, 1869-03-28
VISIT TO HoW1ING, DER,
YISHE8.. .'=,'.'

IANAa1s-
Ai,cr taking of ow boots, we wrre admis-
ted 10 the ball OF the dervl4nes, which fs alto
gether an old -fashior ed looking place, = roon
three tn Cd s'des % oveFhanaing = rallied sp.ea ee- ~
low the fourth aide, excepting the narrow
rallied space, being occupied by The mnsah,
which answers to the altar Of Roman 0atho.
tic churches. Half the gallery was ssserred
ior NeMee, nd covered h T.ih< tsei,
llssS s,S wers Of wood. she laths rade.y paia.ed
trecs-l supposed to divert the mssculIue
attention nom the yelled faces which
moved darkly behind. The beam, support.
rg this portion OF the gallery WAS hnug
with some twenty tanoor,res, to Be used, Ii,
sueicientiy 81 noisy and eseited. h Ruislv isIs
squared pillars Of wood suppostcd the bal
cony, and low wooden bailusttade enclosed
the square IN which the dervishes vera TO
perform their rites. The eastern side ol this
ROOM Ike that Of. every mosque. had re.
thread, and sone verses Of the Karaaa aoia IN
guided letters, were The chief ornaments
On one side Of the nslaraA hung a carpet.
into which Turkish letters were woven:
snn& sn1s ssn.,t.d xas the sn,E1a ME1sser-sTpet Of
side was hung with anal1 kett1e-drurs, pin-
GERS md spikes, instruments Of self torture,
with which the dery1shes arc wolt 70 pierce
and punish themselves whenever thetr zeal
needs such awakentng. But VIC Nese happy
70 think, from the artistic order in which
there implements were arranged, that the
march ot civilization had aEveu them par
Petnal repose. Some sheepsk rs, dyed fed.
lay In front OF the mihrah, aud STOUT twenty
| Others, black aud white, Eeie a1raurrd in
regular order upon the open spAen in lroat Of
this most sacred tpot-
When We were admitted, the LN1p. or chief
Of the delvtshes, young man Of gnIied
| department, and seemingly delicate hs1ith,
| with black hair and beard. aud fnely-cut
features, was sitting on the red skins betoru
the m1uah with ahoosn dokeo dervishes, all
seated on their heels, ranged behind hlnl on
she black md white sheepskins. The in,qn
wore skullcsp Of white ielt bound WITH
black scarf, aad bis person was enyeloped
1 In long tea.greeu robe lined with 1ug The
deEyishes wore robes OF vario1s colors, but
the1r fex, bouud with while or green scarfs,
marked their devotion to a eacred calling.
After The usual pfoslrat,ons und ks Tugs oi
the ground n the direction OF Mecca,
the tusan began recitation, ho.dicg hi
hands before him like an op.n book then
for long time his lips moYed in s,lenca, h1s
vnice audible only At Intervals, when be: at.
touched the door with their forcneads. Taen
the mats Of the derytshes were removed, re-
arranged at the fu,thest boundary Of The in
closed space, aud al set up \ mouo:onous
chant, their heads rising and fallias,. theiz
bodies swinging to aud fro In ma mar be.
wudeIicg to behold, which 70 practice would
gravity the iman continued tnis see - = f,r
h2l an hour you could not doubt for mo-
mens, On seeing the rigid dtcosum of bis
features. and the grave solemuity OF his nau-
ner, how earnestly he WAS occupied with his
| religious devotion.
l f9N ~nR y4nW Ia L..
creased In number as the ceremony pro-
grcseed; and when this chant ended, taca
advanced In turn to the imam, and, stopping
dowr, kissed bis hsnd, he laying his fAce up
On their shoulder aud his hand on his breasl
1s they a1ose from the monetary embrace
v1shes. IN their Lighter cotton garmhnts, aT
1snged themselves In row. Each dervHl
had been relieved Of his fe3 and tnr5an
which were iol6ed with their robes, and lalt
before The mlhran. AL stood up In whit
tkull caps; even the imauSeft his chief seat
his head gear was reduced 10 the same whit
cap, and his long robe taken OF lett him IN
white dress, 4 person Of much less dtenlfie,
appearance, yet still eaei1y dIstinguishc,
from the defvtshes, among whom he tool
his place, BY bis pensi7e, distracted afr an,
graceful motions-
He stocd at Que ED Of the line, and whe1
old priests dropped In from time 10 time, b
advanced, embraced them very much ATE
the shaua fashion Of "heavy father" In
melodfama, and. with movement Of hi
left hand, invited them To be seated, each up
on asheerskin mat. Then the bowling con,
meuced. The dervishes, shoulder to shoul
der In rank 50 close that all mus
needs move together, without Nftin,
! their feet from the ground, made with thet
! hips lateral bend, then a correspnudihl
movement to the other side; then, beudiu
the body backward from the hips, they CON
| Yt1o{eE thA f,rr No1 NV Nj
! forward md throwing out their voices In
Wild shout-'' AAaA hon.'' could not cate
the words forming tho whole o the chant t
.. which they kept time with this exhaussln
: movement,
: Aiter keeping It up for an hour, their eyt
: seemed 10 roll With dernou1ac fury, their fe
= = lures appeared altered with the wild e1c,t
nent, and their bowling snonts acsual
grew louder, though they were Jtrkcd cut
:. terrib1e easps from their fired lungs. r
!. dervishes wern drunk with delight IN tnt
- - own exhaustion. and without momen
o rest OF daagtpg the exercise continued. 7
ts effect upon the spectators was curious.
