AN ORIENTAL BATH.—EGYPTIAN WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.
The excursions to Gizeh and Sakkara had not been altogether free from dust, and, consequently, the suggestion of an Oriental bath was not out of place. The boys had heard of the baths of Damascus and Constantinople, and the wonderful tales of travellers concerning them; the Doctor said the baths of Cairo were exactly like those of the cities mentioned, and they could satisfy their curiosity by trying one.
The guide advised them to go early in the forenoon, and accordingly they left the hotel a little after ten o'clock. The Doctor had no fondness for the genuine Oriental bath, and the youths made the excursion in the company of their guide. A short walk brought them to the establishment, which was in a gloomy-looking building, surmounted with a large central dome and several smaller domes. Frank could not understand the peculiarity of the bath architecture till he went inside, and found that the principal room was lighted by the central dome, while the others gave light to the smaller apartments. The windows were so small that the light was quite dim, and in some places only served, as Fred expressed it, to make the darkness visible.
The office of the bath-keeper was close to the entrance, and here the guide paid for the admission of the youths; they had left all their valuables at the hotel, and consequently had no use for the chest where the watches and purses of the bathers were deposited. Near the keeper was a cupboard, from which he took a supply of towels for the youths, and they were then directed to the dressing, or, rather, the undressing room, where they were assigned to couches, and exchanged their clothing for towels. According to the custom of the establishment, one towel was wrapped around the head and the other about the waist, and thus arrayed our young friends were hardly to be recognized.
From the dressing-room they passed to a smaller apartment, which was well but not uncomfortably warmed, and here they remained some minutes in order to become accustomed to the temperature. The bathing establishment is heated by means of fires under the floor, and in the more modern buildings by iron pipes around the sides of the rooms. An attendant took charge of each of the boys, and, when they were ready to move on, conducted them to the large central room of the place.
Frank gave an amusing account of his experience in the hands of the tellak, or bath attendant, who took charge of him:
"He was a strong man," said Frank, "about forty years old, and his head was shaved as smooth as a door-knob. He wore a towel around his waist, and carried another flung over his shoulder. He brought me a pair of wooden clogs, which I could not easily keep on my feet, though I tried hard to imitate the example of the people around me, and appear as though accustomed to them all my life. They tell us that there is a fashion about wearing these clogs, just as much as in putting on an overcoat or a necktie, and that you are liable to be treated rudely if you violate the custom. Perhaps they have so many foreigners in this bath that they don't mind a little awkwardness; anyway we couldn't keep the clogs in place, and nobody was uncivil.
CENTRAL ROOM OF THE BATH.
"We stayed in the anteroom till we got a little warm, and then went into the central one. And wasn't it hot!
"People were reclining on the marble floor, or on a platform at one side; we were led to the platform, and our conductors made signs for us to lie down, and as they did so they spread towels for us to recline on, and brought small cushions for our heads. We did as they directed, and lay there for a while looking at the water playing in a fountain in the centre of the room, or counting the little windows in the roof. We counted them several times over, but couldn't make them come out twice alike.
THE MAN WHO DIDN'T LIKE IT.
"Pretty soon there was something like a howl from one side of the place, and we looked over to see what it was. An attendant was at work on a man who appeared like a foreigner, and was evidently trying to give him the worth of his money. Armed with a small brush, he went over the flesh of his victim very much as a boot-black makes a first-class shine. The stranger looked like a boiled lobster, and the expression of his face was much as though he was about to be sent to prison for life.
"To confirm my belief that he was a foreigner, he made a remark in English, which, of course, the attendant did not understand, but went on scrubbing harder than ever. He seemed too weak to use his hands to stop the performance, but finally gathered strength enough to seize the brush, and motion to the performer that he had had enough. Then he was taken to another part of the room and laid on a marble slab, where he was handled more gently.
"While we were smiling at the misery of the Englishman the perspiration was oozing out of us at every pore, in consequence of the great warmth of the place. 'Our turn next,' Fred whispered, as our attendants began to manipulate our limbs, to find out whether they were in a proper condition for operating on.
"Fred was right, as our tellaks evidently considered us sufficiently cooked for their purpose. They began by kneading us with their hands and knuckles, and went over our bodies so vigorously that we thought they would make holes in our flesh, though they didn't do anything of the sort. Then they rubbed us down with brushes, and left us a few minutes; the rubbing and kneading increased the flow of perspiration, and when this had gone on long enough, they made us sit on little wooden frames close to a fountain in one of the side alcoves. Then they soaped our heads and rubbed them vigorously with their hands, and kept pouring on water while the rubbing was progressing; they repeated the operation twice, and then brought some fibres of palm-leaves, which they used with soap and water for polishing our limbs, and they finished the performance with the brush, just as they had done with the Englishman.
