PYRAMIDS OF SACCARA. 215 
out in our djermy upon an excursion to the Pyra- chap. 
mids of Saccdra, accompanied by Mr. Hammer . ^\ . 
and Dr. Whittman\ We arrived, about ten y^y^g^t" 
Saccara. 
o'clock, in the village of Sheik Jttman ; and were 
much gratified, upon our landing, by a fine moon- 
light scene, in which two beautiful Arab girls Noctumai 
were performing a dance called Rack, beneath or^TJiTab 
a grove of palm-trees, to the music of a tambour, ^"^^^^^^ 
and a pipe made of two reeds which the Arabs 
call Zumana. A party of Arabs was seated in a 
circle round them, as spectators. The rest of 
the inhabitants were sleeping, either in the open 
air beneath the trees, or collected in tents, pell- 
mell, among asses, mules, and dogs. Some of 
their children were running up and down the 
palm-trees, as if these had been so many 
ladders, to gather bunches of ripe dates for 
the circle round the dancers. The broad sur- 
face of the Nile reflected the moon s image, and 
conduced to the perfection of this most beau- 
tiful spectacle. The Arabs suffered us to walk 
among them, without being interrupted in their 
amusement or their repose. Some of them 
brought us fruit, and offered other refresh- 
ments. The women were all prostitutes, and 
(1) This genUeman has since published an Account of his Travels 
in Turkey. 
