Dawnings of Light in the East Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: TUMBLING OFF OUR CAMELS, AND ARAB REFLECTIONS. 23 tried this movement; my camel in descending a slight declivity rested against another one, the baggage moved on the side,, and whilst I endeavored to steady myself, the whole cargo came in a train down with me to the ground. Two of the drivers hastened to my assistance, and whilst they were blessing the day and cursing the night, in one and the same breath, T was expeditiously loaded on my groping animal, and mercilessly driven forward. Some of my fellow travellers amused themselves with my misfortune ; but before many hours passed we descended a hill, and amidst the most immoderate shouts and laughter of the drivers, three Albanians and two Arabs were measuring their full length upon the gravelly soil. They were not so fortunate as myself, for all of them were bruised and wounded, and the driver of my string added to their agonizing vexation and pain, by sarcastic cutting reflections that they were either bad Mussulmen or possessed unlawful property ; " For how can it be otherwise," remarked this philosophizing Arab, " a Gaour (Christian) falls in the darkness of night, on a bad piece of road, and is uninjured; you tumble in the bright daylight on good ground and are almost killed. Wallah, you must be illegitimate offspring." The misery of these poor people excited not a little merriment among the pedestrian part of the caravan, and had not the sheiks interfered, I believe the life-sized figures of a few Stamboulees, and Bagdadees, would have been impressed on the sand. There is no animal more irascible than an Arab. The smallest trifle will put him out of temper, and excite his rage and passion. I have frequently seen parties of these swarthy sons of Ishmael, sitting together engaged in most amicable and friendly convers...Read More