CEREMONIES. 



393 



to a late hour, and thus passed away the earliest 

 and the noisiest day of the 'Id. 



The second and the third days are diluted 

 copies of the first ; visits are exchanged between 

 all acquaintances, and the Prince holds levees in 

 full Darbar. Here the sons of Sawid Said and 

 their blood relations occupy one side of the long 

 bare hall, opposite them are the high officials and 

 interpreters, whilst the honoured guests sit by 

 the ruler at the Sadr, or top of the room, and 

 fronting them, near the door, stand the eunuchs 

 and the slaves. On leaving, as on entering, the 

 stranger shakes hands with the whole family 

 according to seniority, and he is accompanied by 

 the Prince either a few paces or to the doorway, 

 the steps, in fact, being carefully proportioned to 

 his rank. 



There is little peculiarity in the religious cere- 

 monies of the Zanzibar Arab. An Azan (call to 

 prayer) is repeated in the ear of the new-born 

 babe, and on the Arba'in (40th day) the mother 

 and infant are bathed, and become pure — until 

 then the husband will not sit by his wife's side. 

 On this occasion the head of the male child is 

 shaved, as usual amongst Moslems. Marriage is 

 expensive, seldom costing the respectable man 

 less than $500; all the food provided for he 



