564 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



60 to 70 dollars, to wait in the house. But he might 

 have the daughter of his paternal uncle for 50 dollars, 

 which was cheap. It must be understood that the pre 

 ference for marriage between cousins which exists also 

 in Egypt has here the character of a binding custom. A 

 father cannot refuse his daughter to his brother s son, 

 although another suitor offer a much higher dowry, 

 unless the cousin is of weak intellect or notoriously of 

 bad character. The cousin, if rejected for a richer 

 suitor, can step in even at the last moment and stop 

 the wedding. In return for this moderate dowry, Salim s 

 uncle would have to furnish the house of the young 

 couple the furniture being then the property of the 

 wife. But the old Mohtesib, who could spend 100 

 dollars on a concubine for himself, will not find 50 dollars 

 for his son, and bids him go and make money, and save 

 up enough to pay the dowry himself. In this Salim has 

 not been very successful. A year ago he had a small 

 post as Mukharrij that is, he had charge of the local 

 Government transport service. At present he is employed 

 by his father, and earns nothing. I was somewhat 

 struck with the great difference in dress between father 

 and sons. The former appeared as a substantial citizen. 

 Salim, in a coarse white tob, an old waistcoat, and rough 

 abaye, looked almost like a peasant. Aly served us 

 in a white tob, a waistcoat, and a great red handkerchief 

 for turban. The tob in each case was scrupulously clean, 

 and this was the only sign that the wearers were not of 

 the poorest class. 



The Mohtesib had seen a good deal of public service. 

 Previous to his appointment at Taif, which was but of 

 two years date, he had spent seven years in Yemen 

 with the Turkish Pasha in a post connected with the supply 

 service. He had lost money at this work, but he was 

 very unwilling to return to Taif, where he had left his 

 wife and family, and after the failure of urgent messages, 

 Salim had gone in person to Kanfuda and fetched him 



