Prevalence of the Flea in the East, and the annoyance caused by them to travelers—Fleas of the Lebanon—The Bey's bedfellows—The Pasha at the bath—Use of the word in Scripture.
THIS active little pest absolutely swarms in the East. The inhabitants are so used to the Fleas that either the insects do not touch them, or by long custom they become so inured to their attack that the bites are not felt.
But every traveler in Eastern lands has a tale to tell about the Fleas, which seem to be accepted as one of the institutions of the country, and to be contemplated with perfect equanimity. Miss Rogers, for example, in her " Domestic Life in Palestine," mentions how she was obliged to stand upon a box in order to be out of the reach of a large company of Fleas that were hopping about on the floor Mr. Urquhart, experienced Orientalist as he was, found on one occasion that the Fleas were too strong for him. He had forgotten his curtain, and was invaded by armies of Fleas, that marched steadily up the bed and took possession of their prey. The people were quite amused at his complaints, and said that their Bey could not sleep without a couple of hundred of them in his bosom. Mr. Urquhart suggests that these little creatures act as a wholesome irritant to the skin, and says that the last two mouthfuls of every meal are for the benefit of the Fleas.
In order to show the perfect indifference with which the presence of these little pests is regarded, I quote a passage from, Mr. Farley's "Druses of the Lebanon." He was in a Turkish bath, and was much amused at a scene which presented itself.
"A man, whose skin resembled old discolored vellum, was occupying himself with the somewhat undignified pursuit of pursuing with great eagerness something that, from the movement of his hands, seemed continually to elude him, jumping about and taking refuge in the creases and folds of his shirt, that was spread out over his lap as he sat cross-legged on his bedstead like a tailor on his board. This oddity was no less a dignitary than a Pasha."
This extract also serves to illustrate the two passages in Scripture wherein the word " flea " is mentioned, and in both of which it is used as a metaphor to express weakness on the one side and power on the other.
The first occurs in 1 Sam. 24:1414After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. (1 Samuel 24:14):—" After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea? " The second is in chap. 26 of the same book, ver. 20: " Now therefore.... the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." The reader will see how completely the anecdote of the Pasha in the bath illustrates this passage.