The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-05-17

the world. Here are located the hotels,
which are filed with Americans and
Englishmen, and you hear nothing but
English spoken Eveu the donkey boys
will address you in English, and you seem
more at home than you do in Paris. But
pass across the street from Shepherds
Hotel, and there you will see the Bedouins
of Mt. Sinai loading their long train Of
camels for the journey across the Desert,
all arrayed in the costumes which these
nations have worn since the days of Abra-
ham. At this spot the East and the West
come up face to face with each other.
Pass on east for two minutes, and you are
buried in the narrow, crowded, confused
streets Of Cairo, as we have always
imagined it, filed with donkeys, camels
and crowds of men Of all kindreds and
tongues under heaven, dressed in costumes
most diverse, and veiled women, with
bright silk pantaloons, or riding on dom
keys, and entirely enyeloped in black
silk balloon. As the carriage of some
pasha or the harem Of some dignitary
comes along you will see it preceded by
two runners, dressed in white turbans,
flowing white robes bound at the waist
with bright rcarf and with colored silk
vest, holding long rod in the right hand
and clearing a way for the carriage among
the crowd. These runners are called
sahis. They are exceedingly picturesque
and very swift. They will run for hours
as fast as any carriage will 20, and every
carriage in Cairo is obliged to have them
to prevent accidents in the crowded streets.
Here is Oriental life in all its glory; yet
in these crowded bazaars you are sure to
meet Americans and familiar faces
The most interesting people in Egypt
are the Copts, who are the descendants Of
the original Egyptians. They were con-
verted to Christianity in the first century
and have ever since continued to be Chris
tians. They have churches in all the
principal towns and cities Of Egypt.
Their form of service is very much like
that Of the Roman Church. They read
the Scriptures every Sabbath in the origi-
nal Coptic, which is very much like the
ancient Greek and is dead language to
the common people, who understand only
Arabic. The same Scriptures are then
read by another priest in the Arabic, so
that the people may understand them
They give both elements to the people at
their communion. They reject the au.
thority of the Pope and elect their Patri-
arch, who is the highest dignitary in their
Church. Their priests can marry, but the
order of monks cannot. The Patriarch
must be chosen from the monks. They
have some good schools, which they sup.
port, in which are taught reading, writing,
arithmetic, geography and history. / saw
class Of boys Of fifteen years of age, in
one of their schools, who read in English,
French, German, Coptic, and Arabic, and
translated from one language to the other
They parsed sentences in the English Ian
guage as correctly as any scholars | have
ever seen. The Egyptians have great ia
cility for acquiring languages. There
were at this school in Cairo 300 scholars,
most Of them as bright-looking children as
you will see anywhere. They have also
schools for the training of their priests in
theology. Until recently, the Coptic Ian
guage was forbidden to be taught to the
common people; but, as they now enjoy
full liberty Of education under the present
Khedive, they are introducing their own
native language again into all their schools
There are about $4,000 Copts in Egypt,
and they are the most hopeful class of
people for missionary labor. They are
free from the temptations and dreadful
curse of polygamy. They call themselves
Christians. They read the Bible and hold
to the most of great doctrines in their purity.
1t is among the Copts that the United
Presbyterians have their schools and their
missions and have done so much good du-
ring the last few years. Most of the engi-
neers and employees on the railroads, Off
GERS in the army, and clerks in the govern
ment Offices, have been educated in these
mission schools; and was told by our
Consul, Mr.. Beardslee, that the Khedive
acknowledged to him that if these persons
should leave the Offices they gil the Gov
ernment Bureaus would have to be shut,
and that Egypt was more indebted to the
missionaries for the education they were
giving than to all other nations together
The missionary house in Cairo, embracing
church and school-rooms, is situated on
the Esbekeeyah, in very central location,
and is very valuable. ] attended the SER
vices Of the missionaries here. There
were about 100 men and women present.
The women sit apart from the men, behind
lattice-work screens.
The mosques Of Cairo, with their nu-
merous domes and minarets, as seen from
the citadel, present very beautiful pic
tire; but all Of them, on more near in
spection, are found to be rude, unfinished
and coarse, having no architectural beauty
except in the symmetry of their domes
and minarets. The mosques of Sultan
Hassan and Mahomet Ali, at the citadel,
are the only beautiful ones in Cairo. Con.
nected with the mosque Ashar, the Mo
hammedans have the principal university
of the East and Theological school anhr..