Real Carpets Or Mattrasses Are Seldom Seen, Unless It Be Upon
The Arrival Of Strangers Of Consequence.
Their goat's hair sacks, and
horse and camel equipments, are of the same kind as those used by the
Bedouins, and are known by the same names.
Each family has a large
earthen jar, of the manufacture of Rasheiat el Fukhar, which is filled
every morning by the females, from the Birket or spring, with water for
the day's consumption. In every house there is a room for the reception
of strangers, called from this circumstance Medhafe; it is usually that
in which the male part of the family sleeps; in the midst of it is a
fire place to boil coffee.
The most common dishes of these people are Burgoul and Keshk; in summer
they supply the place of the latter by milk, Leben, and fresh butter. Of
the Burgoul I have spoken on other occasions; there are two kinds of
Keshk, Keshk-hammer and Keskh-leben; the first is prepared by putting
leaven into the Burgoul, and pouring water over it; it is then left
until almost putrid, and afterwards spread out in the sun, to dry; after
which it is pounded, and when called for, served up mixed with oil, or
butter. The Keskh-leben is prepared by putting Leben into the Burgoul,
instead of leaven; in other respects the process is the same. Keskh and
bread are the common breakfast, and towards sunset a plate of Burgoul,
or some Arab dish, forms the dinner; in honour of strangers, it is usual
to serve up at breakfast melted butter and bread, or fried eggs, and in
the evening a fowl boiled in Burgoul, or a kid or lamb; but this does
not very often happen. The women and children eat up whatever the men
have left on
[p.294] their plates. The women dress in the Bedouin manner; they have a
veil over the head, but seldom veil their faces.
Hospitality to strangers is another characteristic common to the Arabs,
and to the people of Haouran. A traveller may alight at any house he
pleases; a mat will be immediately spread for him, coffee made, and a
breakfast or dinner set before him. In entering a village it has often
happened to me, that several persons presented themselves, each begging
that I would lodge at his house; and this hospitality is not confined to
the traveller himself, his horse or his camel is also fed, the first
with half or three quarters of a Moud[The Moud is about nineteen pounds
English.] of barley, the second with straw; with this part of their
hospitality, however, I had often reason to be dissatisfied, less than a
Moud being insufficient upon a journey for a horse, which is fed only in
the evening, according to the custom of these countries. As it would be
considered an affront to buy any corn, the horse must remain ill-fed,
unless the traveller has the precaution to carry a little barley in his
saddle-bag, to make up the deficiency in the host's allowance.
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