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An Arab Bank Holiday: the Shem-en^Nesim 123
with his master, and the marionette show, which looks like
a doll's house, that we had so often seen at the various
festivals.
Over every hedge poured fragrant flowers like roses and
honeysuckle. I was curious to see how the Egyptians, Arabs
by religion but not by race, took their pleasures. A favourite
form of amusement for a Gyppy was to sit with his coat off,
singing and drumming with his heels. The Arab groups crowd-
ing these lawns were nearly all men and boys. I thought at
first that half of them must be acrobats. For they brought
squares of carpet with them ; but it appeared that they were
merely good Mohammedans who were going to say their
prayers at the usual times. The favourite actual game of
the Egyptians was playing at sideways-leapfrog.
The Greeks were decidedly more interesting to watch, for
they were dancing their national dances as they do on Easter
Monday in the temple of Zeus Olympius at Athens, which
has arrangements for such base uses. They danced very
well, and some of their young women were extremely beauti-
ful. These girls were in their national dress, in which a fine
lawn chemisette plays a great part ; with their classic faces,
elegant figures, and spirited dancing they made a charming
contrast against the bamboo groves and trees tangled
over with bougainvilleas. The Greek men are good-looking
too, but unfortunately inclined to the shiny black clothes and
black wideawake hats dear to the hearts of plebeians all over
the world. The Greek men took their coats and waistcoats
off to dance, but they were distanced by the Levantines, who
some of them came dressed like gymnasium professionals,
while their women took their dresses off and sat in their
petticoats because they were hot. The effect of a Levantine
woman, usually adipose by the time that she is thirty, sitting
with her dress off in a public garden, letting off steam, is
simply paralysing, especially when she wears a white wreath
instead of a hat. There is no reason why any one should
feel thirsty in Egypt, for, whenever it is hot enough, there are
boys selling lemonade, boys selling oranges, boys with water
kullas balanced on their shoulders every few yards. I saw