EATING
15
EATING
(Odi/ss. xiv, 446 sq.). We ai'e assured that this is I custom, by no means agreeablo to a European, to still practised in China, and that many in India never which, however, I would willinglj' have endeavored to eat out of the same dish, nor on the same table with submit, but it was impossible to learn it in the short another person, believing they cannot do so without ■ compass of twenty daj's' visit. There are set on the sin, and this not only in their own country, but when \ table, in the evening, two or three messes of stewed travelling and u\ foreign lands. This is also the case meat, vegetables, and sour milk. To me tlie privilege ■with the Brahmins and various castes in India, who , of a knife, and spoon, and plate was granted; but the will not even use a vessel after a European, though he rest all helped themselves immediately from the dish, may only have drank from it water recently drawn in which it was no luicommon thing to see more than
out of a well. The same strictness is observed by the more scrupulous among the Mohammedans, and in- stances have been known of every plate, and dish, and cup th.at had been used by Christian guests being bro- ken immediatel}' after their departure. The ancient manners which we see in Homer we see likewise in Scripture, with regard to eating, drinking, and enter- tainments. There was great plenty, but little deli- cacy ; great respect and honor paid to the guests by serving them plentifulh'. Joseph sent his brother Benjamin a portion five times larger than those of his other brethren. Samuel set a wh(de quarter of a calf before Saul (1 Sam. ix, 24). The women did not ap- pear at table in entertainments with the men ; this would have been an indecency, as it is at this day throughout the East. See Banquet.
The Hebrews anciently sat at table, but afterwards imitated the Persians and Chaldreans, who reclined on table-beds or divans while eating. (See Gier, Be vett. Ehr. ratione cwnandi, Lips. 1639). This mode of re- clining at meals was couimon in the East, and also among the Greeks and Romans. Under the Koman emperors the couches were sometimes made semicir- cular. See AccuBATiox. At the present day, in the E:ist, the custom is to sit or recline upon the floor at meat, and at other times on cushions. Manj' of the Arabs use no knife, fork, spoon, or plate in eating their
five Arab fingers at one time. Their bread, which is extremely thin, tearing and folding up like a sheet of paper, is used for the purpose of rolling together a large mouthful, or sopping up the fluid and vegetables. But the practice which was most revolting to me was this : when the master of the house found in the dish any dainty morsel, he took it out with his fingers and' ap- plied it to my mouth. Tiiis was true Sj'rian courtesy and hospitality, and had I been sufficiently well-bred, my mouth would have opened to receive it. On my pointing to ni}' plate, however, he had the goodness to deposit the choice morsel there" (^Researches, p. 21(t). Niebuhr's account is as follows (Descrip. of Arabia, p. 52). "The tabic of the Orientals is arranged ac- cording to their mode of living. As they always sit upon the floor, a large cloth is spread out in the mid- dle of the room upon the floor, in order that the bits and crumbs may not be lost, or the carpets soiled. (On journeys, especially in the deserts, tlie place of this cloth is supplied by a round piece of leather, which the traveller carries with him, Travels, ii, 372.) Upon this cloth is placed a small stool, which serves as a support for a large round tray of tinned cojjper ; on this the food is served up in various small dishes of copper, well tinned within and without. Among the better class of Arabs, one finds, instead of napkins, a long cloth, which extends to all who sit at table, and
victuals (these being used only by foreigners, and that which they lay upon their laps. Where this is want as a special privilege); thej' dip their hands into the ing, each one takes, instead of a na]ikin, his own hand- milk which is placed before them in a wooden bowl, I kerchief, or rather small towel, whicli he always car- ries with him to wipe liimself ^1- with after washing. Knives
and forks are not used. The Tuiks sometimes have spoons of wood or horn. The Arabs are so accustomed to use the hand instead of a spoon, that they can do without a spoon even when eating bread and milk prepared in the usual manner. Other kinds of foo<^1, such as we commonly eat with a spoon, I do not remember to have seen. It is, indeed, at first, very unpleasant to a European, just arrived in the East, to eat with people who help themselves to the food out of the common dish with their fingers ; but this is easi- ly got over, after one has be- come acquainted with their mode of life. As the Moliam- medans are required, by their religion, very often to wash themselves, it is therefore even on this account prol)able that Dr. Russell | their cooks prepare their food witli as much clean- thrust their liness as those of Europe. The Jlohammedans are even obliged to keep their nails cut so short tliat no im- purity can collect under them; for they believe their prayers would be without any effect if there should be the least impurity upon any part of the l)ody. And since, now, before eating, tliey alwaj'S wash themselves ilj- habits, in the house in which I lived at Deir el 1 carefully, and generalh' too with soap, it comes at Kamr (not far from Beyrout), forciblj^ reminded me j length to seem of less consequence whether they help of Scripture scenes. The absence of the females at themselves from the dish with clean fingers or with a our meals has already been noticed. There is another j fork. Among the sheiks of the desert, who require at