my own part, was so far mesmerized It
The time passed very quickly, bnt the Tus
Within tie enclosure could scarcely ke
their feei. Men swayed backward aud 4
IN half eoue, ard others lifted hrst one Is,
r. then the other, keeping uncnnsclou. til
:. to The easpIug kowls of the deryishes. j
sged man too old to stand, sat cross-lcec
on sheepskin in such a position that
q. bowler bent over him with every forwa
h movement, HEs enthusiasm was wonuert
k be rolled bis watery eyes, wagyed his wh
il beard, snd swayed bis body about with
Il the motion with which It was capable
o Joyone Voice. reedy and piping al It. VI
70 could be heard like bad fiddle between t
/, As the maddened shouts grew more furiot
j. he seemed to think "the good old time
- were cone back agaio, aud tt
r the bowling dervlshes had not fill,
: away fiom the service Of Alah Al
,e bis Prophet. Their eyes wildly dist.ude
N nc uths foa1u1nR like those OF men setzed vi
. epilepsy, looked to see come OF the dt
a wishes fall fatcting ucder the Immense tIt
r tiou but none had the least appearance
j. fatigue on The contrary, she longer the no
ns n.s s9p1Isd i.S ths ssE sreass sh
d tious. Al length, after keeping up this u
4 charging movement AID hoHlfn. for near
~ two honft, they ceased, aud, With surprIsiu
:. u little evidence Of excitement OF htig
II upou their counteuance., walked In sfng
~ flie from the room. Iwst1hed their featui
Of men Of quite u be lower rank Of life, and, Il
70 may jutge thould think few were sincere
= l!elons enthn.iasts. The air with Will
er scme OF thcse 5ouug men len the roon y
n rather that OF successful Kymnaets than
k natlcal derotees. Among Them, have
Il doubt, there were religious enthusiastic,
n 1t wa. rot from men like the peusiye IN.
E that such how1s and coutortlons could
K, obtained. Though he ouly Affected to tn
m part with the howlers, though his mo-
4 ments were only gentle bows, and his hoy
" were tighs compared with those Of the De,
no chested terTishes who now passed out
Or fore rs, yet bis face stesmed with PertpI
d ton, and appeared h.ggard with e1ha
:, tiou.
as do not know II the dervt.bes h.d reti,
en TO take 1efreshment; At all events, In q I
Az mILutes they returned, and With geat
rs dIRnlhed yourg iman was now about to
rr. erclse his greatest power, that OF preseryl
the fAlthful who came TO him from ali N
en- ner OF disease. He took his seat upon
a. red-dyed sheepsksns near the mihrah, I
eu arst the giant negro b robes Of green 4
". yellow knelt before him Holding the bls
,sf bead between the palms Of bis delicate han
Cd the lips Of the imam moved Ia prayert
a melaLcholF eyes dxed upon the rosu belt
he him. Several chlleren gam boled into the inc
re- Tneu m lrfans Of sbout yer old was c
ia ried In aud laid By man, who snppos
~ was the chiId's father, upon Its stomach
ri. ono Of the shcepskins. The f7sen gray
on gave his hand 10 two attendant dervtsh
a sloxly llIted the other to the same pla
the de1Tithes suppor >ipg considerable P
do ton If his weight. Relieved, after
ii .ccouds, Of the cruel burden, the poor III
- infant came up gasptn5 and crying,
ys- face eca19tt, aud the power Of
et n1Iie luoRs R4ne lof nonent wAo ieii
RS were similarly ,roddcu upoa bY the ia.aa,
at the apparent JOY Of their conductors.
er- then an old gentleman, IN fur-liaed pell
IN Of pink Eatm, lowered bis prutuher
III stomach with more labor than dignity on
)r. eheepskiu, and stretched himself dat,
N face upon the. boards Of the door. An
- tive, slfght umbed pretty girl Of niue OF
"A Eears old tktpI ed into the fnclQsure aud