sentence which the others repeated in chorus, usually nonsense rhyme suggested by some passing occurrence, often taken up with much merriment. Perhaps my husband and I passed through the court. They would sing something of this kind: "Here's the howajah (gentleman) tallest of the tall.” While the others took this up he would have time to prepare his rhyme "And here is my lady, daughter of the small. Where are they going? They are going to the town. If the leader's imagination ran dry he would fill up intervals with ascriptions of praise to God. The beating of the pestles kept time with the chanting. Now and then some phrase, which attracted them, would be repeated over and over again, faster and faster, the beating louder and louder the preliminary to a sudden halt, when all would throw themselves back upon the ground and visibly relax, until, with equal suddenness, the leader would again take up his pestle and break out anew into a chant. We learn from Sir Charles Wilson (The City and the Land, p. 43) that in 1872 there were only two European owners of agricultural property in Palestine. Since then Germans, and later Jews and, to some extent, Russians, have bought and cultivated land on a large scale. In the case of the Jews there was formerly a theory that they were a people not adapted for agriculture, as the catastrophes of the settlements so liberally planted in Judaea and Galilee by the Rothschilds would appear to warrant. In el Bukia, in Galilee, however, for many generations they have cultivated their share of village possessions conjointly with the fellaheen, but these were probably oriental Jews uncontaminated by European charity. Difficulties have had to be overcome in Palestine as elsewhere, but there have been many advantages unknown to the occidental farmer, no buildings to keep up, no gates, no hedges, no fear of rain in harvest, no stacking. Labour, till of late, was well paid at six or seven shillings a week for men, women and boys were employed wherever possible at a lower rate still. The lime-stone soil required little feeding, the ashes of burnt wood and the deposits of the creatures that roamed over the land sufficed; grass was practically unknown, and hay unheard of. The corn was put in when the ground was moist from the winter rain, and the abundant dews did the rest. Draught animals were fed with tibn or chopped straw, mixed with corn, and oil cake from the sesame seed was a precious supplementary food. Horses for farm purposes could be had till within a few years for £8—£10; mules were somewhat dearer; asses cost £3-£8; and camels from £8-£20. Sheep were reckoned a high-class animal, and cost from 12/- to £1, but goats were much cheaper. 66 Cows have always been at a disadvantage. In a country without grass, deep uddered kine are not even thinkable. The references to cattle in the Old Testament are concerned with ploughing, treading out the corn, wearing the yoke, with carrying of burdens, with calves that leap, bulls that gore, heifers that are sacrificed, oxen that are stalled, but even in a land that is said in some mysterious way to have "flowed with milk," nowhere with the friendly cow. CHAPTER X ABOUT COFFEE AND COFFEE CUSTOMS Coffee is the drink of God's people.-ABD EL Katr. Coffee essential to visits. Varieties. Coffee incidents. In the desert. Story of Jiha. Etiquette of coffee. Story-telling. "Turkish coffee." Disapproved of in politics and religion. Eulogy of coffee. Sacredness of coffee. How made. Coffee services. Accessories of coffee-shop. Games. Kayf. Narghileh. The rosary. THE first essential of every visit paid in the East is the cup of coffee. In the town, in the village, even among the bedu, unless they have been so long removed from centres of civilisation as to be without provision of the necessary materials, the cup of coffee is offered to the guest on arrival. It is often found in most perfection in village or in desert camp, for there it is probably roasted as well as pounded after your welcome, whereas in the town it is possibly bought, ready ground, from the coffeemerchants, or even sent for, ready brewed, from the coffee-shop. The last is inevitably the case when one drinks coffee while shopping, or doing business of any kind. In this case, however good it may be otherwise, it lacks the last of the three esssentials which are looked for by the connoisseur, "sweet as love, black as night, and hot as hell." The natives have an idea that kahweh murr, the sugarless bitter coffee which is what the real coffee-amateur prefers, is not adapted to any but the indigenous palate, and we have often found it quite a bid for friendship to assert what is, in fact, our genuine preference, for coffee made as the people themselves drink it. In this case, however, only a very small quantity is handed and always with the remark, "May bitterness be far from you." When passing back the cup after drinking coffee of either kind, one says, daimi, that is, " always," meaning "May we always have coffee under conditions as pleasant as now." If, however, one is making a visit of condolence, it is proper to say, on returning the cup," May God show mercy to him," that is, to the deceased person. The reply of the host is, "May your life by God's mercy continue." 66 A friend described to us an interesting and characteristic coffee incident. He was being entertained, with a fellow traveller, in the guest chamber of a certain village, for every village possesses a place of entertainment for the passing guest. They had remarked that the men collected there were remarkably quiet, and that one man had no turban on, a very unusual occurrence, for the man uncovered dishonoureth his head, except of course, when he is a mere imitation of European strangers. It was privately explained that this man, a stranger, had been robbed the night before, and that a man in the village, of evil reputation, was suspected. The victim had referred the matter to the village elders. Presently coffee was prepared, and full cups of sweet coffee were given to the visitors who, as foreigners, would, it was to be supposed, prefer it sweet. Bitter coffee, in minute quantities, was handed to the other guests, except to the man suspected, to whom an overflowing cup was presented. This was the last insult conceivable, and, indignant, he flew out of the room. A fight followed, his house was searched, and the lost goods discovered, among others the missing turban. Association with those of more civilised and less courteous nations has robbed the townspeople of much of the gracious and interesting coffee etiquette, as well as, to a great extent, of their good manners in other respects. It is only in places more remote from towns that one finds the old customs still preserved. In a desert tent or round a camp fire, the first cup is poured out on the ground for Shech Shadli, or Shazli, who lived in the thirteenth century, and was the founder of coffee hospitality, as well as of a religious sect, and is also remembered as the author of a well known prayer for those who go down to the sea in ships. The second cup is drunk by the host in proof of good faith, and then the cups are handed to the guests in turn, honour being paid to age even when those of more wealth or consequence, but of fewer years, are present. It is proper to show humility by passing on the cup given to you to your neighbour. If you offer it to an enemy it shows readiness to be reconciled. A story is told to show that Shech Shadli protects his coffee drinkers. On one occasion a cup of coffee was offered to a certain guest, who, in accordance with etiquette, passed it on to his neighbour, who was his elder perhaps, or in any case one to whom he wished to show respect. He, not to be outdone in politeness, again passed it on, and so throughout the circle until it came back into the hands of the host, who-again according to |