"The brushing was the severest part of the process, and was followed by great quantities of water thrown over us till we were thoroughly rinsed. The water was warm enough to be quite comfortable, and sometimes a little too warm, but we said nothing, as we wanted to have the bath just as it is given to others. Basin after basin of warm water was poured over us, and finally we were wrapped in dry towels that completely covered us, and thick towels were folded around our heads till we looked like turbaned Turks. Then we were taken to our couches, where we rested, and became cool enough to go out-of-doors again with safety.
THE BARBER.
"Coffee was brought to us as soon as we lay down, and we found it very refreshing. We stayed there at least half an hour before the guide suggested that it would be safe to dress and go back to the hotel. We felt a little weak and weary, but had the satisfaction of knowing that we were as clean as water, soap, heat, and scrubbing could make us. A barber tried to do up our hair, but did not succeed very well, as the Oriental head-dressing is not exactly like our own. But he was desirous of making himself useful, and so we let him try his skill.
THE BATH AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.
"The bath of to-day is much like that of thousands of years ago, as can be seen by the pictures on the walls of the tombs. The bath is the favorite resort of the women, and many of them spend the whole day there, or at least a large part of it. The baths for women are much more numerous than those for men; many of them are set apart on different days of the week for different religious sects, and sometimes families or parties of friends hire the bath for themselves, so that they shall not be disturbed by others.
"Doctor Bronson says a good deal of nonsense has been written by travellers concerning the baths of the East. He says better and more comfortable bathing establishments may be found in Paris, London, or New York than in Constantinople or Cairo, and the number is increasing every year.
"The Oriental bath is recommended for a good many things besides cleanliness, although the latter is the great consideration. It will cure colds and slight touches of rheumatism, is excellent for many maladies of the skin, improves the digestion, and has often restored invalids whom medicine had failed to benefit. Doctor Bronson has a friend in New York who suffers occasionally from gout, and whenever he feels it coming upon him he goes straight to a Turkish bath, and, as he says, 'boils it out.' One should be very careful, after taking a bath, not to go too soon into the open air, for fear of catching cold."
While on their way from the bath to the hotel the youths encountered a procession, and naturally asked the guide what it was.
"That is a wedding," was the reply; "somebody is going to be married, and this is part of the ceremony."
It occurred to Frank on the instant that his sister and Miss Effie might be interested in the subject of weddings, and here would be an opportunity to write something to please them. Accordingly, he made note of all he saw in the procession, interrogated the guide, and even took a peep within the pages of "The Modern Egyptians," to assure himself that he had made no mistake. As there may be others besides Mary and Effie who want to know the matrimonial customs of Egypt, we will make an extract from Frank's account:
"The procession that we saw was composed of the family and friends of the bride on their way to the bath, where they would remain several hours. There were four musicians in front, and right behind them were six of the married friends of the bride, walking in couples; behind these were several young girls, and all the party had their faces covered with long veils that reached nearly to the ground. The married women wore robes of black material, but the girls were in striped or white shawls, so that it was easy to know at a glance whether one of them was married or single.
"Of course you want to know how the bride looked. She was close behind the young girls, but I can't describe her appearance, as she walked under a canopy of pink silk, supported on four poles, carried by as many men. It was like a small tent, and opened in front; the other sides were completely closed, so that our only view of the bride was just a glimpse through the opening of the canopy. Even if we had more than a glimpse of her, it would have done no good, as she was wrapped from head to foot in a red cashmere shawl, and whether she was seventeen or seventy years old we could not say. The guide said she had a pasteboard crown on her head, and the shawl was hung over it so as to conceal her face and all the jewellery she wore. Of course she could not see anything, and so a couple of women were walking inside the canopy, and just behind her, to tell her how to keep pace with the rest of the procession.
"There were a couple of musicians behind the canopy, and then came a string of idle persons, just as we see a procession followed at home. We watched them as long as they were in sight, and were told they would spend several hours at the bath, where a feast had been ordered, and possibly an entertainment by dancers and singers hired for the occasion. Then they would go home to the house of the bride's parents, and on the following day the bride would be carried by a similar procession to the house of the bridegroom.
"Now we'll go back to the beginning, and see how marriages are arranged in Egypt.
"The guide says such a thing as an 'old bachelor' in Egypt is never heard of, as every man is expected to get married whether he wants to or not. Matches are made here much easier than in America, as it is not at all necessary for the parties to be acquainted, and consequently they cannot have any objections to marrying each other. There are regular marriage-brokers who arrange everything, and thus save a great deal of trouble and perplexity.
"When a man wishes to marry he tells his mother, or some near female relative; she goes directly to the relatives of any marriageable girls she knows of, or perhaps she engages a khatibeh, or woman who makes a business of negotiating marriages. The two go together to houses where there are young girls to be married, and when they find one that suits the mother's eye they begin talking business at once.
"They ask how much property the girl has, how old she is, and what she can do, and then go away without any positive promise to come again. If the young man does not like the account they bring the matter is dropped, but if he is pleased with it he makes a present to the broker, and sends her again to confer with the girl and her parents. Her parents have the right to arrange the whole matter without consulting the girl, unless she is over fifteen years of age; in the latter case she may choose her husband for herself, but her parents have still a good deal to say about it.
