"When we entered their mosque we removed our shoes, or rather exchanged them for the slippers we had brought along, as we knew beforehand that we would need them. The building was circular, with a railed space in the centre; outside of the rail the floor was covered with matting, but inside it was polished like the floor of a dancing-hall. "Some of the dervishes were already seated in the ring when we entered, and others came in soon after. When all was ready the sheik or chief of the party rose and stood in the centre of the floor; the others bowed to him one after another, and then stood near the railing, with their arms folded and their heads bent slightly forward. All were barefoot, having left their shoes at the door. "Half a dozen dervishes were in a little balcony overlooking the floor, and when the chief gave the signal that all was ready three of them began to play upon flutes, such as we have already described, and three upon tambourines. Then the dervishes on the floor began to whirl; the music, at first slow, soon quickened, and the dancers or whirlers quickened their movements with it. "Before getting into motion each man extended his arms, holding the palm of the right hand upward while he turned down that of the left. We asked the reason of this peculiar position of the hands, but the guide could not tell us. He simply said that they always did so, and he did not know why. [Illustration: PERFORMANCE OF THE WHIRLING DERVISHES.] "As they whirled, their skirts spread out so that they resembled wheels, or rather cones four or five feet in diameter. They kept their hands always in the same position, and as they whirled they moved slowly around the floor; it was a wonder that they didn't run against each other, but they didn't. The music went on, and so did the dancers, and they kept up their whirl for half an hour or more. We looked for some of them to fall down; but they were accustomed to this kind of work, and wouldn't oblige us. Nobody fell; and finally, at a signal from their sheik, one after another stopped, made a low bow to him, and retired to the edge of the circle. We had seen enough, and so came away. [Illustration: A WHIRLER IN FULL ACTION.]