Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-21

/ pieces, and, leaving the Others in INV wA,steoai
poo" commended that and the rest Of our clothes
them safe on our return
We then followed Ali out the way we had en-
by Forsters Slippers when M last began 70 he'
( nv" ne dropped purpOsely every Ten steps
/ r,9"EV' aIter many winding turns, we came to q
. -i ~ tiueh Oh Arabic architecture. before which
II stoppe1, and after reminding us that We
-. H.. uIiio, md telling US again TO do as
49,. atereu quietly without moving the door
-. ways stands ajar. We stepped over the
| sD.F<,:. behind him, and looking around In the
6..n lSht saw that the hall was lined with
| crowded, conversing In low tones But Ali pro
ceeueu, and we followed him to the end Of the hall
wara i ne fted heavy curtain. disclosing an up
so Lne moment the curtain was raised we heard a
Soieinn chanting, and as we mounted these steps
small anti-chamber 1T by small lamp placed in
WINDOW Here Ali paused, and from a bench on
od aio aan sever several natives were sqgatting. an
| MIN on Doth cheeks. ALI returned the embrace,
anu saying few words TO him in a low tone,
same ceremony, lnuch to our disgust The Old
Dervlsh Ior the sect or Arabs which believe
Ia en'. "Aissaouf' belong TO the order commonly
known as dancing DeryiSneS), then raised thick
curtain Which covered door one side OF room
ahQ ushered US Into square courtyard about 80
rect square, which was the first we had seen stu
ated above the ground This place was not badly
Illuminated, ana as we entered we were struck by
the SIGHT OF ten venerable Old men priests OF the
i III,
way between the center OF the room and the wall.
Iney sat croSs-legged on fine old carpets bolt up
~ th Unantng N most solemn manner In front
oi lnem ana In the center OF the apartment was
large brass brazier, feet high, hlled with glow
ing Goals out OF which protruded several iron bars.
before this altar, and kneeing with bowed head
opposite the priests, was De9ish, who, at inter-
walls, repenfshed the fire and pushed the bars
farther into the heat Around the COURTYARD,
which was open at the top, rose a two-stOry bal
cony, which ran completely around the place, and
which was crowded by the females OF the house,
waiting eagerly.
JUS on the outside OF the supports of the bal
comics, which were about four feet wide, and in full
view OIL the lockers on above, were placed long
benches on every side, except that behind the
priests. On one OF these benches, on the right
hand side OF the old greybeards. we were placed
by the old Deryish who had brought us In. and
nad hardly time TO look around before our atten-
ZION was attracted by the entrance OF the COM
pany, ana the penitentS who were take part in the
DarDarons ceremony. (FOr the ''AiSsaOui" is the
means by which sinners and wrong-doers are
being the principal means Tor eXpelllng evtD. In
rev moments every bench and all the room behind
was Illed with spectators, and on the bench fac
Ing the priests sat the penitents who had been
Invested OF their upper garments by the attend-
ants, who now knelt behind the tender OF the
s.frzs For twenty minutes or more no one
s,irreu, anu the priests chanted uninterruptediy
uhtll flnally. at sign from one or them, the at
@ndants rose and left the apartment, returning
almost instantly with ten large tambourines and a
small brass urn. The latter given TO the guar
dian OF The altar, and the former after being held
over the nre to dry and tighten, were distributed
among the priests, who tested them with their
thumbs. Some OF the tambourines evidently did
not sound properly, for they were handed back 10
the attendant who again heated their drums.
flnally every body was satisfied and the attend
ant withdrew. Then for the first time the crowd
moved, and as the chanting ceased a low exciama-
llon Oh an. was heard on all Sides and the spec
tators leant forward, craning their uecks. For a
moment there was deep silence, and then one of
the old men probably the high prlest), commenced
apecullar chant, keeping time with the tambOu-
rine. which he held with his left hand and struck
with his right. Gradually the others Joined in,
and swelled the strange chorus keeping perfec1
time TO their leader who held his Instrument above
MS head, ducklng IL at the end of every bar Three
penltents now arose from their seats and came
FORWARD with bowed heads and folded arms, until
they stood around the brazier. Then the Attend
ant at sign from one Of the priests, after raising
the urn on high, shook some dark powder from his
mouth onto the glowing Goals. Immediately a
strong sweet perfume, and the sickening fumes OF
opium spread through the apartment which
seemed TO encourage the three sinners for held
their faces In the rising smoke and began to laugh
In hystertcal manner. Then the chanting and
beating suddenly grew louder and faster and al
priests and commenced the unhoiy dance They
kept time with their heads and their whole bodies
sNwayins backward and forward In line with
their arms around each others necks AS the
time quickened the dancers became L.ore and
more excited, and were joined by others who
Jerked their heads about In a most fr1ghtful man.
