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

set take their place. and this 10 con-
tinued until each Of the clansmen has
taken part In the dance. In the con-
clusion all join hands and 80 seven
times around the sacred oak In the d.
rection left to right.
shared ny tho Wives.
The solemn supper Is now ready. and
IL served by the wives Of the tribesmen.
who have been busy preparing 1t In the
huge ear,henware dishes placed upon
the ground In the middle of each group.
And the moonlight meal In the shade OF
the sacred oak il none the less striking
by reason Of It's being dished by women
who wear In their sashbands a sharp
yataghan. Of which the handle shows
clearly, and brace Of pistols in the
girdle. The plates are peculiar. First
there Is fried liver. eaten to the accom-
paniment of fiery arrack-the favorlte
spirit Of the hemp eaters. Then comes
''leben"-a species of sour cooked cream.
with more "arak:" afterward the Xxi
babs' of mutton. In slices ON little
wooden sticks. like the familiar ware of
the cats meat man; eggs filled with a
force meat OF rice. tomato. mutton. and
onions, and "pillau." Each person has
a wooden spoon to eat with, and the eti-
Quet.e of the tribe requires one to eat
much and to eat quickly and to drink
as much as one eats. The appetite of
rhe Norsairych are proverbial In Syria.
the usual allowance of meat being a
sheep for two. l can vouch for their
tippling powers Scores OF them finish
their pint horn Of arrack In a couple Of
draugh,s. taking couple Of quarts in
the course OF their supper
The real business Of the evening now
begins. The hemp, powdered and
mixed with syrup. is brought round in
bowls. together with the decoction of
the leaves well sweetened. Each of
the tribesmen secures vessel of ar
rack-for II quickens and heightens the
action OF the drug-and disposes him
self in the most comfortable attitude
he can think of. Then taking. good
spoonful OF the hemp and washing 1t
down with an equally good drink from
the liquor receptacle, he lies or leans
back to allow it to operate. l take a
reasonable allowance Of the compound
lit tastes very much like raw tea leaves
favored with sugar water). and then lie
back to note the action on my own per-
son. and watch. so far as l can, Its
effects upon the modern assassins
whose systems are seasoned and more
accustomed to the drug. Five. ten
minute pass. and there Is no sensation;
the men around me with closed eyes.
look like waxwork figures, Another
ten minutes. and the pulse begins to beat
rapidly, the heart commences to thump
against the sides of the chest, the blood
seems to rush to the head, and then
there Is a sensation Of fullness, as If the
skull would be burst asunder at the
base. There is a roaring in the ears,
and strange lights, blurred and indis-
tinct, pass before the eyes. In a mo-
ment and quite suddenly all this passes
of, leaving feeling of delicious Ian
guor, and the Idea that one Is rising
from the ground and floating in space
Effects OF the Drug
The oak tree close by apears to be a
mile off. and the cup Of drink looks
yard across. tine size Of big barrel
Ones hands and feet feel heavy and
cumbersome, and then feel as If they
were dropping off. leaving one free to
soar away from the earth skyward,
where the clouds seem to open to re-
ceive one, and one long perspective Of
light shines before the eyes. The feel
ing is one OF estate restfulness, con-
tented unconsciousness, suggesting the
'ninirvana" of the Buddhist. This
marks always the end Of the first stage
OF hemp eating. The aphrodisiac effects,
the visions Of fair faces and beauteous
forms. the voluptuous dreams and Ian
gushing fancies which the easterns ex-
perience-these are the results of larger
and oft repeated doses of the drug.
Already the larger quantities Of the
compound, repeated many times in the
meantime and stimulated by frequent
draughtS Of arrack, are beginning to
show their results upon the hitherto
immObile figures Of the Nosiariyeh
round the sacred oak. Again and again
they seize the spoon and convey 1t to
their mouths. until the hemp craze Is
fully upon them. One or two stir un-
easily; then another screams for "Ali,
ALL! their founder AID. who is iden-
tical, they say, with Allah. A half
dozen respond Justify. "Ali hu Allah!'
then empty the arrach cups beside
them. Afew move about with out
stertched arms as though they were IN
the clouds trying to clutch the houris,
whose imaginary forms they see, and,
disappointed. sink back, after a fresh
supply of the drug has been swallowed.
From the extremity beyond, where the
women are located. come the sound Of
singing and Of laughter and the rhyth-
mic patter Of feet upon the ground. The
ladies have been indu1ging on their own
account, and the noise they make rouse
the men from their dreams. Three or
four jump up from the floor at q
single bound, and, seized by the dance
mania, begin capering away as for very
life. They Jig here and there, they
twine and twist. and wreathe and
wriggle and distort themselves, awak-
ening their companions who. fire off
their guns. empty their pistols, loaded
with shot as they are, screaming all the
time at the top OF their voices. "Ali hu
Allah! Ali Is Allahw One on the right
capers away. his drawn sword uplifted
In the air. and his left hand extended,
threatening some imaginary enemy. A
second Is dancing about, holding a bowl
Of hashish in one hand. and waving his
turban with the other. A third, with
wild eyes and fierce looks. rushes into
the center of the party. holding couple
Of pistols in his hands, one Of which ne
fires into the very midst of the group,
blackenlng the face and slngeing the
beard Of fellow trtbesman, who IL
squatting on the floor. not yet out Of the
stupor induced by the hemp. A fourth
blows of his matchbox and he capers
merrily round. while his nelghbor
stretches out his fingers for the arrack.
End Ofthe Debauch.
In the distance we hear the sound OF
the women's voices as they scream and
IL l. f.... IL n -