In the afternoon of the day preceding that on which the dam is cut, numerous boats, hired by private parties, for pleasure, repair to the neighbourhood of the entrance of the Canal. Among these is a very large boat, called the “’Akabeh.”[[584]] It is painted for the occasion, in a gaudy, but rude, manner; and has two or more small cannons on board, and numerous lamps attached to the ropes, forming various devices, such as a large star, etc.: it has also, over the cabin, a large kind of close awning, composed of pieces of silk, and other stuffs; and is adorned with two pennants. It is vulgarly believed that this boat represents a magnificent vessel, in which the Egyptians used, before the conquest of their country by the Arabs, to convey the virgin, whom, it is said, they threw into the Nile. It sails from Boolák about three hours after noon; taking passengers for hire, men and women; the latter being usually placed, if they prefer it, in the large awning above mentioned. It is made fast to the bank of the isle of Er-Ródah, immediately opposite the entrance of the Canal. Most of the other boats also remain near it during the night, along the bank of the island; but some, all the evening and night, are constantly sailing up or rowing down the river. In many boats, the crews amuse themselves and their passengers by singing, often accompanied by the darabukkeh and zummárah; and some private parties hire professional musicians to add to their diversion on the river. The festival is highly enjoyed by the crowds who attend it; though there is little that a stranger would think could minister to their amusement: they seem to require nothing more to enliven them than crowds and bustle, with a pipe and a cup of coffee. In former years, the festival was always attended by dancing girls (who are now forbidden to perform), and by singers, instrumental musicians, and reciters of romances. In the evening, before it is dark, the exhibition of fire-works commences; and this is continued, together with the firing of guns from the ’akabeh and two or more gun-boats, every quarter of an hour during the night. About twelve guns are fired on each of these occasions: the whole number fired at the night’s festival of the present year was about six hundred. The fire-works which are displayed during the night consist of little else than rockets and a few blue lights: the best are kept till morning; and exhibited in broad day-light, during the cutting of the dam. At night, the river and its banks present a remarkably picturesque scene. Numerous boats are constantly passing up and down; and the lamps upon the rigging of the ’akabeh, and in other boats, as well as on the shore, where there are also many mesh’als stuck in the ground (several upon the dam and its vicinity, and many more upon the bank of the island), have a striking effect, which is occasionally rendered more lively by the firing of the guns, and the ascent of a number of rockets. The most crowded part of the scene of the festival at night is the bank of the island; where almost every person is too happy to sleep, even if the noise of the guns, etc., did not prevent him.
Before sunrise, a great number of workmen begin to cut the dam. This labour devolves, in alternate years, upon the Muslim grave-diggers and on the Jews; both of whom are paid by the government: but when it falls to the Jews, and on a Saturday, they are under the necessity of paying a handsome sum of money to escape the sin of profaning their sabbath by doing what the government requires of them. With a kind of hoe, the dam is cut thinner and thinner, from the back (the earth being removed in baskets, and thrown upon the bank), until, at the top, it remains about a foot thick: this is accomplished by about an hour after sunrise. Shortly before this time, when dense crowds have assembled in the neighbourhood of the dam, on each bank of the Canal, the Governor of the metropolis arrives, and alights at the large tent before mentioned, by the dam: some other great officers are also present; and the Kádee attends, and writes a document to attest the fact of the river’s having risen to the height sufficient for the opening of the Canal, and of this operation having been performed; which important document is despatched with speed to Constantinople. Meanwhile, the firing of guns, and the display of the fire-works, continue; and towards the close of the operation, the best of the fire-works are exhibited; when, in the glaring sunshine, they can hardly be seen. When the dam has been cut away to the degree above mentioned, and all the great officers whose presence is required have arrived, the Governor of the metropolis throws a purse of small gold coins to the labourers. A boat, on board of which is an officer of the late Wálee, is then propelled against the narrow ridge of earth, and, breaking the slight barrier, passes through it, and descends with the cataract thus formed. The person here mentioned is an old man, named Hammoodeh, who was “sarrág báshee” of the Wálee: it was his office to walk immediately before his master when the latter took his ordinary rides, preceded by a long train of officers, through the streets and environs of the metropolis. Just as his boat approaches the dam, the Governor of Cairo throws into it a purse of gold, as a present for him. The remains of the dam are quickly washed away, by the influx of the water into the bed of the Canal; and numerous other boats enter; pass along the Canal throughout the whole length of the city, and, some of them, several miles farther; and return.
