The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27
For the Farmer and Mechanic
A Raielghire IN the Buiirush Re-
Rion--More About Moses


Arab, invited us to see the dancing urls
we all went. There were six women
only one good looking one i'll the lot,
some OF them quite old. They were dress
ed ia large loose gowns OF gaudy colors.
and wore great deal OF brass lewelry
on their arms and wrists, around their
necks hanging low down to their waists.
they wore several strings OF necklace OF
brass, whilst their long black hair was
profusely ornamented with medallions
of the same base metal, besides they
wore huge earrings.
l was the poorest apology for dance
| ever saw, accompanied with most mis-
erable music, a two stringed violin made
like coffin and a cracked flute. The girls
came out on the floor two al time. and
in the fingers of each hand held small
brass castenets, which they struck to-
yether, accompanied by the motions OF
their arms. keeping time to the music
and chant. Teey did not dance the
highland fling nor the backstep, nor cut
the pigeon-wing, nor stand on one great
toe, la Madame Elsler, and whirl
around with the other toe pointing to-
wards the top of an obelisk D ear by as
expected they would. Byrons descrip
ton of the waltz did not apply to them
either, as we could not see their neither
limbs for their long dresses, and these
Egyptians as # to show to the world
that they were determined to do lOthing
like other people, actually tried 10 dance
with their stomachs, which they kept
twisting around in a cholicky wav, that
reminded us of lettuce, onions, radishes,
and cucumber that they are so fond of,
all the time striking the castenets,
chanting, and slowly shutting towards
US. They would never have been turned
out of church FOR DANCING. When
the first two were tired, the next two
succeed them. They attempted a
few steps occasionally, but the attempt
vas failure, now and then they would
whirl around for varieties sake, but un-
gracefully, in fact they knew nothing
yon have seen one of them dance then
you understand me; otherwise not. |
had heard how the celebrated Egyptian
queen could ''hop forty paces' and ex
pected they would do likewise; expected
to find her descendants light and high
hopping people thought they could out
hop any people in the world, but was
sadly mistaken, they only shutfed.
The date palm, the tree of Egypt, in
average height is about 45 feet
They compel these trees to bear abun
dant fruit only by placing portion of
the blossom of the male tree within the
flower of the fruit bearing tree to fructi-
ty it, then tie up the flower besides
this cut away some OF the lower limbs
every year the stubs of these limbs
make short but very effective steps for
the foot, so that they are easily climbed
1t looks like dangerous work. to see a
man sitting on a rope which encircles
the tree 10 or so feet in height, pushing
his body from the tree with his feet, To
keep the rope tight to prevent falling;
away at the foot Of the great
stalks, moving around the tree like Il
wood pecker.
The Arabs do not eat swine, a custom
long before the lsraelltes lett
Egypt. They do not as rule drink wine
or alcChlic drinks nor own any great de-
gree Of this worlds goods, satisfied with
what they have; consequently not very
energetic and believe that Allah gives to
all according to their deserts, especially
those who are poor in this world are to
be proportionately rewarded i'll the future
state. whilst those who are rich here will
be very poor and miserable hereafter.
1t makes one very sad to see 50 man,
people here bind, it seems that fifteen
er cent. have on y one eye or are to-
tally blind. The disease seem to be a
white filmy covering the pupil of the eye.
Il hp, ,.,i
| should imagine by fine
particles of dust with which the air is
filled. and the terrible glare Of the sun,
assisted no doubt by their brimless tur-
bans and filth.
We do not see anywhere the Bactrlan
(two humped) or true camel, neither in
Constar tinop,e, Smyrna, Jotfa, Jerusa-
lem, or Egypt. Only the one hump
ed or dromedary. We saw the two species
at the Geological gardens in London,
side by side, the two bumped is much
the interior in size. bigness and strength,
to all appearance. We see in the tenn
pies here, cut in the walls, the one
bumped camel. never the true camel.
In the Assyrlan gallery, British Museum,
the true camel, never the domedarv.
We have seen the dromedary (some OF
the them are enormous animals, what
tremendous limbs they have, what pow
er in the arms) carry 6 sacks OF raisns
weighing at least 200 pounds to the sack,
1900 pounds, he was a good one; the
younger ones and females are much
lighter loaded according to strength,
carry great baskets with earth and tone,
and we have seen two large barrels of
molasses carried by them one on each
side, besides huge, long, and large sills
for building purposes. As the animal
walked leisurely along the ends Of these
long timbers stick ne far out behind
would move up and down through the
air feet, and dangerous would be the
blow if the unwary pedestrian did not
keep sharp lookout. These people
having no wagons or carts are compel
ed to have everything carried or packed,
and the drOmedary seems equal to any
occasion, provided the load is well tied
on and properly balanced. We thought
what fools these people were to have nc
wheeled vehicles; once we met wagon
in one Of their narrow streets, it COM
pletely filed and blocked up the
street, we were convinced. The drome.
Diary does not look like a draught an
imal, nature has formed him beast o
burthen. and so long as these arid anC
desert wastes exist he will be by far the
most valuable of animals; nothing will
ever supercede him. They have on thu
breast large wart like excrescence o.
cushions and one on each leg, which ar
interposed between their bodies and th
earth when they kneel. l must hav,
seen these animals feet in height meas
ured from the shoulder. We very seldom
see the horse in the country. saw tw'
only in three weeks trip. Of course il
Cairo and Alexandra they are yer
common the ass is used only as beas
of burthen and for riding purposes. Oi
ten hardly three feet in height, they eS