ORIENTAL ENCOUNTERS***
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Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Million Book Project. See http://www.archive.org/details/OrientalEncounters
+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's note: | | | | Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been | | preserved. Inconsistent spellings of Arabic terms have been | | preserved. | | | | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected in this | | text. For a complete list, please see the end of this | | document. | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------+
ORIENTAL ENCOUNTERS
Palestine And Syria (1894-5-6)
by
MARMADUKE PICKTHALL
London: 48 Pall Mall W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. Glasgow Melbourne Auckland Copyright 1918
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE.
INTRODUCTION 1
I. RASHÎD THE FAIR 11
II. A MOUNTAIN GARRISON 20
III. THE RHINOCEROS WHIP 28
IV. THE COURTEOUS JUDGE 36
V. NAWÂDIR 45
VI. NAWÂDIR (_continued_) 54
VII. THE SACK WHICH CLANKED 68
VIII. POLICE WORK 77
IX. MY COUNTRYMAN 87
X. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS 96
XI. THE KNIGHT ERRANT 106
XII. THE FANATIC 117
XIII. RASHÎD'S REVENGE 125
XIV. THE HANGING DOG 134
XV. TIGERS 142
XVI. PRIDE AND A FALL 151
XVII. TRAGEDY 161
XVIII. BASTIRMA 171
XIX. THE ARTIST-DRAGOMAN 181
XX. LOVE AND THE PATRIARCH 188
XXI. THE UNPOPULAR LANDOWNER 198
XXII. THE CAÏMMACÂM 209
XXIII. CONCERNING BRIBES 218
XXIV. THE BATTLEFIELD 226
XXV. MURDERERS 237
XXVI. THE TREES ON THE LAND 245
XXVII. BUYING A HOUSE 255
XXVIII. A DISAPPOINTMENT 264
XXIX. CONCERNING CRIME AND PUNISHMENT 273
XXX. THE UNWALLED VINEYARD 282
XXXI. THE ATHEIST 291
XXXII. THE SELLING OF OUR GUN 302
XXXIII. MY BENEFACTOR 311
INTRODUCTION
Early in the year 1894 I was a candidate for one of two vacancies in the Consular Service for Turkey, Persia, and the Levant, but failed to gain the necessary place in the competitive examination. I was in despair. All my hopes for months had been turned towards sunny countries and old civilisations, away from the drab monotone of London fog, which seemed a nightmare when the prospect of escape eluded me. I was eighteen years old, and, having failed in one or two adventures, I thought myself an all-round failure, and was much depressed. I dreamed of Eastern sunshine, palm trees, camels, desert sand, as of a Paradise which I had lost by my shortcomings. What was my rapture when my mother one fine day suggested that it might be good for me to travel in the East, because my longing for it seemed to indicate a natural instinct, with which she herself, possessing Eastern memories, was in full sympathy!