136 BACKSHISH. 



" I will immortalize you, if you like ;" and I imme- 

 diately wrote down, at his request, that he was 

 thirty-five years old, and had been khan-gee on 

 the top of the Pindus for five years. At this he 

 seemed much pleased, not doubting, I dare say, 

 that he had given me some very important piece 

 of information. 



At this khan was a sort of captain of gen- 

 darmerie, who told us he and his men were sta- 

 tioned there to look after the cleftis, or thieves. 

 Our bouyourdi stated we were to have six men 

 as a guard, if we required them, and this captain 

 wanted to insist upon our taking two men with us. 

 Our servant, however, who knew the country, 

 advised us not to take them, as he suspected it 

 was only an attempt to get backshish out of us ; 

 so we declined the honour of a guard. Backshish, 

 it must be remembered, is a word which very soon 

 becomes familiar to the ear of every one who tra- 

 vels in the East. It means a something to be given 

 by the traveller to somebody, but whether for any 

 services performed by the receiver or not, seems 

 in general quite immaterial. If you hire post- 

 horses, the post-master expects backshish ; if you 

 pay a visit to a pasha, or other person of conse- 



