Chapter XXV: “The garrison was divided into two companies” (Selìm

loquitur). Ahmed Pasha sent some troops under the command of two colonels into the streets. They soon applied to him for instructions, under the impossibility of keeping the peace without resorting to violence. He ordered them in writing to fire upon the people. One of the colonels in command of the _regulars_ obeyed his order and dispersed the mob, proving thus that the evil might have been checked. The other colonel, who had charge of the _irregulars_, was won over by a Mussulman sheikh, who adjured him in the name of the Prophet and their common religion to join them and clear the holy city of Damascus of infidels. He went over to the insurgents with his troops. (Skene, as above.) For further particulars of the massacre, _see_ Skene, already quoted, Churchill: _Druzes and Maronites_, and _Ten Years in Mount Lebanon_, and the newspapers of the latter half of 1860.

GLOSSARY OF ARAB EXPRESSIONS AND NAMES OF PLACES

_Abd_ = A servant, a slave, much used with an epithet of the Deity in
the formation of proper names, as Abdullah, the servant of God; Abdul
Cader, the servant of the Powerful, and so forth.

_Abu_ = Father of. A man assumes his son’s name with this prefix as an
honourable title, letting his own name be almost forgotten.

_Afrìt_ = A devil, a jinni (pl. afærìt).

_Ayûb_ = Job.

_Bara_ = Para. }
_Basha_ = Pasha.} The Arabs have no letter “P” and cannot
pronounce it.

_Bedelíeh askerieh_ = Tax in lieu of military service, levied on
unbelievers.

_Cabil_ = Cain.

_Caimmacàm_ = A local governor, inferior to the provincial governor
(Wâly or Mutesarrif) and appointed by him.

_Damashe-ush-Shâm_ (or simply Es-Shâm) = Damascus. Shâm in this name
is generally taken to mean “Left” in contrast with “Yemen” meaning
“Right.” But it has more likely to do with Shem (Ar. Shâm); Syria is
called Es-Shâm or Birr-ush-Shâm.

_Daûd_ = David.

_Dejìl_ = Antichrist.

_Dìn_ = Religion, faith—_e. g._, dìn Muhammed = El Islâm.

_Durzi_ = A Druze (pl. Drûz).

_Ebn_ = Son—_e. g._, ebn Ali = the son of Ali.

_Effendi_ = A title of respect given generally to Mahometans.

_El Ajem_ = Persia.

_Eljizar_ = Algiers or Algeria (often confused with Eljezireh =
Mesopotamia).

_El Khalìl_ = An epithet of the patriarch Abraham appropriate to his
city of Hebron.

_Emìr_ = Prince, an hereditary and purely Arab title of nobility,
having nothing to do with the Turkish gamut of dignities which, like
the Russian, are purely official. It is given, for instance, to all
the kindred of the Prophet, in addition to the epithet Sherìf (=
honourable, holy).

_Fellah_ = A husbandman, a peasant (pl. fellahìn).

_Fulân_ = An imaginary person (_cp._ Span. Don Fulano) as we say Mr.
So-and-so.

_Habil_ = Abel.

_Haleb_ = Aleppo, surnamed the White (Esh-Shahbah).

_In sh’Allah_ = (lit., if God will) I hope.

_Isa_ = Jesus (Mahometan).

_Iskendería_ = Alexandria.

_Istanbûl_ = Constantinople.

_Jebel Târic_ = Gibraltar.

_Jinni_ = A geni, a fallen angel dwelling on earth and sharing with
man the chance of salvation (pl. jin or jân).

_Kâfir_ = Infidel, heathen.

_Khawaja_ = A title of respect given exclusively to unbelievers.

_Kibleh_ = The point towards which the face is turned at prayers (for
Jews, Jerusalem, for Mahometans, Mecca).

_Lûndra_ = London.

_Marûni_ = A Maronite (pl. Mowarni).

_Masr_ = Egypt.

_Ma sh’ Allah_ = (What does God wish!) the commonest exclamation of
surprise.

_Mehkemeh_ = A court of law presided over by the Cadi.

_Miriam_ = Mary.

_Mufti_ = A religious judge in every city.

_Mûsa_ = Moses.

_Muslim_ = A Mahometan (pl. Muslimûn).

_Mutesarrif_ = A governor of a province, less than a Wâly in dignity,
but, like a Wâly, dependent directly on the Sultàn.

_Nabuli_ = Naples.

_Neby_ = Prophet.

_Nûh_ = Noah.

_Oäh_ = A cry equivalent to “Look out!”

_Rûm_ = Greece.

_Sheykh_ = An old man; hence (age implying precedence) a chief, the
headman of a tribe, a village, or indeed of any community.

_Suleyman_ = Solomon.

_Tarabulus_ = Tripoli (Tarabulus-Esh-Shâm, Tripoli of Syria; not
Tarabulus el Gharb, Tripoli in Barbary).

_The Chief of Mountains_ (Jebel-ush-Sheikh) = Mount Hermon.

_The City of Peace_ (Medinat us Salam) = Baghdad.

_The Mountain_ (El Jebel) = Lebanon.

_The Sunset-Land_ (El Maghrib, el Gharb) = The north coast of Africa
west or Egypt: The Barbary States.

_Wâly_ = The governor-general of a province, appointed directly by
the Sultàn (or at least from Constantinople) and for a period of
five years.

_Wilayet_ = The province governed by a Wâly.

_Yafez_ = Japheth.

_Y Allah!_ = (O God) the commonest of all exclamations, meaning
whatever you please, oftenest with a sense of “Make haste!” or
“Forward!”

_Yesua_ = Jesus (Christian).