The mountain Democrat., 1864-09-17
WILD RIDERS.


leSa troopers came originally from race
If Turkish and CircasSian slaves, intro
ducrd into Egypt about the yesr 1877.
They we're noted for their daring horse
manship, their utter disregard Of al NOR
al obligations, their cheap estimate Of hu
man life, and the strange influrnce &C
quired by them over the people Of whom
they we're once the slaves.
These men we're all riders of the horse
from their earliest years, remark
able dexterity in the manag, mrnt Of their
small, wickrd-headed Egyptian steeds,
from the back Of which they used a vari
ETY. Of weapons with wonderful precision
and skill. Their horse gear was cum
brous, however, and barbarOus in its de-
sign. The saddle used by them consisted
of clumsy frame, loaded heavily with
wood, leather and iron. The canteel, or
hinder part Of the saddle, was some inch.
es higher than the hips of the rider, while
the pommel rose before him in high
peak. Three or four thick wOollen cloths
were placed between the saddle and the
horses back, and the whole was fastened
with n surcingle, which INSTEAD Of being
buckled, was tied with thongs Of leather,
in a series Of wonderfully complicated
knots. They used no cruppers, but the
martingale was invariably o portion of
their equipment. The stirrup was plate
Of copper, longer and wider than the
foot, having circular edges an inch high
in the middle and gradually declining to-
wards each end. These edges were sharp,
and used as spurs, and made long, ugly
gashes in the horses sides. A Lair Of
these stirrups would sometimes weigh
twelve or thirteen pounds; and AZ the
weight Of the saddle and other housings
was not less than twenty five, the smart
little horse Of Egypt had pretty good
load to carry without counting his rider.
The MamlOuk bit was a kind of snaffle,
without any joint, and having an iron ring
attached to it by wav Of curb. By this
apparatus the sensitiveness of the animals
mouth was altogether destroyed, >. and it
was only by the main force Of the'bit as
lever that he was guided or stopped.
The Mamlouks rode in very short stir
rups, like the Bedounins of the present
day. A favorite feut Of theirs was to rush
their horses, at the very top of their
speed, towards house or wall. and pull
them up, suddenly, just as their noses al
most touched it. Their exercises were
carried on at early morning, on a plain in
the neighbOrhOod Of Cairo. AS they
dashed along over the ground, at full gal
lop, they would draw their short English
carbines from the bandleers with which
they were slung, discharge them, place
them instantly between thigh and saddle,
and then fire their pistols with extraord-
mary precision ut mark as they few
past. Their favorite. weapon in these ex.
ercises, however, was the jerreed-a jaw.
elm made from the branch of a palm tree,
about four feet in length, and weighing
Eve or six pounds. The riders dashed
furiously at each other from distance,
and the 6rst who threw his jerreed wheel
ed his horse suddenly round and flew
away, pursued by the other, and so ac,
cuStOmed were the horses to this exciting
exercise, that they appeared to enjoyed it
quite as much as the riders.
1t was not until the beginning of the
present century that Egypt was freed
from the presence o. these wild riders. who
had so long been scourge and terror ia
the land. Twice had their numbers been
thinned by decoys laid for them by the
Sultan, but their extirpation dates so late
as March 1911. Information had been
conveyed to Mehemet Ali, the then vice,
roy. of some intended foray ou the part
Of the MamIOuks, and he resolved to make
an end Of the remnant left of them, once
and forever. To compass this, he ar.
ranged q solemn festival at afro, in honor
Of the appointment ot his son to a high
command in the army of the Sublime
Porte, and to this festival the unsuSpect-
ing MAmouks were Invited en- maSSe.-
Sciam Bry was their chief, then the rank
Of hey being somewhat equivalent to that
of colonel in our armies. Ihe procession
moved glitteringly through the streets OF
Cairo to the citadel First the Turkish
infantry, then the Mamlouks on their
proud, OK eyed little chargers, other troops
following in grand airy. The passage to
the citadel was narrow, between the inner
and outer walls As soon as the Nam.
lOuks had filled It. the gates at each end
were clOsed upon them. and the Turkish
infantry. suddenly surmounted the ram
parts and ruInOus buildings, opened upon
them with murderOus fire. Many fell
in this corridor Of death. ard the surVi-
vors, seeing that escape was impossible,
SUI rendered themselves, and, led outside
the walls Of the citadel. were stripped and
beheaded. one by one The numbers of
this last remnant of the once powerful
Mamlouks have been variously estimated
at from 470 to 800. But one soul escap-
ed of the whole phalanx, and he By deed
worthy Of the wild riders Of Egypt. While
the Turkish fire was pouring on his CON-
rades in the narrow pass, be leaped his
horse. up series of rnbbiSh heaps and
ruined buildings on to the ramparts, over
which he spurred him furiously in des.
perate death leap. The drop was one Of
some sixty feet. The noble horse was
dashed to peices, but, strange to say, his
rider escaped unhurt and made good his
way to place Of safety.
One Of these MamlOuk horsemen was
once put to the test Of his equestrian skill
in the heart Of civilization - amid the rank
and fashion of London. 8
1t was in the palmy days Of the Prince
Of Wales, (Thackeray's immortal George.
and BrummelI's fat friend, } and Eli Bey,,
military gentleman of renown from
Egypt, was for q moment one Of the lions
Of the Court The Prince at that time
possessed remarkable horse Of Egyptian
breeds creature Of ferOciOns beauty.
spotted like leopard, and of such savage
and untractAble disposition, that the bold.
est rough-riders or the household cavalry
had failed in bringing him to Submission,
and no one had over rmoanted 0poa his
back. COnSeFsipg with ,Elf Ney, 1.-THE
Prince touched upon the suhject ofsGam-
lOuk hOrsemanship, and expressed bis
doubt that any OHe Of tthXt Saes d the
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