E G Y P T. 
willing to let go. As Toon as the fnake was removed, 
lie remained as if ftupid ; but the chief approached him, 
muttered fome words to-him, retook from him the fpirit 
by afpii'ation, and he returned to his former qniefcent 
(late. Now', however, he that had feized the fnake be¬ 
ginning to be tormented with the fame ardour to con- 
lu inmate the my fiery, came up to the chief-pried to de¬ 
mand the fpirit; and as he,was flrongerand more aftive 
than the fir If, his cries and convuliions were dill more 
violent and ridiculous. 
In fpeaking of this antique Egyptian fe£t, Mr, Bruce 
obferves as follows: “ Notwithstanding that the incan¬ 
tation of ferpents has been- generally treated as a fable, 
there is certainly no doubt of its reality. Even the fcrip- 
tures are full of it. All who have been in Egypt have' 
•feen as many different indances as they chofe. Some 
have doubted that it was a trick ; and that the animals 
thus handled had been fird trained, 'and then deprived of 
their power of hurting; and, fond of the difeovery, they 
have refted themfelves upon it, without experiment, in 
the face of all antiquity. But I will not hedtate to aver, 
that I have feen at Cairo (and this may be feen daily 
without any trouble or ex pence) a man who came from 
the catacombs, where the pits of the mummy-birds are 
kept, who has taken a cerades with his naked hand from 
a number of others lying at the bottom of a tub, has put 
it upon his bare head, covered it with the common red 
cap he wears, then taken it out, put it in his bread, and 
tied it about his neck like a necklace; after which it 
has been applied to a hen, and»bit it, which died in a 
few minutes ; and, to complete the experiment, the man 
has taken it by the neck, and beginning at his tail, has 
eaten it as one would do a carrot, without any Teeming re¬ 
pugnance.” (See a correct figure of the cerades, vol. iv. 
P- 799 -) 
M. Savary alfo tells us, that he faw at the fead of Sidi 
Ibrahim, a troop of people, feemingly podelled, with 
naked arms and a fierce look, holding in their hands 
enormous ferpents, which twined round their body, and 
endeavoured to efcape. Tliefe Pfylli, grafping them 
firongly by the neck, avoided the bite ; and, notwith¬ 
standing their hiding, tore them with their teeth, and ate 
them alive, while the blood dreamed from their mouth.” 
A further defeription of the feats of thefe people is like- 
wife given by Haflelquid : “ They take the mod poi- 
fonous' vipers with their bare hands, play with them, 
put them in their bofoms, and ufe a great many more tricks 
with them, as I have often feen. I have frequently feen 
them handle thofe that were three or four feet long, and 
of the mod horrid fort. The power of doing this is not 
pofleded by the Arabs, Turks, or any other fe£t in Egypt. 
I enquired and examined whether they had cut out the 
vipers poifonous teeth ; but I have with my own eyes 
feen they do not. We may therefore conclude, that the 
art they ufe is not known. Some people are very fuper- 
ditious, and the generality believe this to be done by 
fome fupernatural means which they obtain from invifi- 
ble beings. It is, however, worthy the endeavours of 
ail riaturalids, and the attention of every traveller, to 
learn fomething decifive as to this affair. - How ancient 
this art is among the Africans, may be concluded from 
the ancient Marii and Pfylli, who were from Africa, and 
daily fhewed proofs of it at Rome. It is very remark¬ 
able that this artifice fiiould have been kept a fecret for 
more than two thoul'and years, when we have feen how 
many other fecrets have within that time been reveal¬ 
ed.” The fnakemen of Hindoodan are probably derived 
from this fame fe£t. 
The fupremacy of Egypt being in the hands of the 
Turks and mamalukes, the Mahomedan faith is in con- 
fequence the edablifhed religion of the country ; though 
all perfuafions are now freely tolerated. From hence it 
alfo follows, that the Turks, who are numerous, and the 
mamalukes, are.cdnfidered as the principal people. The 
Turks in Egypt are modly of dignified manners; and 
379 
though their complexion is fwnrthy, yet the folemnity 
of their gait, and ledatenefs of their chara&er, rather in- 
fpire awe, and command refpedl. 
