Identifier: landbookorbibli02thom (find matches)
Title: The land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Thomson, William McClure, 1806-1894
Subjects: Bible Bible
Publisher: New York, Harper
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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es in their season. The peddlers open theirpackages of tempting fabrics; the jeweler is there with histrinkets; the tailor with his ready-made garments; the shoe-maker with his stock, from rough, hairy sandals to yellowand red morocco boots; the farrier is there with his tools,nails, and flat iron shoes, and drives a prosperous businessfor a few hours; and so does the saddler, with his coarsesacks and his gayly-trimmed cloths. And thus it is with allthe arts and occupations known to this people. The noise is incessant, and at a distance sounds like thatof many waters. Every man is crying his wares at thetop of his voice, chickens cackle and squall, donkeys brayand fight, and the dogs bark. Every living thing addssomewhat to the many-toned and prodigious uproar. It isnow a miscellaneous comedy in full operation, where everyactor does his best, and is supremely gratified with his ownperformance. The people find many reasons for sustaining these anti- i:aiil)i„:ii IliMi: :,ii.i,irii(Ti
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ORIENTAL FAIR—DESCENT TO THE JORDAN. 155 quated and very curious gatherings. Every man, woman,and child has inherited the itch for trading, and, of course,all cliusses meet at this grand bourse to talk over the state ofthe markets, from the price of a cucumber to that of cotton,or of a five thousand dollar horse from the Hauran. Again,every Arab is a politician, and groups gather around theoutskirts of the crowd to discuss the doings of the alliedpowers, the last firman from the sultan, or the new taxdemanded by their own petty emeer. Descending to moreordinary matters, these fairs are great places for gossip andscandal. Friends meet friends, and exchange the news ofweddings, births, and deaths, and all the multifarious inci-dents and accidents between those grand extremes of humanlife. In a word, these fairs supply the places of many ofthe appliances of more civilized society. They are the dailynewspaper, for there is one for every day within a circuitof forty miles. They are the e

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