The Bible in Spain, Vol. 2 [of 2]: Or, the Journeys, Adventures, and Imprisonments of an Englishman in an Attempt to Circulate the Scriptures in the PeninsulaBorrow, George
Religion
The Bible in Spain, Vol. 2 [of 2]: Or, the Journeys, Adventures, and Imprisonments of an Englishman in an Attempt to Circulate the Scriptures in the Peninsula
Borrow, George
Borrow, George, 1803-1881 -- Travel -- Spain; Spain -- Description and travel; Spain -- History -- 19th century
We returned to the lane by the same path by which we had come: as we were
descending it he said, “Know, my sultan, that the name of the place where
we now are, and which you say you like much, is Dar-sinah. {367a} You
will ask me why it bears that name, as you see neither house nor man,
neither Moslem, Nazarene, nor Jew, only our two selves; I will tell you,
my sultan, for who can tell you better than myself? Learn, I pray you,
that Tangier was not always what it is now, nor did it occupy always the
place which it does now. It stood yonder (pointing to the east) on those
hills above the shore, and ruins of houses are still to be seen there,
and the spot is called Old Tangier. So in the old time, as I have heard
say, this Dar-sinah was a street, whether without or within the wall
matters not, and there resided men of all trades; smiths of gold, and
silver, and iron, and tin, and artificers of all kinds. You had only to
go to the Dar-sinah if you wished for any thing wrought, and there
instantly you would find a master of the particular craft. My sultan
tells me he likes the look of Dar-sinah at the present day; truly I know
not why, especially as the _kermous_ are not yet in their ripeness, nor
fit to eat. If he likes Dar-sinah now, how would my sultan have liked it
in the old time, when it was filled with gold and silver, and iron and
tin, and was noisy with the hammers, and the masters and the cunning men?
We are now arrived at the _Chali del Bahar_. {367b} Take care, my
sultan, we tread upon bones.”
We had emerged from the Dar-sinah, and the seashore was before us; on a
sudden we found ourselves amongst a multitude of bones of all kinds of
animals, and seemingly of all dates; some being blanched with time and
exposure to sun and wind, whilst to others the flesh still partly clung;
whole carcases were here, horses, asses, and even the uncouth remains of
a camel. Gaunt dogs were busy here, growling, tearing, and gnawing;
amongst whom, unintimidated, stalked the carrion vulture, fiercely
battening and even disputing with the brutes the garbage; whilst the crow
hovered overhead, and croaked wistfully, or occasionally perched upon
some upturned rib bone. “See,” said the _mahasni_, “the _kawar_ of the
animals. My sultan has seen the _kawar_ of the Moslems and the _mearrah_
of the Jews; and he sees here the _kawar_ of the animals. All the
animals which die in Tangier by the hand of God—horse, dog, or camel—are
brought to this spot, and here they putrefy or are devoured by the birds
of the heaven or the wild creatures that prowl on the _chali_. Come, my
sultan, it is not good to remain long in this place.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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