The Portland daily press., 1870-01-31
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Monday Morning, January 81. 1870.
Letter from Egypt.-No. G.
ALEXANDRIA, Dec. 5, 1869.

4 ALEXANDRIA, Dec. o, lSO9.
Mr.. EDIToR,-I arrived here somewhat ia
tigued with the long sweltering journey from
caro-; but warm bath restored me, and
pesan at once explorations. There was the
music OF the sea waves in the rear of our ho-
tel, and in that direction found my way 10 a
spacious enclosure with babbling fountain in
its centre, flowers and shrubbery on either
hand, and the broad blue Mediterranean spark.
ling in the sunshine before me. But the CRATE.
full sea-breeze came side by side with an un.
| gainly smell from the sea beach-and I knew
1 was not in paradise! Yet, captivated by the
"long wash of the waves, notwithstanding
the illassorted combination of odors, re.
mained there till the sea-fowl came throngine
landward, and the stars began TO come out
and the distant white sails passed in the deep.
ening twilight. Then L thought of home SO
many leagues away, with its SHOWS and cold
and wished that had the power to transfer
| three months of this climate on to the end Of
| onr summer.
Next morning rose betimes, and having
| got magnificent cup OF cafe-au-lait and a
snuf of the sea air in the rear garden, sailed
forth, in company with an English gentleman
who had been my companion in many a ride
| and ramble. to see about things, as he COM
prehensively expressed it.
Inc streets were cTUwvs-I oil ccrts of
humanity in all sorts of dresses, intermingled
| with the usual accompaniment of horses, CAM
els and doEkeys-and narrow, sunless, and
with fragrance of anything but cologne wa
ter, ran everywhere and nowhere in the most
reckless manner. The buildings on either side
were RECONSTRUCTED and ungainly, ard the
shops, with marvellous disregard to confor-
nifty, were alternately stocked with head gear,
meats and fish, jewelry, bakers bread, silks
and satins, blacksmithing, miliners' goods,
cabbage, caulihowers and onions
| After an hours blind ramble one of the
streets IN the progress of its convolutions, de.
| livered us at breastwork in front of the har
Dor, and stirringng scene presented itself tC
our view. The wide sweep of the water wa;
alive with vessels, floating the flags of many
nations-men of war and mercant steamers
and sailing craft of all sizes,-some just com
ing to anchor; others blowing off steam o.
hosting sails, preparatory to departure; somt
dischaTging by lighters; others taking OF
board their cargoes with row. boats shooting
to and fro amongst them-a stirring scene.
Then realized that was in the commercial
emporium of Egypt.
We were not allowed much time to con-
| template this prospect without interruption
| for the Arab boatmen who swarmed the quays
like bees, seeing us come to halt, rushed upor
us with perfect storm of opportunities to b.
employed, in some cases seizing hold of u
bodily-and finding threats and our canes o
no avail, we were at last glad to beat retreat
Just escaping this Charybdis it was only t,
fall into Sylla in the shape of maelstrou
of donkey-boys congregated along the waite
front; who seeing that we were not bent OF
going by water, determined we should hav
their assistance in cur travels by land!
last, as the best means of escape from guam
dary, we selected couple of the best lookinl
donkeys, and telling their dri7ers to pilot Us
anywhere, continued on our travels.
Presently appearances began to mend; tn
buildings were Of better class and the street
broader; and then we came upon an exten
sive square with fine grove of shade tree
running up and down its centre, terminal
ed by handsome fountains; and the build
ings around were spacious and elegant; am
the shops displayed every variety of rare an
costly goods, and some things which by q
means ought to have been displayed Herr
too, the carriage-ways were exceedingly wild
and smooth, and spacious, wel-paved side
walks were thronged with busy people, man
of them dressed In the European style.
This our donkey boys told us was La Plac
Mehemet AH; and we afterwards learned
pecially for the English, French and othe
foreigners.
From "La Place. as it was familiarly call
ed, we went into contiguous streets, whicl
were well-paved and roomy, where the house
were high and handsoine-in many cases pa
groves of palms from which the ripenin
dates hung down in huge clusters; in othe
surrounded with gardens and shrubbery, pr
life in scarlet, lavender and yellow bloom, AM
redolent of delicious fragrance.
One Of the species of flowers which parti
ularly attracted my attention, and which
had noticed in Cairo, was of brilliant sea
let, and of enormous dimensions. 1t gre
protusely on shrubs twelve or fifteen feet i
height; and indeed seemed more like a singl
lar development of the leaves at th
end of each branch and burgeon, tha
flower, save for the numerous pistl
in its centre. On my refining in to examip
them more closely, my donkey boy darted il
to the enclosure and brought me specimen
which 1 measured and found to be twent
inches in diameter! And so dazzling was il
red that could scarcely keep my eyes tixe
on it.!
by circuitous roule we were next brough
in front of tall column which without diff
Guilty we made out to be Pompey's Pillar.
stands on elevated ground, is composed {
shaft and capital-and measures upwards
hundred feet in height, the shaft alone b
ing seventy feet. Its erection is referred BAG
to the time of Diocetian, and whence it hi
derived its present name no one can tell, as
has neither mark nor inscription to indica
for what purpose it was raised.
The hill on which it stands we found con
manded wide and beautiful views, comprisin
the city and the sea, Lake Mareotis and th
Mahmcndie Canal, whose more remote snr
osties were denoted by the numerous mast
and sails of country vessels rising above th
vegetation in the midst of luxurant planti
tions.
At short distance in the rear of Pompey
Pillar, the ground is strewn with the ren
nants of ancient statuary, in marble and graz
ite, man-faced lions, gigantic torsos, and po
tions of the arms, legs and heads of huma
: fisures-some exquisitely wrought-intermil
gled with broken pillars and capitals, lyin
around carelessly as if illustrative of SON
desperate battle; but used for horse blocks
any other purpose.
A survey of these extended our rambe
, the vast unfenced cemetery of the Mahom
dams, the white monuments of which-a
built Of rough material, and plastered ov,
the exterior---rambe up and down, apparen
ly with little regard to order, till lost over IL
. adjacent hill, and encroach to the very whee
ruts of the carriages on the streets in iron
| Bv this time as YOU NAV well IMAGINE u