them on the nail of his prayer and middle fingers, threw them away. Sometimes also he collected the stones in his left hand; and it is narrated that once when he was eating fresh dates, and had gathered the stones in his left hand, he showed them to a sheep, which at once came and ate them out of his left hand, whilst that prince continued eating fresh dates with his right hand.

The Prophet also liked pumpkins, saying, 'The pumpkins are from the tree of my brother Jonas.' It is also narrated on the authority of Aisha that he said, 'When you set up a stone jar, it is proper to put many pumpkins into it, for this is useful for a sad heart.' It is narrated that when once Othman brought a jelly to that prince he pronounced it to be excellent, and inquired how it was made. One of his favourite dishes was made of cheese and melted butter. Sometimes also he ate bread with olive-oil. On the expedition to Tabuk they brought him dry cheese, which he cut with a knife, and ate. He also ate fresh dates with cucumbers or melons. According to some books, that prince liked melons and fresh grapes better than any other green fruit. In eating grapes, he put the berries into his blessed mouth, squeezed them with his teeth, and then threw out the husks. It is reported that he ate the cucumbers with salt. There is a tradition that when a first-fruit was brought him, he would give it to a little child to eat, if one happened to be present.

That prince loved milk exceedingly, and to any one giving him milk to drink he would say, 'God bless us with it, and grant us more of it.' He also said, 'I know nothing that takes the place of food and drink like milk, and is equally useful.' Sometimes when he drank milk, he would press it between his lips, and say, 'It has something buttery.' When that prince drank water, he would do so in three draughts, saying before each, 'In the name of God,' and after the last, 'Praise be to God.' So long as the water-cup was at his mouth, he stopped breathing. Every day he drank a glass of honey-sherbet. Sometimes he drank toast-water, prepared with roasted barley or wheat; and, as the water of Medina was a little bitter, he put in dates to sweeten it. Generally he drank sitting, but sometimes standing.

When he had company who had to be served with water or sherbet, he gave them first, himself drinking after them, and it is established that he said, 'He who gives drink to the people, drinks after them.' But sometimes also he himself drank first, and then gave the cup to the person sitting on his right hand. On one occasion, after having drunk of a cup, filled with milk and water, he handed it to an Arab, sitting on his right side, when Omar called out, 'O Apostle of God, hand it to Abu Bekr,' who sat on his left. But he replied, 'The right-hand man is the right-hand man.' On another occasion a youth was sitting on his right hand, the youngest of the company, whilst the elders and magnates were sitting on his left. After having drunk himself, he asked the youth's permission to hand the cup first to the elders on his left. But on that youth refusing consent, he let him have the cup first. He loved cold sweet water best. Such water was brought for him from a place two days' journey from Medina. That Excellency also said, 'When night sets in, say, "In the name of God," and cover the vessels in which you keep your eatables and drinkables, if it should only be with a chip of wood.' ¹

(3.) His noble Travelling Habits.

His day for starting on a journey was Thursday; and sometimes he also chose Monday, or Sunday, or Wednesday. When he had risen up to start, he would say a short prayer, and after having mounted, he would repeat three times, 'God is most great.' During the journey he used to say a Magnificat, whilst going up an ascent, and a Doxology, whilst going down a descent. That prince said, 'If you travel in a year of plenty, do not let your beasts remain hungry; and if you travel in a year of scarcity, travel quickly, that you may reach your destination before your beasts become lean and weak; and if you wish during the journey to dismount at night for sleep and rest, do so in a place off the road, for the places on the road itself are dangerous.' He forbade