] 72 TURKISH NOTIONS 



which we had appended thereto. Of course 

 the Turk was obhged to leave his untasted meal ; 

 and no sooner had he succeeded in getting one 

 horse upon his legs than down went another, and 

 so they went the round of the whole five. Having 

 at last secured them, he returned to his bread and 

 cheese, when, to his horror and dismay, he saw a 

 dog sniffing at the same, as a preparatory motion 

 to devouring it. This, of course, contaminated it 

 in his eyes, and he was obliged to throw it away ; 

 thus, in obedience to the laws of Mahomet, re- 

 ducing his repast to half a loaf and no cheese. 



As we proceeded on our way, we again entered 

 into conversation with him, and asked him a good 

 deal about himself, his house, his wife, and his 

 family; he told us he had only one wife, for whom 

 he had paid some hundred piastres. 



'^Why have you only one wife?" we asked; 

 " the laws of Mahomet allow you to have four, if 

 you please, and as many other ladies in your harem 

 as you can afford, so why do you not get another 

 or two?" " Very true," said he, " I may have 

 more wives if I please, but one is as much as I 

 can manage; she is, in my opinion, enough for 

 any good man." " How do you mean, that you 



