Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-05-17
The DOseh.

tnau the sceptre of King or Emperor
Inc anniversary of Mohammed's birth
day fell this year on yesterday, when a
an early hour more than the usual gather
ing OF footmen and carriages were to b
seen inside the square and along the pria
, c'pal entrance to it. On either side ar
policemen and soldiers, blue and pra,
coated protecting the passage along it t.
the Grand Shlek's tent, situated at its end
Soon the vicinity for acres and acre
around is covered with vehicles and hu
man beings eneroaching upon the Shiek'
way; they take possession of tents ant
carriages, and upright poles; even 9TH.
trees grow men," as an Arab expressed il
!, in my hearing. Whips of drivers ant
|cudgels of policemen ara used unmerci
fully against native men and boys, only
to surge the crowd to and fro, carrying
lalong foreigners as we'll as natives. the
Icurious as well as the fanatic-all except.
ing the privileged eunuch. Now come
the harem carriages, hurrying down the
avenue, and are formed with occupants in
line on the side opposite the Princes
tents. Consuls, Judges, and other Off
icials arrive with their families, some OF
whom enter the tent of Tomfick- Pas ha
The courteous Prince Hevetien. Soon
other cOupes, with their thinly.veiled o.
cupants, the wives and mlstresses of his
Highness, the Khcdive, arrive. Every.
thing and rybody gives way, and room
is made for them in the CARR &c line. and
then the khedlve himself is looked for.
1t is now near O'Clock in the after
noon, ard the motley assemblage in anx-
ious exp"ctation stretch their nccks down
the avenue. Here they come! rushing,
with tanners flying; and 300, or more,
Deryishes, heated, frenzied with excite
ment, throw themselves at full length upon
the ground, side by side, and close, with
heads together. Bys.anders aud Arab
boys. in their faith or ambition, vie for a
place. With faces down, and upon the
hands. we hear from the fanatics only the
mutterings of prayer-prayer without in
ternission-"la Ellaha, Ella Allah!"
uhcre is no God but God:) but not mo
ton Of body or limb, save when al inci>
vldual charged with the arrangement Of
the line pulls body this or the contrary
way, in order that its middle may, with
that of the other bodies, form an unbroken
line.
All is ready. The miracle performing
Shiek, who has passed the night aud the
morning in fasting aad prayer, is now
seen approaching, ushered also by banners
and more Dcrvishes, who dart to the end
and also fling themselves along the con-
|tinuing line, we'll into the tent of the
Shiek. Then follows the most revolving
scene which has greeted the human eye
since the suppression of the 1adlan car OF
Juggernaut, Of which more probably the
Doseh is an imitation. This lonely man,
passed the middle age, in the grand robes
of his calling, and under turban as sadly
out of proportion as drum majors bear
skin, mounted upon = fine Arab gray
horse, with naked hoof, large and well
trimmed, nears the further end of the line.
The horse, less brutal than his rider, hesi-
tates; Shiek:: leads him forward, he
mounts the line of PROSTATE grinnine
forms: is steadied on either side by one
and two assisting men who hold to the
Shick. At good pace the horse follows
the sC1s. who has dropped the rein, and
now only guides; the other three assist.
ants he. their hold, and all with horse
and rider treading full on the bodies,
hands and shoulders, and legs and ribs
alike, Nothing is heard but the continu-
ing inyocations, and the multitude look on
in silence and with palpitating breasts.
The Shiek, with head fallen to the right,
eyes seemingly closed, affects super
natural physiognOmy, which suggests the
irreyerent exctaim, Husband of Ma
donna!' He had no sooner passed than
men Jumped up and ran off. but scores
and scores, with painful f. atures, closed
ewes, aud almost silent prayer, were lifted
10. foamingwith blood about the mouths.
and spirited away, evidently seriously ih-
iured. the equablc pace of the horse car
rvine both fore and hind foot upon the
bodies on which he trod.
Epyptians of all degrees inform me
that there is no hashecsh used by the
principal performers in this horrible cere'
|monv. although, apropos of this, it may
be stated that the drug Is commonly USED
hv many of the lower order. While wait
ino for the Shiek, an Arab relates to me
ths .ny O, her horse than the tradition n
crav one may be used; that on former
occasion. by suggestion. European horse
yse mounted. but would not put foo
mon the bodies until the Shirk had dis
mounted and gone through certain iDcan
tatons around the iraclious an mails
which then. unguided, strobe down the
line AZ if It were his daily work. Further :,
after the ceremony Of yesterday, it was
~, lono until one could hear repeated
Ithronoh the Arab crowd a story to the ef-
fect that the horse, in treading the human
way, stopped suddenly and still, J ust as
hc came 10 curiOsity-seeking captain,
who had smuggled himself INTO the line;
and it was not until the unbeliever was
dragged out that the horse would proceed:
During the ceremony was in the tent OF
the Shiek, and lovked down the length of
the line, but having neither eaten nor
smoked Of hssheesh. was unable 10 see
what had been 80 generally observed by
the native population. The peculiar
dancing and singing of the Deryishes af,
|ter this was kept Up until their grand
tfeast in the evening. followed oy nre-
works. the most brilliant OF the week,
and continued until dawn, when tents tell
and the multitude disappeared Is chaH
before the wind, -.5le,