Formerly, the Sheykh el-Beled, or the Básha, with other great officers, presided at this fête, which was celebrated with much pomp; and money was thrown into the Canal, and caught by the populace; some of whom plunged into the water with nets; but several lives were generally lost in the scramble. This present year (1834), three persons were drowned on the day of the opening of the Canal; one in the Canal itself, and two in the lake of the Ezbekeeyeh. A few minutes after I had entered my house, on my return from witnessing the cutting of the dam, and the festivities of the preceding night (which I passed partly on the river, and partly on the isle of Er-Ródah), a woman, having part of her dress, and her face, which was uncovered, besmeared with mud, passed by my door, screaming for the loss of her son, who was one of the three persons drowned on this occasion. The water entered the Ezbekeeyeh by a new Canal, on the day preceding that on which the dam was cut. Crowds collected round it on this day, and will for many following days (I am writing a few days after the opening of the Canal), to enjoy the view of the large expanse of water, which, though very turbid, is refreshing to the sight in so dry and dusty a place as Cairo, and at this hot season of the year. Several tents are pitched by it, at which visitors are supplied with coffee; and one for the sale of brandy, wine, etc.; and numerous stools and benches of palm-sticks are set there. The favourite time of resort to this place is the evening; and many persons remain there for several hours after sunset: some, all night. There are generally two or three story-tellers there. At all hours of the day, and sometimes even at midnight, persons are seen bathing in the lake; chiefly men and boys, but also some young girls, and even women; the latter of whom expose their persons before the passengers and idlers on the banks in a manner surprising in a place where women in general so carefully conceal even their faces; though most of these bathers are usually covered from the waist downwards. It often happens that persons are drowned here.
On the day after the cutting of the dam, the Munádee continues to repeat his first cry; but uses a different form of expression in stating the height of the river; saying, for instance, “four from sixteen;” meaning, that the river has increased four “keeráts” (or digits) from sixteen cubits. This cry he continues until the day of the Nórooz, or a little earlier.
On the “Nórooz,” or Coptic new-year’s-day (10th or 11th of September), or two or three days before, he comes to each house in his district, with his boy dressed in his best clothes, and a drummer and a hautboy-player; repeats the same cry as on the Wefa; and again receives a present. Afterwards he continues his former cry.
On the day of the “Saleeb” (or the Discovery of the Cross), which is the 17th of the Coptic month of Toot, or 26th or 27th of September, at which period the river has risen to its greatest height, or nearly so, he comes again to each house in his district, and repeats the following cry:—“In uncertainty,[[585]] thou wilt not rest: nor in comparing[[586]] wilt thou rest. O my reproacher,[[587]] rest! There is nothing that endureth! There remaineth nothing [uncovered by the water] but the shemmám[[588]] and lemmám[[589]] and the sown fields and the anemone and safflower and flax: and may my master, such a one [naming the master of the house], live, and see that the river has increased; and give, to the bringer of good news, according to a just judgment. Aboo-Raddád[[590]] is entitled to a fee from the government; a fee of a shereefee[[591]] for every digit of the river’s increase; and we are entitled to a fee from the people of generosity; we come to take it with good behaviour. The fortunate Nile of Egypt hath taken leave of us in prosperity: in its increase, it hath irrigated all the country.”—The Munádee, on this occasion, presents a few limes, and other fruit, to the rich, or persons of middle rank, and some lumps of dry mud of the Nile, which is eaten by the women, in many families. He generally receives a present of two or three or more piasters. His occupation then ceases until the next year.
CHAPTER XXVII.
