The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-17

and that with our vast population we
have not fifty thousand Boys who can
recite even one book Of our Bible
from memory and not m~ispronounce
a word.
The Mohammedans revere their BIZ
bic quite as much as we do ours.
While it is being read they will not
allow it to lie upon the floor. and no
one may read or touch it without first
washing himself. It is written in
Arabic and it's style is considered a
model. They believe that it was re-
vealed by God TO Moha1nmed. and
that it is eternal. 1t was not written
at the first, but was entirely commit
ted to memory, and it is in that way
that it is still taught to a large eX-
tent. | understand that the present
khedive can recite the most of it. Dur
ing my interview with his father,
Tewfik Pasha, he told me that he
could start at the back, and by men,
DRY alone recite the Koran clear to
the beginning. The better classes Of
Mohanmedans nave beautiful copies
of this book. They have some bound
in gold with the texts Illuminated. and
the university here has a fine collec-
ton of fine editions. which is looked
upon as one Of it's greatest treasures.
Nine Thousand Bald Heads.
This famous Mohammedan univer-
sity is situated in he heart of busi-
ness Cairo. When | rode to it today
on my donkey I passed through a mile
or SO of covered b%azaars. ~thronged
with turbaned men and yelled women
and walls with shops in which long
gowned Egyptians were selling goods
and lying their trades. The univer-
sity i known as the Mosque El-Az-
har, which is one of the Oldest
mosques of Cairo. 1t covers several
acres, and the streets about it are
largely taken UP with industries con-
nected with the university. One of
the bazaars is devoted to book-selling
and book-binding and another to
head-dressing. Every Mohammedan
has his head shaved several times a
week, and in this college there are
1000 bald headed students. The schol-
lar who would appear here with our
ordinary college football cut would
not be admitted. The students wear
turbans of white. black or green, and
there is not a hair under them, except
on top of the crown. where a little
tuft may be left that the owner may
be more easily pulled into heaven.
My way led through the street Of
the BARRIERS. There were a number Of
them working On the heads of the
students. The BARRIERS made them
kneel down to be shaved, and saw
one or two lying with their heads in
the laps of the men who were shaw
ing them. The BARRIERS used no pa
per, wiping the ~shavings on the faces
of the victims instead. At the enc
they gave head, face and ears a good
washing.
AS | approached the entrance Of the
university | saw many young. long
gowned turbaned men, with their
BOOKS under their arms, standing
about and some carrying manuscripts
in and out. Each student has his
! shoes in his hand when he enters the
gates, and l was made to put a pair
of slippers over my boots before l
went in. The slippers were OF yellow
sheep-skin and a turbaned servant
tied them on with red strings.
Nfohamnedar. students at Work.
Entering the gate I came into a
great sto~ne-hagged court. upon which
the study halls of this university face.
The court was surrounded by arcades
uphek3 By marble pillars and in the