him if there was any kind of food we could give him, which it would be lawful for him to eat. He only answered, "I have plenty of bread, it is sufficient for me."
The captain was very anxious on the subject, and often said, in his good-natured, bluff way, "I don't like to see a man starving while there's plenty of good food to be had;" and one day, as he was assisting himself to pea-soup, he exclaimed, "I wish you could get 'Solomon' to take some o' this soup, Miss—but I suppose it smells too much o' the pork!"
On the 23d we were off Lisbon, and as soon as I went on deck Shaayea came to me, threw himself on his knees, and caught hold of my dress, crying pitifully. I raised him up, and said, "Why is your heart trembling, Shaayea?" He looked terrified, and replied, "The sailors will kill me—they will kill me. I am afraid of them!" I said, "Tell me quietly, Shaayea, has any one hurt you?" He whispered, "I am frightened." I said, "Indeed, Shaayea, you have nothing to fear; I can protect you. Tell me what has happened." He took out his clasp-knife and opened it, and made signs as if he meant to say that he feared that the sailors would cut his throat. I said, "Put away that knife and answer me plainly, Shaayea. Did any one on this ship ever hurt you, or try to hurt you?" He said, "No—but they say dreadful words to me—they curse me!" I answered, "How do you know that they speak bad words, Shaayea? You do not understand their language. Tell me what they say." He was about to answer, but he looked cautiously round, and seeing that a sailor was near, busy at work, he would not speak, but took my pencil out of my hand, and wrote on the fly-leaf of a Hebrew and Italian grammar the Arabic letters which represent the sounds,
kind of cattle or poultry without a license. This license is never granted, till the person applying for it has been strictly examined as to his qualifications. The slaughtering of cattle is regarded as a religious performance, and requires rabbinical and traditional learning. The knife which is used is examined minutely, and whenever the slaughterer applies for a renewal of his license, he must submit his knife to inspection. The license is revocable at pleasure, either for misconduct or for any particular mistake or neglect.
