Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-07-06
An Arab wedding in the snhnrn Desert.

had the good fortune to see a grand
Arab Wedding The caId had planned the
marriage Of his daughter to a shek frank
ly one Of the ugiest men | have ever seen
who was already the possessor Of four
wives From what whispers could be
heard from the mysterious recesses of the
hnrenI, the bride was a lovely girl Of four
teen, her repugnance having delayed the
marriage some ten days. After the cere-
muuy. while the bride was being conveyed
To- the hridrgronm'> home in sort of how
dab Of brocaded silk, her cries and lameu-
tatinns could plainly he heard above the
din of the pistols and matchlocks and the
voices of some thirty maidens, who sur
rounding the camel that bore her, gave ut
trrance tu "A strange noise made 10y tapping
the mouth with the open hand while cry
ing out. the effect produced being some
what like the cry of an Indian. These
madens had on this occasion yashmaks
made mostly Of light green gauze studded
with golden stars, which partly concealed
the faces of some of the loveiest women
aud gr, Their eyes, indeed equalled
those Of the gazelle, but seemed to have a
mournful varancy. and to be anything but
windows of the soul. Arab etiquette pre-
vented me from getting too near. What
with the embroidery, the gold, and the
colored garments, it made up whole of
bizarre but most striking effect On went
the procession to make II tour of the
desert, surrounded 10y this frenzied band
Of relatives while the marriage feast
kids and sheep roasted whole-was being
cooked On their return preparations
were made for what had 50 much longed
to see, the celebrated "tIHtdiSie drdbe.
Imagine about forty Arabs. superbly mount
ed and armed, casting aside the burnoose
of every day to appear IN their holiday
jackets Of every hue and texture imagina-
bile horse trappings of velvet and gold
with tassels and embroidery everywhere
the heels Of their long red leather boots
decked with the Arab spur, five inches long,
which is really only AN ornament flashing
arms, a long gun, two long carved daggers,
"a brace Of pistols attached to a cord round
the neck. 81 that they can he flung over
the shoulder after being discharged, "A long
sword. dumascened with gold, fastened to
the saddle huw-in such guise they career
headlong at a great burst of speed, the
rein held loosely by the little finger, using
gun, pistols and sword in mimic warfare.
Cries of defiance arise from the men, and
loud appreciation from the women. as some
Skllful cavalier performs some more dar-
ing feat than any of his comrades till final
| ly, amid whirlwnd Of dust, horses and
men, half mad with excitement, stop by
/ degrees from the sheer violence of their
eXertions.
At the feast | was placed beside the caid,
who looked approvingly at me as ] squatted
down cross legged, and followed the others
in tearing, strip by strip, the meat from
/ the steaming animal As bonnie buuchF
my host crammed his hand down the ami
mails throat, tearing out the tongue and
sharing it with me After sundry dishes,
/ highly spired with pimento and pepper, there
| came the cous cous, the great national dish
| that is eaten every day. 1t is taken 10y
| the hand aud thrown into the mouth. We
| finished with dates, sweatmeats, and coffee
/ of a delicious flavor. Their manner of pre-
/ pairing the beverage is, after roasting the
/ berry aud heating it into powder, to put
/ it into a tin pot with water enough for one :;
/ after being made to boil it is served,
| grounds aud all but the aroma is perfec
/ tiun IEIJei'S for ,IltHe.