810 Translation of the Mohit, [Oct. 



me by your aid ; pity me by your pity ; help me with your help ; look on 

 me with your look ; obtain for me my wishes and purposes ; provide for 

 my wants : facilitate my petitions with God in truth, and with man in 

 appearance, by the grace of the lord of apostles, and the favour of the 

 pious Mohammed on whom be peace in this world and in the next." 

 Some say that this prayer is to be repeated 366 times. 



Besides this you must take care not to navigate on the unfortunate 

 days of the year which are the 12 of Moharrem, 10 of Safer, 4 of Rabi- 

 ul-awal, 28 of Rabi-us-sdni, 26 of Jamazi-ul-awal, 12 of Jamdzi-sdni, 

 12 of Rajjab, 26 of Shaabdn, 24 of Ramadhdn, 8 of Shawwdl, 18 of 

 Zilkaada, 8 of Zilhija, and the last Wednesday of the year, called the 

 sharp Wednesday*. 



Take also particular care not to navigate when the moon is in the 

 Scorpion, and in the burnt days 10 , that is to say, when the moon is in the 

 constellation of Libra from the 19th degree of it till to the fourth of 

 Scorpion ; but if the moon be actually in the constellation of Scorpion 

 the evils attending it belong but to journeys on land ; and this time is, 

 on the contrary, a blessed one for voyages at sea. This is written 

 in the ephemerides of Arabic astronomers ; they have fixed for each of 

 the seven planets a day and a night of the week ; for the sun, Sunday • 

 for the moon, Monday ; for Mars, Tuesday J for Mercury, Wednesday ; 

 for Jupiter, Thursday ; for Venus, Friday ; for Saturn, Saturday. As to 

 the nights they are under the influence of planets as follows : the night 



work of some calculation to discover the precise position at any given period. 

 The Hindus still put implicit faith in these astrological absurdities, and the 

 Musalmans still imitate them in commencing no great undertaking without 

 previous determination of an auspicious moment. — Ed. 



The best account (however imperfect) hitherto given by European travellers 

 of the men of the mystic world is in Mr. Lane's most excellent work on the 

 manners and customs of the modern Egyptians. — H. 



* The greatest possible latitude prevails as to these evil days, Herklot says 

 on one authority, that there are 7 in each month, again on another, that there are 

 two, but neither agreeing with these enumerated by Sidi. The Ajdib ul 

 Makhlukat contains another list of fortunate days, giving all but unlucky Wed- 

 nesday (which Herklots however deems lucky) credit for some good quality — 

 Friday, for cutting nails ; Saturday, because any thing born on it will outlive 

 a week ; Sunday, because creation commenced thereon ; Monday for journeys j 

 Tuesday, for bathing and shaving ; — Thursday for undertakings ; — but Wednes- 

 day, black Wednesday, is fit for nothing but taking medicine I The last 

 Wednesday of Safar called d/chiri chdrshamba is esteemed the most unlucky of 

 days in the year. 



Of the months, according to the same authority the following months only are 

 unlucky, Safar and Rabi-us-sdni, all the rest are fortunate, Eajab and Ramzdn 

 being particularly so. — Ed. 



