Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-11
The EpwOrth League Still
in Session.
Rev. A. s. DObbs Gives an In.
teresting Lecture.
A Journey on Camel's Bacl
Described.
Programme for the Day-Notes and Per.
sonals Gathered on the Sea
Shore-Various Items.


yesterday. The IL O'Clock service
opened with prayer by Rev. Will Shep-
ard, of Santa Barbara. Mrs. Alice Os-
borne sang "The Lost Chord" and met
with as enthusiastic reception as usual.
Then the speaker of the morning, Rev.
A. S. Dobbs, D. D., of New York, was
introduced and talked in an interesting
manner for two hours. His subject was
ga Thousand Miles on Camel's Back"
and Notwithstanding the length of his
talk, there was no one that found the
time long. The wall back Of the plat
form was covered with maps, which
were referred to frequently, and many
curiosities Of costumes and implements
were displayed upon table near at
hand. The route described by the
doctor was the same as travelled by
Moses and the Israelites in the Exodus,
long ages ago. DR.. Dobbs's party had
consisted of himself and eleven other
Americans, with thirtv-fye camels and
an appropriate retinue. He commenced
his journey at Cairo on the Nile, going
from there to Suez, and thence over the
route through the desert to Sinai and
Petra.
Among the numerous side lights to
the lecture was a description of the
oriental dances which are witnessed at
various times, and tailed with the re-
ferences made to dancing in the Bible.
These dances were six in number: l.
The war dance, which was practic-
ally an imitation of a fight
with an invisible foe; 2. The
dance of the women, which the
doctor said was better left undescribed
3. The dance of the vain fellows or
dudes, which was similar to the dance
of the women. The latter two were
performed either with or without cloth
ing, as the spectators preferred and paid
for. The fourth and fifth dances were
the religious dances of the men and
women, and the sixth was the political
dance, performed by the women. In
the sentiments of the people by mass
listen to see whose praises are sung by
the women in the political dances
Thus the women of David's time sang,
Saul has slain his thousands and David
his tens of thousands This was an
orientalism-an exaggeration, but the
Bible is full of these, and we must bear
it in mind when we read it. 1
knew OF a church member who
was given to eXaggeration and
on being hauled up before the church
to answer for it, acknowledged his fault
and said that he had shed barrels of
tears over it David says in the psalms
that he has shed rivers of tears. and
both only meant to convey the same
idea. Before we condemn the sacred
writer's for this we must get over speak
ing of waves mountains high and
kindred things"
The doctor called particular attention
to the fact that in no oriental dance did
the sexes mingle together, and when the
Bible spoke in praise of dancing it did
not refer to the social dance OF the pres
ent day. A humorous description was
given of camel-riding. The beast
doubles up like two-foot rule when it
lies down, and the first time one mounts
it it is the proper thing to dismount
hastily when the camel rises, by turning
back somersault over his tail. The
pace of the camel is long swing, and
the doctor grimly remarked that lot of
live chickens which were taken along
got all the exercise they wanted without
any scratching, in the daily rides upon
the upper deck of camel. A camel
will carry two barrels of water or cook
stove and supply of fuel without any
difficulty, day after day, and as they
only have to drink once in eight DAYS,
no water has to be carried along forr or
them. Notwithstanding the school
books, there is no more difference be-
tween camels and dromedaries than be-
tween heavy cart horses and light car
riage horses. The dromedary is merely
a young camel, that is all.
The customs and stories of the Arabs
came in at various points for few words
OF lively description. An Arab girl is
married when she is from II to 13 years
old, and if she reaches IA without secur-
ing husband, she is considered as
hopeless old maid. They express respect
for an old man by stroking his beard,
kindly feeling by patting their guests on
the shoulders, and Difference by kissing
the hands. They never wash, and con-
sequently suffer from many diseases that
cleanliness would avert. They shave
their heads and wear turbans, consider
ing themselves disgraced if any one sees
their heads exposed. A tuft of hair is
left growing on the crown of the head
for the angel Gabriel to pull them out
of their graves with ON the resurrection
morning. Their guns are matchlocks.
and take about five minutes to fire.
In the course of their travels the party
visited Elijah's cave, where the prophet
lived when he was fed by the ravens.
The doctor stated that the robbers of
that country are called ravens, and ex-
pressed his opinion that Elijah was fed
by the robbers rather than by lot of
dirty black crows.
An amusing experience was when an
Arab boy received medical treatment
from the doctor, and the entire tribe
promptly presented all the sick men and
sore-eyed babies for treatment. The
mothers ofsthe babies were sent to the
lake to wash the eyes of the children.
The sore-eyed men were induced to try
an application of water to their detective
orbs; likewise the application of an
ointment composed of CASTLE soap and
brandy, which loosened the dirt and
gave the water chance. Several re-
markable cures were accomplished, and
they were beginning to extend the doc
tors fame to other tribes. when the
party moved.
The journey ended at Petra, the great
city whose houses and streets are hewn
out by skillful hands of the solid rock of
the mountains. The temples, houses
and statuary stand there uninjured by
| the passage of time. vet uninhahited