Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-02-10
No. II
HtnmblinR- nbout Cairo.

No II
RnnibIinR- nbout Cairo.
CAIRO, January, 1887
An important event has taken place
have been promoted 10 sunny room OP
the blessing of sun especially in n fireless
room. The old man revives have bought
German petroleum lamp and gone into
the Illuminating business with vim it
warns the room in the evening. Three
fine days in succession reconcile me a little
to Cairo, without yet taking any stock in it,
] can sit in my room comfortably, and even
have window open for while in the
middle Of the day.
With II carriage and Hanna Auoussal as
a guide we hurry 10 see the dancing der
wishes They are an order Of zealots, who,
every Friday, worship Allah God for one
hour in their fashion, as the Shakers do
with us. Through a vaulted alley, "A court,
another passage, another court, we pene-
trate into large room with rallied centre
ring like circus. In gallery above are
men playing ON reed flutes like the Bldah
Arabs IA soft, murmuring music. In the
ring are seated some 20 men wrapped in
their oriental robes. They are artisans
mechanics. At two O'Clock precisely they
/ rise the leader, an old, bent man, stands
/ up all bow 10 him Then each man turns
and bows to his follower, who puts together
| the blg toe. of his naked feet (some mysti
cal sign. They walk three times around
the ring then they drop their robes and
/ appear dressed in short vest a iacket and
a long, flowing white wooden skirt They
| begin slowly to turn, as if waltzing They
| wear conical gray felt bonnets, or brimless
hats. Tumbourines join their sounds to the
flutes, and the holy men turn-turn with
their hands crossed and placed ON their
shoulders. Thus they go and gyrate for an
| hour. The leader urges on the slow ones,
keeps them all going ms an orchestra leader,
walks among the flowing skirts which have
/ become moving balloons
At the door We pay hackshish please to
remember the word it means gift, gratui
| ty, anything given although not legally
obligatory; | will have 10 repeat it oftenl
aud gallop OIL to the ho~ling detvishes with
IA number Of other parties ali driving at
/ full speed if We had to catch time by the
/ forelock. After - minutes of this speed
~, reach an out-of the way mosque: meet
"A crowd of camels carts. and men carrying
loads-a dreadful hubbub. through which
/ we penetrate to the hall Of the howler,
They are squatted in a circle ON sheep
skins, and in profound meditation Some
wear turbans some only skull caps others
are barcheaded some barefooted. other,
with socks green turbuus, white turbau,.
dirty turbau. The leader rises they do
the same, bow 10 him, resume their places
ON the skins two of them sing the Koran.
and all begin to bend forward and back
ward with shouts of "Allah Allnh :" Then
they shake themselves Sideways sort of
contortion-an and utter cultural "Hoo!
hoo :! like a lions growl the most zeaou,
utter it. too, while inhaling their hreath-it
sounds like howl in a hole The Hoo
hoo ~ continues for - minutes, while the
singers take turns and extol the virtues of
Allah
They rest for two minutes. expand their
circle, tamhourines are broken, and they
bend in all directions like the Assasouans
Of Bldah, till they reach IA state Of phvsi.
cal drunkenness and ecstasy Some with
long hair shake it till they look like demons
an old fellow with long, henne-dyed locks
acts AS if he were crazy many old codgers
bend very poorly and rather lazily, others
20 at it with all their might. They howl.
shout, hoo, till three O'Clock, when time
is up and all stop. The old henne man is
exhausted and falls on his sheepskin hi,
colleagues dress him with long fur over
coat-he is Il saint. Before leaving. all kiss
the leader, "A young man who has Just sue
ceeded his father, who is too aged Sons
of priests are priests by birthright \
younger brother present is learning the
ceremonial
Well suppose they are sincere, most Of
them, like India fakirs Lourdes pilgrims,
ascetice Of all ages and countries As our
Hanna Aboussal has procured us chairs, We
have witnessed patiently the performance
watch the face Of each individual and try
to read it, can discover no real high elc-
mcnt, only low, physical excitement, just
the thing for ignorant men Of course we
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