6 ® TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
ftreets. Among (1 thefe were fome Scheiks who 
carried enfigns. Then came the corpfe laid in a 
miferable coffin without a lid, covered with a piece 
of coarfe linnen. After which followed a pretty 
large number of women, all veil’d with their cufto- 
mary black garments. Some men carrying enfigns 
and walking in ranks clofed the proceffion. All the 
men cried with a loud voice, and called to God in 
behalf of the deceafed and themfelves, which occa- 
fioned a terrible and difagreeable noife ; but the 
women made the fame noife I heard when they in- 
vited to a banquet. It is fingular enough that they 
fhould not rather fing mournful tunes : I afked the 
reafon, and was anfwered, they imagined that joy 
agreed better than fadnefs when a righteous man 
died, at whofe happy ftate every body ought to be 
well pleafed. At other burials in Cairo 1 faw wo- 
men lamenting. It was extremely odd to fee how 
anxious every one was td touch the corpfe. It was 
with much trouble the bearers advanced, on ac- 
count of the number of people that thronged upon 
them to enjoy this benefit. After they had touched 
the corpfe, they raifed their hands to their fore- 
head, at the fame time lifting up their eyes very de- 
voutly, The proceffion went through the ftreet 
where the French have their houfe, as the deceafed 
was to be carried to a Mofque at the end of the 
ftreet. This was very difagreeable to the Mufel- 
men who attended, on account of the Chriftians be- 
holding their devotion; and for every bleffing they 
bellowed upon the dead, they uttered a curfe agair.ft 
the enemies of their faith. Conjurers are com- 
mon in Egypt. They are peafants from the coun- 
try, who come to Cairo to earn money this way, 
I faw one the 24 th, who was expert enough, and 
in dexterity equalled thofe we have in Europe; 
bxx% 
