“Les capotes melancoliques
     Qui pendent chez les gros Millan (?)
     S’enflent d’elles-memes, lubriques,
     Et dechargent en se gonflant.” 
                                Passage Satyrique.

Also in Louis Prolat:—­

     “Il fuyait, me laissant une capote au cul.”

The articles are now of two kinds mostly of baudruche (sheep’s gut) and a few of caout-chouc.  They are made almost exclusively in the faubourgs of Paris, giving employment to many women and young girls; Grenelle turns out the baudruche and Grenelle and Lilas the India-rubber article; and of the three or four makers M. Deschamps is best known.  The sheep’s gut is not joined in any way but of single piece as it comes from the animal after, of course, much manipulation to make it thin and supple; the inferior qualities are stuck together at the sides.  Prices vary from 4 1/2 to 36 francs per gross.  Those of India-rubber are always joined at the side with a solution especially prepared for the purpose.  I have also heard of fish-bladders but can give no details on the subject.  The Cundum was unknown to the ancients of Europe although syphilis was not:  even prehistoric skeletons show traces of its ravages.

[FN#245] Arab.  “Ya Usta” (for “Ustaz.”) The Pers. term is Ustad=a craft-master, an artisan and especially a barber.  Here it is merely a polite address.

[FN#246] In common parlance Arabs answer a question (like the classics of Europe who rarely used Yes and No, Yea and Nay), by repeating its last words.  They have, however, many affirmative particles e.g.  Ni’am which answers a negative “Dost thou not go?”—­Ni’am (Yes!); and Ajal, a stronger form following a command, e.g.  Sir (go)—­Ajal, Yes verily.  The popular form is Aywa (’llahi)=Yes, by Allah.  The chief negatives are Ma and La, both often used in the sense of “There is not.”

[FN#247] Arab.  “Khalbus,” prop. the servant of the Almah-girls who acts buffoon as well as pimp.  The “Maskharah” (whence our “mask”) corresponds with the fool or jester of mediaeval Europe:  amongst the Arnauts he is called “Suttari” and is known by his fox’s tails:  he mounts a mare, tom-toms on the kettle-drum and is generally one of the bravest of the corps.  These buffoons are noted for extreme indecency:  they generally appear in the ring provided with an enormous phallus of whip-cord and with this they charge man, woman and child, to the infinite delight of the public.

[FN#248] Arab.  “Shubash” pronounced in Egypt Shobash:  it is the Persian Shah-bash lit.=be a King, equivalent to our bravo.  Here, however, the allusion is to the buffoon’s cry at an Egyptian feast, “Shohbash ’alayk, ya Sahib al-faraj,"=a present is due from thee, O giver of the fete " Sec Lane M. E. xxvii.

[FN#249] Arab.  “Ka’ak al-I’d:”  the former is the Arab form of the Persian “Kahk” (still retained in Egypt) whence I would derive our word “cake.”  It alludes to the sweet cakes which are served up with dates, the quatre mendiants and sherbets during visits of the Lesser (not the greater) Festival, at the end of the Ramazan fast. (Lane M.E. xxv.)