AN ORIENTAL BATH.--EGYPTIAN WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.
The excursions to Gizeh and Sakkara had not been altogether free from
dust, and, consequently, the suggestion of an Oriental bath was not out
of place. The boys had heard of the baths of Damascus and
Constantinople, and the wonderful tales of travellers concerning them;
the Doctor said the baths of Cairo were exactly like those of the cities
mentioned, and they could satisfy their curiosity by trying one.
The guide advised them to go early in the forenoon, and accordingly they
left the hotel a little after ten o'clock. The Doctor had no fondness
for the genuine Oriental bath, and the youths made the excursion in the
company of their guide. A short walk brought them to the establishment,
which was in a gloomy-looking building, surmounted with a large central
dome and several smaller domes. Frank could not understand the
peculiarity of the bath architecture till he went inside, and found that
the principal room was lighted by the central dome, while the others
gave light to the smaller apartments. The windows were so small that the
light was quite dim, and in some places only served, as Fred expressed
it, to make the darkness visible.
The office of the bath-keeper was close to the entrance, and here the
guide paid for the admission of the youths; they had left all their
valuables at the hotel, and consequently had no use for the chest where
the watches and purses of the bathers were deposited. Near the keeper
was a cupboard, from which he took a supply of towels for the youths,
and they were then directed to the dressing, or, rather, the undressing
room, where they were assigned to couches, and exchanged their clothing
for towels. According to the custom of the establishment, one towel was
wrapped around the head and the other about the waist, and thus arrayed
our young friends were hardly to be recognized.
From the dressing-room they passed to a smaller apartment, which was
well but not uncomfortably warmed, and here they remained some minutes
in order to become accustomed to the temperature. The bathing
establishment is heated by means of fires under the floor, and in the
more modern buildings by iron pipes around the sides of the rooms. An
attendant took charge of each of the boys, and, when they were ready to
move on, conducted them to the large central room of the place.
Frank gave an amusing account of his experience in the hands of the
_tellak_, or bath attendant, who took charge of him:
"He was a strong man," said Frank, "about forty years old, and his head
was shaved as smooth as a door-knob. He wore a towel around his waist,
and carried another flung over his shoulder. He brought me a pair of
wooden clogs, which I could not easily keep on my feet, though I tried
hard to imitate the example of the people around me, and appear as
though accustomed to them all my life. They tell us that there is a
fashion about wearing these clogs, just as much as in putting on an
overcoat or a necktie, and that you are liable to be treated rudely if
you violate the custom. Perhaps they have so many foreigners in this
bath that they don't mind a little awkwardness; anyway we couldn't keep
the clogs in place, and nobody was uncivil.
[Illustration: CENTRAL ROOM OF THE BATH.]
"We stayed in the anteroom till we got a little warm, and then went into
the central one. And wasn't it hot!
"People were reclining on the marble floor, or on a platform at one
side; we were led to the platform, and our conductors made signs for us
to lie down, and as they did so they spread towels for us to recline on,
and brought small cushions for our heads. We did as they directed, and
lay there for a while looking at the water playing in a fountain in the
centre of the room, or counting the little windows in the roof. We
counted them several times over, but couldn't make them come out twice
alike.
[Illustration: THE MAN WHO DIDN'T LIKE IT.]
"Pretty soon there was something like a howl from one side of the
place, and we looked over to see what it was. An attendant was at work
on a man who appeared like a foreigner, and was evidently trying to give
him the worth of his money. Armed with a small brush, he went over the
flesh of his victim very much as a boot-black makes a first-class shine.
The stranger looked like a boiled lobster, and the expression of his
face was much as though he was about to be sent to prison for life.
"To confirm my belief that he was a foreigner, he made a remark in
English, which, of course, the attendant did not understand, but went on
scrubbing harder than ever. He seemed too weak to use his hands to stop
the performance, but finally gathered strength enough to seize the
brush, and motion to the performer that he had had enough. Then he was
taken to another part of the room and laid on a marble slab, where he
was handled more gently.
