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Lyas , as Iskender always respectfully called him , said a grace of twenty minutes before he sat down , and one of equal duration after he pot up . He was perpetually counting his beads and uttering devout sayings , —which partly accounted for his influence with the priests . He and I agreed very well at the beginning , although mour very first conversation he forced on a religious discussion , and plainly told me to what place all heretics were irrevocably doomed . On this and other occasions he strictly maintained that the earth is stationary , that it is surrounded by the sea , that the moon rises and sets , and that the stars are no bigger than they seem ; and turned pale with indignation at any contrary statements , which he asserted to be direct attacks on the foundation of the Christian religion . Further experience taught me that he was a pietfy fair representation of public opinion among a large class of Syrian Christians . "
It appears from Mr . St . John ' s account that Egyptian travellers are not in , error when they talk of the Awalim ( or Almees ) dancing as well as singing . They have inherited the business now the Ghawazee are banished . His description of their performance is very graphic ; and we select a couple of passages : — " When every one had amvd , and Levantines and [ Europeans had occupied their places , Ay she" took a darabukah , or tambourine , and struck up a monotonous tune ; whilst Kalah , at first in a low and even , if I may venture
on the expression , a dreamy voice , began to sing one of those sensual ditties which delight the ear and stir up the apathy of the Egyptian . The style of execution , and the whole attending circumstances are peculiar . As the song proceeds , the performer grows gradually excited , throws back her head , rolls her eyes , and becomes at length so deeply impassioned , that the words are separated , as it were , by gasps and sobs of pleasure . Frantfs and Antun supported the performer by exhibiting or affecting symptoms of delight , by joining in the chorus , and by uttering admiring exclamations .
" When the first song was over we requested Kalah to dance , and she complied readily . Rising to her feet , she threw aside her mantle , and bound a long shawl firmly round her hips ; then taking a pair of castanets , she stepped into the middle of the carpet , threw her arms aloft like a Bacchante , assumed a graceful pose for a moment , and then began to exhibit before our tingling eyes one of those indescribable pantomimes which the Egyptians decorate with the name of dances . It was impossible not to admire the vigour , the ability , the grace , the elegance , with which Kalah performed her part ; and how , with a tact for which I should not have
given her credit , she at the outset avoiding falling to the very depths into which Francfs and Autun , with their brutal appetite for the extravagance of indecency , endeavoured at once to urge her . We could none of us take our eyes off the form of this terrible Maenad whilst she struggled there before us , to incarnate , as it were , _ the unspiritual conception of love to which the East has given birth . Her form , which was almost colossal , seemed throughout its vast outline to writhe in an agony of joy ; her broad bosom , scarcely feminine in contour , heaved and panted with passion ; her blood struggled faintly through the opaque palor of her checks ; her eyes
wandered and flashed ; her hair burst its fillet , and fell back over her powerful shoulders , or curled like black snakes about her long round arms . I never shall forget the impression which this extraordinary performance produced upon me , especially when it was contrasted with the pretty tripping and graceful licentiousness of Ayshe , who soon wrapped up her c ; ild in a corner ol her mantle and joined her more majestic companion . I wish the evening had terminated there ; for these two women , excited by their two supporters , went on descending step by step to a depth whither my pen and almost my memory refuse to follow them . At a late hour my friends went away ; and
th » n Sitt Mndoula came in , and got the Awalim to go through a few dances for her private gratification , after which slip took them to sleep iti her room , and kept them until daylight . " What is most worthy of remark in all this is , the indifference with which E istern women regard these exhibitions . The Sitt seemed scarcely to suspect that she was present at an indecent sight , and frankly confessed that she very much enjoyed it . None but an Eastern mother , however , would undertake the responsibility of thus giving a finishing touch to the education of her son . I will add , that the little Henneneh was present for a lone time , and was encouraged to imitate the
libidinous contortions of the Awalim . Vainly did I object that this was pouring oil upon the flames ^ that the climate of Egypt in itself exercised a dangerous influence on the female temperament , and that it was niost pernicious to brintf up children to a familiarity with these questionable scent a . I never could persuade the Sitt or any other Eastern lady that chastity , instead of being merely the act of abstaining , was a sentiment of most delicate and precarious growth , requiring to be nourished and tended and preserved—a sentiment which springs naturally from the soil of young minds , but which may wither bencmh one too ardent glance , and be destroyed by the inclement breath of a single night . "
There is a great deal about the Black slaves . We extract two passages : — 11 There is one remark which I will venture to make with reference to this subject , namely , that , although half-castes , haying European fathers , are not uncommonly seen , it is very rare to meet with any others . And yet it is a circumstance almost of daily occurrence to hear of family quarrels arising among the Christians , from the fact of black slaves being found to be pregnant . Among the Muslims this discovery is treated by the wives with perfect indifference . Now , what becomes of the children thus brought into the world—or are they
ever brought into the wotM ? I am son-y to say that , though forbidden by ' the law , ' it is customary among both Turks and Arabs , from motives of economy , not of morality , to sell slaves as soon as their interesting condition begins to be manifest . The sale is effected through the medium of a Jellabi , to whom is transferred the responsibility of any rascality that may be committed . Perhaps I ought to add , as a curious illustration of the state of knowledge in the East , that a young wife , deeply attached to her husband , perceiving palpable evidence of
his infidelity , reproached him with it ; whereupon he gravely told her that the cause of her disquiet was merely the effect of the strong imagination of the unfortunate slave-girl . The lady half believed and half doubted , and came to me for an elucidation . Unfortunately , she did not tell me at first that the case was her own ; so I made a parody of the famous nihil est in intetlectu , and proved so successful in my argument that a terrible family quarrel was the result , and the girl who had such a strong imagination passed into the hands of a Jellabi .
