The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-04
maHoMgT,s BIRTHDAY.
Anniversary Celebration In Cairo-Extraor-
binary Scenes and Ceremcnies-rhc Briiisi
Puyi,ist System Of Restoration.

uhnary scenes and CereiECnies--Ehc Dritisa
Puyiiist System Of Restoration.
[Cairo NOV. ~ correspondence OF London News.l
ihe great pubic ceremony OF the Mussulman year
TOOK place to-day, and the pro5trate bodies ol lana
snakes were eaten, glass crunched and swallowed,
bodies sIasled WITH swords, cheeks aud breasts
pierced with sharp metal instruments, winch weto
LETT sticking In the wounds they made, ana hundreds
OF men ana boys shreked and writned aud wrestied
IN what professed TO be mad ecstacs of religious
Icrvor. All tins was gone through IN the public
streets, In broad daylight. and III me presence OF az
many lockers on as could be crammei together on
the lat roofs or could from tue windows OF the
houses or ut the Rratings oil the mosque a. WINCH
the festival illuminated.
In the year 9s5 OF the HegIra "a. ID. 1881 Sultan
Murad known to US az Amuratn ILL.,, instituted tue
strange fdte III honor of halomet's birthday which
~ SO little known and so rarely seen by Europeans
Uuoer ltS title oi the Dosen IT. II, however, looked
forward 20 Oil through the tweive months ny Qeyoue
followers Of the Prophet.
are called "srreet Arabs at home; though here and
there men OF grade higher wound themselves up
down with The rest. There were lev minutes OF
ln1o8cribable confusion The street was crainmed
that o human body laid across IL In The made
touched the 1eet OF those staudIgg on eacn side.
When two or three hundred people lay down az
once they were culfed ana sorted, admonished with
sticks, Wedged IN ana arranged, until the heads
were all one way and the naked legs and iees
Ia another, Ia regular line. There was little
mony now. What sounded uncoinmonly ike good
stn oatns in Arabic were shrieKed at the lying
down, ana STICKS and the hand were aglla freely
used upon them. Meanwhile the excitement "a.
creased ali round. Some spectators cnanGeu prayers
monotonously Others c0ntriveI to Iold olck llla5-
cal friends Nv force. anu Others. again seemed
regard Tue whole proceedings with just the sore VI
amused curiosity one wouid give 10 Inc prenlna.
ric5 oil clever ana exceptional acroDat.c iell The
live ngures on tne roadway below Us were 50 near
our elevated chars tnat we could nave toacued
them with our Umbrellas without rising. They lay
Win tner iaces downwards aud on tleir stoinachs,
ana were, thanks to the care AMI labor vi tue
holy men VINO had logged and cu.fed them
INTO place, so thickly ana neatly, PACKED as
Nofiolk plfnS, Us seen c2ked together III the
shops OF Coyent Garden. IL was clear that there
could be no evasion now, ana tnaJ unle35 they got
up ald ran away the SneiS's horse would tralnIie
them under loot according 10 programme.
Yet those excluded from want o. space
walled pi;eousy, and one ragged QemoalaC
OF twenty broke from his nolders Win u
mad nowl and, burrowno nea5lorenost ike
RABBIT III the human pavenenb, succeeded wed ny
himself IN where IA extra inch had seemed lnpUs-
sibe. Despite the cut aud DRIED character Of many
OF these arrangements there YVES plenty vi genuine
emotion. The faces OF those waiting % troadea
on were hidden BY their attitude, Dut tnelr NAKED
legs twltched more and more conyuisivcy Us lac
music herauing the Shek drew nearer aDd, though
the better dressed among the native loOaers-vn
were npassiye ana Ia some Instances ocular. the
affair was suincently serious 10 make tue european
witnesses hold their breath ami grow pale.
The procession came steadily on musicians play
ing strange 0ne-srngcd Instr lmenLs clasning cyui-
balls, banging small tamnoaianes like hald-druns,
and all accompanying themselves and beng accosn-
padded BY uneartniy howis ana yelis ala marching
slowly anl win NAKED feet four abreast upon tAe
Teculnbent bodies. Flag bearers came singy, their
banners iurled for the moment to prevent their mt
Graz lodges orders Of dervlshes they preceded. All
howled. Then, when the little street. fullest,
and when the discordant DIN was at Its heigls.
stout White horse, Win a pae-facai man "a lOrty
five or So turned the corner. THIS was the Shela,
anu III another situation IN life an impartial oU-
server would nave declared he was drunk. lie WAS
propped up on his horse by stout attendant on
either side OF him, anu seemed 70 have no more vo
ton than sack OF potatoes. His eyes were closed
throughout his lace was white to ghastiiness, us
body nad the helpless swaying motion vi corpse
held up. lie was gorgeousy dressed, and wore
IN immense turDan OF i green shawl patterl.
HIS hands held tho bride, but they were
limp aud useless, and his horse was led by two
| attendants. 1t was fms animal, but SO very
quiet ana stepped so gingery, thai some Observers
Insisted 1t had oeen specially trained. The conyui-
sive twitching or the arms and legs or those pros.
trate grew more and more pronounced ana then the
trampiDg under foot began. We were at great pans
| to observe now tue animal trod, anu where; and
there can be no DOUBT OF the reality OF the ordeal.
Sometimes On the centre OF the BACK, oiGener be-
tween two men, SO as 10 stand on tne ieslJ parts
until all down had borne portion or IL and It's
RIDERS weight. No one seemed much hurt, how
ever The very tigntneS5 OF the packing gave a
tam power or resistance 10 tue concrete mass OF
humanity and directly the Shelk passed those be-
hind jumped up, many OF them going forlAWlt iA.0
COMMISSIONS or into what looked like epilepsy.
One rugged feflow imlneliately below us nicked
and 6trucA out his arms, loaned al The mouth ana
threw mis- head wildly BACK, until q remedy which
reminded one OF the hight between King and Heenal
was appied-6oth MS ears being bstlea as "a resto-
ratve by pious friends. For few minutes-t1at
Is until the Shelk gained the door OF tue mosque,
and rode over more bodies within it--al Wild
confusion. Those rising up were embraced WINE
they plunged, and Cried and kicked Ike men "pos-