DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0308
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
291
ceded by a body of Turkish officers to clear the
way ; then came the priests, wearing their richest
dresses, their mitres and caps richly ornamented
with precious stones, and carrying aloft sacred
banners, and one of them sprinkling holy water.
Wherever he came the rush was terrible; the
Greeks became excited to a sort of phrensy in their
eagerness to catch a drop ; and one strapping fel-
low, bursting through the rear ranks, thrust his
face over my shoulder, and bawled out, " Papa,
papa," in such an agonizing voice, that the " papa"
aimed at him a copious discharge, of which my face
received the principal benefit. When the largest
banner came round, the struggle to touch it with
the palm-branches was inconceivable. A Turkish
officer had, until this time, covered me with his
body, and by dint of shouting, kicking, and striking
furiously about him, saved me till the procession
passed by ; but after this the rush became dread-
ful. I could feel my ribs yielding under the pres-
sure, and was really alarmed when a sudden and
mighty surge of the struggling mass hurried me
into the stock in trade of a merchant of dates and
oranges. Instead of picking up his goods, the fel-
low grappled at me ; but I got out of his clutches as
well as I could ; andr setting up for myself, kicked,
thumped, and scuffled until I made my way to the
door—and that was my last visit to the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre.
I had regretted that I could not stay for the
great Greek jugglery, the drawing down fire from
291
ceded by a body of Turkish officers to clear the
way ; then came the priests, wearing their richest
dresses, their mitres and caps richly ornamented
with precious stones, and carrying aloft sacred
banners, and one of them sprinkling holy water.
Wherever he came the rush was terrible; the
Greeks became excited to a sort of phrensy in their
eagerness to catch a drop ; and one strapping fel-
low, bursting through the rear ranks, thrust his
face over my shoulder, and bawled out, " Papa,
papa," in such an agonizing voice, that the " papa"
aimed at him a copious discharge, of which my face
received the principal benefit. When the largest
banner came round, the struggle to touch it with
the palm-branches was inconceivable. A Turkish
officer had, until this time, covered me with his
body, and by dint of shouting, kicking, and striking
furiously about him, saved me till the procession
passed by ; but after this the rush became dread-
ful. I could feel my ribs yielding under the pres-
sure, and was really alarmed when a sudden and
mighty surge of the struggling mass hurried me
into the stock in trade of a merchant of dates and
oranges. Instead of picking up his goods, the fel-
low grappled at me ; but I got out of his clutches as
well as I could ; andr setting up for myself, kicked,
thumped, and scuffled until I made my way to the
door—and that was my last visit to the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre.
I had regretted that I could not stay for the
great Greek jugglery, the drawing down fire from