The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-20
INDIA.
Among the Dervishes.
a visit to a Miracle Show in Da.
mascus.

courtyard, which was already tolerably
full of native spectators, and of persons
who were to take part in the performances;
whil9 many yelled women, who had ap-
parently gotten notice that the sheik was
going to exhibit his powers crowded the
surrounding roofs. After the usual pre-
hminary politeness of pipes, sherbet and
coffee, he went into an inner room, and re
appeared with bundle of iron skewers,
very much resembling those used by cooks
for trusting meat. Reckoning to a wild
looking dervish stripped to the waist,
whose wandering eye had an evil look in
it, which the rest of his countenance did
not belie-in fact, it was only redeemed
from being villainous by sort of glare of
insanity-he made him open his mouth,
and proceeded with the utmost GOODNESS to
pass a skewer from the inside through each
check, so that the points could be seen
plainly prOtruding.
| He then performed like operation on a
remarkably handsome youth of about 18,
whom / afterward found was his son. and
whose large, clear, hazel eve was calmly
| fixed on mine while his cheeks were being
| pierced, nor did line of his countenance
indicate that he was conscious of the slight
est pain. Not a drop of blood flowed in
either case. The two victims stood before
us with their mouths pressed back, and
the projecting skewers showing the points
through their cheeks, with as much appar-
ent comfort as if it were the normal cOndi-
ton of their being. Leaving them in this
attitude the sheik again disappeared into
his room. This time he returned with a
small square box, drawing back the sliding
lid of which he extricated a scorpion of I'M
usual size, its vicious tail curling and strik-
inc it's own back as it writhed between his
fingers.
This he handed to another dervish, cloth
ed and looking more in his right mind than
his skewered comradc who Instantly drop
ped the lively reptile into his mouth and
crunched it with great apparent gusto. AS
he was as large as an ordinary land crab, it
was big mouthful and seemed to whip up
into a sort of lather as he chewed it. His
cOuntenance, as he went on munching,
was so impassive that I could not Judge
whether live scorpion is nice or moi; prob
ably it is an acquired taste Another der
wish joined in the repaSt, and disposed of
a smaller one with equal equanimity
now suggested that we were satisfied in
regard to the skewers, and that the com
pany generally would feel more comfort
able if they were extracted.
The sheik now once more returned to
his room and brought out Il larger box,
which he opened, and drew forth from it
| several snakes of all different sizes These
began to wriggle about the floor in disa-
greeable manner, with an overpowering
attraction apparently for the legs of for
eigners However, the sheik charmed
them in the usual manner, and the soon all
curled up submissively; then taking one
about two feet long by the tail, he held it
up in manner so tempting that it proved
to oil Ioo
| ing dervish, who was afflicted with a sort
of St. Vitus' dance, and who, rushing out
| of the crowd, gave loud yell, snatched
the twisting snake out of the sheik's hands
with both Of his, gave it a sudden violent
jerk witch snapped it in two, and plunged
the bleeding and palpitating end into his
mouth.
A braZier of burning charcoal was
brought in, and the charcoal famed into
blaze. The sheik then went through an
invocation, and suddenly with his bare
feet jumped upon it and stood there for
nearly minute, the lurid flame curling
around them. The moment he got off the
the serpent-eaters rushed forward and fill
ed their mouths red-hot charcoal, which
was again famed. the smell of burning
| flesh becoming powerful and sickening as
they cruched the glowing mOrsels.
A@iNS CpttiS tblC i'OSStbIt INT duildttC "
snakes after you have eaten them, but the
general effect Of all this strange diet was
beginning to have a powerful influence
upon the nerves of some of the lady
| spectators, who protested that they were
unable to witness furthur horrors.
The sheik reappeared armed with a
skewer Of larger dimensions than he had
thrust through the cheeks of the first vic
| TINS to the end of which was attached a
heavy iron ball, and proposed to run it
through the mans throat from the front,
bringing it out at the nape of the neck.
AT this there was a general scream of
horror and dismay. In vain did the sheik
| protest that the operation would be abso-
lutely painless, and show us the indurated
| spots on the opposite sides of the mans
neck through which the instrument was in
the habit of passing, while the man him
self smiled with bland expression of dis
appointment at being deprived of pleas
ure for which he was apparently looking
| forward