第120章

[216]A lawyer of the eighth century，one of the chief pupils of the Imam Abu Hanifah，and Kazi of Baghdad under the third，fourth and fifth Abbasides.The tale is told in the quasi-historical-Persian work 'Nigaristan' （The Picture gallery），and is repeated by Richardson，Diss.7，xiii.None seem to have remarked that the distinguished legist，Abu Yusuf，was on this occasion a law-breaker； the Kazi's duty being to carry out the code not to break it by the tricks of a cunning attorney.In Harun's day，however，some regard was paid to justice，not under his successors，one of whom，Al-Muktadir bi 'llah （A.H.295=907），made the damsel Yamika President of the Diwan al-Mazalim （Court of the Wronged），a tribunal which took cognizance of tyranny and oppression in high places.

[217]Here the writer evidently forgets that Shahrazad is telling the story to the king，as Boccaccio （ii.7） forgets that Pamfilo is speaking.Such inconsequences are common in Eastern story-books and a goody-goody sentiment is always heartily received as in an English theatre.

[218]In the Mac.Edit.（ii.182） 'Al-Kushayri.' Al-Kasri was Governor of the two Iraks （I.e.Bassorah and Cufa） in the reign of Al-Hisham，tenth Ommiade （A.D.723-741）

[219]Arab.'Thakalata k Ummak！' This is not so much a curse as a playful phrase，like 'Confound the fellow.' So 'Katala k Allah'

（Allah slay thee） and 'La aba lak' （thou hast no father or mother）.

These words are even complimentary on occasions，as a good shot or a fine recitation，meaning that the praised far excels the rest of his tribe.

[220]Koran，iii.178.

[221]Arab.'Al-Nisab'=the minimum sum （about half-a crown） for which mutilation of the hand is prescribed by religious law.The punishment was truly barbarous，it chastised a rogue by means which prevented hard honest labour for the rest of his life.

[222]To show her grief.

[223]Abu Sa'id Abd al-Malik bin Kurayb，surnamed Al-Asma'i from his grandfather，flor.A.H.122-306 （=739-830） and wrote amongst a host of compositions the well-known Romance of Antar.See in D'Herbelot the right royal-directions given to him by Harun al-Rashid.

[224]There are many accounts of his death，but it is generally held that he was first beheaded.The story in the text is also variously told and the Persian 'Nigaristan' adds some unpleasant comments upon the House of Abbas.The Persians，for reasons which will be explained in the terminal-Essay，show the greatest sympathy with the Barmecides； and abominate the Abbasides even more than the latter detested the Ommiades.

[225]Not written，as the European reader would suppose.

[226]Arab.'Ful al-harr' = beans like horsebeans soaked and boiled as opposed to the 'Ful Mudammas' （esp.of Egypt）=unshelled beans steamed and boiled all night and eaten with linseed oil as 'kitchen' or relish.Lane （M.E.，chaps.v.） calls them after the debased Cairene pronunciation，Mudemmes.A legend says that，before the days of Pharaoh （always he of Moses），the Egyptians lived on pistachios which made them a witty，lively race.But the tyrant remarking that the domestic ass，which eats beans，is degenerate from the wild ass，uprooted the pistachio-trees and compelled the lieges to feed on beans which made them a heavy，gross，cowardly people fit only for burdens.Badawis deride 'beaneaters' although they do not loathe the pulse like onions.The principal-result of a bean diet is an extraordinary development of flatulence both in stomach and intestines： hence possibly，Pythagoras who had studied ceremonial-purity in Egypt，forbade the use，unless he referred to venery or political-business.I was once sitting in the Greek quarter of Cairo dressed as a Moslem when arose a prodigious hubbub of lads and boys，surrounding，a couple of Fellahs.These men had been working in the fields about a mile east of Cairo and，when returning home，one had said to the other，'If thou wilt carry the hoes I will break wind once for every step we take.' He was as good as his word and when they were to part he cried，'And now for thy bakhshish！' which consisted of a volley of fifty，greatly to the delight of the boys.

[227]No porcelain was ever，as far as we can discover，made in Egypt or Syria of the olden day； but，as has been said，there was a regular caravan-intercourse with China At Damascus I dug into the huge rubbish-heaps and found quantities of pottery，but no China.

The same has lately been done at Clysma，the artificial-mound near Suez，and the glass and pottery prove it to have been a Roman work which defended the mouth of the old classical-sweet-water canal.

[228]Arab.'La baas ba-zalik，' conversational-for 'La jaram'=there is no harm in it，no objection to it，and，sometimes，'it is a matter of course.'

[229]A white emerald is yet unknown； but this adds only to the Oriental-extravagance of the picture.I do not think with Lane （ii.426） that 'abyaz' here can mean 'bright.' Dr.Steingass suggests a clerical-error for 'khazar' （green）.

[230]Arab.'Shararif' plur.of Shurrafah=crenelles or battlements； mostly trefoil-shaped； remparts coquets which a six-pounder would crumble.

[231]Pronounce Abul-Muzaffar=Father of the Conqueror.

[232]I have explained the word in my 'Zanzibar，City，Island and Coast，' vol.i.chaps.v There is still a tribe，the Wadoe，reputed cannibal-on the opposite low East African shore These blacks would hardly be held ' sons of Adam.' 'Zanj ' corrupted to 'Zinj ' （plur Zunuj） is the Persian 'Zany' or 'Zangi，' a black，altered by the Arabs，who ignore the hard g； and，with the suffixion of the Persian -bar （region，as in Malabar） we have Zang-bar which the Arabs have converted to 'Zanjibar，' in poetry 'Murk al-Zunuj'=Land of the Zang.The term is old； it is the Zingis or Zingisa of Ptolemy and the Zingium of Cosmas Indicopleustes； and it shows the influence of Persian navigation in pre-Islamitic ages.

For further details readers will consult 'The Lake Regions of Central-Africa' vol.i.chaps.ii [233]Arab.'Kawarib' plur.of 'Karib' prop.a dinghy，a small boat belonging to a ship Here it refers to the canoe （a Carib word）