The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-10
OUR YANKEE AMONG EGYPTIANS
AND ARABS.
JAFFA. July 9Th. 1871

days. Inc scenes along the route to
Cairo were of course novel to us all, -
groves of palms, irrigation, over the en-
tire plains, Arab villages of mud and
adobe huts, built without regard to
streets or regularity, caravans of camels
and donkeys, all conspired to keep our
attention fixed. The country Arabs are
about as ragged, filthy and wretched as
can well be imagined for savages. Some
of them can scarcely be called ragged, for
we saw numerous children entirely desti.
tute of clothing except what nature gave
them, and numerous adults, with scarcely
enough to cover their nakedness. In
filth and raggedness, there is but little
difference in the sexes.
Cairo presents many novel scenes. In
the middle of the day business is almost
entirely suspended. AS we pass through
the streets, the Turks sitting cross-legged
in their stalls are lietless and half asleep,
or stretched out at full length and quite
asleep, occasionally an old Arab passing
along drawing out cry for his melons
cucumbers, fresh waterior.something else
score or two of lazy, miserable dogs
stretched out asleep in the unpaved
streets, who can scarcely be stirred with
kick an old Turk waddling along on
donkey, his feet almost touching the
ground train ofohalf dozen camels
stalking noiselessly along, with nose erect,
laden with stone, brick, dirt, lumber or
merchandise-if we can imagine all this
we can realize state Of affairs in the
streets of Cairo at midday.
There is one custom which we presume
is one alluded to in Scripture as zone go
ing before" The carriages of the arls1
tocracy are preceded bya runner, an Arab
dressed in white gown or tunic reaching
to the knees flowing sleeves and sash,
bare footed and bare legged, with fez on
his head, and in his hand a staff about
four feet long, which he carries erect, and
running few rods in advance, gives
warning of the approach of the carriage.
We do not learn that the aristocracy have
any more right to the streets than others,
but this practice is putting on style. An
other practice is for the numerous don
key boys who hire their donkeys to those
who wish to ride, to run behind, belabor
ing the donkey with cudgel.
Our first business on reaching the city
and getting to hotel, was to arrange for
trip to the pyramids, distant about ten
miles This we did by engaging car
rage to start with US about two o'clock
in the morning in order to avoid the heat
of the day. A good carriage road has
been constructed to the foot of the pyra-
mids, and the excursion is thus rendered
quite pleasant one. AS we passed
along the route, we found numerous
Arabs sleeping outside their huts, al
though the night was quite cool, so much
so that we drew up the cover of the car
rage, and an overcoat would not have
been uncomfortable before sunrise. WEI
reached the pyramids about four o'clock,
and Immediately prepared for the ascent,
a height of 400 feet. A fee of about FIVE
francs is required by the sheik of the
Arab village near by, for which he fur
nishes guides or assistants to help us up.
The ascent can be made without assist
ance, but the fatigue of climbing up the
tiers of stone three or four feet high, |
would be great before reaching the top.
The Arabs are accustomed to it, and
make lr comparatively light work. Two
Of them seized..us by the hands,and up we
went like kite, leaving our comrades
more than a hundred feet below. Wei
protested against such haste, but they
only laughed at us. AS we went up they
commenced an Arab song, which ran
about as follows:
Ho ha he hi ho-bdcbshesh, 1
He no ha ha hum-6dcEsheeh,
He ha hum ho-bacEshesh, a'aa
Hum he no ha-bGcEShesh. a3asl
There was about twenty verses in the
song, and each verse was precisely like
the first. On reaching point about one
hundred feet from the top, they sudden
ly stopped and requested us to look
down, and intimated it would be quite a
tumble if they should throw us down, and
daYnand "a 1ncLebooA W. 1,od avnnotod