NOTES ON THE "QUARTERLY STATEMENT."
By Major C. E. Conder, R.E., D.C.L., &c.
P. 102. The Phœnicians do not seem to have reached England or the Canaries before about 600 B.C. The texts in the latter islands are Numidian, and not very ancient.
P. 106. The texts at Quarantana are in characters of the 12th or 13th century A.D.
P. 119. The fragment from Gebal resembles the well-known type of the Cybele or Diana of Ephesus. Ribadda of Gebal was the son of a Phœnician King. He was not an Egyptian, but a native tributary prince. He wrote not 13 but 50 letters in the Tell Amarna collection.
P. 127. The idea that Moslems had a peculiar odour, removed by baptism, is found as early as 1432 a.d., in the travels of Sir Bertrandon de la Brocquière, speaking of the Turks in Asia Minor.
P. 127. The translation of the fellah songs and sayings in this valuable paper seems to be sometimes incorrect, and fails to show their force—and sometimes their sadness. The rhymes naturally are lost in translation. The following renderings may be worthy of consideration, in cases where the meaning seems least to be brought out:—
P. 134. "Whiter than snow is the fair white robe,
White rice boiled in white milk,
Ill luck befell. They brought me a white healer,
He bared the wound and found the wound white."
Like many marriage songs this is mysterious.
P. 135. The song appears to be a regular war song, such as is common in Palestine.
'Your foes are slain' was the news to Damascus,
'O King, King's son victory is thine.
And a return of fortune.'
Let us go to the foeman's home and destroy it,
And carry its stones to Kerak.
He would have ruled us—not till we perish!
P. 136. The customs (like others in Palestine) recall very primitive ones all over Asia, which antiquaries call survivals of "Marriage by Capture"—a real or simulated fight for the bride.
P. 138. The proverb, "Snake and stick," occurs in Samaritan literature as "Snake and cane."
- ↑ The following appears to me to be the proper rendering of an Akkadian
