Download Ebook - Free History Ebooks

200 Symbolism of the East and West
the pavement. As soon as the clashing noise ceased all
rose.
On the ground immediately in front of a pedestal, on
which was an idol, was a nine-wicked brass lamp of singular
form ;
this was then taken up and handed round to the
members of the congregation, each one in turn passed his
hands over the flames, and then bowing his head, seemed to
repeat a prayer.
Though, as said above, modern Spanish customs are
largely survivals of former Moorish ways, many of them
appear to have a still more Eastern affinity. Thus, for
example, the staple food of the Moors is, and has been for
many generations, a preparation of wheat called kih-kils,
consisting of flour rolled into tiny pellets, with a peculiar
motion of the hand, and then boiled (or rather steamed),
and served either with ungainly-looking lumps of boiled
mutton or with various kinds of sauces, each in its separate
sauce-boat :
some
savoury and some sweet, and some very
peppery. KTis-kiis is eaten with a spoon ;
but
the peasant
of the province of Murcia, in the South of Spain, is a rice-
grower and a rice eater, as are the natives of many parts of
the plains of India. He is ignorant of the use of knife, fork,
or spoon, and, moreover, eats his rice in the same way as the
Indian does, by working it up into a ball with his right hand,
and tossing this into his mouth with the peculiar motion
adopted by the Indian. The above facts were related in 18S4
by an officer of long service in India, who had just been
making a walking tour through that province, frequently
obtaining food and a night's lodging in peasants' houses
adding also that he found certain Indo-Persian Hindustani
—