Year: 1873

Let no tourist, experienced only II


the effeminats limitations Of the hum


mum, or Moorish bath, to be found il


New York or London, except similal


eonsiderate treatment in Algeria. H.


will be more likely to receive the after


ton of the M'zabite bather after tha


fashion narrated in the following para


graph, which is q quotation from nj


English journalist in the land Of til


Kabyles:


"We we're told to sit down upon a


marble seat in the middle Of the hall, /,


which we had no sooner done than W


became sensible Of great increase of


heat after this each of us was taken


into closet Of milder temperature,


where, after placing white cloth on


the floor and taking of our napkins,


they laid us down, leaving us to the
further operations Of two naked, robust
negroes. These men, newly brought
from the interior of Africa, were ignor-
ant of Arabic; so I could not tell them
in what way I wished to be treated, and
they hsndled me as roughly as if l had
been Moor Injured to hardship. Kneel-
ing with one knee upon the ground,
each took me by leg and began rub
bing the soles of my feet with pumice
stone. After this operation Of my feet,
they put their hands into small bag
and rubbed me all over with it as hard
as they could. The distortions of my
countenance must have told them what
I endured, but they rubbed on, smiling
at each other, and sometimes giving me
an encouraging look, indicating by their
gestures the good it would do me.
While they were thus currying me they
almost drowned me by throwing warm
water upon me with large silves vessels,
which were in the basin under a cock
fastened in the wall. When this was
over they raised me up, putting my
head under the cock, by which means
the water flowed all over my body;
and, as if this was not sufficient, my
attendants continued plying their ves-
sells. Then, having dried me with very
fine napkins, they each of them very
respectfully kissed my hand. 1 con-
sidered this as sign that my torment
was over, and was going to dress
myself, when one of the negroes,
grimly smiling, stopped me till the other
returned with a kind of earth, which they
began to rub all over my body without
my inclination. It was as
much surprised too see it take off all
the hair as I was panied in the opera
ton; for this earth is so quick in its
effect that it burns the skin if left upon
the body. This being finished, 1 went
through a second aDlution, after which
one of them seized me behind by
the shoulders, and setting his two knees
against the lower part of my back, made
my bones crack, so that for time |
thought they were entirely dislocated.
Nor was this all, for after whirling me
about like top to the right and left, he
delivered me to his comrade, who used
ne in the same manner: and them, to
ny no small satisfaction, opened the
closet door,"


This is the true Moorish both. Mean
time, the Ezabite or negro, as he dis
located your legs, cracks your spinal
column or dances over you on his knees,
lrones forth kind Of native psalmody,
which, melting into the steamy atmos-
phere of the place, seem to be the itany
Of happiness and Of the pure in heart.
Clean in body and soul as you never
we're before, skinned, depilated, dissect-
ID, you emerge for a new life of ideal
feeling as if you were sudden
y relieved of your body.-Lippin
,OhS.