"These," She Observed, "Are The Ten Thousand
Dollars Paid In Private, But Which The Sultan Could Not Refuse Me In
Public."
Another character whom we visited, was the distinguished Rabbi,
Coriante.
The priest entertained us with dissertations upon various
subjects. First of slavery. "It is unlawful to steal blacks, the Mosaic
law denouncing such theft with the punishment of death. Nevertheless, if
the Jews of this country had the power, they would enslave the
Mussulman, and well castigate them."
This latter remark, Coriante uttered with an emphasis, denoting the
revenge which his countrymen would inflict upon their Mahometan
oppressors, who had kept them in chains for a series of ages. He
remarked, however, that the Sultan might give way on the question of
negro slavery, after the first shock to his prejudices.
The Rabbi treated us with wine, but one of us, moved by curiosity,
having touched the bottle, he remarked to his daughter in an under-tone;
"It's all gone," (the rest of the wine is spoiled). Among these
extremely superstitious Barbary rabbies, it is a pollution to their wine
if a Christian touch even the bottle containing the juice of the grape,
and they will not drink it afterwards.
We asked the reason of his not being able to drink, and found it was,
first, because women work in the vineyards, and the second, because the
Pope pronounces his blessing upon the vintage. After these Jews have
eaten meat, they are obliged to wait some time before they can eat
butter, or drink milk; in fact, their superstitions are numberless.
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