style="font-size:15px;"> "There can be little doubt that it is," the Doctor answered, "as the customs of the country have changed very little from Bible times to our own. It was just such a place as this where our Saviour was born, and the trough or manger where he was cradled was like any one of the feeding-troughs in this caravansary."
While they were looking at the rooms and other parts of the caravansary, the khanjy, or keeper, came forward and asked what they wanted. The guide explained that they were strangers who wished to see the place, and he accompanied the explanation with a small backsheesh. The khanjy said they might remain as long as they liked; but they had seen all there was of interest about the place, and soon withdrew.
Soon after leaving the khan they entered the cloth bazaar, where the shops were principally filled with cloths of different kinds. The merchants endeavored to attract their attention, and the runners were at times so troublesome that the Doctor instructed the guide to say that they had not come there to buy, but simply to look around. He took the opportunity to tell the boys that the word bazaar is Persian, and means "a collection of shops," while the Arabic word of the same meaning is sook. "We thus have," said he, "the 'Sook el Hamzowee,' the 'Sook el Attarin' (drug bazaar), the 'Sook-es-Soudan' (bazaar for Soudan products), and many others whose character we shall learn by-and-by."
"We are now," said the guide, "in the 'Sook el Hamzowee,' or cloth market, though a more literal translation would make it 'the market of the Christians.' The merchants here are all Christians, either Syrians or Copts, and they close their places on Sunday. Many of the cloths here are of European manufacture, and the merchants are just as keen as their Moslem competitors in demanding exorbitant prices for their wares. The man you see running up and down with a roll of cloth on his head is a dallal, or auctioneer; he is shouting out the last offer for the goods he is carrying, and is asking if anybody will give more. If he receives a new offer he instantly calls it out, and when nobody will give any more he shouts for the owner of the goods to come and close the transaction."
Our friends encountered several of these auctioneers in the course of their walk, and Frank remarked that there was a fine opportunity for fraud if anybody chose to practise it. He thought that while out of sight round a corner the piece of cloth might be exchanged for a cheaper one of the same general appearance, and the purchaser would be defrauded.
"Not much chance of that," responded the Doctor; "these fellows are altogether too sharp to be imposed on in that way; and if an auctioneer should play that trick once, and be detected, he would be forbidden to come into the bazaars to practise his profession."
The narrow street that formed the double row of shops in the bazaar was covered with an arched roof containing openings for admitting the light. The Doctor said that the dealers did not object to the sombre aspect of the place, as it made their goods appear finer than when submitted to the full glare of day. "You may sometimes notice," said he, "that the tailors of New York and other American cities take their customers to the rear of the shop when exhibiting materials, rather than to the front where the light is strongest. The reason is the same there as here; textile fabrics have a finer appearance under a subdued light than under a powerful one."
From the Hamzowee the promenade was continued through other bazaars, till the youths had seen a great deal more than they were likely to remember. They went through the bazaar of the jewellers, which consists of a series of narrow lanes, rather irregularly connected, and in many places not more than a yard in width; Frank thought the place was originally intended for a labyrinth, and his opinion was confirmed when they came around in their wanderings to the point whence they started. Frank wanted to buy something for his sister and Miss Effie, but was restrained by the Doctor, who advised him to postpone his purchases till he was better acquainted with the ways of dealing with the jewellers.
We may as well record at this point that he returned another day, and bought some necklaces which he thought would be prized at home, and the result proved the correctness of his theory. For his sister he chose a necklace consisting of a string of gold coins about as large as silver five-cent pieces, with one in the centre much larger than the rest. For Miss Effie he selected one of curiously shaped links, with tiny globes between them, while from the lower point of each link there hung a heart-shaped plate of gold that was intended to sparkle whenever the wearer moved. There were many of these necklaces for sale in the bazaar, and Frank had no difficulty in finding one that suited his taste.
The boys found that they could not buy things in a hurry in the bazaars of Cairo. As before stated, time is of no consequence to an Oriental, and he expects to spend an hour at least over a bargain. Frank had been properly instructed, and so when he set out to buy the necklace for his sister he carelessly asked the price of one he was looking at.
The dealer named a figure, and Frank shook his head.
The dealer named another figure, five or ten per cent. lower. Frank again shook his head, and then the dealer asked what he would give.
Frank offered about a third of the price that had been demanded originally.
It was now the dealer's turn to refuse, and he did so. He emphasized his refusal by putting the necklace back into the show-case, which he carefully locked.
Frank offered a little advance on his first proposal, but the dealer again declined it, and our friends moved away. Just as they did so the dealer named a lower price than he had yet asked for the article, but to no purpose, however.
They went a few steps and stopped at another shop. While they were looking at something it contained they were called back by the merchant with whom they originally talked, and the bargaining was renewed.
The dealer slowly lowered his figures, and Frank as slowly advanced his offer. In fifteen or twenty minutes they met, and Frank secured the necklace at a little more than half what had been demanded originally. The Doctor told him he had done very well, and could be trusted to deal with the Orientals.
"Remember," said the Doctor, "that these people are never in a hurry, and consequently you must be like them if you are to deal with them. They think it absolutely necessary to pass a certain time over a transaction, and do not understand our Western habits of coming to terms at once. You have bought that necklace for a certain price, and it is safe to say that the merchant has made a good profit by the transaction. If you had offered him that figure at first he would have refused it, and continued to refuse, as he would thereby have missed the necessary chaffering and haggling.
"When I first visited Egypt I was sometimes impatient of delay, and used to tell the dealers I had only one price to give, and would not bargain with them. I thought I could bring them to terms, though my friends told me I could not. One day I went to the Hamzowee, and tried to buy a cafieh, or silk handkerchief, in gaudy colors, and embroidered with gold, which was worth about fifteen francs. The merchant demanded thirty-five francs for it. I offered him sixteen, and he fell to thirty at once.
"I did not raise my bid, but repeated my offer two or three times. He fell to twenty-five francs, and would not go lower. I did not rise above sixteen, and he allowed me to go away. A friend of mine stood by, but pretended not to know
