The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia; recollections of a sojourn with the khalifa of Matmata; . ey both looked so veryserious that I feared something had gone wrong;but Hamed, observing my puzzled expression,wliispered to me that Mansur had come to inviteme to the wedding feast. After I had returned Mansurs greeting, we bothsat down, he on the bed crossdegged, I on a chair,while Hamed showed some tact by placing himselfbehind me to serve as interpreter, for Mansurunderstood little French. After an interchange of compliments, wliicli wereindubitably sincere on either side, Mansur came tothe po
The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia; recollections of a sojourn with the khalifa of Matmata; . ey both looked so veryserious that I feared something had gone wrong;but Hamed, observing my puzzled expression,wliispered to me that Mansur had come to inviteme to the wedding feast. After I had returned Mansurs greeting, we bothsat down, he on the bed crossdegged, I on a chair,while Hamed showed some tact by placing himselfbehind me to serve as interpreter, for Mansurunderstood little French. After an interchange of compliments, wliicli wereindubitably sincere on either side, Mansur came tothe point. His father, the Khalifa, had desiredhim to say, that if 1 woidd go to Hadeij and bepresent at the last great feast on the fifth day, hewould regard it as a proof of my friendship forhim and for the Matmata ; that I should be treated 116 FROM GABES TO EL HAMMA 117 as a l)rotlicr, and if I would remain there many,many years I should be welcome. Mansur came again the following day to see me ;with him and Hamed I visited the villacfes of Jaraand Menzel, where I intended making purchases for. AT GABES. our National Museum, and therefore required theirhelp. In the great Sok (market-place) 1 bought agri-cultural implements, hoes and spades,—which weremade under my eye,—one of the primitive ploughsand its harness of plaited esparto grass ; and, lastly,a collection of garments. Consequently there was ii8 CAVE DWELLERS much noise und lively quarrelling, though it did notreach quite the same pitch as recently in Lasheish. In the afternoon I took a carriage with theBritish A^ice-Consul Galleja and his l)rother, CesareGalleja, two exceedingly obliging men, and drove tothe villaoe of Menzel, as I wished to ol)tain somereliable information from an Arab there, about themarriage customs of the country. On our return we met the Khalifa of Gabes, whotold us he was also invited to the wedding at Hadeij,but had been obliged to refuse as he could not leaveGabes, General Allegro being absent
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisheretcetc, bookyear189
