dish  is  unsavoury,  neither  are  several  others  of  their
national  dishes — as,  for  instance,  "  Rfiva,"  a  sort  of
cake. with  dates.  During  the  first  days  of  my  stay,
on  the  contrary,  I  liked  them  very  much.  But  it  is
very  trying  to  have  to  live  on  them  solely  for  months,
and  I  was  glad  to  fall  back  upon  milk  and  a  few
boxes  of  meat  extract  I  had  brought.  I  have  men-
tioned the  details  of  their  cookery  because  I  have
found  nothing  about  it  in  other  books,  and  think  an
insight  into  their  household  very  interesting.
The  meals  are  not  partaken  of  by  the  whole
family  as  with  us.  The  Bedouin  sits  in  his  tent  on
the  mat ;  the  sons  and  his  guests,  even  those  of  a
lower  position,  sit  down  with  him,  and  his  wife  and
daughters  wait  upon  him.  The  use  of  knives  and
forks  they  do  not  know  yet,  and  everybody  takes  his
share  from  the  dish  with  his  hands,  while  the  women
look  on  and  wait.  Only  when  all  the  men  have
done,  may  the  women  eat  what  remains.  If  water  is
at  hand,  the  Arabs  wash  their  hands  and  mouth
carefully  before  and  after  meals.  But  where  is  water
to  be  found  in  the  Sahara  ?  Sometimes  I  was  unable
to  wash  myself  for  days,  and  the  Arabs  when  they
wander  through  the  desert  fare  even  worse.
THE  COAST  TOWNS  OF  THE  SAHEL.        271


CHAPTER    X.
THE   COAST   TOWNS    OF    THE   SAHEL.
