The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-21

for we moved toward KEENAN, with the same Intens
with when we started. Selim Is thus wise and
he EFFORTS "bacxsheesh" (pour.J0ireD aud dis.
tributes 1t TO his believers.
opposite Kennah, we explored the mammoth temple
OF venus, whose antiquity Is unknown but Is trace
able TO over Two thousand years ago. For nne
columns, IL ranks among the frst OF Egypt. Traces
OF recent vandalism from the hand OF the prurient
tourist are found upon us richly embellisned walls
Parts OF the human body concealed by the modesty
OF our time beneath the folds OF zig leaf been
rudely muulated by some person deficient In
physique. BY narrowing down ali works OF art to
the cold etiquette Of the day the finest masterpieces
OF Greece and Rome would perish from the earth.
Tnree niles over swamp and mud brought us 10
the house Of the BRUSH Consul, wIo mad rendered
to the party the usual courtesy offered to Nile
travellers.
THE DANCING GIRLS.
. Wnen we arrived AZ his house we found It bril-
ianuy illuminated Win candies, anu tue oDsequt
room on the second floor. The apartment where we
IND ourselves Is iorty iee long by twenty wide, ana
broad dlvans extend around three or It's sides.
We seat ourselves on the divan. dusky SER
vanI sustaining the weight OF huge turban on his
head, approaches with chtbouQueS, already lighted
By his own suction, and are soon flooding the
room with the fumes OF KOranIc and Turkish toDac
co. C0ree follows. and these Two elementary points
oil the Arab etiquette having been finished we are
ready TO become s0clabie and observant. Al our
e ana On aae a1er xe e Sc h Of
rank, most elaDOrately hung with golden spanglas.
necklaces and otherwise profusely adorned
hind THEM are their counterfeit mothers, wasted
into that dred-up wrecnedness which arrives In
tropical countries before the female reaches the age
OF fOfty The duty OF these hays Is TO maronize the
fairies. Stili iurtner to the the orchestra
..ood,n or species OF guitar, two performers on
the tambourne and one on the tOm-tOm. Candies
are disposed about the room, ana several Arabs OF
local distinction are seated opposite as deeply in
terested as we. Zoe, Fatlma ZenOba ana Ayesha
are the names by which we Will distn9u ish the four
danseuses. Zoe Is slender AMI graceful with a
dark, colorless skin, black eyes, and graceful,
charming manner. Hung up on the wall, her pOr-
trait would be that OF a madonna; but, pictured
In action, she moves from the plaintive Law TO her
gay love song win LOO much facility 60 permit the
hypothesis tnat she has been persistent guardian
or her virtue. She Is dressed III purple robe,
reaching TO her neck Her waist IS enclrcled BY .
belt OF strung coins. each OF the OF S. and her
dollars worth OF g0ld scattered through her hair
and distributed all over ner person. She rises and
bursts into passionate verse:-
NY love not but gave sherbe sugar drink
For half the nights will VINE
viii do deeds thas xntar dbl did not.
Such IS the genius OF the Egyptian song. and to.
day IL differs little from the verse of back. 1t
ropean listener would be nole the wiser. In half
an hour alter we are seated, the quartet having
bsgn s
dance. lhey taSe positions opposite to eacn other
and ten feet apart Fatma has the features OF
squaw, but the agility OF DEER The fingers OF
eacn hold the steel castanets, and they pose ana
begin rapid, regular movement or their b0des
lR,
joints forward rising suddenly to perfect upright
then advancing and re'reatlng, and wniriing as IN
the untlmed waltz. In these movements, when TO
me are u OF wild, original fascination, there is
ttle tlat Is lecherOus, though much that Is poet
ical. IL depeads altogether upon the nature or
the observer whether not this dance Is to be con-
sidered grossly immoral. There is display OF the
limb or body, unless you happen to DRIFT among the
lowest classes OF the dancing girls Leech. who
wrote a book upon Egypt called ..The Sentimental
Ider" thus truthiully audes TO the dancing glrs:-
al 1t De not the most immoral exhibition IN the
world 1 Will only add. IL Is of the sights of
Up per Egypt That It's interest Is warranted by Its
81 eat ANTIQUITY, aua furthermore taat there Is
Nile voyage VINO does not Witness the exhibit
iOnsn
When full OF rakl, and worked up to high de.
yree or excitement, the girls sometimes become en-
huslastlc, aud perform as ladies' would not In the
Kennale they uo would frequently Indulge In alec
iOnate attitudes and assume positions sus-
,epuble OF variety OF interpretations But II they
eceive no ENCOURAGEMENT to become Tree in
heir movements they rarely do anything improper,
Their immortality Is thousand degrees less than
hat OF the ballet dancer on the New York STAGE
rhey are not vlrtuous, and do not pretend TO be.
