n6 BIRD-HUNTING 



appearance, but a rotund tub of a man, with a flabby 

 face — just the man you would expect to see from 

 his way of life. He takes no exercise, but spends 

 the whole day smoking cigarettes and drinking raki. 

 He is a Mussulman, and I heard had lately married 

 a second wife, who is extremely jealous, and will not 

 allow him to spend any time with his first wife. As 

 this second wife has a separate establishment the 

 poor man is kept busy running about, and dare not 

 sit up late at night for fear of a scolding. This, 

 of course, was only servants' gossip, which came 

 to our ears through Marco ; for, needless to say, 

 nothing was seen or heard of any of his womenfolk. 

 This was my first visit to a Mohammedan house, 



and I found it rather awkward, for though B 



had coached me beforehand in the various points of 

 etiquette to be observed, I constantly forgot at the 

 critical moment what to do. I couldn't even get 

 any hints from watching him, for being a stranger I 

 was, in a way, the chief guest, and was always 

 served first. It was decidedly embarrassing, for 

 instance, to be presented by an obsequious man- 

 servant with a large brass tray on which were 

 mysterious pots and glasses and spoons. What to 

 do with them I couldn't think. What I did do I don't 

 exactly remember now, but I am perfectly sure it 

 was not what I ought to have done, and what I 

 learned to do later, viz. to take a spoon from a 