"While we were smiling at the misery of the Englishman the perspiration
was oozing out of us at every pore, in consequence of the great warmth
of the place. 'Our turn next,' Fred whispered, as our attendants began
to manipulate our limbs, to find out whether they were in a proper
condition for operating on.
"Fred was right, as our tellaks evidently considered us sufficiently
cooked for their purpose. They began by kneading us with their hands and
knuckles, and went over our bodies so vigorously that we thought they
would make holes in our flesh, though they didn't do anything of the
sort. Then they rubbed us down with brushes, and left us a few minutes;
the rubbing and kneading increased the flow of perspiration, and when
this had gone on long enough, they made us sit on little wooden frames
close to a fountain in one of the side alcoves. Then they soaped our
heads and rubbed them vigorously with their hands, and kept pouring on
water while the rubbing was progressing; they repeated the operation
twice, and then brought some fibres of palm-leaves, which they used with
soap and water for polishing our limbs, and they finished the
performance with the brush, just as they had done with the Englishman.
"The brushing was the severest part of the process, and was followed by
great quantities of water thrown over us till we were thoroughly rinsed.
The water was warm enough to be quite comfortable, and sometimes a
little too warm, but we said nothing, as we wanted to have the bath just
as it is given to others. Basin after basin of warm water was poured
over us, and finally we were wrapped in dry towels that completely
covered us, and thick towels were folded around our heads till we looked
like turbaned Turks. Then we were taken to our couches, where we rested,
and became cool enough to go out-of-doors again with safety.
[Illustration: THE BARBER.]
"Coffee was brought to us as soon as we lay down, and we found it very
refreshing. We stayed there at least half an hour before the guide
suggested that it would be safe to dress and go back to the hotel. We
felt a little weak and weary, but had the satisfaction of knowing that
we were as clean as water, soap, heat, and scrubbing could make us. A
barber tried to do up our hair, but did not succeed very well, as the
Oriental head-dressing is not exactly like our own. But he was desirous
of making himself useful, and so we let him try his skill.
[Illustration: THE BATH AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.]
"The bath of to-day is much like that of thousands of years ago, as can
be seen by the pictures on the walls of the tombs. The bath is the
favorite resort of the women, and many of them spend the whole day
there, or at least a large part of it. The baths for women are much more
numerous than those for men; many of them are set apart on different
days of the week for different religious sects, and sometimes families
or parties of friends hire the bath for themselves, so that they shall
not be disturbed by others.
"Doctor Bronson says a good deal of nonsense has been written by
travellers concerning the baths of the East. He says better and more
comfortable bathing establishments may be found in Paris, London, or New
York than in Constantinople or Cairo, and the number is increasing every
year.
"The Oriental bath is recommended for a good many things besides
cleanliness, although the latter is the great consideration. It will
cure colds and slight touches of rheumatism, is excellent for many
maladies of the skin, improves the digestion, and has often restored
invalids whom medicine had failed to benefit. Doctor Bronson has a
friend in New York who suffers occasionally from gout, and whenever he
feels it coming upon him he goes straight to a Turkish bath, and, as he
says, 'boils it out.' One should be very careful, after taking a bath,
not to go too soon into the open air, for fear of catching cold."
While on their way from the bath to the hotel the youths encountered a
procession, and naturally asked the guide what it was.
"That is a wedding," was the reply; "somebody is going to be married,
and this is part of the ceremony."