The girls are known Ill the native parlance as the
ihawazee and they claim 10 belong to noble and
ancient race ana desplse those Arabs about Them
VINO cannot show better ancestry than an un-
broken hue o. thousand years Lane, tn, best
authority on Egypt, states that, while they the
most abandoned courtesans, ''they are the finest
women IN Egypt p Even while We were Witness
ing the display at the house OF the British Consul
his wives were glauclng at the spectacle from be-
hind aiuce.work set In windows opening TO the
their domestic concerns ana do not allow even the
ladies Of their harem to witness iicentous displays.
From hennah 10 -
was run OF six hours and forty-eight miles. Upon
approaching the finest existing ruins In the world
we saw the harD0r filled with danaDeans, steamers
and all representatives OF the Nile shipping. AS
the Herald passed the lofty mansion or ALI
Morad (UnIted States Consular Agent, standing
rs IL does at the edge OF high bluff overlooking the
river, twenty guns were nred IN our honor, the
cOl0rs were dipped and we were greeted cordially
boats IIuntlre1S
were ga hered on the banks; the steamer OF Mr.. J.
p Morgan, the well known banker OF New YORK,
was lying ahead; the steamer or The Prussan Con-
sui General was jest getting under way, and after
wards he kindly took our mails TO Cairo The day
was soft and salubriOus, ana every visible OBJECT
that makes Luxor famous and The pes interesting
was unusually conspicuous against the deep blce
sky In less than an hour after the reception OF the
lgnitaries we were on our way 70 Karnak con:
Quoted Dy ALI M0rad and his suite. But the ruins Of
lnebes are found IN every existing guide book to the
Niie and Will not describe them.
A Mr.. Smith, an American, has been living In
Thebes many years, studying The hieroglypnics IN
the temples and tomDs, excavatlng scoraDari anu
dealing in antiques and acting as cicerone. HE
ID from New Yorx, and processes to nave solved
many OF the antiquities left obscure py more
Upon tue registry Of the United States Consulate
at 1hebes there stands this imperial entry:-'N. M.
BecKwlth, uniled states commissioner to the Lon
What fruitful text for those who are acquainted
with The Exhibition Of 1857 at Paris, the Beckwlth
at the same place ana date, and now
TINS fheDan Exhibition OF 1872!
RECEPTION BY THE COURT AT ESNA.
After many trlais ana fluctuations, chiefly occa-
stoned by sand bars and o stupid captain, we ar.
rived at Esna late on sunday evening" The TIN lnsr
The Herald was Immediately boarded by a brood OF
officials. who bore kilograms from the Viceroy, d.
rectng that all necessary means should be taken In
advance TO provide camels and trains tor crossing
the Nublan Desert from Koroska to Berber. The
hour OF ten was appointed for reception the next
day by the court OF the province. BY nine donkeys
were In waiting on shore; but we concluded to
walk, and so, after Two miles on foot. we denled
into tine narrow streets OF Esna About the first
spectacle saw were some ayly-decKed coal black
Nubian girls Leaving the avenue where these
creatures swarmed we finally arrived In the centre
OF the city to find that 1t was market day. This Is
q weekly event In all the settlements Of Egypt.
Produce OF every kind Is exposed for SALE and all
the little articles found IN the scanry econo ny OF an
Arabian household may be bought Tor u few
piastres.
Al length the solemn moment came and we were
conducted to the splendid Temple OF Esna, and
given seats beneath the roof which formerly GOV.
cred the priests OF the Roman Conquerors In Q
few moments the Court In procession descended
the grand staircase, ana, preceded Dy Hassan, was
n (Ongu Ganpral diUnifaripQ