PRIVATE FESTIVITIES, ETC.
As the modern Egyptian does not become a housekeeper until he is married (and not of necessity then; for he may live with his wife in the house of his or her parents), his first marriage is generally the first event which affords him and his wife an occasion of calling together their respective friends to a private entertainment. Whenever a great entertainment is given on any occasion of rejoicing, it is customary, for the persons invited, to send presents (such as I have mentioned in describing the ceremonies attendant upon a marriage), a day or two before. The husband always has his separate party, generally in the lower apartment or apartments of the house; and the wife entertains her female relations and friends in the hareem, or upper apartments. It is also the usual custom for the wife to entertain her guests (among whom no males are ever admitted, excepting very young boys) during the six middle hours of the day; and for the husband to receive his guests afterwards; after sunset, or after the ’eshë prayers: but sometimes his guests assemble while the wife is engaged with her own party in the hareem.
On these occasions, the female singers who are called “’Awálim” (or “’A’l’mehs”) are often hired to amuse the company. They sit in one of the apartments of the hareem; generally at a window looking into the court. The wooden lattice-work of the window, though too close to allow them to be seen by persons without, is sufficiently open to let them be distinctly heard by the male guests sitting in the court or in one of the apartments which look into it. In many houses, there is a small elevated apartment, or closet, for the ’Awálim, which I have before described, adjoining the apartment in which the male guests assemble (as well as another adjoining the principal saloon of the hareem), screened in front by wooden lattice-work, to conceal these singers from the view of the men.—The dancing-girls (“Ghawázee,” or “Gházeeyehs”) are also frequently hired to attend on the occasions of private festivities. They dance (with unveiled face) before the men, in the court; so that they may be seen also by the women from the windows of the hareem: or perform in an apartment in which the men are assembled; or in the street, before the house, for the amusement only of the women. When they or the ’Awálim perform for the entertainment of a party, one of the friends of the host usually collects for them small sums of money upon the tambourine, or in a handkerchief, from the guests: but sometimes, the host will not allow this custom to be observed. The contributions are called “nukoot.” It is the general practice for the person who gives the entertainment to engage the Ghawázee for a certain sum: he receives the nukoot; which may fall short of, or exceed, the promised sum: in the former case, he pays the difference from his own purse: in the latter case, he often pockets the surplus. Or he agrees that they shall receive all the nukoot, with, or without, an additional sum from himself. In some parties, where little decorum is observed, the guests dally and sport with these dancing-girls in a very licentious manner. I have before mentioned (in a former chapter), that, on these occasions, they are usually indulged with brandy, or some other intoxicating liquor, which most of them drink to excess. It is a common custom for a man to wet, with his tongue, small gold coins, and stick them upon the forehead, cheeks, chin, and lips, of a Gházeeyeh. When money is collected for the ’Awálim, their servant, who is called “khalboos,” and who often acts the part of a buffoon, generally calls out, at each contribution, “Shóbash ’aleyk yá sáheb el-farah!” that is, “A present is due from thee, O giver of the entertainment [on a similar occasion, and in the same way],”[[592]] and adds, “Such a one has given so many ‘mahboobs,’ or ‘kheyreeyehs’”—turning a few piasters into a much larger number of gold coins of considerably greater value; or, if gold be given, exaggerating the sum in the same manner. This he does to compliment the donor, and to stimulate the generosity of others. His mistress, or another of the ’Awálim, replies, “’Okba le-’anduh!” (“May he have the like [rejoicing]!”[[593]]—or “May he have a recompense!”)—The guests are also often entertained with a concert of instrumental and vocal music, by male performers (“A′láteeyeh”), who sit in the court, or in the apartment in which the guests are assembled. Two “dikkehs” (or high wooden sofas) are often put together, front to front, in the court, and furnished with cushions, etc., to form an orchestra for the musicians; and a lantern is usually placed in the middle. The A′láteeyeh generally receive contributions from the assembly for whose entertainment they perform, like the ’Awálim; their khalboos calling out to them in the same manner after each gift.