again with the common class o f citizen s ; the meanest man in the nation may thus aspire, without presumption, to the hand o f the daughter o f the most opulent, and accident, or the caprice o f the prince, may precipitate the latter into misery, and elevate the former to prosperity and honour. - T h e Moors are, for the most part, more cleanly in their persons, than in their garments. T h e y wash their hands before e ve ry meal, which, as they use no knives or forks, they eat with their fingers: h a lf a dozen persons sit round a large bowl o f cuscasoe°and, after the usual ejaculation (Bismillah) “ In the name o f G od !” each person puts his hand to the bowl, and taking up the food, throws it, b y a dexterous je rk , into his mouth,, without suffering his fingers to touch the bps. However repugnant this may be to our ideas o f cleanliness, y e t the hand, being always washed, and never touching the mouth in the act o f eating, these people are b y no means so dirty as Europeans have sometimes hastily imagined. T h e y have no chairs or tables in their houses, but sit cross-legged on carpets and cu sh ion s ; and at meals, the dish or b ow l o f provisions, is placed on the floor. T h e y have an excellent dish, which they * Persons bearing the name of Mohammed, which is generally given to the first male child born in marriage, are always addressed by the title of Seedy, which answers to Signor, or Monsieur ; even, the Emperor himself observes thrs t o w a r d s t h e meanest subject that may happen to appear before h.m ; when the name is Achmet, Aly, Said, Kossem, &c. this honourable distinction rs observed or not, according to the situation and character of the person addressed. The Jews however, whatever their condition, must address every Mooselmm w.th the term Seedy, or incur the danger of being knocked dow n; while, on the other band, the lowest Mooselmin would consider it a degradation to address a Jew ot the highest rank or respectability by this title.
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