The Air With Which The
Governor's Slaves Affected To Be Almost Breaking Down Under The
Weight Of The Gifts Which They Bore On Their Shoulders, Reminded Me
Of The Figures One Sees In Some Of The Old Pictures.
CHAPTER XXIV - GAZA TO NABLUS
Passing now once again through Palestine and Syria I retained the
tent which I had used in the Desert, and found that it added very
much to my comfort in travelling. Instead of turning out a family
from some wretched dwelling, and depriving them of a repose which I
was sure not to find for myself, I now, when evening came, pitched
my tent upon some smiling spot within a few hundred yards of the
village to which I looked for my supplies, that is, for milk and
bread if I had it not with me, and sometimes also for eggs. The
worst of it is, that the needful viands are not to be obtained by
coin, but only by intimidation. I at first tried the usual agent,
money. Dthemetri, with one or two of my Arabs, went into the
village near which I was encamped and tried to buy the required
provisions, offering liberal payment, but he came back empty-
handed. I sent him again, but this time he held different
language. He required to see the elders of the place, and
threatening dreadful vengeance, directed them upon their
responsibility to take care that my tent should be immediately and
abundantly supplied. He was obeyed at once, and the provisions
refused to me as a purchaser soon arrived, trebled or quadrupled,
when demanded by way of a forced contribution. I quickly found (I
think it required two experiments to convince me) that this
peremptory method was the only one which could be adopted with
success. It never failed. Of course, however, when the provisions
have been actually obtained you can, if you choose, give money
exceeding the value of the provisions to SOMEBODY. An English, a
thoroughbred English, traveller will always do this (though it is
contrary to the custom of the country) for the quiet (false quiet
though it be) of his own conscience, but so to order the matter
that the poor fellows who have been forced to contribute should be
the persons to receive the value of their supplies, is not
possible. For a traveller to attempt anything so grossly just as
that would be too outrageous. The truth is, that the usage of the
East, in old times, required the people of the village, at their
own cost, to supply the wants of travellers, and the ancient custom
is now adhered to, not in favour of travellers generally, but in
favour of those who are deemed sufficiently powerful to enforce its
observance. If the villagers therefore find a man waiving this
right to oppress them, and offering coin for that which he is
entitled to take without payment, they suppose at once that he is
actuated by fear (fear of THEM, poor fellows!), and it is so
delightful to them to act upon this flattering assumption, that
they will forego the advantage of a good price for their provisions
rather than the rare luxury of refusing for once in their lives to
part with their own possessions.
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