" I ought to add that it is really important to ascertain , if possible , the temper of household slaves before buying them . They are sometimes very troublesome , and have been known to murder their masters and mistresses . I once saw a horrid sight—a black woman paraded on an ass about the streets of Alexandria , with her face turned to the tail , her shrivelled form exposed almost entirely to the public gaze , her woolly hair filled with bits of straw , her face buried in profound apathy . A man went before , p ro claim in * that she was a poisoner , and was about to meet with due punishment . Less than most people have I that morbid feeling which leads men to interest themselves in criminals , and weep over the fate of a murderer , whilst they have no sympathy to spare for the victim . Yet I coul i not help experiencing
a sentiment of indignation at beholding this miserable creature , whose intellect , crushed beneath the overwhelming load of circumstances , had most probably never shed one single ray upon her conscience , not only devoted to a horrid death , but hooted and pelted by a fanatical rabble , which had never acknowledged her claim to be a human being until they doomed her to die . However , there she was , enjoying for the first time the privilege of a free-born person—being called to account for her actions , and condemned with ail the form of Oriental justice . For several hours the wretched being was paraded about , after which the executioners , with her own assistance , put her into a sack , and , taking her out in a boat some distance to sea , threw her overboard . "
There are some stories interspersed , which have all the colour and charm of " The Arabian Nights . " They are , of course , too long for extract , but will be greedily devoured by whoever takes up the volume . That of Hassan , the Water Carrier , and Lady Apricot ( Sitt Mismish ) is so much in the tone of the Arabian Nights that one fancies it must be an inedited chapter from that inimitable work . "We will give an outline of it . Lady Apricot is a rich widow whose short experience of married life has disgusted her with that " blessed condition , " and she refuses all offers . Hassan trusts less to his dark handsome eyes and glossy beard than to his audacity and intelligence to win her hand . Believing that so quaint a woman needs courting in a quaint way : —
" One evening he was sitting in a coffee-house , when a narrator began to tell the story of a man who had been carried by an eagle into a \ vond » rful palace sewed up in a sheepskin . Hassan at once formed his plan , which was no other than this—to get into one of his ox hide sacks , armed with a knife , and caused himself to be left , as if accidentally , by his assistants . What he was to do if success crowned his plan , destiny would determine . " The trick was easily played . Two cunning friends sewed him well into the sack - begging him to appear as much like water as possible—and , whpn the backs of the slaves were turned , hoisted him off the camel , and carried him behind a pomegrana'e-tree in the neighbourhood of the kiosque No suspicion seemed to bp raised . Two men had been seen to enter : two men issued forth . The doors were closed ; and , as evening approached , preparations wrre made for the festivity .
•* About an hour after sunset , Hassan , who began to feel very uncomfortable in his sack , heard a voice calling from a window to somebody below : — 'O Zara ! ' " Present , O Sitt ! " was the reply . ' " * Go with Yacoub , nnd light , the lamps , nnd let loose the waters , and brush the floor nnd spread the carpets ; for I am sad , and must be delighted with music and sinking . ' " Presently the two slaves—the eunuch and the girlc * me to the kiosque , and obeyed the orders of tin ir mistress . As they bustled about they saw the sack behind the tree , and Yaumih paid : — " * Those accursed Sukkas have left this great ugly bag behind . We must drug it out of the way . '
" On hearing this , Hassan endeavoured to look as liquid as possible ; and for the first time felt fear . *• • If they discover me now , ' thought he , ' they will beat me , and turn me out before Sitt Mishmish comes ; and 1 shall gain nothing but bruises by the adventure . ' " Yacoub and Zara gave two or three tugs at the bag , but finding it heavy , came to a stop . " 'It will be better , ' said Zara , ' to let the water run out . Untie the knot . ' " * No , ' replied Yacoub ; I will poke my sword through it ; and , if the rascally Sukkas complain , I will pull their beards and be insolent . ' " * It is advisable not to cut the sack , ' quoth Zara , to the infinite relief of poor Hassan .
