stew, he bent forward so as to bring his beard close to it, and then diving in his hand scooped up between his two fore fingers and thumb a good quantity of the rice or what else it might be, chucking it into his mouth without wasting a bit or drop of what he had taken up. When I tried to do this, I always failed miserably, scattering half of it about in trying to carry it to my mouth, and letting a good quantity run down my sleeve, so that at last I thought it best to content myself with the more solid parts of the feast.

H. But did the Persians put every thing into their mouths in this way, at once from the dishes?

U. O. No. When they took something from one of the drier or more solid dishes; or else picked up elsewhere a bit too large for one mouthful, then they put it upon their cake of bread, and tearing it into convenient mouthfuls, dipped their fingers into such dishes of sauce or melted butter as pleased them, letting the rich stuff drop from their fingers upon their meat till it was sauced to their liking.

J. Well, I never!-What a filthy way that is, is'nt it, Uncle?

U. O. Rather, certainly. But I had become so much accustomed to things of this sort that I did not much mind them, and was not shocked by them so much as you are. Habit and necessity make us suffer and do many things, the thought of which shocks those who never travelled. Many a good fowl have I torn up with my hands, and was glad to have it to tear; my hand has been in many a dish of rice with the hands of two or three other persons; and very often have I been delighted to get a draught of water from a dirty puddle in the road.

H. I think that if the Persians dip their fingers so much into dishes and sauces, they must need to wipe them often.

U. O. So they do. They wipe them in their cake, which serves the treble use of plate, towel, and bread.

F. Bread! Do they eat it then after using it as a towel and plate?

U. O. Yes: they break off bits of it, in the course of the meal, to eat.

J. Oh me!

H. I suppose, Sir, you got a good dinner after all, then?

U. O. Yes, I did. I had some complaint

indeed with the sweets and sours which they put in most of their dishes; but upon the whole I fared very well. Our host indeed thought himself bound to pay us particular attention, which he shewed rather unpleasantly, by taking up large handfuls of the favourite dishes and transferring them to our hands or to our cakes of bread. Sometimes he tore off by main force some nice piece of bird or lamb, and thus favoured us with it. This is considered a great mark of politeness, although we would willingly have done without it.

With this exception in our favour, every one minded his own business, without noticing his neighbours. Each man seemed to feel that he had a serious and important duty to perform, and certainly every one performed it well. A Persian feast is very quickly over, for every one eats as if for his life, or as if afraid that the dish he should be engaged upon, should be taken away before he has done with it. There was perhaps some cause for this fear; for I have always observed in the East, even at English tables there, that the servants have an extraordinary readiness to whip away your dish or plate, when any little matter takes your attention from

it for a moment. It is dangerous to turn your head to answer or ask a question, when you have a choice dish or morsel before you.

One thing that struck me very much, was the great silence which prevailed at this and all other Persian entertainments, at which I was present. There was no rattle of plates, knives and forks-for there were none to rattle; there was no drinking of healths, for there was no wine or glasses; the servants moving about on their soft carpet, without shoes on their feet, made no noise; and scarcely a word was spoken by any one, except by our host in his kind attention to ourselves. This was pleasant.

When a person had finished eating, he held his greasy right hand supported over his left arm, until others had done, when the servants came round again with their jugs and basons for the guests to wash their hands. The dishes were then removed in a trice; and after we had smoked another kaleon and taken another cup of coffee, we took our leaves of the khan and returned home, very much gratified by the information concerning the manners and customs of the Persians, which this visit had given to

us.

191

CHAPTER X.

MOHAMMEDANISM. -ALI AND HOSSEIN.*

Uncle Oliver. I think it will be best not to speak at large about the Mohammedan religion, till we come to Arabia. I suppose you already know something about this religion?

Henry. Something; but not much.

Frank. They worship Mahomet, don't they? Jane. Who is Mahomet?

U. O. Mohammed is the right way to pronounce his name. He was a man of Arabia, who lived about twelve hundred years ago. The Arabians were then idolaters; but there were many Christians and Jews living in the country. Mohammed declared the religion of his country to be false and abominable, and as

* In this chapter the terms Mohammedanism, Islam, and Moslem Faith, signify the religion which sprung from Mohammed, without distinguishing the sects: Soonee and Sheah are the names of two principal sects: the names Mohammedan, Moslem, Mussulman, express generally a believer in the religion of Mohammed, without distinction of sects.