He ambles rather hastily over the human pavement, and toward the end he gives a jump that would break into a gallop were he not restrained by the man at his bridle. The fellows forming the pavement rise up the instant the horse passes over them, and join the crowd which presses from behind, with an irregular shout of “Allah! Allah!” and this is the ceremony of the dosch.
The Moslems insist that no harm comes to any one from the tread of the horse, as the dervishes are protected by the direct interposition of Providence. Each person receives at least two treads from the horse’s feet, and in addition he has the gentle footsteps of the two men leading the horse. One of these worthies walks on the heads and the other on the feet of the prostrate forms, and they endeavor to give everybody a show. They take short steps so that nobody shall be missed, and between them and the horse, the corduroy performers ought to be satisfied. Whether from motives of delicacy or out of regard for the animate soil on which they tread, these grooms walk barefooted, and carry their shoes in their hand. It is also worthy of remark that the horse ridden by the Sheik is of medium size, and wears no shoes, and the Sheik is always a small man. In having a miracle wrought before the eyes of the people, the Moslem priests are careful to make the conditions as easy as possible. They might select a horse of the largest size, have him freshly and sharply shod and ridden by a Sheik whose weight would entitle him to the Presidency of the Fat Men’s Association. But they know what they are about, and do nothing of the sort.
I have talked with Moslems and other residents of Cairo about the dosch. The former insist that the prostrate men are saved by a miracle, while the latter believe that more or less harm comes every year to the performers, and is concealed by the rush of the crowd from behind. Any cry of pain that may be uttered is completely drowned by the shouts of the crowd; the horse steps on that portion of the body which is very useful in occupying a chair, and can sometimes be kicked with impunity, and it is possible that his feet have no lasting impression.
At any rate not a shriek is heard, and no one is ever known by the public to have been injured. The dead and wounded, if any, are dragged away and kept out of sight, and so great is Eastern stoicism, that not one of those trampled on will venture to give utterance to his pain, as by so doing he would lose the protection of Allah; and be denied admission within the gates of Paradise!
When the Nile has reached a certain height during the period of the inundation, there is a ceremony of cutting the embankment and allowing the water to spread over the land. This was formerly an affair of great consequence; its origin is unknown, as the custom existed in the time of the Pharaohs, and among the earlier dynasties. The place selected is at the opening of the canal, a short distance from old Cairo, and formerly nearly half the population turned out to see the performance. At the appointed hour the Governor of Cairo, or a deputy of the Pasha, makes his appearance, accompanied by a gorgeous retinue of officers, and preceded by a band of music. When all is ready half a dozen men rush forward and open the embankment with hoes and spades, and instantly the water rushes in and fills the bed of the canal. The governor then throws a handful of money into the canal, and this is scrambled for by a crowd of boys, who stand ready for it.
Tradition says that formerly a virgin was thrown into the water and sacrificed to the river god, but the custom no longer prevails, at least, in its original form. A pillar of earth is built up just below the opening, and dressed in white, and this is supposed to represent the Bride of the Nile. Sometimes a doll is thrown into the water, as a substitute for the living girl formerly sacrificed; whether the River God is satisfied with this offering, I am unable to say, but as the fertility of the Nile Valley is the same from year to year, it is fair to presume that the sacrifice by proxy does not displease him.
There are several other ceremonies at Cairo, but they are steadily declining in importance as year after year rolls on. The government is becoming more and more practical, with each succeeding change of seasons, and as the government goes the people follow. Cairo was once a stronghold of Islam; to-day it has ceased to be a reliance of the Moslem power, and probably the end of the century will see it far more Christian than Mohammedan in character. It has ceased to be a center of fanaticism, and a Christian may now walk through all its streets without fear of insult on account of his religion.