St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-04-04

place the most imposing ceremony
Egypt sees from one years end to an
other,-the grand Moolid.
FEAST OF LANTERNS.
There is in Cairo large open space,
called Birket ell Ezbekeeyeh, which dur
ing the season of the Nile inundation
becomes lake, in the heart of the city.
1t is perfectly dry in March, and thither
all Cairo bent its footsteps, on that
Thursday evening, to do honor to the
birthday ceremonies. In a large open
carriage, under escort of our COnsul's
cauaSs Hassan,-a swarthy Arab, with
huge sword at his side, we went out
to see them. Though the middle of
March, the air was soft and mild, and
the stars had genial glow which form
ed quite a contrast to their roguish
twinkle in more northern skies. The
scene that presented itself as we ap-
preached was one of enchantment. The
whole space of the Birket ell Ezbekeeyeh
was one sea of lanterns and torches.
Tall masts were erected in various
places, and connecting them were fes-
toons composed of innumerable lamps
of all colors,-and in every direction
were fireworks of every conceivable
description and marvellous beauty.
But perhaps the most interesting part
of the show was the people who came
to see it. A crowd of Moslems is very
different from a crowd of Europeans or
Americans. Everybody is good tenn
pered aud patient, and takes your jost-
ling as matter of course and not to
be wondered at. But such extremes l
beggar in his rags to the prince with
royal equipage,-the whole population
were there. Elegant Arab horses in
gold caparisons, - servants in their
splendid liveries,-Pashas, with their
diamond decorations, ladies
with provokingly veiled faces, guarded
by tall slender eunuchs, of Etheopia's
deepest dye,-foreign cOnsuls with their
pompOus, gold-laced cdUdSSeS,
with broad brimmed cork hats and
white turbans,-with the vast crowd of
st0lid looking Moslems, black -turban-
ned Copts and scantily dressed Eel
ldheen, made Il motley assembly rarely
witnessed. On all sides were hawkers
of sweet-meats, nuts, fruit, grotesque
candies, sherbet,-but no one was
drunk, hardly any one was noisy, save
as each was il unit of the vast throng
of humanity that sent up an indescrib-
able hum, like the rustling of the leaves
of forest.
THE DERVISHES.
But have said nothing of the cere-
monies that were going on, except the
fireworks for the amusement of the
people. 1t was IA great religious festi-
val, and thousands of holy men were
gathered to Cairo from all over Egypt
The borders of the Birket were lined
with tents, which were filed with der
wishes, diligently engaged in their acts
some of them capable of holding 200
persons or more.-lined with elegant
tapestries of Cashmere, ornamented
with quaint Arabic devices and sacred
Inscriptions, and lighted up with hun
dreds of lamps and tiny tapers. Each
tent was open on one side, towards the
public square. The occupants were of
the MeUleDi sect of dervishes,- or hOocI-
ers, as they are called in Constantinople,
where | had before seen their cere-
monies, though never on so large IA
scale as this.
In each tent from 80 to 100 men were
standing around three sides of hollow
square, within which were sitting as
many more of their brethren on the
ground, quietly smoking, or thumbing
their beads. Some asthmatic wind in
strument was being played on one side.
while the standing performers stimuli
taneously threw their bodies into vio-
lent contortions, vociferously shouting
meanwhile in concert Allah lah lab !
lah!! The motion was very peculiar.
Beginning with gentle swaying back
wards and forwards, it gradually in
creased in rapidity and violence,-the
head rolling from side to side,-the
body bending forward until the head
sometimes reached as low as the knees.
the arms wildly gesticulating, the
feet stamping. One after another of
the outer garments were thrown aside,
and as the perspiratiOn rolled down in
streams to the ground the ardor of de-
votion grew to enthusiasm,-frenz
the shouts of Allah Allah became
cOnvulsive shrieks, of which nothing
was heard but lah lab lah until
physical strength was worn out in utter
exhaustion, and the devotee withdrew
within the circle of half frantic per-
formers and quietly took his seat to re-
cover for another trial. Sometimes the
Zkkeers, as they are called, become
possessed, when they lose all con-
troll OF themselves, throw up their
hands and shout with great vehemence
and rapidity, until foaming at the
mouth they drop insensible on the
ground.
The endurance of these men is al
most beyond belief. They will some
times keep up this violent exertion for
thirty oil forty minutes or even an hour.