MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. The hot baths ufed over all Egypt, and the manner of bathing defcribed; with obfervations on the benefits arifing from them; on the practice of the women who bathe once or twice a week; and comparifons between these baths and those of the ancient Greeks. From Monf. Savary's Letters on Egypt. "T Grand Cairo. HE hot baths, known in the remotest ages, and celebrated by Homer, who paints the manners of his times, have here preferved all their allurements and falubrity; neceffity has rendered them common in a country where perfpiration is abundant; and pleafure has preferved the practice. Mahomet, who knew their utility, has made the ufe of them a religious precept. They have been fuperficially defcribed by most travellers; but as the habit I am in of frequenting them has given me leifure to examine them attentively, I fhall endeavour to be more particular and fatisfactory *. The first apartment at entér ing the bath is a great chamber, in the form of a rotunda, with an open roof, to let the pure air circulate freely. A spacious alcove carpeted is carried round, and divided into compartments, in which the bathers leave their clothes. In the centre is a fountain, which plays into a reservoir, and has a pleafing effect. When undreffed a napkin is tied round the middle; fandals are put on, and a narrow paffage is entered, where the heat firft begins to be felt; the door fhuts, and twenty paces further a second opens, which is the entrance to a paffage at right angles with the firft. Here the heat augments, and those who fear to expofe themselves too fuddenly to its effects ftop fome time in a marble hall before they enter. The bath itself is a spacious vaulted chamber, paved and lined with marble; befide it are four small rooms: a vapour continually rifes from a fountain and ciftern of hot water, with which the burnt perfumes mingle t. The bathers are not, as in France, I have feen the baths of the principal cities of Egypt; they are all made on the fame plan, feldom differing, except in fize; thus an exact description of one will include the others. + Perfumes are only burnt when it is the defire of the perfons bathing. By mingling with the vapour they produce a most agreeable effect. imprisoned imprisoned in a kind of tub, where the body cannot reft at its eafe; but, reclining on a fpread fheet, and the head fupported on a fmall pillow, they freely take what pofture they please, while clouds of odoriferous vapours envelope and penetrate every pore. Having repofed thus fome time, a gentle moisture diffuses itself over the body; a fervant comes, gently preffes and turns the bather, and when the limbs are flexible, makes the joints crack without trouble; then maes*, and feems to knead the body without giving the flighteft fenfation of pain. This done he puts on a stuff glove and continues rubbing long, and freeing the skin of the patient, which is quite wet, from every kind of fcaly obftruction, and all imperceptible particles that clog the pores, till it becomes as fmooth as fatin; he then conducts the bather into a cabinet, pours a lather of perfumed foap on the head, and retires. The ancients honoured their guests ftill more, and treated them after a more voluptuous manner. While Telemachus was at the court of Neftor †, "the beauteous Poly * cafte, youngest of the daughters of the king of Pylos, led the fon of Ulyffes to the bath, washed him with her own hands, and, having rubbed his body with precious ointments, clothed him in rich garments and a fhining mantle." Nor were Pififtratus and Telemachus worfe treated in the palace of Menelaus‡, the beauties of which having admired," they were conducted to marble basons, in which the bath was prepared, where beauteous flaves washed them, rubbed them with odorous oils, and clothed them in fine garments, and magnificent furred robes §.” The room into which the bather retires has two water cocks, one for cold, the other for hot water; and he washes himself. The attendant prefently returns with a depilatory pomatum, which inftantly eradicates hair wherever applied. It is in general ufe both with men and women in Egypt. Being well washed and purified, the bather is wrapped up in hotlinen, and follows his guide through various windings which lead to the outward apartment, while this infenfible tranfition from heat to cold prevents all inconvenience. Be Maffer comes from the Arabic verb masses, which fignifies to touch lightly. † Odyffey, Book III. Odyffey, Book IV. § I tranflate the words xhaivas unas (fhaggy mantles) furred robes, though I am fenfible no tranflator has fo rendered them, because it seems to me the poet intended to defcribe a custom which still remains in the Eaft, of covering the bather with furred garments when he leaves the hot bath, to prevent a stoppage of perspiration, at a time when the pores are exceedingly open. Made from a mineral called rufma, of a dark brown colour. The Egyptians give it a flight burning, then add an equal quantity of flack lime, and knead them up with water. This grey pafte will make the hair fall off in three minutes, without giving the slightest pain. ¶Delicate people stop fome time in the chamber next the bath, that they may feel no inconvenience by going too fuddenly into the air. The pores being exceedingly open, they keep themselves warm all day, and in winter stay within doors. ing come to the alcove, a bed is ready prepared, on which the perfon no fooner lies down than a boy comes, and begins to prefs with his delicate hands all parts of the body, in order to dry them perfectly: the linen is once more changed, and the boy gently rubs the callous fkin of the feet with pumice-ftone, then brings a pipe and Moka coffee*. Coming from a bath filled with hot vapour, in which exceffive perfpiration bedewed every limb, into a fpacious apartment and the open open air, the lungs expand and refpire pleasure well kneaded, and as it were regenerated, the blood circulates freely, the body feels a voluptuous eafe, a flexibility till then unknown, a lightness as if relieved from fome enormous weight, and the man almost fancies himfelf newly born, and beginning firft to live. A glowing confcioufnefs of existence diffufes itself to the very extremities; and, while thus yielding to the most delightful fenfations, ideas of the most pleafing kind pervade and fill the foul; the imagination wanders through worlds which itself embellishes, every where drawing pictures of happiness and delight. If life be only a fucceffion of ideas, the vigour, the rapidity, with which the memory then re-traces all the knowledge of the man, would lead us to believe that the two