B888 <=> B890 (BTG XLI The bokharian dervish, p. 889)

“To the other half of this board were fastened a great number of vibrometers like those on the strings of the grand piano, and they were affixed in such a way that their indicating needles came just over the mentioned frets on the front side of the board.

“To the back half of this board was fastened a whole network of various small glass and metal pipes, which also served to produce sounds, but this time sounds obtained from vibrations arising from certain movements and currents of ordinary or of artificially compressed or rarefied air; and for measuring the vibrations of these sounds the same vibrometers served as were used for measuring the vibrations arising from the string.

“The venerable Hadji-Asvatz-Troov was about to say something, but just then from another section of the cave a small boy of the type called Uzbek entered, carrying on a tray a tea service and some green tea.

“When the boy had set the tray before us and had left, the venerable Hadji began to pour out the tea into the cups and turning to us jokingly uttered the following sentence used on such occasions in that locality:

“’Let us imbibe this gift of Nature in the devout hope that it may redound to her glory!’

“Having uttered this, he continued further:

“’I already feel that my sustaining forces are abating within me and hence I must imbibe the due quantity of what can aid the animation of the whole of myself until the next dose.’

“And with a gentle smile he began to drink his tea. While he was drinking it, I decided to take the opportunity to ask him about several questions which were all the time worrying me.

“First of all I asked him the following. I said: