Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-24
EGYPT.

lnterestf1ig Historical lAspects-NOyelo
ties of society. Dress and Manners
Modern Daughters OF 0fHeFOdias-The
g Climate -Scri plural "Reminiscences
81 Ascvrrespondent of the New York Com
apercidL AdUerttser writes: sa-as. - -. ; >
7 leave. Egypt with regret. / cannot tell
you how much. i have enjoyed lit in al,
aspects. First, in historical point of view
YOU enjoy ancient Egypt. The ruins of its
grand temples and palaces s.whose name is
legion, 81 some of which are two miles IN
ocireGmference I; of its colossal statutes, some
of which are nearly seventy feet in height;
of its tombs, cut hundreds of feet into the
mountains; of its great pyramidal struct-
tSifes all are covered, wholly or in part,
with carved illustrations of the history, re-
iligien and every day life of people that
were at their highest point of civilization
before the time of Abraham. -
Poverty stricken as are the people. Ihave
found much to enjoy in this most Oriental
country. The religion, manners and Gus
toms, dress, and life of these people are
strange and novel to an European or Amer
jcan. While at Fhebes, we were invited
to dine with the Governor, Selim Efendi,
and our Consular agent, Mustapha Aga
There were nine in the party. As we were
ushered intodhe dining apartment, a SER
want handed each guest towel, and heldsa
metallic basin, while another poured water
over the hands. We were then seated on
cushions on the floor, around a circular me-
.faIffc table, abouteighteen inches high, with
q rim around it. In front of each guest, was
a spoon and piece of bread. First came
the soup, of which each dipped. Then
boiled fowl was placed in the centre of the
,tableandsrapidly and gracefully carved by
the Governor toith his fingers. He then, with
fhfs fingers, passed a piece to each. The
greatest compliment an Arab can pay is to
bass you leg of a fowl after having first
bitten off a mouthfnl for himself. Then
came eleven other dishes in rapid success
sion, each served, in the same manner
even dishes that were like our pies and
buildings. The cooking was all good and
season. g excellent. After we. arose from
the table, came long pipes-cki6ous, and
fee-preceding which, however, the
ceremony of washing the hands was gone
through, WITH, and they needed it. We
sWere soon ushered into the main hall of the
house and witnessed an exhibition of dane
ing, accompanied by Egyptian instrnmen-
talrmusic. The dancing women are the
most beautiful Of all ''the fair and frail'' OF
sEgypt, aud dance as did the daughter of
Herodias-Whieh. should say, was all the
worse for the daughter" - D'o lsi.3
=. But the climate All, that is the great,
enjoyable, beautiful item of Egypt Not
cold enough for fire, not hot enough to
dispense with New York winter under
Eelothes-with a dry air exhilerating as
Vermont June, the golden sun every day,
and heaven radiant at :ghtl 47,g ss
We recently drove out from Cairo to the
northeast. through orange grovesand fields
5of springing grain int to }; a spring called ''the
very edge of the desert, in the midst of
spice groves and flowers, stands the an
cient sycamore fig tree which the Coptic
and Armenian Christians believe sheltered
the infant form of~our Saviour, after the
weary. fight across the desert from the
Holy Land - ..z..s.s...
Half mile beyond is the site of Heliopo-
lis. the :. City of the Sum- the /" On" OF
sSnriptIlre. The Bible says Joseph married
the daughter of the priest of - On" 1t was
relfgfoi and learning. Nothing now re-
mains but an obelisk, which was set up in
,its present position thirty-six hundred
years ago, and stone near it, upon which
n Ttf,. a ynatare or name of the Pharaoh of
the exodus. Looking across the river, are
the Pyramids, which were old when this
sobelisk was reared. / had not yet stood in
so impressive a spot as this at the base of
this obelisk. A little to the eastward is the
desert road over which Mizrain, the grand
sotl. OF Noah, probably came to settle in
Egypt and near the same place. four thou
sand years ago, Abraham and Sarah came !;
and tbirty-six hundred years ago, Jacob
and his sons and daughters were there,
seeking the lost Joseph! "A little way
north, and in sight of this obelisk, is Gosh
en-, where they lived and reared their
fiocks, and from whence moved on that
g1rapd possession TO the cave of Maehpelah.
with the body of Jacob. From Succoth, IL
Goshen. the exodus moved on from Egypt.
Within the sound of our voices. as we stand
here. has been heard the voice of Israel
Joseph and Moses have passtd under the
shadow of this obelisk, and within sound
e.of a o,it4 saare the bones of all the sons OF
Jaeob. save Joseph, and their wiyes-bur-
iods in the deep valley of the ancient river.