The women bring up the rear, some on
asses, some on loot. The first row is
formed of weepers, or rather screamers,
who send forth toward heaven at each
step the shrillest tones. The weepers
hold in their hand a handkerchief, with
which they are not solicitous of wiping
their ey es perfectly dry, but which they
pull by two edges behind their head with
a gßsturethat wouldjbe desperate if it was
not droll. On the arrival at the cemetery
they take the dead body from the bier to
cast it, just as it is, into the grave. The
grand funerals, however, take place with
much more solemnity. An important
personage is hardly dead in Egypt before
his acquaintances hurry to the house.
During one or two days they eat and
drink at the expense of the dead, or
rather his heirs, indulging in the noisiest
demonstrations. When the hour of the
interment arrives a scene of the wildest
character is produced. The slaves and
women of the household throw themselves
on the corpse and feign a determination
to hinder it from passing the threshold.
The lugubrious tregedy is played con
scientiously; they snatch away the coffin;
they delay each other with blows, and the
most violent and frightful clamor is heard.
At last the procession leaves the house
and repairs to the cemetery, preceded by
camels loaded with victuals, which are
distributed to the poor, hurrying in crowds
along the road. All along the road the
mourners and friendsof the family fight
for the honor of carry ing the bier for a
moment, and thus it passes or bounds
from hand to hand, amid the most fright
ful disorder. The intermentjended, every
one returns to the house of the dead to
recommence festivities.
An Arabian Game of Marbles.
