Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-01

worship, is large circular ROOM with arched roof
hung around with lamps and the galleries for the speca
tors extending all round the foor with railing in
front and footboard in circus All the decorations
were Of the painest and cheapest kind and the hall itself
entirely without furniture, the floor being of polished
wood, quite bare Of carpets. When we entered din
of wild barbarous music invisible place. reached
u.s. and soon the priests Of the order entered walking
slowly two by two preceded by the patriarch, an old
man with long white beard. They were enveloped in
plain brown cloaks leaving nothing visible but their tall
drabcolored hats without brms, and small portion of
the face and beard their heads were bowed down. and
they walked with solemn and impressive air several
times round the hathe music waxing wilder and ercer
all the time.
AT length the patriarch stopped the priests
shippers branched off, and ranging themselves round the
ROOM sat down and covered up their heads leaving moth
ing but their hats visible and doubling themselves up
into as small space possible remained so for
time quite motionless After this, signal from the
patriarch, who bowing down and praying all the time
they slowly arose. and while he stood the head Of the
hall with folded hands and downcast head each worship
per he passed turned and bowed the the rear
who bowed at the same time bringing their heads almost
to meet in front Of the patriarch and 50 it continued
each one bowing as he passed. till the whole party had
bowed themselves through three four times in
sion They then ranged themselves round the hall again
in their respective places and, slowly casting off their
cloaks appeared in the dancing costumes plain suit of
white cotton consisting Of petcoats and kind ofround
about fastened at side by the SASH No shoes
worn, and the tall strange hat still remained on the head
and the music blew louder and wilder and the dance
commenced. Slowly and gracefully they merge into it,
twirling around like the wooden figures hand-organ
The arms are extended the hands thrown out the feet
together as if pivot and round and round they Co.
hair Ia, haar
eyes, whirling their feet like men worked by mach
neryal but the old patriarch who stands at the head
with folded hands, and prays during the ceremony of the
waltz with his accustomed gravity From the outer circle
they whr myserousy into the CENTRE and from the
tire back again. and soon the entire hall to be
alive with the solemn watzes There noise but the
blowing of the music and the low grinding of the feet
One almost wonders what powers of locomotion keep
these whirling around so long They to
be tired the spectator grows dizzy in following them
Round they CO. with dstended and sweeping petit
coats till you begin to think it must be all strange
VISION the grotesque dream of disempered fancy You
rub your eyes and look again Sure enough there they
are turning like topsthe very dancing dervshes that
you have read about in books and this is their temple
Wild alf-sayage, oriental place, full of novel sights
and sounds AT last the waltz is concluded the priests
retire to their places, put their coaks and double
themselves up in little knots again and after another
parade and the profound ceremony of bowling before
the patriarch, they slowly retire the audience follows
their example, and thus ends the devodt exhibition of
the dancing deryishes.
There is another sect, called the bowling dervishes,
who hold their exhibitions at Scutar the Asatc
side On my return from the mount of Chamula day
stopped in to them, in company with my Portuguese
friend and his wife, whom had travelled with in Sicily
The temple house of worship much the that
Of the dancing dervshes. Here had to pay small
fee of few piasters for admission the ceremony being
considered attractive than that of the dancers
Nothing said about our Shoes and ushered
at into the gallery allotted to christian spectators
The exhibition had just commenced Thirty or forty
young howlers from six years of age up to twenty
ranged around the outer circle At the head stood
the chief priest and in different parts of the hall the
ders and priests. The old patarehs, who
unable to Join in the violent exercises of the church
seated in retired places where they bowed their heads
with slow and cook-like motion, and chanted kind of
humdrum song like the bass notes Of organ In front
Of the chief priest stood row of lusty fellows with sha
heads and nearly Naked who bore the heaviest part
in the performance Commencing at high key, rem
dered piercing by the shril voices of the little
children, they screamed sort Of chant wild and
earthly that it difficult to recognise them human
beings and the whole fraternity started into motion
n
menagerie of wild animals let loose would be tame it.
can compare it to nothing but q bedam Of hopping
and bowling lunatcs. First on one foot, then on the
other, the shaver heads bobbing schoolboy hobs
his head after dive when he gets bubble in his
ear; all bobbing together, and nodding, and jerk
ing, and jumping, and hopping like gigantic puppets
worked by secret wires the high scream gradually low
erng groan and the groan jogging down by degrees
into grunt and the grunt into general howl deep
and savage that the marng Of hyenas the roaring of
lions would be music to The usy gang in front work
themselves into phrenzy; their shaven crowns jerk
about at such rate that expects head roll
down the foor every moment; their voices lose all
semblance Of human voices and it becomes hoarse
painting runt from the pits of their stomachs and streams
Of roll down from their faces and their scanty cot
ton robes hang dripping their bodies. Through the
wriggling jerking you little bowler who has
hoped and howled himself of breath his head hangs
his shoulder his eyes rolling, and his tongue hanging
out while he gasps for breath old priest gives him
crack on the pate with his knuckes and he starts
into motion again If suddenly galvanized, and the
whole fraternity Of little howlers are frightened into
fresh fit hopping, and bobbing and yelling Now you
detect sly fellow in the crowd trying to cheat people
with the idea hattie is jealous worshipper any Of
them but you can plainly that be is an mposor
backslider he only hops in while, when he thinks
he is noticed and bowls family that nobody hears him.
and the jerking Of his head it is the noddng
Of head in the act of taking private nap, and requires
no e1erton except to keep up show Of wakefuness.