There seemed, however, to be one difficulty in the way
of this being carried on with efficiency. The Christian gentleman
could not speak English himself. He knew of it perhaps something
more than did the Arab, but by no means enough to enable us to have
a fluent conversation.
And had the interpreter--who turned out to be an Italian from
Trieste, attached to the Austrian Consulate at Alexandria--had the
interpreter spoken English with the greatest ease, I should have had
considerable difficulty in understanding and digesting in all its
bearings, the proposition made to me. But before I proceed to the
proposition, I must describe a ceremony which took place previous to
its discussion. I had hardly observed, when first the procession
entered the room, that one of my friend's followers--my friend's
name, as I learned afterwards, was Mahmoud al Ackbar, and I will
therefore call him Mahmoud--that one of Mahmoud's followers bore in
his arms a bundle of long sticks, and that another carried an iron
pot and a tray. Such was the case, and these two followers came
forward to perform their services, while I, having been literally
pressed down on to the sofa by Mahmoud, watched them in their
progress. Mahmoud also sat down, and not a word was spoken while
the ceremony went on. The man with the sticks first placed on the
ground two little pans--one at my feet, and then one at the feet of
his master. After that he loosed an ornamented bag which he carried
round his neck, and producing from it tobacco, proceeded to fill two
pipes.
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