254 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

leaves the table, saying, " El hamd'ulillah," and then washes again, this time never omitting his mouth ; a good lather of soap is generally used to clean his teeth, the forefinger and thumb of the right hand being employed in lieu of a tooth-brush.

If the meal takes place in a verandah, and any one be seen passing, he is invited to join, the host saying " Tufaddel "—a word, by the way, often used for other purposes ; it may be translated " may it please you " to eat, or to smoke, or to sit, or to ride.

It is believed that if a person passes and is not asked to eat, he may covet the viands, and so cast an evil eye on them. After dinner, coffee and cigarettes are handed round, and conversation begins ; while actually engaged in eating Arabs are usually silent, and bestow all their attention on the business in hand. When the last guest has finished, the tray is removed, and the servants partake of what remains ; visitors' servants being, as a matter of course, invited to join the rest.

Ordinarily we did not find that the Arabs objected to eat with us, but in some few cases we dined at the same time and in the same room with them, but at different tables. Only on rare occasions was the meal served for us in a separate apartment.

We sometimes invited Arabs to dine with us, but had always then to be careful that no tinned meats were visible, as they have the idea that tinned meat is some preparation of pork, and as pork is unclean