Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-07-07
asOfd Zip Coon's and ''Uncic Ned"
Among the Arabs.

The very spriShtly correspondent OF the
National Inteligencer who is on his trav-
els through Syria and at the last accounts
bad reached the ancient city of Baalbek or
Heliopolis, gives the following description
of the effect, which his flute and the negro
melody had upon the descendants of Ishma-
ell:
In travelling through Syria, as in other
parts OF the world / always carried my
tiute with me 10 relieve the lonely hours at
night and excite social feeling among the
natives. ] had fluted my way, after the
fashion Of Goldsmith, through many diffi-,
Guilty and now was resolved TO see what
the magic Of music would do in removing
the prejud,ces Of the Arabs. As soon as 1t
was dark we had good fire lit in the cor
ner, and, pulling off our shoes, as custom
required, We spread our mats close by, and
sat down costly to enjoy the cheerful blaze
my friends (the Southerner & English Cap
tain) smoking their chibouks, while l
brought forth my knapsack and commenc-
ed putting the pieces oil my flute together.
The Arabs, who had begun to crowd In
were greatly interested in the strange IN
strument that | was getting under way;
and Yusef. who was rather proud OF his SUI
per'or civilization, sat by enjoying their re-
marks and giving us running interpreta-
lion. Some thought it was sort of pistol,
with large touch hole; but this notice was
ridiculed by The more knowing ones, who
said it was plain enough to see that it was
a new fashionable pipe, and that they would
soon see me put the bowl to it, and begin
to smoke. AT last got all the pieces adj
justed, and commanding silence by mys-
terious motion of the hand, commenced
playing that classical air of "Old Zip
Coon," which dare say never was heard
before among the ruins of Baal5eck. There
was the most breathless attention on all
sides, interrupted only by suppressed ex-
CARNATIONS of tahib tah'b (good! good }
whenever blow very shrill or false note;
and soon the women and children from the
neighboring houses began to crowd in, and
there was gradually large circle formed
around the room, the audience squatting
down in rows, till there was scarcely space
enough left to breathe. | blew away with
all my might, for not only was excited by
| the success of my experiment, but rather
inspired by the music was making, which
assure you was not bad. The familiar
airs of home made me sentimental, and
merged into the doleful air Of "Give me
back my heart again oh give it back a.
gain - which was miserable failure not
damsel seemed disposed to 1t. They COM
menced, in the very middle of the most
pathetic strain, to call for the frst;tune; so
had to return to "Old ZIP Coon" When
! had concluded, there was no end to the
iahi6S Mr.. Coon was decided hit. In
order to vary the entertainment, silence
was commanded again, and Yusef was de-
sired to explain that there would be a song;
that it was song of an old black gentle
man who lived in America, who was Pas
ha among the blacks; that he was called
Uncle Ned because he was SO venerable,
and being very old the hair all fell out of
his head, and there was no hair at all in the
place where the hair ought to grow that
he hadn't any eyes to see with, and, con-
sequently, was as blind as poster stone
wall, or anything else that is supposed to
be deficient in eyes; that neither had he
teeth to eat bread with, and he had to let
the bread alone and eat something else;
that his fingers were as long as canes in
the brake, which was about an average OF
sixteen feet and, eventually, that one day
when he was out in the field, horrible
monster called Grim Death came along and
caught him by the heel and carried HIM a
way, and he was never heard OF any more
except in this song which was written in
commemoration of all these facts. There
upon, having excited the most profound in
terest in the history of Uucle Ned, launch
cd forth into the song, keeping as near the
tune as possible, and going through all the
motions descriptive of the badness of his
head, the absence of his teeth, and the
length Of his fingers. At length. when |
arrived at the final catastrophe, where Grim
Death seizes the old gentleman by the
heel, made a sudden motion at the heel
of our worthy host, who was sitting near
by, completely upsetting him with fright,
and causing laugh from tbs audience that
seemed as if it would never come to an
end. 1t was the best hit of the evening,
and completely removed all constraint.
The women had gradually uncovered
their faces, and the men were in such good
humor that they paid no attention to it; ana
we were all as jovial as possible-showing
that people all over the world are pretty
much the same by nature, and that there
are few races so barbarous as not be NOV
ed by music and spirit of sociability.