Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1881 — THE DERVISHES. [ARTICLE]

THE DERVISHES.

Tnck Tortures Performed by a Peculiar Kind of Beopie. OUphaatY Land of Glload. The abeik received us at the door of his courtyard, which wae already tolerably full of native spectators and of persons who were to take part in the performanees. while many veiled women, who had apparently gotten notice that the sheik was going to exhibit his powers, crowded the surrounding roofa. After the usual preliminary politeness of pipes, sherbet and ooffee, he went into an inner room, and reappeared with a bundle of iron skewers, very much resembling those used by> cooks for trussing meat Beckoning to a wild-looking Dervish stripped to the waist, whose wandering eye had an evil look in it which the rest of his countenance did not belie —in fact it was only redeemed from being villainous by a glare of insanity—he made him open nis mouth and pnxseed with the utmost coolness to pass a skewer from the inside through each cheek, so that the points could be seen plainly protruding. He then ;>erformed a like operation on a remarkably handsome youth of fifteen, whom I aftdrward found was his son, and whose large, clear hazel eye was calmly fixed on mine, while his cheeks were being pierced, nor did a line of his countenance indicate that he was conscious of the slightest pain. ■ < Not a drop of blood flowed in eitherc&se. The two victims stood before us with their mouths pressed back and the projecting skewers showing the points through their cbeelw, with as much apparent comfort as if it were the normal* condition of their being. Leaving them In this attitude the sheik again disappeared intphis room. This time he returned with a small, square box, drawing back the sliding lid, out of which he extracted a scorpion of unusual size.its vicious tail curling and striking its own back as it writhed between his fingers.

This he handed to another dervish, clothed and looking more in his right mind than his skewered comrade, who instantly dropped the lively reptile into his mouth, and crunched it with apparent gusto. As he was as large as au ordinary land crab, it was a big mouthful, and seemed to whip up into a sort of lather as he chewed it. His countenance, as he went on munching, was so impassive that I could not judge whether live scorpion is nice or not; probably it is an acquired taste. Another dervish joined iu the repast, and disposed of a smaller one .with equal equanimity. I now suggested that we were satis fled iu regard to the skewers, aud that the company generally would feel more comfortable if they were extracted. It is decidedly unpleasant to have two men with their cheeks trussed, staring at you, while others are eating live scorpions. Their mouth were so pressed book, that they seemed to be gunning insanely; but I should think the effect of a real joke would have been dis agreeable. I longed to try and make them laugh to see whether it would not hurt them; but there is probably no such a thing as a dervish with a sense of humor, and an Arabic joke was beyond me. The sheik, too, would probably have been offended, for he went through the whole performance with the greatest solemnity, taking long, deep inspirations as he muttered incantations in which the name of Allah occurred frequently, before he touched the skewers; then, with a dentist-like twist he jerked them out. The points were bloodless, and the outside of the cheek afslight induration, like that of a cicatrized wound; there was no redness or inflammation. The sheik now once*more returned to his room and brought out a larger box, which he opened and drew from it several snakes of all sizes. These began to wriggle about the floor in a disagreeable manner, with an overpowering attraction apparently for the legs of foreigners.