Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-10
SCENE or THE oUTRAG Es.


Tantah, the scene of the latest Egyptian mas
sacres, scarcely less lieudsh in their cruelty than
those. eff Alexandria, is the capital of the Cor
beeyen provinces in the Delta. The city is 81
miles north of Cairo, on the Cairo and Alexan-
dra rail road, and is the third city in Egypt. It's
population is variously eetimatcd at from go 900
to 100, 900 souls. In the mill tary operations
doubtless soon to follow Tansah will become
quite an important srategical point, and raj
lying centre fof the adherents Of Arab, for this
unique city is the capital of religious fanaticism
| in Lower Egypt. Its situation in about the
middle of tbs Delta renders it easily accessible to
those VINO 60 there on the triennial religious pill
grmages to celebrate tn BIRTHPLACE of great
Moslem saint: the Seyyid Ahmad El-Bedawee.
The greatest Of these festivals which it near the
end Of .te Christian year, attracts more pilgrims
than any other in Egypt, and in this respect is
second only to the pilgrimage to Mecca. They
are characterized by deSauchery, crime and riot,
and exceed in this respect the revelries of Bubas-
It's and Campus. Few christians ever attend the
mammoth gathering known amdag she Franks as
the "Tantah Fair" because of the danger attend
ing intercourse with fanatics maddened with the
potent Araki, beverage brewej from rice. The
correspondent visited one of these great religious
mobs, which in fine is nothing more than a Mo-
hammedan camp meeting and being in christian
garb, without even the fez, he was everywhere
regarded with scowls Of hatred guestures of de-
iance and words of menace. 1t was a singular
spectacle to be in the midst of one of these hugh
assemblies, numbering as high as 10000 souls,
coming from every part Of Syria, Arabia, even
India and Northern Africa, and particularly
at night by their rude camp fires, beating
| on tbs Sm-tom, singing, rude negro and Egyp-
tian chants, telling fortunes, with the bowling
dervishes sending forth the most hldeous and
and heart rendiug howls while whirliug in their
maddening testimony of fealty to the Moslem
God. 1t can be imagined that when sometimes
500 600 strangers have thus gathered on the plain
| of Tantah with water by no means plenty and
with the modern Egyptian by no means disposed
to use il, that cleanliness would not be prevail
ing virtue. In fact, it Is doubtful if any camp
city was ever the theatre Of so much general and
personal filth with all of its consequences as the
chief pilgrimage in honor Of the patron saint OF
Tantsh.
PEST BREEDER
As consequence epidemic and contagious
feyers spread all over the Delta provinces and are
carried by the rail to Cairo, Alexandria and
Suez, and a large mortality ensues, for the mod
ern Egyptian and the Bedouin are the most help
less Of mortals when they are sick. Members OF
4, Ia, all
ed to treat swine in America and the natives
have d great reluctance, on account OF religious
scrupes, to being treated by Christian The
correspondent, however on the occasion Of one of
the great teasts was careful to have with him
his medicine ehes:-not an insignificant affair
either, for it was prepared by DR.. Grant, the
English physician to the khedivc, with elaborate
instructions. This was a companion in travel
as much for self-protec,ien as it was to OBJ
tain useful popularity among the natives tor
medical scence-a very easily acquired reputa-
| ton in Egypt. 1t was discovered in endeavcr-
ing to treat many Of the ordinary Affections en-
gendered by such close and filthy communion that
they were temporarily cured only to recur. 1t is
this Mohamnedan business of pilgrimages which
| gives rise and has caused time out of mind, the
great peStilance sweeping the earth from the
neighborAuods of Medina. Mecca. Tantah and
other holy cities, eventually following the water
courses and routes of travel and sending the mes
senger of death to the capitals of Western Europe
as in the Black Death which made SO much
| havoc in Paris in lSiS.
THE DESIGN OF TURKEY.
LONDON, July 3l.-The Times says:
1--WE have ample reason for believing
that the expedition the porte is now
determined to send to Egypt has no
other object than to thwart and oppose
the efforts England is now making to
restore order there. Cooperation might
be accepted if the Turks should
send moderate contingent to
act under orders of the British
commander. The obvious design of
Turkey is to exclude Epglasd alto
gether and to maintain that we have