New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-08
FROM NEW YORK TO NINEvEH.
xxx.
caIFO-AMERICANs IN EGYPT-THE EGYPTIAN
| ERNMENT-ALEXANDRIA

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Tuesday, April -, 1852
The Indian Mail and passengers passed
through Cairo the day after arrived, and as
there was no second steamer down the Nile for
week. had ample time to heal my eyes, which
were much damaged by the peusal Of letters and
papers from home,l and to see all the sights of
Cairo. which had been obliged to leave unseen,
OF my first visit. The first two OF three days of
nv stay were June-like and delicious. The
hedges and shrubbery in the great square or rath-
er park of the Ezbekiyeh were in blossom, and
all the gardens between the city and the Nile
were stepped in the fragrance Of lemon blossoms.
The few deciduous trees were clothed in a tender
green, except the acacia, which remembers its far
home in Central Africa and drops its foliage at the
same time with its brothers there. Every day its
yellow leaves ratified to the ground and its boughs
grew more bare so that when | rode down the
magnificent avenue to the palace of ShOobra
saw nothing but autumna pictures. In the En-
bekiyeh it was the flush of May while those
who visited the Pyramids rode over harvest fields,
piled with sheaves.
The excursion which shall longest remember
was to Heliopolis, about two hours distant. The
road is bordered by large fields Of young clover in
which the Cairo horses were turned loose for their
annual six weeks pastunge. The olive orchards
on either hand were just beginning to bloom the
6g-ree was putting forth her young shoots, and
the vine with the tender grape gave goOdy smell.
Itwasa plain of the freshest garden and pasture
land relieved by the grand objects which elevated
themselves above and around its charmed horizon.
Yonder, the purple Pyramids; in the south, the
mnarets Of Cairo there, the dOmes OF the tombS
of the Caliphsi and the red Arabian Mountains
stretching away toward Suez OF Heliopos,
there is nothing left but some mounds, sprnkled
with hewn stone, and single granite obelisk, ola
date anterior to the time of Joseph. On the re-
turn to Cairo, visited a garden belonging to
Coptic monastery, wherein stands a huge syca-
more tree. under which the Virgin and Child
rested, on first reaching Egypt. 1t Is probably
Thousand wears old, but that makes no difference
TO the true believers, great numbers OF whom have
taken pains to attest their faith by their names,
which they have carved deeply into the bark. But
have net the slightest doubt that if the true ta-
bles of the Law were in existence and placed
where the hands of Christian travellers could reach
them. the original inscriptions would be oblterated
in Elk months. Nothing is too sacred to escape
the vanity of the name-cutters.
Cairo was just recovering from the bewilderins
nsh of winter travel. Even the staid Onsntasm
of the older inhabitants who still look with honest
horror on the narrow -breeched Arab soldiers and
policemen was startled from its proprety by the
unprecedented Eruption of the Franks. The
number of Americans alone who reached Cairo
this year was near FIVE hundred. The lce-Con-
sui who is SyriaD, was nigh driven to
distraction by having forty-seyen impatient
Occidcntals on his hands at one time, all
wanting to leave the next day, and each
desiring to be attended to before all the
others. The hotels were crowded, dragomen
yer. at an enormous premium, and every dahabl-
veh that came down the Nile was engaged for q
second voyage before it had been tive hours at
Bouak. Indeed, | was told that domestic ser
wants and donkey-boys even, who had toierable
,mattering of any European language, were taken
.s dragomen and a good business they made OF
il. On nv way down the Nile, was RECALLED with
stories of the sums gotten from credulous Amerl-
cans and innocent Englshmen, and how this one
spent all his money and paid enormous commits
sions to Copt merchants for advancing him a few
pounds. while another sold his clothes in the
bazaar at Stout to raise sufficient to return to
Caiio. heard of an Engllshmsn who spent
nearly $4,000 for the voyage to AbOu-Simbel and
back. and another whose bill for fowls, milk and
other nscessaries by the way was 5000 Ii is no
wonder the Arabs get schooled in imposition,
when they find such easy victims. The whole
- al arHh ,cl
need not cost more than $500 for one person, or
100 for two, including the dragOman's wages.
At the time of my arrival there were emily six
Americans in Cairo, besides myself Five of them
left two DAYS ago for Suez and GAIA, and the other
mir. Harrison, of Kentucky joined me for the
tour through Syria. At the time left, there were
not dozen travellers in all the hotels. was the
sole inhsbitant of the quiet and comfortable Hotel
de PFurope. to which would recommend all per-
SONS. who love neatness, order and cvillty People
were talking of the intense heat, and dreadng the
advent of the khamSeeR, or south-wlnd, so called
because it blows fifty days | found the tempera-
ture rather cool than warm, and the khGmSeeR
which blew occasionally, filled the city with dust
but wa. mild as zephyr, compared to the FUR
nace.like blasts Of the African Desert. Gentlemen
prepared themselves for the journey across the
Desert by purchasing broad-bnmmed hats, green
wells double-ned umbrellas, and blue spectacles
These may be all very good, but have not yet
| seen the sun or felt the heat which cOnld induce
me to adopt them. would not exchange my re
collections of the fierce red Desert, blazing al
over with ntensest light, for any amount OF green
gauzy sky and blue sand. And as for an umbrella
| the desert with a continual shade around you, II
no desert at all. You must let the Sun lay I'M
scepter on your head, if you want to know hi
left Cairo with regret, as left Faebes am
the White Nile, and every other place which give
one all that he came to seek. Moreover, let
behind me nv faithful drssoman, Achnet. lie ha'
] ~. his HANG mi also an lnyal