The Newtown bee., 1880-12-29
SONS OF THE DESERT.
Customs and Peculiarities of Troupe
 Of Arabs Now in the United States.

customs anu Feculfartttes or Troupe
 Of Arabs Now in the United states.
 Describing troupe of Arabs now in this country, the New York Sun says The troupe includes Selim Hashim, the Arab guide who was the first to dis. cover Livingston in the Stanley expe- dition; Sheik Abou Dayeh (El Bajalee), Bedouin reed player and dancer Sheik Youseph Awdeh (El Ramlanee), who was married when eight years old, and became father at twelve years Khawadja Yakoob (El Bahzooxie), a sword dancer and tambourinist; K haw- adja Yakoob (El Haweet), player on the Syrian harp; Sheik Mohammed Suleiman (El Malowee), a whirling dervish from Bagdad, and James Rose dale and his cousin. Rebecca Kosedale, Israelites from Jerusalem. The Arabs represent the Jebusites, Edomites, Moa- bites and Ishmaelites. The only fe- male member of the party is Rebecca. the Jewish girl, who is singularly fair, with large eyes shaded by long black lashes. She was in native costume. and wore a head-dress of fine stuff embroidered with gold thread. She had no skirts, but wore long, baggy trousers of brocaded silk, drawn about her ankles.
 The most interesting member of tn party is the Bedouin, big Arab, with a striking and fierce eye. He and the dervish, who is faithful follower of the prophet, are rarely on good terms. A few days ago he said that it was a pity that the camel which bore Moham- med in the Hegira did not break it's leg, so that the prophets neck might have been broken also, and then there would not have been any Mohammed Suleiman whirling dervish from Bagdad. About the only English that the Bedouin speaks is parrot-like repetition of the intro duction of the Mohammedan as 8 "weerling deerveesh froom Bagdad." :" He is chief of 800 men in his country, whom his father was also chief. His mother, to whom he is tenderly at tached, is infirm from having been thrown from a camel upon which she was trying to escape from 8 band of rob- bers that surprised her son's-camp. The Bedouin's taste for highway robbery is so strong that his manager does not think it safe to permit him to have an opportunity to indulge it. Oliver " en- dell Holmes and the poet Longfellow called upon the troupe in Boston. MT. Holmes examined with interest fine old Damascus sword. He said to the Bedouin:
 "Would you cut off my head with thisP"
 "No," said the Arab, "I would cut off your enemy's head"
 After watching the Boston women. the Bedouin saids " l would not ike the man in & year, and would have to do the cooking"
 He saw 8 ballet performance in Bos- ton. and as the Amazons filed out in their pink tights, he asked whether they were all orphans. "0h, no," said the interpreter.
 "Have they brothers and fathers ?'' asked the Bedouin.
 "Yes," he was told.
 "Well," he said, "why don't they kill these girls. I would, if they were my sisters, before l would allow them to appear like this"
 The whirling dervish is pious Mo- hammedan, whose devotions, as ex- hibited to an audience, are said to be sincere. He is ohlivious to his surround ings as he howls and whirls. In his dressing room he kisses his hat both al the rim and upon the crown when he puts it on, and he takes off his shoe: when he steps upon the prayer rug. It angers him to see any one with shoes on tread upon the rug, and he says he would knock such irreverent Christians down if it were safe to do SO. The rug is over 300 years old, and was stolen from Q mosque.
 The dervish carries, as his badge O. office, battle ax, descended from tho Saracens and made of Damascus steel The howjing of the Dervish is to signify that he is ready to serve God with al his might, and his whirling is to indicate that he will go just where God please: to turn him. He is a true Ishmaelite and believes that every mans hand il against him as his hand is against ever, man. The deryish is the only one of hi party who cares nothing for money Accordingly he does not sell relics O products of the East.
 James Rosedale, the interpreter of tn troupe, was educated af Kings college under the patronage of Horatio Bonner l the author of the hymn: '' What frient l 1 have in Jesus" His father is learne, | pundit in Jerusalem.
 As the Arabs appeared in theirs cene of salutation, barteling, feastiDg, marry l ing and robbing, they seemed to hay stepped out of 8 picture of Orienta scenes. The sword dance of Ell Bah zoozie is interesting. It is the dance ( chieftain before his warriors as the return from battle. The dancer bran dishes the sword so swiftly that h seems at times to be behind sheet C mirror glass. Fl Bahzoozie's title taken from his large eyes, and the nam l