A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

334 TURKISH DINNER.
my mouth. This, you know, is the ne plus ultra
of Eastern hospitality and courtesy, and woe be-
tide the reputation of the guest who ventures
to reject it ! When the ragouts had been des-
patched they fell upon the lamb, and here I
really thought that a knife and fork 7niist be
resorted to ; but not at all ! Seid
Husseyn com-
menced the attack by pinching off a small por-
tion of meat, and putting it into my mouth ; and
every body helped themselves in the same man-
ner, until the poor lamb looked as if it had been
worried by dogs or gnawed by rats. A large
dish of pilaf replaced the lamb, and was as speed-
ily disposed of; and then the sweets in turn
vanished, and we all rose from table :
but, during
the whole progress of the repast, no sign of the
good wane we had sent to Seid Husseyn, and
indeed no sign of anything to drink save Nile
water !
One
of the slaves then brought a large
metal basin and ewer and a piece of soap, and
poured water over the hands of each person in
turn, while another presented napkins to dry
them with. Coffee and pipes w^ere lastly intro-
duced ; and, when they were discussed, I was
conducted back to the hareem to make my
adieux to its fair inmates, and exchanged kisses
with each and all of them.