We approach his home--a typical native dwelling; the body of the
house is raised about six feet from the ground, and is mounted
on thick pieces of stone. This allows the air to circulate freely
beneath, and prevents the entrance of snakes and insects, and is
in every way conducive to health and comfort. We mount the wide
stairway, that connects the house with the ground, and enter upon a
broad open piazza facing the street, called a cahida. The sides of
this are formed of sliding windows, composed of small square panes
of mother-of-pearl, opaque to the heat, but admitting the rays of
light. Here we are introduced to the various members of the family,
who receive us kindly and offer sugared dainties and a cigarette.
Beyond is a large room, with walls of window and with sliding
doors. Here are some chairs and a table, covered with a handsomely
embroidered cloth. Upon the walls, which are covered with cloth
instead of plaster, are various bric-a-brac, artistically arranged upon
scrolls; while several engravings of religious subjects and one or two
family portraits hang between. From the centre of the ceiling hangs
a crystal chandelier with globes of colored glass; a small oratory,
supporting the brazen image of some Saint, stands in the corner. The
broad floor-planks, daily scrubbed and polished with plantain leaves,
are as smooth and clean as a mirror.
Opening from this main room are several smaller rooms, used as
bedrooms. A narrow passage-way leads to the bath-room and to the
kitchen--in a separate building. The design of the whole domicile
seems to aim at cleanliness and coolness,--both essentials of comfort
in this hot, moist climate.
The roof is patched with nipa palm, and the outside walls of
bamboo--painted white and striped with green and blue--are covered with
grotesque carvings. This, with the broad eaves and the wide balconies,
gives the house a most picturesque appearance.
We note with gratification the many signs of family affection
around us. The father, kind and considerate; the mother, sweet and
sympathetic; the children, quiet, obedient, and well-behaved--a picture
of domestic happiness that is representative rather than exceptional.
How the Afternoon is Spent.
After tiffin, each retires to his own room to enjoy the siesta;
and thus we sleep soundly through the heavy afternoon hours.
The siesta over, we venture into the village. Through the streets
are hurrying scores of men, nearly every one with a cock under his
arm. They are going to the cock-pit. We follow, and soon we come to
our destination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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