CHAP. IV. 
MOllZOUK. 
185 
state (lied. A blow from the tail of. this reptile, which it uses like 
a whij), is much dreaded, as the natives suppose, that a person so 
struck can never be the parent of a child. One of these having 
struck my horse on the nose, I was seriously told that he would be 
incapacitated from becoming the father of a foal. 
Tobacco is very generally chewed by the women as well as the 
men ; they use the Trona or Soda with it. Smoking is rather the 
amusement of a great man than of the lower class, the mild tobacco 
being very dear, and pipes not easily procured. 
On the 28th October, during the time I was in bed, we had an- 
other grand rejoicing day, called Aid el Tagtaga, which is to welcome 
in the new year of the Hegira, 1235 years having now passed since 
the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. Mukni having 
given a couple of his cast off women to two of his slaves, one of 
whom was secretary and barber, and the other groom, we had gay 
doings in the little square before our Mosque. The first night the 
barber and secretary (who was the greatest man of the two) was 
seated in state on a carpet and mats placed on the ground, in the 
centre of the square, supported on each side by a friend, who, as well 
as himself, was covered with fine borrowed clothes, though the bride- 
groom, of course, shone most bright. He was very solemn and dignified, 
having a hghted candle and lamp placed on the ground before him. 
The men and women sung round him until near midnight, treating 
him with great respect. He held a fan in his hand, and occasion- 
ally bowed to the company. The bride was then brought from the 
castle, surrounded by a great concourse of women, who were voci- 
ferating in rapid succession, their cries of joy. She held a lighted 
candle in her hand, and had on a profusion of silver and bead orna- 
ments : she was quite black and very handsome, and had borne 
three children by the Sultan, all of whom had died. The bride- 
groom did not deign to look at her, but suffered the procession 
B B 