A KHATIBEH, OR MARRIAGE-BROKER.
"The broker does not confine herself very closely to the truth in dealing with either party. She will describe a girl of ordinary appearance as the greatest beauty in the world, and will represent an equally ordinary man as handsome, graceful, and well educated, with plenty of money which he is ready to throw at the feet of his bride. And all this when she does not know whether he has any money or not, and has never seen or heard of him till the day she was engaged to find a bride. It is the object of the broker to make a commission. Doctor Bronson says she is not unlike some brokers he has known in New York, and other cities of America.
"The girl must have a wekeel, or deputy, to arrange a marriage for her, and to sign the contract. This office is filled by her father, if living, or by some masculine relative or guardian; and when the preliminaries have been arranged by the broker, the bridegroom goes with two or three friends to meet the wekeel and sign the contract.
"The first thing is to fix the amount of the dowry of the bride, and they spend a good deal of time haggling over it, just as they do in every transaction where money is concerned. The wekeel demands more than he expects to receive, and the bridegroom offers less than he expects to give. The amount varies according to the position and property of the parties; for those in fair circumstances it is usually a little over a hundred dollars. It is arranged that the money shall be paid to the bride's deputy when the marriage contract is signed, which is generally within a couple of days.
PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING.
"When the contract is finished and the money paid over, the day is fixed—generally a couple of weeks later—for bringing the bride to the bridegroom's house. The time is consumed in preparations for the wedding; the amount of the dowry, and generally a great deal more, is spent in furniture and clothing for the bride, and all these articles are her property, and cannot be taken from her if she is divorced. The bridegroom gives a dinner and party to his friends, and for two or three nights before the wedding the street where he lives is hung with lanterns, and otherwise decorated, so that everybody may know that a wedding is about to take place.
A MARRIAGE PROCESSION AT NIGHT.
"The bride goes to the bath in the procession I have described in the first part of this letter, and afterward she is taken to the house which is to be her home. This procession is in the night, and therefore it carries a good many torches, and sometimes the effect is very pretty. Meantime the man is at the mosque saying his prayers, and when he comes home he finds his bride there with her friends.
UNVEILING THE BRIDE.
"She is still closely veiled, and in nine cases out of ten the two have never met. After a feast, which he has ordered before going to the mosque, he is permitted to raise her veil, and has an opportunity to look for the first time on the features of his wife. No matter how much either of them may be disappointed in the appearance of the other, they are expected to smile and seem happy.
"In some parts of the East the bridegroom comes to the house accompanied by torches and music, and with a small boy walking at his side dressed like himself, and instructed to imitate all his motions. He carries a folded handkerchief held close to his face, and the boy does the same; a little behind them is a girl mounted on a horse, and dressed like the bride, and attended by two men who are supposed to be her guards. When this procession approaches the house, the friends of the bride light their lamps and go out a short distance to meet the procession. It is probably from this custom that we have the passage of Scripture which says, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.'"
While Frank was busy with his account of the wedding-party, Fred was occupied with another and sadder procession he had seen the same day. While walking in the Mooskee he met a funeral-party on its way to the cemetery, near the Tombs of the Caliphs, and his curiosity led him to ascertain some particulars concerning funerals in the East.
BLIND MUSICIANS AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.
"The procession that I saw," said Fred, "was led by half a dozen blind men, who walked slowly two and two together, and chanted the Moslem confession of faith—'There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the apostle of God!' Behind them came several men who were relatives of the deceased, and then there was an open space of three or four yards. Beyond the open space were four boys in pairs; the front pair carried a copy of the Koran on a small frame or desk, covered with an embroidered handkerchief, and the second pair had their hands empty.
"Then came the coffin on a bier, supported on the shoulders of four men, and covered with a red shawl; the bearers were changed every few minutes, and those who were relieved took their places in the group behind the blind men. Behind the bier were several women, who frequently shrieked as if in great grief. I was told that some of them were the family of the dead man, and the rest were mourners who had been hired, according to the custom of the country. From long practice in their profession they were able to shriek louder than the real mourners.
"The funeral of a rich man is sometimes preceded by three or four camels laden with provisions that are to be given at the tomb to any poor people who may ask for them. Then there will be a good many people in the procession, including men who have been invited to the funeral, and members of several religious sects, each delegation being not less than four. Sometimes the flags of some of the orders of dervishes will be carried in the procession, and the line is closed by servants leading two or three horses.
"The party generally stops at a mosque, where prayers are said, and the first chapter of the Koran is repeated by a priest, and then it moves on to the cemetery. The ceremony at the tomb is very brief, and consists of a few prayers and the wailing of the hired mourners. The blind men and boys who have accompanied the procession receive their pay as soon as the body is laid in the ground, and then the funeral is supposed to be ended."