The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-02-25
SONS OF TIE DESERT.

Cusaens and Reeuiiarssiss of . rrsups
81 Arabs New IN me Unitsd geAsss
Describing troupe Of Arsbs now In
this country, the New Yotk asn says,
The sroupe includes Selim Hashim, the
cover Livingston in the Stanley expe-
dition; Sheik Abou Dayeh (El Bajalee),
2 Bedouin reed player and dancer; !;
Ehefk Youseph Awdeh Gel Ramlanee),
who was married when eight years old,
and became a father at twelve years I;
KhawadjA Yakoob (El Bahzooxie), Q
sword dancer and tambourinist; Khhw-
ada Yakoob (E Haweetl, . player on
the Syrian harp; Sheik Mohammed
Suleiman (El Malowee), . whirling
deyvish from Ba9dAd, and james Rose
dale and his cousin, Rebecca Rosedale.
Israalites from Jerusalem. The Arabs
represent the Jebusites, Edomites, Mos-
bites and Ishmaelites. The only fe.
male member Of the party is Rebecca.
the Jewish girl. who il singularly fair,
with large eyes shaded BY long black
lashes. She was in native costume,
and wore q head-dress of fine stuff
embroidered with gold thread. She had
no skirts, but wore long. bnggy trousers
Of brocsded silk, drawn about her
ankles. ... .tt-.t
The most interesting member of the
party is the Bedouin, a big Arab. with Q
striking and fierce eye. He and the
dervish, who Is . inithful 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 its leg,
90 that the prophets neck might have
been broken also. .nd then there would
not have been any Mohammed Suleiman
whirling dervish from Bagdad. About
the only English that the Bedouin speak ks
d parrot-like repetition of the intro
duction Of the Mohsmmednn gs. =
He Is chief OF 500 men in his country, Il
whom his father wss 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 band of rob
bers that surprised her sons camp. The
Bedouins taste for highway robbery Is
50 strong that his manager does not
think 1t safe TO permit him 10 have an
opportunity 10 indulge II. Oliver w en-
del Holmes and the poet Longfellow
called upon the troupe IN Boston. Mr..
Holmes examined with interest fine
old Damascus sword. he said TO the
Bedouin: f lnl
"Would you cut of my head with
thisP' M rf ~
"No," said the Arab, ~ would cut
OF your enemy's head" a
After watching the Boston women.
the Bedouin said: II would not ike
to marry an American. She would be
the man In year, and I would have to
do the cooking"
He saw a ballet performance in Bos-
ton. and rs the Amazons filed out In
their pink tights, he asked whether they
were llrOrptans. "Oh. no." sNid the
interpreter. r-l T,.
"Iiave they brothers and fathers p
asked the Bedouin. f- so -
"Yes.n he was told. rl
"Wen," Le said, why don't they
kill these girls. would, if they were
my sisters, before ! would allow them
to appear ike this"
The whirling derv'sh ig pious Mo
hammedan. whose devotions, as ex
hibited to an audience, are said 70 b,
sincere. He is oblivious to his surround
inss a. he howls and whirls. In hil
dressing room he kisses his hat both .
the rim and upon the crown when n
puts II on, and he takes of bis shoe
when he steps upon the prayer rug. 1
angers him to see any one with shoe
on tread upon the rug, and he says b
would knock such irreverent Christian
down If il were safe to do so. The rui
10 over 300 years old, and was stole
nom q mosque.
The dervish carries. as his badge Q
Office. a battle az, descended from tn
Saracens and made OF Damascus steel
The bowling of the Dervish is to signif
| that he Is ready TO serve God with a.
bis might, and his whiriing Is to indica,
that he will go just where God please
| 70 turn him. He is true tshmaelit
and believes that every mans hand
against him rs his hand Is against ever
man. Tue deryish Is the only one OF hi
party who cares nothing Tor money
Accordingly he does not sell relics Q
products OF the East.
James ROsedale, the interpreter OF tn
troupe, was educated af Kings collegt
under the patronage Of Horatio Bonre'
| the author of the hymn: "What frien
| have in Jesus" His father is q learne
pundit in Jerusalem.
As the Arabs appeared in their scent
Of snlutation, barteiing. feasting. marry
ing and robbing, they seemed to hny
stepped ont OF picture OF Orient,
scenes. The sword dance OF FL Bal
soozie is interesting. II is the dance
o chieftain before his warriors as the
return from battle. The dancer brai
dishes the sword so swiftly that l
seems at times to be behind sheet ,
mirror glass. FL Bahzoozie's. title
taken from his large eyes, and the nan
means oap-eyes."