In the Land of Mosques & Minarets

expressing them like the rest of us. Here in Mediterranean Africa he has kept his traditions alight, and the

oughout this region the influence is wholly French, whatever may be the destinies of the various political divisions. Turkey holds the custom-house arrangements, but the language spoken with the outsider is French. Egypt is garrisoned by the English, and its prosperity of to-day was, it is true, born of Lord Cromer's

of the same tongue, speech and sentiments, t

Berber, Kabyle or Nomad. The Arabs' popular literature, their tales, their legends, their proverbs and their songs, are known to be many and great by all who have studied the folk-

and uses no capitals nor punctuation. The Arab knows two forms of writing: neskhi, that belonging to the common people; and the diouani, of o

e switch, which he cuts into a point, and he has never yet heard of a steel or gold pen, nor suspected that a goose-quill would answer. For ink he burns sheep's wool, adds gum-

ormalities have a prominent place. He "begs to intimate" and "has the honour to be" all through the list, until

e also imprints a mark or cipher for a signature; otherwise he signs himself "Ali-Ben something or other, the poor-devil-of-a-sheep-herder-in-the-mountains-of-t

ribed as vague. If he is ill, he goes to a doctor, perhaps even a French one, if he lives near the towns, but immediately the practitioner begins interrogating him he as

ok," or "Old Farmer's Almanac," containing

of another, "Will you

know you,"

hat I ask," said the see

t our own comic almanacs and Sunday sup

classic, and he has perverted or perhaps si

ater that flo

y roof is

ouse is a Ho

own similar sayings are not improvements. Chief among Arab tales and proverbs are tho

he march has its Tusitala or teller of tales, as do the South Sea Island communities. Tales, legends, traditions, fables and even accounts of travel make up the

tied to a tree in a half-hidden spot, found it gone when he went to look for it after finishing his day's work. Two robbers-just plain horse-thi

wood-chopper, "and where

years ago I insulted my parents

stonished, knew not

lways," said the thieving r

; you are free," the wo

dare claim him, or rather he could not make his claim good, so he tweaked the mule's ears and shouted at him: "So

d proverb makers is that of the farmer and

s, introduced himself and said that half the world bel

"which half? That which is above

n't be put off with the roots. That what he wanted was that which grew above ground. On the day of the harvest the

med that which was below ground-and got it. The Arab

the European legend of St. Crepin and the Devil, which the peasant of Mid-France tells regularly to his family twice each year, once at the sowing

height. It is simply a piercing, dismal wail, and since it is invariably produced by in

n's effort, however, whether he hails

appearance and value of penny whist

s itself in musical expression, but if so the Afr

Bedouin Arab, accompanied

bian M

ampment, or from behind a sand-dune of the desert, it is suggestive of an exotic mystery. But when one comes actually to face "La musique Arabe," one calls it simply idioti

There may be a whole battery of accompanying musical instruments, or there may be only a supporting pipe or flute. The pipe may be played alone, but the bendir never. These two instruments

diterranean tourists on the terrace of Shepheard's Hotel at Cairo is nothing Arab at all. On the other hand, the "Marche Hamidiè," which one hears at Ta

followers of marriage and funeral processions, there is a repetition of the same dre

ertain formal notation which is seemingly to

ute

and again more pipes or flutes, smaller in size; and a gambri and perhaps a mejoued, the latter practically imitations of European mandolines and violas. With these

IR D'A

ometimes soft; but never melodio

k to attempt to explain. The following anecdote of the late Bey of Tunis, wh

ht European slaves, brought to them by pirate ships cruising in the Mediterranean. One of these unfortunate captives, brought

id the Bey. "I always

e were no instruments, and to his Majesty he explained that he must have a big drum, seve

you want," was the answer of the Bey. An

s?" queried the p

will give you

a leader, in despair, "do

and if in a month they cannot play an air b

renchman-a simple air, "Maman, les p'tits bateaux-qui vont sur l'eau-ont-ils des jambes?" But his efforts only plunged him in a deeper despair. One of the flute-players managed to repeat more or less accurately four or five measures, but the violinists c

ready?"

began the trem

was the imper

er, when they seemed to have reached some semblance of unison, the leader gave the signal to commence, and the dusky orchestra attacked "Les p'tits ba

solo on the big drum. The Bey kept silence for a minu

Majesty, slowly, "but I

. The leader of the orchestra began to breathe again. And from that time he gave conce

y be likened to that which accompanied the dancers of the King of Cambodia. This, at any rate,

o the houses of the rich and dance for the edification of their employers and their guests, like the entertainers, the "lady-whistlers" and unsuccessful opera

which indeed they are not, any more than are they houris. A musician of questionable talent usually accompanies these street dancers, and picks out a monotonous minor twang to which

bout them and their dress that makes for a suggestion of another world; and if they are immoral it is because the strangers who have come among them have made them so. "It wasn't so before the white man