12 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



those wandering dervishes, wild - looking men, who, 

 with hoards uncombed, deerskins on their backs, and 

 calabashes slung across their shoulders, and with 

 large strings of beads hung around their necks and 

 waists, implored us, with outstretched palms, for 

 charity, at the same time that they deafened us Avith 

 their dismal howls of " La illaha illallah ! " At the 

 sight of our small silver pieces they invoked thou- 

 sands of blessings on our heads, and that with the 

 full power of their lungs ; but from the evil gleam of 

 their bloodshot eyes, it was evident that they often, 

 at the same time, silently prayed that the infidels 

 might be roasted in eternal fires. For many of these 

 dervishes hold themselves out to be the most des- 

 perate of fanatics, hoping thereby to gain the sym- 

 pathy of the pilgrims, who are mostly of a bigoted 

 class. One of the favourite chants with which they 

 entertain the passers-by, is the one in which they 

 sing that the true believer's road to heaven and 

 houris must be washed with the blood of kafirs 

 (infidels). 



Though early in the summer, the corn throughout 

 the valley had a golden-yellow tinge, and the noon- 

 day sun, with its already powerful rays, was withering 

 the roses and ripening the fruit in the garden which 

 had been allotted to us by the authorities as our place 

 of abode during our stay. We revelled in a pro- 

 fusion of peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums of 

 various sorts, and figs of most exquisite flavour ; 



