Oriental Bargains

Every trareler in Palestine learns frora experience that he has to pay an ampie price for evcrything lie rccciTes and enioys. There scems to be no iixed price, but the vender or employé o-ets all he finds it possible to procure. But one of lus raethods, peculiar enough, is to begin his barêaia by making no charge We remember that the dragomán to whom we applied at Nabluslo conduct us to Damasoua refused at lirst to mako any charge whatever for his services, but declared ho would be amply rewurded for his eight days' o-oinor and rcturning by the mere companionship of a Frank. On urging lnm to name a price, hc put so high an estímate upon lus valuable aid that we were compollea to lorego ths plesmire of his oompany. We found out that it was all a rase. He was hoping to be offered ov.r price, thinking it might be a lanre one, and was determined that if itdid not suithim he would then raise it as high as hc might see fit. Every ons who has. traveled at all leisure!'.' throu-h the country has metwith similar nstances oí shrewd bargaining. Dr. Thomson says he has been presentcd with hun'dreds of honses and ficlds and horees, and by-rstanders were called in to witness the deed, and a score of protestations and oaths were taken to seal the truth of the donation; all of which meant just nothing, or rather just as great a price as he could possibly be induccd to pay. A ede of this adroit metñoa oí aeaung, stiñ current in Palestino, greatly facihtates our understandino; of Abraham s rmrchase of a burial-place for his wife. He bron is rnuch the same to-day as in his time. If on e wcre to wrange for the pnrchase of a tomb íor a membcr of his family, he would likely be told that he coiiid have one for nothing. There is great excAisiveness in the matter of tombs, and a high price is expectcd. The Hittites said to Abraham, on his application for the purehase of one: -'Hear us, my lord: thouart a mighty Prince among us: in the ohoice of our sepulchers bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold f rom thee his sepnlchcr, but thatthoumayest bury thy dead." Beauüful compliment! but only compliment. Abraham, however, was too shrewd a man not to seethrough the triek; so he repelled the liberal offer, but insisted on paying for the burial jjlacs. Kphron, with all fliieüoliteness, said: "Nay, my lord, liear me: Ihe iiekl give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence oí the sons of my people givel it thee: bury thy dcad." But Abraham undeistood the propositiou for boksheesh too well to accept, and insisted on an outright purchase. feo Eohron named four hundred shekels oí silver. But "four hundred shekels; what isthat betwixt me and thee?" A mere trille by name, but a very large price in tact. This, however, was scrious business for Abraham, and he made no objection. So he proceeded to weigh out the raoney, just as men do nown Palestine, -vvith a little pair oí scales, to see that none of the coins are clipped. But Oriental cusj,om requires that all the speciiicaüons be named in every contract Whcn you buy a : ■. not onl}' the building, but evm-y room in it, must be ndrued, above and below, to the kitchcn, pantry, stable and hea-coop. So wlien Abraham bono-ht a field, lie also bought the cave that was therein, and all the trees in the field, and all that were in all the borders round about. Then this sale was effected in public, just as all similar transactions in these days are brought about. VVhen any sale is now effected in a town or village, the whole population turn out to witness it, in the space about the city gato. All the people take part in discussing the matter wit'a as nmch interest as if thcy were pereonally coucerncd. In this way the tvnnsMction acauires legal forcé; it has