ME HOWLING DERVISHES

“When I got back to the hotel that night, Angelo (for so was “Arlechifto” properly called) told me that, having thrashed the cook a few days before, he had now beaten two of the waiters in some unexplained kitchen squabble. The house was quite full, for several Hungarians had arrived during the day. Where, or how they slept, was a riddle to all of us, but they must have been half a dozen in a room. They were poor, humble fellows, and appeared broken down by earnest misery and anxiety.

ME HOWLING DERVISHES — ROIiBEIlY OP TRAVELLERS

BESIDES the daneing dervishes, there is another set at Scutari, who howl; and their exhibition is also public every Thursday afternoon, about two o’eloek. It is a mile and a half across the Bosphorus, from Galata to Scutari. The Maiden Tower (or Leander’s Tower, as it is sometimes called) is a little building rising from the water, about which the old story is told of the favorite ehild, shut up until he or she was of age, because a prediction had announced an early accidental death, and being at last killed by a viper from some fire-wood. The same legend belongs to the Polly, at Clifton, and a dozen other places.

Landing at Scutari, which I imagine must be the most oriental portion of Constantinople, we went up to the Convent of the Howling Dervishes, and were introduced into a square room, with a balustrade round it, and at the top a latticed gallery for the women. All around were hung rude musical instruments — chiefly little drums and tambourines; and against the wall at the end were battle-axes, and apparently instruments of torture, in great numbers — hooks, spikes, and the like. The dervishes, who were crouching on the floor, on sheepskins, did not appear to have any particular costume, as those at Pera; but eaeh afterwards put on a felt skull-cap. Round the enclosure were other persons sitting, who appeared to be visitors; one was a soldier. Some large-eyed, unwholesome children were also of the party of performers; and a dancing dervish joined them before they finished.

Extraordinary state of frenzy

They went hrough a great many ceremonies of bowing, embracing, and repeating prayers, and at last got in a line at the end of the room by the railing, one or two of the elders still squatting in front of them. Here they commenced to chant, swinging themselves backwards and forwards, and then sideways; getting quicker and quicker in their motions, like a railway engino going off, and . shouting “La ilah illali-lah,” (There is but one God!) faster and faster, until they worked themselves up into an extraordinary state of frenzy, children and all: They kept shouting this monotonous line, and throwing themselves about for at least half an hour; when, the noise was so wearing, and the place so close and disagreeable, that I made my escape local ephesus tour guides.

I could not exactly understand what induced these men to make such fools of themselves. Certainly it was not for money, for none was given by the spectators, nor indeed was any solicited. Neither can I suspect it to have been for religious motives; for, to all appearances, a greater set of scamps had seldom been collected together.’ I must leave the explanation to those familiar with the mysteries of Eastern worship.

Above that convent, there is another enormous burying-ground, through which the road runs — a perfect forest, with millions of tombstones. Here again the road is divided; and its paved portion is at least ten feet higher than the dusty half. The proper complement of dogs and poultry were wandering about; and a large tomb, formed by a cupola upon six pillars, was shown as the grave of a favorite horse once belonging to the Sultan Mahmoud. Another was surrounded by an iron railing, upon which shreds of clothes were hung, in large numbers, as I had seen at the Giant’s Mountain.