The Portland daily press., 1870-01-20
Terms $500 per annaa,,, n. oa,o,ce.

dome and needle-like minarets ,,.,. =
great height, attract the eye from ,oo,-
points in the city; and the whole of the vas,
interior with the supporting columns-eyen
the floor, is Of polished alabaster.
Near this mosque is one of the pripcnal
palaces Of the Viceroy. 1t was temporarIlv
vacated; and readily obtained admission.
and thus was enabled to get some hints of the
domestic life of his highness and numerous
family. 1t is gorgeously eilded and decorated,
and its wilderness Of rooms are all furnished
in the most sumpla aOus manner-more, how
ever, in accordance with the prevailing Euro
pean taste than the oriental.
Some of its windows command enchanting
views, comprising almost the entire city, with
al! its domes, minarets towers, ind cupolas with
the fine gardens which diversity the enviroDs
and the plantations, palm groves, and shade
trees, reaching to the Nile. Others look out
on the pyramids of Gizeb, and farther to tie
left on those OF Sakarah an the ruins of
Memphis, with the sand wastes Of the desert
fading in the horizon beyond.
Passing out of the palace, few steps
brought me to an area cal ed Saut du Mamd-
t0uk, aud with shudder the convection fash
ed upon me that this was the scene of the
terrible butchery of The Mamalouk cav .lry
in 1911. 1t will be remembered by those
conversant with Egyptian history, that the
then reisning paeha, Mahomet Ali, dlstrust.
ful OF the loyalty of tteir soldiers, invited
them TO feast, and while they were enclosed
and unarmed, fell upon them with bis other
Gorces and massacred them indiscriminately-
three thousand in number. One only, Enir
Bey escaped, and be by pluneing with hls
horse down the neighboring precipice The
horse was killed by tie descent, but the rider.
receiving no very serious hurt, was concealed
by his friends, and afterward became the
trusted servant Of the exalted assassin.
Within the space ordinarily devoted to
such correspondence as this, it would be In
possible to describe the many other iutetest-
ing places accessible to strangers about Cairo.
What is greatly needed is a guide book to
point them out. But those that attracted my
attention most, were:
The shoubra Gardens, which are very sx-
tensive, beautifully laid out, and aboundiug
in the choicest flowers, shrubs and tree-now
in their full bloom and verdure. They are
approached from the city by an aveuue of
shade trees four miles long.
The Island of Rhoda, where is the Nilo-ne-
ter, which records the height to which the
river rises every period Of its overflow.
The archaeological museum, where is col
lected an immense number of ancient Egyp-
ton relics, most OF them In a stale of perfect
preservation, such as sphlnxes, statues, sarco-
phagi, monuments, Inscriptions, implements
of war, husbandry and the chase, culinary
utensils. jewelry &c.,-ail so arranged as best
to Illustrate the early history of the wonder;
land along the Nile.
In conclusion / have to remark, that to
those interested In Biblical lore, visit to the
oasis of Materieh. Tree of the Holy virgin)
some four or fivs miles from the city. would
be deeply interesting. Here, according to
pious tradition, the holy family, after their
flight in.o Egypt, sought refuge from the
burning sun. The original tree which Is said
to have sheltered them, now only exists as a
decayed trunk; but from its heart, as it were,
has sprung another, with wide-spreadlng
branches and vigorous foliage. which meas
ures more than eight feet ia diameter at the
| but. -i
Under the Greek church, in Old Cairo, 1t Is
claimed, exists the very house 10 which the
sacred tugitives. after having rested them
selves beneath this tree, resorted, and where
they abode during their sojourn in Egypt.
| Yours, &C., S.B.B.