ner, and all began to groan and veil ike wild
animals Then the music III 1t could be called
spchl stopped as suddenly as 1t had begun and
In front OF the priests, falling over each other.
sooong, groaning and grOvelling on the floor and
almost upsetting the altar IN their frenzy. a
priest then stepped forward, and drawing the
iron bars from the oraZier with a wooden handle
handed them TO the candidates for forgiveness.
whereupOn to our establishment they delIberateIyy
burnt their hands and faces with the fiattened
RED hot ends This action produced deviliSh meals
OF laughter and they ran around the room show
TORS, VINO nodded apprOvingly.
Inen another priest stepped from his place,
noiaing IN MS hand piece OF the prickly pear or
cactus, with us poisonous needles nearly an inch
long, Drfstling In every direction. The fanatics
rushed at IT, but the priest pushed them back. and
since the distribution OF the red hof iron This
fellow walked up and actually bit on aud swal
lowed several pieces of the plant grasping what
Mas, ,eI ~ pe.ween MS hands and kneadlng it like
The priests then began beating again, and the
lookers on becoming excited, encouraged the
oanceIs, VINO recommended their reeling motions
spfinginy into the air every few moments with
yeus. Then the crowd joined in the shouting.
oei sne moor Win their feet keeping time with
beating and chantlng and, 10 add to the horrible
enect, the women above began screaming at the
ana the very room seem TO sway, for the constant
burning OF opium on the IRE had affected me
Crazy n ana found myself involuntarily keeping
just Then, 70 my surprise and alarm, our guide |
himself, and several OF the lOOkers-on, overcome
by the exciting spectacle, ran into the midst of
the half-crazed penitents anu began TO JERK Ihem
selves about Win the others l leaned over and |
touched Forster's arm, but had 10 snake him be-
fore he noticed me. lie seemed In a trance
Nv must get out OF here" said hOarsely al
can't stand this much longer; it will drive me |
mad?" My last words aroused him.
but how?" he inquired.
IL don't know" replied. ave must watch our !
chance; when start follow me and CLUB your
pistol"
10 the meantime the beating had grown faster
and faster, and the miserable creatures threw
themselves about more and more until several fell
on the floor, foaming at the mouth
Then six OF the priests dropped their tambOurDes
and Came In the midst, TWO with sharp thick |
needles inches long, about the size of small pen.
cils; TWO with bamboo rods, with which they
nogged the poor devils lying on the ground, and |
two with live scorpions in shallow pans !
which they held over the fire TO ex. |
cite. To our horror we saw man pick |
up several Of the poisonous vermin and
them l turned my head away, but the sight in
that direction was a worse one, Tor not fve feet
from me saw two priests hold man. and a third |
thrust needle through each cheek, IRON the in |
side OF his mouth leaving them sticking In his |
face with the ends crossed In his mouth. Looking
away from the bleeding wretch, glanced az FOrs |
ter; his lace was Qu1ver1ng and, as for myself I
felt a deadly falntneSs coming over me- IL was
terrible TO see human beings SO tortured; but /
what was most revolving and sickening was thai |
and intoxicauon, which stood out on the faces OF
both actors and spectators With Keeling brain |
rose 10 my feet, and graSping my revolver under
my Jacket, with one hand, half raised forster |
from his seat. No sooner were we upright than I |
was grasped around the neck by one OF the
dancers and drawn toward the center l holding
on TO Forster, and the next moment we WERE
swaying backward and forward with the crowd
looked around, as best could and saw tnat
the place was oiled 70 its utmost. This argued |
.ff hat no or