THE TREES ON THE LAND
My search for an estate provided us with an excuse for visiting all
sorts of out-of-the-way places, and scraping acquaintance with all
sorts of curious people. In some villages we were greeted with
unbounded glee; in others with a sullen, gruff endurance far from
welcome. But, though the flavour of reception varied, we were
everywhere received with some degree of hospitality, and shown what we
desired to see. Thus we surveyed a great variety of properties, none
of which fulfilled my chief requirements. I wanted both a house in
which I should not feel ashamed to live, and cultivable land enough to
yield a revenue; and the two together seemed impossible to find, at
least for the sum of money which was placed at my disposal.
One piece of land attracted us so much that we remained in the
adjacent village a full week, returning every day to wander over it,
trying to see if it could not be made to fit my needs. It consisted
of a grove of fine old olive trees, with terraces of fig and mulberry
trees and vegetables, spread out to catch the morning sun upon a
mountain side sloping to a wooded valley walled by rocky heights.
Water was there in plenty, but no house to speak of; the three small,
cube-shaped houses on the property being in the occupation (which
amounts to ownership) of workers of the land, who, according to the
custom of the country, would become my partners. Upon the other hand,
the land was fairly cheap, and after paying for it, I should have a
balance with which I might begin to build a proper house; for, as
Suleymân remarked, 'here all things are done gradually. No one will
expect to see a palace all at once. Begin with two rooms and a stable,
and add a fresh room every time that you have forty pounds to spare.'
The price of building appeared fixed in all that countryside at forty
pounds a vault, which in ordinary buildings means a room, since every
room is vaulted.
The trouble was to see just where to put the house without
encroaching upon profitable land. At last I hit on a position in the
middle of the highest terrace on which grew olive trees so very old
that they could well be sacrificed. Having arrived at this decision I
sat down among those trees and gazed in rapture at the view across the
valley. It was indeed a grand position for a house.
Rashîd exclaimed: 'Our dwelling will be seen afar. The traveller on
distant roads will see its windows flashing, and will certainly
inquire the owner's name. Yet would I rather it had faced the evening
sun, because more people are abroad at sunset than at dawn.'
'The morning sun is better for the growth of plants, and it comports
the evening shadow, which is most agreeable,' murmured Suleymân, who
stretched his length upon the ground before us, chewing a flower-stem
with an air of wisdom.
As we were there conversing lazily, one of the peasant-partners in the
land came through the trees, bringing a tray with cups of coffee,
which he had prepared for our refreshment.
'The Lord preserve thy hands, O Câsim,' sighed Suleymân. 'Thou comest
at the very moment when my soul said "coffee."'
The peasant Câsim beamed with pleasure at the thanks we showered on
him, and, squatting down, inquired if we had yet decided anything.
'Aye,' I replied. 'In sh'Allah we shall cut down these three olive
trees and put the house instead of them.'
At that his smile gave place to grave concern.
He said: 'That may not be.'
'Why not?' I asked.
'Because we have no right to touch these trees.'
'But the Sheykh Ali told me that this terrace was his property.'
'That is so, as to the land. The trees are different.'
'To whom, then, do these trees belong?'
'To different people.'
'How can I know which trees are ours, which theirs?'
'Your Honour need not trouble. They are able to distinguish.'
'But they must walk upon our land to reach their trees!'
'Without a doubt.'
'But it is unheard of!'
'Perhaps; but it has been the way since Noah's flood.'
'If your Honour condescends to read the Bible he will notice that, in
the bargain which our lord Abraham made for the cave of Machpelah, the
trees upon the land are mentioned separately,' put in Suleymân, who
had a well-stored mind.
I took no notice, but continued my alarmed inquiries.
'How many people own these trees?'
'Twenty or thirty.'
'And they trample on our land?'
'The case is so.'
'Who is their chief?'
'I know not; but the largest share, they say, is vested in Muhammad
abu Hasan. His share of all the trees is twelve kîrâts, as much as all
the others put together. They say so. Only Allah knows the truth!'
'I should like to speak to this Muhammad abu Hasan.'
'Upon my head; I go to fetch him,' answered Câsim, touching his brow
in token of obedience.
When he was gone, Suleymân observed significantly:
'Have naught to do with all these fathers of kîrâts. When once the
word "kîrât" is mentioned, flee the place, for you may be assured that
it is the abode of all bedevilment. When once a man is father of but
one or two kîrâts, he has the power of forty thousand for unreasoning
annoyance.'
