The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-30
HEMP-EATERS' ORGIES.

HEMP-EATERS' ORGIES.
The Hashish Dreamcrs' Festival In North.
ern Syria-The Drug and Its Effects
Scenes Mt the Sacred Dance That Sur
pass the Widest Ecsts0y Of ANY Opium
Dream.
From the New York Herald.
Standing in the outskirts Of the little
town Of Latakieh, in North
western Syria. famous every
where for the. excellent tobacco
which takes it's name from the
otherwise obscure and insignificant
place-and turning his back on the ram
shackle houses, the fiea-invested cara
vansary, the malodorous bazaar and the
garbage-strewn streets, where the scaV-
enger dogs lie stretched out in the noon
day sun-the traveller sees In the dis
tance, beyond a wide stretch OF green
slope and alternate level, a low range OK
hills, ON which a soft purple haze seems
always to linger. The hills lie between
the Lebanon. where the fierce Druses
dwell in their highland Businesses, and
the Nahr-el-kebir, THE Mighty River"
They are known nowadays OF the
Nosaire Mountains, the home of the So
called Nosairiyeh tribesmen. the modern
"Assassins," or Hemp Eaters" as they
should be designated from their cere-
monial use Of hemp. the Arabic
"hashish."
At the Full Moon.
The festival Of gathering Of the hemp
eaters is celebrated monthly, at the time
Of the full moon, the moon then being
supposed to exert specific influence
upon human beings. The sectaries
meet under a sacred oak tree growing
upon a hin. about equidistant from Lat
akieh and the valley OF the Orontes. and
close to a tiny village 4Hhabited by
some twenty families OF the tribe.
There Is an enormous drum, some
three feet in diameter standing at the
entrance to the village, a couple OF
hundred yards or. and as soon as 1t be-
gins to darken and the western slun ap-
pears to have fairly sunk in the
waters Of the Mediterranean. which is
clearly visible from the elevated hilltop
on which the Nosarriyeh are gathered,
a deafening boom comes from the in
strument and rolls over the mountain
tops like the rumble of thunder, rousing
the tribesmen to activity, and in a
moment they are on the alert. Lamps
are quickly lit and suspended to the
branches Of the sacred oak among the
dangling rags and buttons and feathers
and metal scraps that decorate it. A
l. t, h,,iI IN,
of the tree about dozen yards from it.
A sheep is brought forward by one Of
the men, and the rest Of the tribes
men then gather around, the lamps
throwing a dim light on their pic
turesque figures and grim countenances.
The Skeikh puts his hand gently on the
head of the bleating animal, it Is
thrown down. its throat cut, after the
fashion Of the MOslems. and in little
more time than 1t takes to write the
words the fleece Is off, the carcass Is
divided and placed on the wood heap,
to which fire Is applied and kept up till
all flesh, as we'll as timber, is utterly
consumed. Now the Nosarriyeh seat
themselves In q circle upon the earth.
the Sheikh In the center. with an at
tendent on either hand. one holding q
liquid, the other bundle OF stems to
which leaves are attached, the leaves OF
the sacred hemp plant The chief takes
the stems In his left and the bowl In his
right hand and slowly walks around the
circle. stopping In front OF each man
present, who takes from him. first the
greenery, at which he sniffs gently,
xHov, . 10 <uP lob, \
sips The vessel contains sweetened
infusion Of hemp, strong and subtle In
its action.
What the DeeoctIon Il Like.
The taste Of the decoction Is sweet
nauseously so. not unlike some prepara-
tions Of chloroform. and its first effects
are anything but pleasant, for II pro-
duces distinct tendency to vomit, not
unlike strong dose Of ipecacuahna.
AS soon as all have in succession par
taken OF the drink, which Is termed
''homa," big horns are produced con-
tanning spirits. for the Nosarriyeh are
great dram drinkers. The horns Of
liquor are passed about and In a few
moments the effects are apparent, fol-
lowing upon the hemp. The eyes
brighten, the pulse quickens. the blood
seems to bound more actively In the
veins. and a restlessress takes possess
sion Of the whole body. At this moment
the booming Of a giant drum Ii heard
again, giving the signal for the sacred
dance, which IL the next item in the
ceremonial Of the evening. From each
of the dozen parties or 80 into which
the clansmen are divided one steps out.
and the dozen individuals SO designated
form up against gentle declivity in
the rear Of fthem. Two of the tribe with
''reba." one-stringed fiddle and a
tambourine, seat themselves and start
a peculiar air in minor key, which all
those around take up, clapping their
hands the while rythmically, and to
this rythm the dancers, joining hands
as they stand. begin to move gently to
and fro.
The moonlight Is full on them. show
ing up their white neither garments.
but leaving the dusky faces and dark
upper garments IN the semi-ehadow
First the dancers move slowly. few
steps to the right. then a few to the
left. raising the legs sedately. The
music quickens, and they quicken the
pace accordingly. Further to the right
and further TO the LEFT they 60 each
time, till the movement becomes . POSI-
dive allegro. Faster goes the music.
faster the dancers. until with . finale