The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-05-08
.,Agrifdtart, Warkds, anastmtnts Ii
NUMBER l2.
aHisrfna,g!

Wisfflaug.
scenes m at,airo.-Reyeltc
-. Ing Spectacle.
fCsiro Cor n <. Times / e J. 4
It's now one o'clockin the aftefnoone
and. the motley assemblage 10 anxinps
stretch their aneeks down :
Ihe avenue. Here they come! rushing,
with banners fyiiHg, and three hundred
or mure Dsrvishes, heated, irenEied with
excitement, throw themselves ii ftsli
length upon the grannd. side by side4.-
and cluses VI u AGalis toaei Sxatans
ders and Arab boys, in their, Nirhror
ambition, vie for a place With, faces
down and upon the hands, we ehea from 4
tue. fanatics only The mutterings of
without intermission-.4
"La E,laha Eta Allat-p Fhera- is no
God but God } but not motion Of
body or limb, save. wiienr affslhdiridual
charged with Che arrangements Iof the
line pulls body this or theafcentfafy
way, in order That i1s middle may. with
that of other bodies, form an unbroken
line
'.AlFi ready. The miracle performing
Shieh. who has. passed the night and the
morning in fasting and prayer, is now
seen approaching, ushered alsg tynban41
ners and7me,e Deyyishes, who dart 40. /
the end, and also, fling themselYes along,
the continuing line, even well into the /,
tent of the Shieks. Then follows the
most revolving scene which has greeted
the human eyes since the suppression
Iof.the Indian slo1of JdggernauS q or
which1mest pfobahlyn the d zach iisg ans
Imitation. This lonely mans; past tlIes
middle age, in the grand robes. of his.
calling, and under . lurban as sadly out
of proportion as. q Drum ,major's bear
skin, mounted upon q fine Arab gray
horse, with naked hoof. large and we'll
trimmed, Hears the further end of the
line. The horse, less brutal than his,
rider, hesitates; q Shiek leads, him for.
ward; he mounts the line of prostrate.
grinning forms; is steadied. on either
side by one aud two assisting men, who
hold to the Shiek Ata good place the
horse follows the ssis, who hasfdropped' :
! the rein aud now only guides |; the; other,
three assistants keep their, hold and al
with horse and rider treading full on
the bodies, hands and shoulders. and
legs and ribs alike. Nothing is heard
but the continuing if9ocaticns, and the
multitude look on In silence and With
palpitating breasts. The aShiek, with
head fallen to the right, eyes, seemingly
closed, affects supernatural physiog-,
nomy, which suggests the irreverent en-
clamation, "Husband Of Madonna /"
He had no sooner passed than mem
dumped up and ran of, but scores and
fscores, with painful features, closed
i eyes, and almost silent prayer, were lift
ed up, foaming with blood about the
mouths, and spirited away, evidently
seriously injured, the equable pace or
the horse carrying both fore and hind
| foot upon the bodies on which he trod.
! Egyptians Of all degrees inform me
that there is no hasheesh, used by the
principal performers in this horrible cer-
emony, although, apropos OF this, IL
may be stated that the drug is commons
lv used by many Of the lower order
Whileswaiting for the Shiek an Arabic
lates to me that any other horse than
the traditional gray one may be used !;
that on q, former occasion, by; sugges-
ltion, European horse was mounted,
but would not put foot upon the bodies
until the Shrek had dismonnted and gone
Through certain incantations around the
fractions animal, which them, unguided,
strobe down the line as if it we're his
daily work. Further, after the ceremony
of yesterday, it was not long until one
could hear repeated through the Arab
crowd a story ntol the effect that the
, horse, in treading the human way, stop,
ped suddenly and still, just as he came
to Q curiosity-seeking Captain, who had
smuggled himself into the line; and II
was not until the unbeliever was dragged
out that the horse would proceed. Du,
ring the ceremony Iwas in3 the tent oI
the Sbiek, and looked down the, length
of the line, but having neither eaten mol
smoked Of hasheesh, / was unable tc
!, see what had been SO generally observ
ed by the native population as.aii1 cd