The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-09-10
an 1l,tcrrstins 5tetfb.
Cairo.

cling in the East. From late letter from
Caro- we extract as follows.
The Cairo streets -some of then admit car
rlages Ian 1aShinion, be it known unto Won
| II not already. unknown here in the East. but
as exceptional, and thus all the wav unknown
from Constantinople on to Jala.l The Cairo
streets. | was going to say, were made cx-
prcsSly for donkevs. Carriages exist in Con
stantlnople, but for show. not for use, the
streets not admitting them but in Beirut
none are known, and people go to parties on
horseback; and in Jafla and Jerusalem there
IS not street wide enough for carr iaee of
any kind. Cairo, however, has some streets
big enough not only for the donkey and the
horse. but for the camel and the carriage
too. with four horses. sometimes
Hence, when "hig-bng" comes along in
carriage, with fellow in front to clear his
way for him, not only must camel look out
but most especially poor little bit of donkey.
Donkey looks up toward heaven with great
respect Tor oyertowering camol--but donkey
stands aside instantly, in shop or bazaar. or
anywhere, when comes along carriage thun-
dtrlng Woe unto donkey, If donkey ever
torsets this respect due to superior matter
but greater woe unto rider Woe unto his
knees. that are in hourly danger of being frac-
tured in the crowded streets woe unto his
head against which hit timber, or boxes, or
scratching bushes from the baker on calnel's
back. speak tcetingiy OH this matter.
The streets of Cairo are something new
Many of them, nay, most of them, are so mar
row that camel and a donkey cannot pass.
or two donkeys. even, with loads on. The
houses IN these narrow streets often so int
over in the topmost stories as to shut out the
md lr l,,.It L
MONDAY sun is pouring down upon them
Hence, when there is crowd in these streets,
fancy, if You can, what hustle and confu.
SIM the Cairo world is in-hut the donkey
boy holds on to the donkey's tail, and steers
you through with infinite ability. lie cries
out Justify to the right and the left to "be-
ware but when thousand voices are yell
ing, the caution is not very impressive.
lhnS, often, you, stranger unused to dom
Key riding, tlample over bread, and peas,
hnttcr-boxcS and pipe.stands; you crowd
into bazanrs, and disturb baker shops. You
knock pipes out of peoples mouths, and your
arms are often around their nccks or in less
permissible places. Your foot is hooked into
bundle Of grass or somebody's saddle bags.
Aud all sorts of extraordinary doings you
find yourself guilty of, even with your two
to do as little mischief. as possible But tie
people are eood-natured, and the Cairo world
is forgvirg: if YOU only look sorry, YOU are
Paldoned at once for the mischief your feet,
hands, head or arms may have been innocen.ly
doing.
All this adventure this kind of life of
trouble and relief. soon attaches you 10 your
donkey and your donkey boy; and if YOUR
nl l.ty. b,u ~
your dragoman. donkey and boy stick to YOU
all the while You nrc in Cairo. You belong
to the donkey and the donkey boy, and the
donkey belongs to you for the time being.
Great, then, is the institution of the donkey.
| think it might be conveniently introduced
into New York fol- ladies to mount Stairs by
In our high, hcavrn-aSpirlng houses.
Cairo out door life seems to me charming
and the more see of 1t, the more | am
charIned with it. What goes on indoors in
MoSem!and, Christians, Of course can never
know. The fashionable women here are
more mull!ed up, if possible, than in Turkey,
Syria, or Palestine-and of course. all we ste
OF them is on horse or donkey back, cross
legged, in their black Egyptian cnvclope
lheibbarah,) through which may be pceping
their low silk pe>scs, tied round the waist
with gold cord and tassels, or foot or vel
low slipper, or yellow bordered trowsers.-
Their faces are yelled even their eyes can
hardly be got at. Alas even European
women seem to catch the Moslem disease of
conccalnent, and | begin to forget how
woman looks-l have not seen a strange one
for so long.
Nevertheless. Cairo is all alive and full of
fun. The Arab 9uarrels alone now interest
you, If nolhing else. Two fyllows will make
more noise than forty in the United States
and England-and to hear them scold and
halo, you would think that the next moment
they would be pitching pell-mell into each
other $ arms or upon each others heads-hut
the whole of this noise means little or moth
ing, and peace soon returns Never was there
a noiser'people. Then the streets and what
curious streets they are, with tumble-down
houses, full of lattice work overshadowing
them Never ceaSing, there is the tQnl-tam
drum cannot say much for It's music
Here. is fellow telling some story or mar
vellous tale by it TO the gaping crowd. Here,
arc street baIds and MINISTRIES there are
ambulatOry buttons. Here, are street scrbes,
that do the writing for every body that can't
write-and who can?-and there are inter-
prefers of dreams.
Then comes the water seller, with his goat
skins full of muddy water upon his back,
that he has filled from the Nile and thore is
the vender of sweetmcats, brawling, and scol.
ding, and coaXing. in all the various intona-
tons of his peculiar voice. In country
where it seldom or never rains, of course
every sort Of life can exist out Of doors. The
Arab needs no covering for his feet, none for
his legs, all he wears is something
white or blue, in cotton, to envelop his shout
ders, reaching to his knees House to him
is not at all necessary, but as protection
from the sun, and then mud house does as
well as any other-better, perhaps.
Every body. then. flom early sunrise to
sunset, is out of doors. The streets become
impossible almost, save to Cairo educate
donkeys, and Cairo-traIned men. If the
plague exists, you are certain to catch it from
rubbing against everybody you meet, or the
smallpox, OF any thing eise-to ears 20.
lite unmcntionable; and in the school of en-
tomology man becomes study school to
himself, every morning and every night. The
Egyptians are the ditiest people | ever saw
upon earth or imagined could be seen. If
the Nile did not overflow them. | know not
what would become of them but when it
does, | marvel not that it ftrtzes the soil
and washes the rich delta below. The Nile
washes Egypt; hut what can wash the Nile
when Egypt is done with it?
- -~- -
rTIf men could find The tabled fountain
that is said to restore youth health and beauty,
with what eagernesS they would rash to drink