The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-05-05
DERvlSHEs OF TEE EAST.



HeggarS Of India aud China.
The mos interesting elias, of mcnclirants in
fcrsia, and probably in the whole world, are
the drrvishcS. These weird mcnl.rrs If the
noniirnt fraternity are met with all over
Persia. "n the roads, in the Villages and the
'i~. Their usual dress is tl." skin of some
Wilt animal. preferably tiger skin, thrown
'alcl"s>ly about tllrir shoulders. and Il l.,ir
ut white cotton lnn,alnttcS. III the l,rvi,h
cannot obtain IL tiger skin. hr will, rs ,l.
next best c!I""", secure the skin of a leopard
or panther, or even the hide OF II deer or an
trlope In addition to this striking make up
b" carrie, huge spiked club or small battle
ax, and an aims holder made from an obong
gpurd shell OF the outer shell of n cocoanut
Thus Enthusiastically and even fcrocin,lsly ar
raSetl.the dervish stalks through hcthron.,cl
bazars Of Il Persian city, shouting out, ''Iakk,
yah hakk." and tllruslimg his aims holder
right and left among the people
Tie dcrvi,lc, are regarded rs holy mcu,lj.
'ants by the common people, and spend the
greater portion of their lives in wnnieriut.
another They might, perhaps, :lptly be
compared to the wandering frinrs of Eng
land and Europe 500 years ago. Everybody
give aims to the ,lcrsls!lcs. Tho average
Persian gives tenth part o1 his Income
uway III aims to hcrga The greater part of
which g,,s 10 able bo,licd men and drrvisl,cs
who arc well alb" I" work for their uwn
living.
In India hcgeing is Discouraged as far us
possible by the British authorities and meas
ures of relief similar tothosc in vogue among
Wpstrru NAT i,uS ln,n l,,,,
Among a tecming population of 900. .DoO, 900
Oii"nths. however, any sweeping change in
such Il time honorcd profession Us lncndcanry
is question of time, and not tn he easily cf
fcctcd Beggary is far from being So com
mon as it is either in Turkey or Persia There
is Il recognized mendicant caste in India.
known ns faluirs, The fuuuils are regarded
us emincntly holy and subsist upon the char
iiy ot the people. Like the Persian der
wishes, they wander about all over the cour-
Try, Spending most of their lives making
long pil9riInagcs to various holy shrnes. Tho
Indian faquir is loathsome looking Great
ure, with long black hair matted about his
head and shoulders with an accumulation Of
filth, and he generally p!asters his bociy with
mud. His sole ralncnt is calico waist
clout, und his face is fantast sticalIy strcakcd
with rcd paint
AS might be expected, the most abominrLlc
Specimens of the mcndicant fraternity nre To
he found i'll China. The loatlsomc appear
anre Of the Chinese professional bc.gar is
beyond the powers "f description. All sorts
If horrible defornitics are voluntarily en-
'luHcd t" work upon the sympathy Of the
people. Eye are blinded, faces mutilated.
and limbs twisted. All that is don" in the
way Of mutia,ion by tn" authorities Of pc,-
sa in the punishment ot criminals is inflicted
by Chinese mendcants upon their own off
spring us tricks of their profession. Horribly
misahaped victims OF this atrocp,is custom
are encountered at the gates ol Chinese CITIES
and in the streets. Thomas SteI .:ns in Inter
Ocean