hours of delicious calm which fucceed bathing are an age. Such, Sir, are thefe baths, the ufe of which was fo ftrongly recommended by the ancients, and the pleafures of which the Egyptians ftill enjoy. Here they prevent or exterminate rheumatisms, catarrhs, and those diseases of the fkin which the want of perfpiration occafions. Here they find a radical cure for that fatal difeafe which attacks the powers of generation, and the remedies for which are fo dangerous in Europe +. Here they rid themselves of those uncomfortable sensations so common among other nations, who have not the fame regard to cleanlinefs. The women are paffionately fond of these baths, whither they go at leaft once a week, taking with them flaves accustomed to the office. More fenfual than men, after the ufual procefs they wash the body, and particularly the head, with rofewater. There their attendants braid their long black hair, with which, inftead of powder and pomatum, they mingle precious effences.There they blacken the rim of the eye-lid, arch the brows with cobel‡, and ftain the nails of their hands and feet of a golden yellow with henna ||. Their linen and their The whole expence of bathing thus to me was half a crown; but the common people go fimply to perfpire in the bath, wash themselves, and give three half-pence or two-pence at departing. Tournefort, who had taken the vapour bath at Conftantinople, where they are much lefs careful than at Grand Cairo, thinks they injure the lungs; but longer experience would have convinced him of his error. There are no people who practife.this bathing more than the Egyptians, nor any to whom fuch dif eafes are lefs known. They are almoft wholly unacquainted with pulmonic complaints. Tin, burnt with gall-nuts, which the Turkish women ufe to blacken and arch the eye-brows. A fhrub common in Egypt, which bears fome resemblance to the privet. The leaves chopped and applied to the skin, give it a bright yellow colour. robes robes having been past through the fweet vapour of aloes wood, and their dreffing ended, they remain in the outward apartment, and pafs the day in feafting, while finging girls come and dance, and fing foothing airs, or recount amorous adventures. The days of bathing are feftive days among the Egyptian women; they deck themselves magnificently, and under the long veil and mantle which hide them from the public eye wear the richest tuffs. They undress themfelves in prefence of each other, and their vanity extends to their very drawers, which in winter are made of ftuffs inwove with filk and gold, and in fummer of worked muflin. Ruffles and lace are unknown to them, but their shifts are made of cotton and filk, as light and tranfparent as gauze. Rich fathes of Cafimire bind up their floating robes, and two crefcents of fine pearls fparkle amidst the black hair that fhades their temples, while diamonds enrich the Indian handkerchief with which they bind their brows. Such are the Georgians and Circaffians, whom the Turks purchase for their wives. They are neat to excefs, and walk in an atmosphere of perfumes; and, though their luxury is hidden from the public, it furpaffes that of the European women in their own houfes. *The wool of Caffimire is the finest in the world, furpaffing filk itself. The fafhes made from it cost about five-and-twenty pounds each; they are usually embroidered at both ends, and though three French ells long, and one wide, may be drawn through a ring. The quantity in Arabic and Latin verfes is the fame, to which the former adds the various measure and rhyme of the French. Thefe advantages cannot unite, except when a language is well fixed. Elegiac fongs, which bewail the death of a hero, or the difafters of love. Abulfeda tales, they are prefent at all feftivals, and are the chief ornament of banquets. They place them in a raised orchestra or pulpit, where they fing during the feaft, after which they descend and form dances, which no way refemble ours. They are pantomimes that represent the common incidents of life. Love is their ufual fubject. The fuppleness of these dancers bodies is inconceivable, and the flexibility of their features, which take impreffions characteristic of the parts they play at will, aftonishing. The indecency of their attitudes is often exceffive; each look, each gefture fpeaks, and in a manner fo forcible as not poffibly to be misunderstood. They throw afide modefty with their veils. When they begin to dance a long and very light filk robe floats on the ground, negligently girded by a fash; long black hair, perfumed, and in treffes, defcends over their fhoulders; the shift, transparent as gauze, fcarcely conceals the fkin: as the action proceeds, the various forms and contours the body can affume feem progreffive; the found of the flute, the caftanets, the tambour de bafque, and cymbals, regulate, increase, or flacken their steps. Words, adapted to fuch like fcenes, inflame them more, till they appear intoxicated, and become frantic bacchantes. Forgetting all referve, they then wholly abandon themselves to the diforder of their fenfes, while an indelicate people, who with nothing fhould be left to the imagination, redouble their applaufe. Thefe Almai are admitted into all harems; they teach the women the new airs, recount amorous tales, and recite poems in their presence, which are interefting by being pictures of their own manners. They learn them the myfteries of their art, and inftruct them in lafcivious dances. The minds of thefe women are cultivated, their conversation agreeable, they fpeak their language with purity, and, habitually addicting themselves to poetry, learn the moft winning and fonorous modes of expreffion. Their recital is very graceful; when they fing, nature is their only guide: fome of the airs I have heard from them were gay, and in a light and lively measure, like fome of ours; but their excellence is most seen in the pathetic. When they rehearse a moal, in the manner of the ancient tragic ballad, by dwelling upon affecting and plaintive tones, Abulfeda has preferved the conclufion of a moal, fung by Ommia over the cavity in which his kinfmen had been thrown after the defeat of Beder. Have I yet not wept enough over the noble fons of the princes of Mecca ? I beheld their broken bones, and, like the turtle in the deep recefs of the foreft, filled the air with my lamentations. Proftrate on earth, unfortunate mothers, mingle your fighs with my tears. And ye, who follow their obfequies, fing dirges, ye wives, interrupted by your groans. What happened to the princes of the people at Beder, the chiefs of tribes ? These defolate plains, these wildernesses, seem to partake my grief. they |