'And what, in mercy's name, is a kîrât?' I questioned.
'A kîrât,' replied Rashîd, as usual eager to explain, 'is that term
into which all things visible and invisible are resolved and
subdivided secretly, or may be subdivided at a person's pleasure. A
kîrât is that which has no real existence unless a group of men agree
together saying: "It is here or there." A kîrât----'
Suleymân cut short his explanation, saying simply: 'A kîrât is the
twenty-fourth part of anything. If my soul is sick, I ask the doctor:
"How many kîrâts of hope?" and according to his answer "four" or
"twenty" I feel gladness or despair. To own but one kîrât, in this
concern of property, is sometimes better than to own all the remaining
three-and-twenty, as witness the affair of Johha, the greatest
wiseacre this country has produced. Johha owned a house, consisting of
a single room. Wishing to make a little money, he let his house to
people for a yearly rent (which they paid in advance), reserving to
himself the use of only one kîrât of it. To show where his kîrât was
situated Johha drove a peg into the wall inside. After the tenants had
been in a week he brought a bag of beans and hung it on his peg. No
one objected; he was exercising his free right. A few days later he
removed the bag of beans and hung up garlic in its place. Again a few
days and he came with an old cat which had been some time dead; and so
on, bringing ever more offensive things, until the tenants were
obliged to leave the house and forfeit their year's rent, without
redress, since Johha was within his rights. Therefore I say to you,
beware. These fathers of kîrâts will spoil the property.'
Rashîd gave an appreciative chuckle, and was going to relate some
story of his own; but just then Câsim reappeared, attended not by one
man only but a score of men--the owners of the trees, as it
immediately appeared, for they cried out, as they came up, that it
would be a sin for us to cut them down.
I asked them to elect a spokesman, as I could not deal with all at
once, and Muhammad abu Hasan was pushed forward. He squatted, facing
me, upon the ground, his men behind him. The twigs and leaves of
olives overhead spread a filigree of moving shade upon their puckered
faces. They were evidently much perturbed in mind.
I asked them for how much they would consent to sell those
trees--showing the three I wished to fell to clear a space for
building.
'The freehold, meanest thou?' inquired their spokesman anxiously. 'Not
for five hundred pounds. But we would sell a share.'
'I want no share. I want to cut them down.'
At that there was a general outcry that it must not be.
'The trees would remain yours until the end,' I told them, 'for I
would let you have the wood for your own purposes, and, in addition,
you would have a pretty sum of money.'
There ensued a long and whispered consultation before Muhammad abu
Hasan answered me. At length he said:
'It may not be. Behold, we all are the descendants of one man who
owned these trees in ancient days. But we are not brothers, nor yet
uncles' children, and there is jealousy among us. We quarrel near to
fighting every year about the produce of these trees, each man
perceiving that he has been cheated of his proper share. But that is
not so very serious, for each man hopes that next year he will get a
larger share in compensation. Suppose, instead of trees which bear
fruit every year, we had a sum of money. In that case the division
would admit of no redress, and those who thought themselves defrauded
would bear lifelong malice. Therefore I say: We will not have those
trees cut down; but we are prepared, upon the other hand, to sell you
all our trees upon this terrace if you, on your side, will assign to
us but two kîrâts of all your trees, these trees included.'
'Allah destroy the dwelling of your two kîrâts,' I cried out angrily.
'I will have none of them. Nor will I make my dwelling in the
neighbourhood of men so foolish. I shall seek elsewhere.'
The peasants chuckled at my curse on the kîrâts. They murmured an
apology, but seemed relieved, as they went off.
Suleymân, who had to leave us on the following day, then gave me good
advice.
He said: 'It is no use for thee to deal with little people who wish to
make the most of their small lands, who have mean, dirty houses. Thou
hast a friend among the great sheykhs of the Drûz. Go to him in his
castle and explain thy wish. He owns a score of noble houses which he
does not use, and for the love of thee he will not count the price too
closely. Moreover, he will think that, showing favour to an
Englishman, he will earn the good opinion of the British Government.
He has political ambitions. All great men are fools or malefactors.'
'That is the best of counsel,' said Rashîd. And, having nothing else
in mind, we acted on it.