It occurred to Frank on the instant that his sister and Miss Effie might
be interested in the subject of weddings, and here would be an
opportunity to write something to please them. Accordingly, he made note
of all he saw in the procession, interrogated the guide, and even took a
peep within the pages of "The Modern Egyptians," to assure himself that
he had made no mistake. As there may be others besides Mary and Effie
who want to know the matrimonial customs of Egypt, we will make an
extract from Frank's account:
"The procession that we saw was composed of the family and friends of
the bride on their way to the bath, where they would remain several
hours. There were four musicians in front, and right behind them were
six of the married friends of the bride, walking in couples; behind
these were several young girls, and all the party had their faces
covered with long veils that reached nearly to the ground. The married
women wore robes of black material, but the girls were in striped or
white shawls, so that it was easy to know at a glance whether one of
them was married or single.
"Of course you want to know how the bride looked. She was close behind
the young girls, but I can't describe her appearance, as she walked
under a canopy of pink silk, supported on four poles, carried by as many
men. It was like a small tent, and opened in front; the other sides were
completely closed, so that our only view of the bride was just a glimpse
through the opening of the canopy. Even if we had more than a glimpse of
her, it would have done no good, as she was wrapped from head to foot in
a red cashmere shawl, and whether she was seventeen or seventy years old
we could not say. The guide said she had a pasteboard crown on her head,
and the shawl was hung over it so as to conceal her face and all the
jewellery she wore. Of course she could not see anything, and so a
couple of women were walking inside the canopy, and just behind her, to
tell her how to keep pace with the rest of the procession.
"There were a couple of musicians behind the canopy, and then came a
string of idle persons, just as we see a procession followed at home. We
watched them as long as they were in sight, and were told they would
spend several hours at the bath, where a feast had been ordered, and
possibly an entertainment by dancers and singers hired for the occasion.
Then they would go home to the house of the bride's parents, and on the
following day the bride would be carried by a similar procession to the
house of the bridegroom.
"Now we'll go back to the beginning, and see how marriages are arranged
in Egypt.
"The guide says such a thing as an 'old bachelor' in Egypt is never
heard of, as every man is expected to get married whether he wants to or
not. Matches are made here much easier than in America, as it is not at
all necessary for the parties to be acquainted, and consequently they
cannot have any objections to marrying each other. There are regular
marriage-brokers who arrange everything, and thus save a great deal of
trouble and perplexity.
"When a man wishes to marry he tells his mother, or some near female
relative; she goes directly to the relatives of any marriageable girls
she knows of, or perhaps she engages a _khatibeh_, or woman who makes a
business of negotiating marriages. The two go together to houses where
there are young girls to be married, and when they find one that suits
the mother's eye they begin talking business at once.
"They ask how much property the girl has, how old she is, and what she
can do, and then go away without any positive promise to come again. If
the young man does not like the account they bring the matter is
dropped, but if he is pleased with it he makes a present to the broker,
and sends her again to confer with the girl and her parents. Her parents
have the right to arrange the whole matter without consulting the girl,
unless she is over fifteen years of age; in the latter case she may
choose her husband for herself, but her parents have still a good deal
to say about it.
[Illustration: A KHATIBEH, OR MARRIAGE-BROKER.]
"The broker does not confine herself very closely to the truth in
dealing with either party. She will describe a girl of ordinary
appearance as the greatest beauty in the world, and will represent an
equally ordinary man as handsome, graceful, and well educated, with
plenty of money which he is ready to throw at the feet of his bride. And
all this when she does not know whether he has any money or not, and has
never seen or heard of him till the day she was engaged to find a bride.
It is the object of the broker to make a commission. Doctor Bronson says
she is not unlike some brokers he has known in New York, and other
cities of America.
"The girl must have a _wekeel_, or deputy, to arrange a marriage for
her, and to sign the contract. This office is filled by her father, if
living, or by some masculine relative or guardian; and when the
preliminaries have been arranged by the broker, the bridegroom goes with
two or three friends to meet the wekeel and sign the contract.
"The first thing is to fix the amount of the dowry of the bride, and
they spend a good deal of time haggling over it, just as they do in
every transaction where money is concerned. The wekeel demands more than
he expects to receive, and the bridegroom offers less than he expects to
give. The amount varies according to the position and property of the
parties; for those in fair circumstances it is usually a little over a
hundred dollars. It is arranged that the money shall be paid to the
bride's deputy when the marriage contract is signed, which is generally
within a couple of days.