The mamalukes, being now feleffed from all countries 
where fine young men can be obtained, form an intereft- 
ing variety of different complexions and countenances ; 
yet the principal part being dill Georgians and Circaffmns, 
and all trained for the army, and elegantly attired, they 
are of courfe the faired and handfemed men in Egypt. 
After having ferved their chiefs or maders with fidelity, 
they are made free ; and as their profperity or means oc¬ 
cur, they have then a right to purchafe (laves for them¬ 
felves. A mamaluke, while a flave, is not permitted to 
wear a beard ; the whifker being always an indifputable 
proof of their freedom. The revenues of the twenty- 
four beys or chiefs of the mamalukes, confid in thofe 
fertile dillricls which were originally allotted to them by 
Solyman the Legiflator, and in the immenfe extorfions 
and fines they are prone to exaft from the bulk of the 
inhabitants ; and from whicli there is no appeal. No 
one can ever be made a chief or a bey, who has not pre- 
vioufiy been a flave. The general character of the ms. 
•malukes is, that they are brave and generous, though 
fometimes cruel and revengeful : but they are moll abo¬ 
minably addicted to the detedable crime againd nature, 
which is extremely prevalent in all parts of the Turkifh 
dominions. The arms,and accoutrements of the mama¬ 
lukes are as follow : a cafe or quiver containing three 
javelins, which file mamalukes generally throw before 
they come to the fabre, which is their favourite weapon. e 
They are very dexterous at throwing the lance ; and they 
have young attendant mamalukes, called pietons, to -carry 
part of their arms, who follow on foot, and run up anting 
the combatants, pick up the javelin when the ftroke has 
miffed, and bring it back to their maders. The point of 
this weapon is of hammered iron, the lbaft of wood, and 
the ornaments in diver, of modern workmanlhip, done in 
a gopd fade, and wrought at Cairo. The cafe is covered 
with velvet. They have a buckler of rhinoceros’ leather, 
fabre-proof, and of exquiflte workmanlhip ; from the var- 
nifli which covers the leather, and the gilding of the or¬ 
naments, it has a very rich effect. Anotiier piece ot de~ 
fenfive armour is an arm-piece, worn on their left arm, 
with which they hold the horle’s bridle; the right is 
only protected by a glove of buffalo bide, in the form of 
thofe of our dragoons. Under their belt they carry a 
battle-axe pf iron, damafleed with gold, bearing a Perfian 
infeription, which (hews the country in which it is 
wrought. The handle, made of filver and leather, is 
of Cairo manufacture. They have fometimes a whale¬ 
bone bow of perfect workmanlhip ; with very long (harp 
arrows; the cord of the bow is a bundle of untwided 
filk, which has more drength than the thicked and bed 
tvvided gut. When the bow is ufed, they have a hand- 
piece with a groove, along which the arrow runs ; it fits 
the wrid that holds the bow, and ferves to diredl tire 
arrow at the moment of its departure from the bow. 
They wear a fabre by the fide, and a dirk in the belt, 
tire hilts and fcabbards of which are richly ornamented. 
Under the girdle are alfo a pair of large pidols fuperbly 
mounted ; and fome parties of theVn are armed with ji 
fufil or fiielock, like the Bedouin Arabs. The annexed 
engraving f$Tii bits the codume of the mamalukes; who, 
if once brought under European difeipline, would doubt- 
lefs become the moll invincible cavalry in the world. 
The following particulars of the initiation of the young 
mamalukes, are given by Browne. “ The name, from 
vialek , to poffefs, implies merely a perfon who is the pro¬ 
perty of another. None are chofen but fuch as are dif- 
tinguiflied by the grace and manlinefs of their perfons. 
After .having been properly educated as a pietoti, or at¬ 
tendant on foot, the young mamaluke receives a prefent 
of a horfe and arms from his mailer; together with a fuit 
of accoutrements, which is renewed every year. The 
generality of ’their makers, and rewards or extortions 
from 
