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hand and on my left, but I had no place to flee unto, no man to 

 care for my soul!" 



Never can I forget the vociferation and exertion of the hired 

 mourners in this melancholy procession ; it had some resemblance 

 to the howl at an Irish funeral ; but so many imprecations and 

 maledictions were mingled with affectionate inquiries and pathetic 

 eulogy, that it is difficult to say whether curses or blessings most 

 predominated : nor, in their frenzy, was it easy to distinguish 

 whether the execrations were entirely applied to the murderers, or 

 the innocent cause of the disaster. Their whole behaviour realized 

 Irwin's account of a similar procession at Cosire in Upper Egypt, 

 in consequence of a merchant, named Mohummed, being murdered 

 in the desert between Ghinnah and Cosire ; when a mournful 

 train of females passed through the principal streets, uttering the 

 most dismal cries. " One of them carried a naked sword in her 

 hand, to imitate the weapon by which the deceased fell ; they 

 stopped at sundry places, and danced around the sword, to the mu- 

 sic of timbrels and tabors. They paused a long time before the 

 house inhabited by Mr. Irwin and the English gentlemen, and 

 some of the women made threatening signs to their servants, which 

 agreed with the caution the gentlemen had received to keep within 

 doors. It would indeed have been dangerous to have faced this 

 frantic company, whose clamours and extravagant gestures gave 

 them all the appearance of the female bacchanals of Thrace, re- 

 corded of old. This scene continued for seven days, during which 

 interval the female relations of the deceased made a tour through, 

 the town, morning and night, beating their breasts, throwing ashes 

 on their heads, and displaying every artificial token of sorrow." 



