Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-04
Miscellaneous
MODERN EGYPT.

In their line, tney eNCel tnelr fellows all over the
world. q, how they did 'pitch into" us the whole
Of that wakefut night And then the drunken
sailors under our windows kept up such u carous
al AMI "hurrah, to which their sober brethren,
the d~0nkeys, would, every now and then give n
res ponse, that would pass from one to the other,
unit! it seemed rs it the struggle was which
should do most to make Alexandria n bedlam
In my romantic ideas, | had imagined Egypt to
be the land of silence. | had pictured the placid
Sphinx solemuly watching the Nile as it lay be.
meath the noiseless atmosphere. But | rose up
very early from my couch, Disguised with human
nature, the mosquitoes, and the %donkeys, for dis
polling my beautiful illusion. sailed out to see
what was to be seen, but was met at the door OF
the hotel by a crowd of donkeys and donkey boys.
Immediately there ensued n frightful battle, to see
which should obtain possession Of my person Tor
u ride on his donkey. | attem 9ted to get upon
one, and then another, but it was no use the own.
es Of the others pulled and scufled until | feared
they really would tear the clothes off my back !;
and all this accompanied with the most dreadful
din to which | ever listened. The jargon seemed
TO be composed of all languages. and the rate at
which it was vociferated and their geSticulations
we're something which, once seen or heard are never
to be forgotten. | repeated my. efforts to mount
some one donkey or other, but again the eagerness
of the rejected drivers batled me, and the yelling
seemed to rise higher and higher. AT length, |
found it was useless-my patience became utterly
exhausted my peace principles" gave way, and
Il lUuul lEdl " ouCCGCu L hluhb bhhNs ~ 4 lNN ~
n fearful face, and, with all the warlike aspect |
could ordered the fellows to give way, and let me
go-but it was like talking to a tempest. | then
raised my stick, and began to lay round mc--but
the young rasGals most adrotly would dodge every
blow, suddenly Jerking up the head of their dom
key to receive the rap intended for themselves
! saw that this was cruel-but what could | do
l could move neither back nor forward and |
could only go with one of the whole party. But each
of them was determined to have me-. At length,
with an effort that ! thought rather "herculean,"
i pushed through the crowd to where n donkey
was standing rather apart, and, suddenly jump
ing upon him | bOlte1 of, and left my tormentors
behind, the owner careering after me, in great
glee that he had so Unexpectedly secured me. |
ordered him to guide me to ~"Pompey's Pillar"
(so.called J and "Cleopatra's Needle" and to the
cemetry. The air was delightful, having that
clear elasticity SO often remarked upon. We came
20 Pompey's Pillar. ! was disappointed. The
only thing remarkable is the length of the shaft,
which is all one piece. a lizard stood about half
way up, looking calmly down upon US the first
living lizard | ever saw, exactly in shape like a
crocodile.
Returning, we passed through the cemetry.-
And there were the Egyptiana mourning their
dead Just rs they did three thousand years ago.
Each recent grave was surrounded by a group OF
mourners, crouched down around it; and their
wail, uttered in a low moaning voice, was distress
ing to listen to. The outer garment was drawn
up wv ~ hNoA Inv - NcN NHN
q sorrowful aspect. The whole scene was only
like what | have witnessed among the Irish at
their wakes and funerals. | stood at u respecta-
BILE distance, surveyinga group, and, my, sym,
pathies were deeply moved when | Thought
1ghere was the soul Of the one for whom they
walled. An Egyptian grave looks very dark the
condition of the people bespeaks extreme igno-
rance, poverty, and uncleanly habits. ophthal-
mia seems frightfully prevalent among them, and
the number of blind. people is very great Inc
miseries are generally ascribed to the glare OF the
sun, the subtitle dust, and the transition from the
dry air to the moist yapors of the Nile. But ii
struck me that the cause ought to be ascribed to
the total want Of cleanliness and care which Is
characteristic Of this wretched people. Take one
fact: during my ride that morning, | passed q
large number of babes carried about their mosh
ers, generally on the top of the shoulder, and l dl'
not see one that had not a circle of those mast.
dark flies, by which Egypt is plagued. round bot
the eyes of the poor little creatures. The person.
carrying those babes manifested no concern I
drive them away. And so there were those abom
Unable flies, perhaps fresh from pntrid carior
standing in a black circle round each eye, an
sucking at the rims of each eye-lidl No wonde
they are physically as we'll as mentally the Blind
est nation on earth.
Having visited Cleopatra's Needle. covered wit
hieroglyphics to the top, | returned to breaklae
and we started for Cairo, at 10 A. NJ, the mail
and specie having proceeded us the night betor'
ana now uOeS te reader tulnK we triNeIGu =
BY the mile Boat ?" or on the camels, or til
dromedary's back? No such thing What a utl
itarian age is this And what a people is tn
busy, energetic Anglo-Saxon race of ours W
were carried in q first-class saloon railway ca
riage from Alexandria to Cairo in seven hours
railway and telegraph in Egypt! Why, such a
innovation in this LAND of steady habits" as th
shrill whistle of the locomotive, rushing along,
almost enough to make The old mummied Phnrot
open their eyes with establishment at the chang
that has come over 1.-The spirit of their dream
But, thank God, it is an omen Of what Anglo-Sa,
on mind and money and picty wiz yet effect ovt
those venerable hindrances to human progress
and those human religions which have crushed Il
souls of men for ages, in this and other parts
the world
As We rode along, with thermometer eight
nine degrees. however, inside the carriage,) evel
thing we saw was novel and interesting. He
were ancient customs still in vogue. The we
with its wheel" and its "pitcher," and the Wv
men drawing water" The oxen ploughing,
threading out the corn" on their "threshing floors
Then there were 1.-THE camels and asses" just
in ancient time. We saw an COX and an ass 20
cd together" and, from the disgust we felt in loo
ing at such an ill.assorted arrangement, We wei
immediately struck with the ~propriety of that la
which forbid it to the Jewish people. The wome
were yelled and had their nose jewels and "brac
lets" on them. Then, there were the "palm trees,
looking so graceful. Everything Except the raj
why's anu tHe lelVSIdph iooAou as H"o' ~
locked when the feet of Abraham and Isaac tro
the very soil over which we were rolling! No
] mistake ! The natural objects remain tho sam
hut whata change in the people and their scott
life The princes of Egypt" have vanished
their splendid temples are in tho dust-the mosqu
and miniaret rise over their ruins-their beaut
iul cities have decayed-their rich herdsmen an
farmers are paupers-''the wisdom Of the Egyl
tians" is a departed glory which no longer sheds
single ray over what is now "a land Of darkness
and the shadow of death"
The ScorcH LADS IDEA OF THE COMMANDMENT
"A lad had come to a clergyman for exsminatio
previous to his receiving bis first communion
The pastor knowing that his young friend was n