Edwards, Amelia B.: A thousand miles up the Nile (New York, [1888])

2G A THOUSAND MILES UP THE NILE.

chant: "Allah! Allah! Allah!" Their heads and their
voices rose and fell in unison. The dome above gave back
a hollow echo. There was something strange and solemn
in the ceremony.

Presently, however, the trumpets brayed louder—the
voices grew hoarser—the heads bowed lower—the name of
Allah rang out faster and faster, fiercer and fiercer. The
leader, himself cool and collected, began sensibly accelerat-
ing the time of the chorus; and it became evident that the
performers were possessed by a growing frenzy. Soon the
whole circle was madly rocking to and fro; the voices rose
to a hoarse scream; and only the trumpets were audible
above the din. Now and then a dervish would spring up
convulsively some three or four feet above the heads of the
others; but for the most part they stood firmly rooted to
one spot—now bowing their heads almost to their feet—
now flinging themselves so violently back that we, stand-
ing behind, could see their faces foreshortened upside
down; and this with such incredible rapidity that their
long hair had scarcely time either to rise or fall, but
remained as if suspended in mid-air. Still the frenzy
mounted; still the pace quickened. Some shrieked—some
groaned—some, unable to support themselves any longer,
were held up in their places by the by-standors. All were
mad for the time being. Our own heads seemed to be
going round at last; and more than one of the ladies
present looked longingly toward the door. It was, in
truth, a horrible sight, and needed only darkness and torch-
light to be quite diabolical.

At length, just as the fury was at its height and the
very building seemed to be rocking to and fro above our
heads, one poor wretch staggered out of the circle and fell,
writhing and shrieking, close against our feet. At the
same moment the leader clapped his hands ; the perform-
ers, panting and exhausted, dropped into a sitting posture;
and the first zikr, as it is called, came abruptly to an end.
Some few, however, could not stop immediately, but kept
on swaying and muttering to themselves; while the one in
the fit having ceased to shriek, lay out stiff and straight,
apparently in a state of coma.

There was a murmur of relief and a simultaneous rising
among the spectators. It was announced that another
zikr, with a re-enforcement of fresh dervishes, would soon