400 



MODERN EGYPT. 



first burst of joy, they make a procession through the streets, the 

 women all veiled, and a person mounted on a horse richly caparisoned 

 as before, carrying a red banner-like handkerchief fixed to the end of 

 a long pole. They then return to the bridal house, and pass the re- 

 mainder of the day and part of the night in feasting and carousing, 

 entertaining themselves with seeing dancing girls, and listening to 

 singing men, who are placed in an outer apartment or balcony. I was 

 allowed to be present at one of these marriages, but I did not see the 

 bride. Cakes, sweetmeats, coffee, and sherbet were distributed, and 

 wine for the Nazarani (myself). 



These and similar feasts are called Fantasias ; at some which I have 

 attended the women were unveiled; but they were not females of good 

 character. At Alexandria there were very few dancing girls, but I 

 have seen a young man habited as a women perform all the part of 

 a dancing girl. He appeared to be drunk ; yet displayed many 

 surprising feats of agility. At one of these entertainments, I heard 

 some Arabic songs, sung by singing men, and accompanied with 

 music. The musicians were Jews ; but the singers were Arabs. 



An Egyptian coffee-house is a large open building, with a few 

 tables and seats within it, generally surrounded by a viranda of rude 

 workmanship, under which the idle and lazy, particularly the Turks, 

 are fond of sitting, smoking and drinking coffee. For this, two or 

 three paras only are paid. In these places we have frequently seen 

 two men playing at a game which consists in removing some small 

 shells, like cowries, from one semicircular hole to another, on a 

 square piece of board, counting the shells, as they remove them. 

 This game appeared to be one of great interest ; they have also one 

 nearly resembling backgammon. The higher orders of Turks and 

 Arabs are fond of chess ; but this class is seldom seen loitering in the 

 coffee-houses. 



The Egyptian Arabs are punctual in the performance of their reli- 

 gious ceremonies at the stated hours appointed by their prophet. 

 We often beheld some of these poor men after a day's hard work for 

 a miserable pittance, on their knees on the sea shore, or at a seques- 