" The slaves then again bustled about , and often walked over the sack without noticing that it held anything but water ; and Hassan , who hoped this new kind of Dozen * would be considered meritorious , remained quiet , still striving to liquify himself . " When Sitt Mishmish came down to the kiosque she saw the water-sack , and said : — " , « What is the meaning of this ? ' " And they told her . " ' Pigs that ye are ! ' exclaimed she : * that ye have not removed it . ' Hassan prepared his knife , and , commending himself to the protection of the Prophet , awaited impatiently for the Sitt to call for her beloved one . But the dancing and music began and continued for an hour , and the lady remained silent and sad . And Zareefeh said to her : —
" « O Sitt ! what can we do to amuse thee ? Shall we tell stories ? or shall we jump upon this water-sack ? or shall we try our strength and roll it to the tank ? ' "' Roll it into the tank , ' was the reply . " Immediately five or six women , laughing and pushing one another , began to roll the sack rapidly along . Hassan was turned over in all directions , and found it almost impossible to use his knife . So he began to roar for mercy , fearing lest he should be drowned . But the slaves paid no attention , and had got him to the edge of the tank , when , with a desperate effort , he slit open & hole large enough for him to pass his head . On seeing his shaven scalp , with a long top-knot thrust forth , the girls gave a loud scream ; but Zereefeh exclaimed :-
—" Have courage , O girls ! ' and— ' paff , paff '—slapped the poor man ' s face with both hands . " In an instant they soused him into the tank with screams of laughter . He struggled and roared ; but they had no mercy on him , and would probably have drowned him in their fun had not Lady Apricot called upon them , with a loud voice to desist . By her orders they drew him forth , half dead and dripping like a rag , and brought him warm towels to dry himself , and threw silk robes over him , and presented him to their mistress , who looked upon him , and said : — "' Is this my beloved ?' " Hp replied : — " Yea ; and I am happy to have suffered all this for thy sake . '
" And she said : —' I knew of thy coming ; and wag resolved to try thy patience . Thou art a wise personnot foolish and weak of heart . I had sworn never to take as a husband any one but the man who should make himself fire , or air , or water for my sake . Thou hast made thyself water , and I am content . Sit by my side . ' ' So Hassan became the husband of Lady Apricot , and lived happily in her society . " One more extract , and we leave this delightful volume : —
AX ARAB GAME . " One of their amusements—called the game of plaff —• is worth mentioning , especially as it is not only indulged in by the vulgar , but formed the chief delight of the venerable Moharrem Bey himself . Two men , often with respectable grey beards , sit on a carpet at a little distance one from the another All Easterns are usually dry smokers ; but on this occasion they manage to foment a plentiful supply of saliva , and the game simply consists in a series of attempts on the part of the two opponents to spit on the tips of each other's noses . At first , this cleanly interchange of saliva goes on slowly and deliberately—Socrates never measured the leap of a flea with more
seriousness—but presently one receives a dab in the eye , another in the mouth . They begin to grow hot and angry . ' I hit your nose , ' cries one . ' No , it was my cheek ! ' replied the other . They draw a little nearer , in order to ascertain the truth by feeling ; spit , spit , they still go , like two vicious old cats ; their palates grow dry ; their throats become parched ; but the contest continues , and they exhaust themselves in making spit . oona of each , other ' s faces and beards . Hamlet and Laertes were not more eager and desperate . * A hit , a very palpable hit !' they exclaim , as they hawk up their last supply of ammunition . Each dtnies the truth ; they mutually proceed to a verification ; and the game of plaft often ends in a regular match of nose-pulling . "
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GROTE'S HISTORY OP GREECE . A History of Greece . By George Grote . Vols . 1-8 . Murray . Theue will probably never be found a writer capable of giving us a history of Greece which shall satisfy all exigencies ; for there will probably never be found a writer who to the comprehensive , accurate , minute erudition indispenpable to a thorough investigation of the facts , will unite the splendid talents of historical composition which can fitly illustrate so grand a theme . We mean no disparagement to Mr .
Grote , therefore , when we say his work falls far below our standard ; for it certainly surpasses in solid excellence any other work—German , French , or English—we have met with on rhe subject . Our notice of it comes too late to render any abstract of its contents necessary ; the first six volumes have been long enough before the public to enable us to speak with more freedom than if we had to introduce it to the reader's notice . Instead , therefore , of an inventory of its contents , we may take a general survey of the eight volumes , and from them select
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234 ©!) £ % tVL \ ttK + [ SATtmuAY ,
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• The Dozeh is the festival of the Treading at Cairo , in which a man , mounted upon a heavy horse , ridea over the prostraw bodies of aorne hundred fanatics .
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Leader (1850-1860), June 1, 1850, page 234, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1841/page/16/
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