[Illustration: PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING.]
"When the contract is finished and the money paid over, the day is
fixed--generally a couple of weeks later--for bringing the bride to the
bridegroom's house. The time is consumed in preparations for the
wedding; the amount of the dowry, and generally a great deal more, is
spent in furniture and clothing for the bride, and all these articles
are her property, and cannot be taken from her if she is divorced. The
bridegroom gives a dinner and party to his friends, and for two or three
nights before the wedding the street where he lives is hung with
lanterns, and otherwise decorated, so that everybody may know that a
wedding is about to take place.
[Illustration: A MARRIAGE PROCESSION AT NIGHT.]
"The bride goes to the bath in the procession I have described in the
first part of this letter, and afterward she is taken to the house which
is to be her home. This procession is in the night, and therefore it
carries a good many torches, and sometimes the effect is very pretty.
Meantime the man is at the mosque saying his prayers, and when he comes
home he finds his bride there with her friends.
[Illustration: UNVEILING THE BRIDE.]
"She is still closely veiled, and in nine cases out of ten the two have
never met. After a feast, which he has ordered before going to the
mosque, he is permitted to raise her veil, and has an opportunity to
look for the first time on the features of his wife. No matter how much
either of them may be disappointed in the appearance of the other, they
are expected to smile and seem happy.
"In some parts of the East the bridegroom comes to the house accompanied
by torches and music, and with a small boy walking at his side dressed
like himself, and instructed to imitate all his motions. He carries a
folded handkerchief held close to his face, and the boy does the same; a
little behind them is a girl mounted on a horse, and dressed like the
bride, and attended by two men who are supposed to be her guards. When
this procession approaches the house, the friends of the bride light
their lamps and go out a short distance to meet the procession. It is
probably from this custom that we have the passage of Scripture which
says, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.'"
While Frank was busy with his account of the wedding-party, Fred was
occupied with another and sadder procession he had seen the same day.
While walking in the Mooskee he met a funeral-party on its way to the
cemetery, near the Tombs of the Caliphs, and his curiosity led him to
ascertain some particulars concerning funerals in the East.
[Illustration: BLIND MUSICIANS AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.]
"The procession that I saw," said Fred, "was led by half a dozen blind
men, who walked slowly two and two together, and chanted the Moslem
confession of faith--'There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the
apostle of God!' Behind them came several men who were relatives of the
deceased, and then there was an open space of three or four yards.
Beyond the open space were four boys in pairs; the front pair carried a
copy of the Koran on a small frame or desk, covered with an embroidered
handkerchief, and the second pair had their hands empty.
"Then came the coffin on a bier, supported on the shoulders of four men,
and covered with a red shawl; the bearers were changed every few
minutes, and those who were relieved took their places in the group
behind the blind men. Behind the bier were several women, who frequently
shrieked as if in great grief. I was told that some of them were the
family of the dead man, and the rest were mourners who had been hired,
according to the custom of the country. From long practice in their
profession they were able to shriek louder than the real mourners.
"The funeral of a rich man is sometimes preceded by three or four camels
laden with provisions that are to be given at the tomb to any poor
people who may ask for them. Then there will be a good many people in
the procession, including men who have been invited to the funeral, and
members of several religious sects, each delegation being not less than
four. Sometimes the flags of some of the orders of dervishes will be
carried in the procession, and the line is closed by servants leading
two or three horses.
"The party generally stops at a mosque, where prayers are said, and the
first chapter of the Koran is repeated by a priest, and then it moves on
to the cemetery. The ceremony at the tomb is very brief, and consists of
a few prayers and the wailing of the hired mourners. The blind men and
boys who have accompanied the procession receive their pay as soon as
the body is laid in the ground, and then the funeral is supposed to be
ended."