Forbidden paths in the land of Og; . nity and aesthetic assortment. 23 II INTRODUCTIONS BY THE WAY The early dawn of Saturday witnessed a busyscene—a fitting prelude to the labors of the firstday out. The heterogeneous collection of travel-ling effects was packed and arranged with carefulcalculation as to minimum of bulk and maximumof safety. Glass goods were tenderly cared for,and an honest attempt was made not to put thehorses feed-bags in the box with the rice andcold roast. When all had been arranged satisfactorily tothe minds of the travellers, the public weigherwas called. With his old-f


Forbidden paths in the land of Og; . nity and aesthetic assortment. 23 II INTRODUCTIONS BY THE WAY The early dawn of Saturday witnessed a busyscene—a fitting prelude to the labors of the firstday out. The heterogeneous collection of travel-ling effects was packed and arranged with carefulcalculation as to minimum of bulk and maximumof safety. Glass goods were tenderly cared for,and an honest attempt was made not to put thehorses feed-bags in the box with the rice andcold roast. When all had been arranged satisfactorily tothe minds of the travellers, the public weigherwas called. With his old-fashioned steelyardsand a sturdy muleteer at each end of the pole hewent rapidly from one bundle to another, weigh-ing each one. Then by a judicious combinationof these according to weight, the loads weremade up with equity and equilibrium. Foreach muleteer is obliged by contract to carry onhis animal a maximum of sixty rattles (aboutthree hundred and fifty pounds); and, unless theservices of the weigher have been previously in- 24. Introductions by the Way voked, the ordinary muleteer easily forgets hisknack of estimating weights. The public weighernips in the bud many an incipient wordy dispute,which might develop into mild anarchy, if allowedto follow the natural course. In this country thetongue is mightier than the brain. Let us not, however, disparage the Syrianmuleteer. He is of the utmost use to the is the freight train of the land. With sur-prising ingenuity he assorts the most conglom-erate camp outfit into an exact number of loadsto correspond to the animals engaged ; twoheavy packs of equal weight are swung on thesides of each mule, and a lighter bundle is fas-tened in the middle (unless the calculating ownerpurposes to ride on the load over the long, wearystretches). And the wonder is that this is all doneby means of but two ropes^Xo a mule load! Woebetide the tourist who spendeth his shekels forrope and bindeth his bundles therewith ! It isnot needed ;


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