impatiently for my appearance, greeting me with the words, "Ana dakhaliek!" He appeared to me to be a very good Hebrew scholar. He had several printed books and MSS. with him, and sometimes, at my request, he translated passages from the Hebrew Pentateuch into Arabic literally. Thus the time passed pleasantly. We did not leave the port of Alexandria till the 10th, for the Demetrius had, on the 7th, been struck by the Meander, a French steamer. Our figure-head and largest anchor were carried away, and the mainmast was snapped in two. The upper half fell on to the quarter-deck, where I was sitting alone. It came down as steadily as the funnels of the steamers do, when they stoop to pass under the London bridges, and so slowly that I had time to watch it and move out of its way. The collision was very violent; the head of the Demetrius was lifted up on to the Meander, and lodged there for about twenty minutes, causing great agitation and alarm, and a running to and fro on the decks of both the steamers. The mate said, "The Meander has hurt herself almost as much as she has hurt us, Miss!" The case was amicably arbitrated, the necessary repairs were quickly made, and the Demetrius proceeded on her way.
We reached Malta on the 14th, and passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on the 21st. I had seen the Mediterranean sometimes smooth and blue under a burning sun, and at other times plowed into deep dark furrows, which seemed as if they would swallow us up.
I observed that Rabbi Shaayea was by this time looking ill and weak. I think that the food which he took was not sufficient. He had brought provisions with him, for he could not eat food prepared by Christians, and he had nothing but bread and Aleppo conserves, lemons, coffee, and tobacco. I tried to induce him to kill a fowl and cook it himself, but he said that he could not do so, because he had not a properly-prepared slaughtering-knife.[1] I asked
- ↑ The slaying of food is a very important matter among the Jews, and it is under the immediate superintendence of the Chief Rabbi. No Jew may kill any
