The Character Of The Mekkawy Resembles, In This Respect, That Of The
Bedouin; And Did Not Greediness Of Gain Often Distort Their Features,
The Smile Of Mirth Would Always Be On Their Lips.
In the streets and
bazars, in the house, and even in the mosque, the Mekkawy loves to laugh
and joke.
In dealing with each other, or in talking on grave subjects, a
proverb, a pun, or some witty allusion, is often introduced, and
produces laughter. As the Mekkawys possess, with this vivacity of
temper, much intellect, sagacity, and great suavity of manners, which
they well know how to reconcile with their innate pride, their
conversation is very agreeable; and whoever cultivates a mere
superficial acquaintance with them, seldom fails to be delighted with
their character. They are more polite towards each other, as well as
towards strangers, than the inhabitants of Syria and Egypt, and retain
something of the good-natured disposition of the Bedouins, from whom
they derive their origin. When they accost each other in
[p.201] the streets for the first time in the course of the day, the
young man kisses the elder's hand, or the inferior that of his superior
in rank, while the latter returns the salute by a kiss upon the
forehead. Individuals of equal rank and age, not of the first class,
mutually kiss each other's hands. [In shaking hands, the people of the
Hedjaz lay hold of each other's thumbs with the whole hand, pressing it,
and again opening the hand three or four times.
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