Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-13
A NOVEL TROUPE.

{" An Arab With = Stranger for Guest.
On Saturday evening a troupe of Pales
tine Arabs appeared in the opera house
The troupe includes Sclim Hashim, the
Arab guide who was the first to discover
Livingstone in the Stanley expedition
Sheik Abou Daych Gel Bajalee). a Bedouiil
reed player and dancer; Sheik Youscph
Awdcn (El Ramlanee), who was married
when years old and became father ut
l2 years Khawadja Yakoob Gel BahzuO.
zie), a sword dancer and tamborrinist !;
Khawadja Yakoob Gel Hawcet), player
on the Syrian harp; Shelk MOhammed
Sulieman Gel Malowec). a whirlins derv
ish from Bagdad, and James Rosedale and
and his cousin, Rcbecca Rosedale, Israel.
ties from Jerusalem. Tho Arabs represent
the Jebusites, Edomitcs. Moabitcs, and
Ishmaelites. Selim Hashim, the manager
of the Arabs, and IN accomplished lin
quist, speaking thirty-two tongues, gave
an Introductory lecture, in which he told
tile audience that the customs, ceremonies,
&C., of these people, would be given, and
that tho entertainment would he all the
more interesting to the public from the fact
that the exhibitiOnwOuld consist of customs
in use among these same people 1000
years ago. While tho civilization Of sur
rounding tribes and surrounding people
had advanced these people, made
NJ advancement whatever and they
are just the same now rs ever. The per-
f,rmancc was an exhibition of tho AraC-
ian salutatiOns on the streets, marriage
ceremony, the mode of preparing and eat
ing meals, mode of worship, and the man.
ner in which the Bedouins attack cara
vens. During the performance Sheik Nc.
hammend Sulienlan, who is from Bagdad,
and is known as the whirling dcrvish,
gave an exhibition of whirling, which
consisted in rapidity turning on one
foot, apparently propeiling himself will,
the other. He would turn for ten minutes
at time, and the lecturer informed the
audience that he would be able to con-
tinue. for two hours.
The whirling dervish is pious Moham-
medan, whose devotiOns, IS exhibited to
an audience, are said to be sincere. He is
oblivious to his surroundings as he hOwls
and whirls. In his dressing room he kisses
his hat both at the rim and upon the
crown when he puts it On, and he takes off
his shoes when he steps upon the prayer
rug. 1t angcrs him to see any one with
shoes Oh 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 800 years old, and was stolen from
The dervish carries as his badge
of office, a battle axe, descended from the
Saracens and made of Damascus steel. The
howling Of the dervish is to signify that he
is ready to serve God with all his might,
and his whirling is to indicate that he will
go just where God pleases to turn him. He
is true Ishmaelite, and believes that every
mans hand is against him as his hand is
against every man. The dervish is the
only one of his party who cares moth
ing for money.
At the conclusion of the exhibition
proper the audience were invited to ex-
amino the implements of war, culinary
ETC., which the troupe had.
Among them werc the battle axe. 900
years old, the Damascus blade made by
an art now lost, and the holy rug.
The only female member of the party is
the Jewish girl, who is singularly
fair, with large eyes shaded by long black
lashes. She was in native costume, and
wore 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 the
party is the Bedouin, a big Arab, with a
striking and fierce eye. He aud the derv-
ish, who is faithful follower of the
Prophet, are rarely on good terms. A few
days ago he said that it was pity that the
camel which bore Mohammod in the He
gira did not break it leg, SO that tho
neck might have been broken
also, and then there would not have been
any MOhammed Sulicman whirling derv-
ish from Bagdad. About the only
English that the Bedouin speaks is
a parrot-like repetition OF the in
PRODUCTION. Of the MOhammedan as
:. weerling deerveesh from Bagdad." He
is chief of 500 men in his country, of
whom his father was also chief. His