Thebes; Its Tombs and Their Tenants, Ancient and Present, Including a Record of Excavations in the Necropolis (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862. Excerpt: ... mentioned; and they all have a portion of land in the fruitful valley, which now yields them so good a return, in consequence of the great rise in the value of agricultural produce (amounting to fifty per cent., or even more, within ten or twelve years), that the more active are supposed to have small hoards of coin, in some cases not altogether inconsiderable, which they bury or conceal in some equally efficient manner. Some have added to their stores by the proceeds of successful finds of antiquities which they may have been so fortunate as to make. - They have usually large families of children; but except the shekhs, who can afford to have three, or the full complement of four wives, they are obliged to be content, for the most part, with one, on the score of expense. This forms the limit; for the possession of corresponding means of maintenance proportionally widens the circle of their conjugal affections, which easily become so comprehensive and elastic as to expand even beyond the prescribed boundary. Besides, in the East generally, it is a question involving dignity and social standing. I remember the old mother of the sheMi belled at Goorneh, expressing strong dissatisfaction that her son had only three wives, --a neglect of his duty to his position which she could not endure. Eventually, ere I left, he added a fourth; but as there was trouble enough already among the three, partly, I imagine, from the limited space they had to occupy, I am afraid she can have been no addition to the SOCIAL SEVERANCE BETWEEN THE SEXES. 297 of their movements. The house of the shekh was a square rock-area with the doorways of tombs on three sides and a brick wall on the fourth. In these inner dens each wife had her separate abode; but during the day they were ..