Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846Richardson, James
History
Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846
Richardson, James
Sahara -- Description and travel
All people enjoy their festival or carnival, to-day. They follow the
reckoning of Tripoli, but as the people saw the moon a day sooner there,
a day of fasting is here saved. It is so fortunate not to see the moon
too soon. The appointed Ramadan is twenty-nine or thirty days; ours is
twenty-nine. However, rigid Moslems did not begin to eat to-day till
noon, after the morning prayers, so delicately scrupulous are they. My
taleb agrees with me, that the Arabs, who usually only eat in the
evening, and don't smoke, experience but little inconvenience from the
fast. Nothing particular took place to-day's âyed, except every one being
dressed in his best clothes, and most of the youth having on something
_new_. It is the same with the Jews of Mogador on the feast of Passover.
The Sanctuaries hoist the holy colours of their religion, beautiful
vermilion, and yellow, and green; these are their holiest and most-loved
colours. The slaves danced and sang all day long. I was present during
the closing scene at night, which was curious. After their continuous and
laborious dancing, they all suddenly stopped as if struck with paralysis,
offered a prayer to Allah, and dispersed. Did not go out till evening,
for if I had gone out at all in the day-time I must have dressed up, and
I did not wish to appear a Guy Fawkes amongst the people, or excite their
curiosity or prejudices on the day of a solemn festival. The Rais asked
why I did not come in the morning, for this was a grand receiving-day,
when all his particular friends and the heads of the people paid him
visits. On telling him, he approved my reason, and said, "You, Yâcob,
have _compass yaiser_ (plenty of wit)."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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