ever-lightening burden, till he is
confronted by another wayfarer who turns to him to quench his thirst.
As these skins are filled indiscriminately from wells and tanks, and
cleaned inside with pitch, the taste must not be expected to satisfy
all palates; but if hunger is the best sauce for food, thirst is an
equal recommendation for drink.

A few minutes' walk across a cattle-market brings us at last to the
English church, a tasteful modern construction in pure Moorish style,
and banishing the thoughts of our stroll, we join the approaching
group of fellow-worshippers, for after all it is Sunday.

XVI

PLAY-TIME

"According to thy shawl stretch thy leg."

_Moorish Proverb._

Few of us realize to what an extent our amusements, pastimes,
and recreations enter into the formation of our individual, and
consequently of our national, character. It is therefore well worth
our while to take a glance at the Moor at play, or as near play as he
ever gets. The stately father of a family must content himself, as his
years and flesh increase, with such amusements as shall not entail
exertion. By way of house game, since cards and all amusements
involving chance are strictly forbidden, chess reigns supreme, and
even draughts--with which the denizens of the coffee-house, where he
would not be seen, disport themselves--are despised by him. In Shiraz,
however, the Sheikh ul Islam, or chief religious authority, declared
himself shocked when I told him how often I had played this game with
Moorish theologians, whereupon ensued a warm discussion as to whether
it was a game of chance. At last I brought this to a satisfactory
close by remarking that as his reverence was ignorant even of the
rules of the game,--and therefore no judge, since he had imagined it
to be based on hazard,--he at least was manifestly innocent of it.

The connection between chess and Arabdom should not be forgotten,
especially as the very word with which it culminates, "checkmate," is
but a corruption of the Arabic "sheikh mat"--"chief dead." The king of
games is, however, rare on the whole, requiring too much concentration
for a weary or lazy official, or a merchant after a busy day. Their
method of playing does not materially differ from ours, but they
play draughts with very much more excitement and fun. The jocular
vituperation which follows a successful sally, and the almost
unintelligible rapidity with which the moves are made, are as novel