Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-12
LETTER FROM EGYPT.
CAIRO, August Z, 1873.

My last letter brought me down t
my arrival III this city. | will no'
proceed to give such description of
as can he condensed within the CON
pass of a letter but must say that
| will be very hard to do justice to tn
subject. Cairo presents 80 many fea
lures of interest that it's complete des
cription would occupy large volume
This city was founded in the nintl
century. and was named El-kahirch
the Victorious, from which the Frencl
gave it the name LIE Caire-in English
Cairo. The famous Saladin made i
his capitol about the close of th
twelfth century and founded the grea
Citadel which still commands it. Cair,
is situated on the right bank of thu
Nile, just at the point where the mar
row valley Of that river begins to ex
pand and to form the famous Delta
The ancient, or Arab part of the city
was formerly surrounded by turreteC
wall, of which part still remains
with gates at various intervals. Be
tween its western limit and the Nil,
extended a plain about one and hal
miles in width. This is now almost en-
tirely built up in the handsomest style
and forms the modern or European
part of the city. Boulak, the port OF
Cairo for the vessels coming from the
sea, contains a wonderful museum oi
Egyptian antiquities and extensive wa
ter works. The space between it and
the ancient city is being rapidly built
up. "Old Cairo" some three or foul
miles higher up the stream, is the port
for boats from Upper Egypt and Sou
dan.
One of the reasons why Cairo is one
Of the most interesting cities in the
world, is tho contrast between the
modern civilization in some of its high
est forms and the antiquity and bar
barism which exist side by side with
it. The modern portion of the city re-
sembles the best quarters of Paris
Largo and handsome streets with broad
stone pavcments-many of them lined
with trees-gaslight in greater profu-
sion than l have seen in any city in
Europe or America, and never cut
off even in the bright Egyptian
morn by stingy corporation public
fountains and gardens, splendid stone
and iron bridges. Tie houses are
handsomely bnilt i'll the European style,
of the same cream colored llme-ston
that distinguishes the Paris construc-
tions; but AZ III this climate it is never
cold, and it never rains, the buildings
are not disfigured by the horrible
chimney pots which mar the hand
someat edifices in Enrnpe-nor are
they encumbered with heavy roofs
All the roofs are fiat. and anything but
water-p proof. Rain and frost which are
the principle agents of destruction
being unknown here, much less care
and expense are needed in the con
strIlction of houses. Three days eQui-
noctial rain wOuld wash away every
mud village in Egypt, and great
many stone houses would share the
same fate.
just on the boundary of the old
city is the garden of the Esbekieh
Five or six years ago this was swamp
full of trees and brush. 1t is now "A
handsome park, small but beautifully
The centre is occupied by
q large piece of water of irregular
shape. 1t seems to issue from large
artificial grotto of rustic picturesque
Spanned by two bridges
i'll it's narrowest part, it expands into
al irregular ellipse. The stono curb
ing which bounds it all around is lined
with gas pipe with jets about ten
inches apart and supplied with white
glass globes. On the nights of Sun
day and Friday (Which is the Mussu'-
man Sabbath) THESE jets are all lighted
producing beautiful effect upon the
water. The grotto which is surmount-
ed by kiosk is illuminated with col
ored lamps. Along the well graded
walks are numerous seats for the pub
lie. Lamp posts in the form of giSan-
tic tulip stems bear each five gas
lights whose round glass globes are
shaped and colored like huge tulip
flowers. This garden is profusely
watered every day and refreshes the
eye like a green oasis in this land Of
dust. Two or three large kirsks are
occupied by musicians III the largest,
the band of some one of the regiments
of the garrison play every night selec-
tions from the best European music,
and do it quite as well as the average
of military bands elsewhere. There
are also a number of cuTes chaatnuf>
for the Europeans and several Arab
cdfcs of the same kind which dis
pense coffee, sherbets and narghilehs,
both to Franks and natives, together
with music to which | will devote a
special paragraph hereafter. On Sun
day nights this garden is crowded with
Europeans and natives in every variety
of costume, and perfect Babel OF
sounds can be heard, for it seems as If
every language on earth is spoken
here.
1t is around the Esbek,e that the
modern quarters took their start. The
streets facing around this garden are
built in a uniform style of architecture
resembling the Rue de Rivoli in Paris
in this that the first story of the houses
rests upon rows of arcad"s. Under
these arcades are the stores and the
side walk. so that the shade, SO requi
site i'll this climate, is secured eveI IL
wide streets, and at noon day to til.
promenaders on foot. In all the old
Eastern cities this object was attained
as can be Seen here in the Arab quar-
ters, by making the streets very mar
row. There each story prof Acts heyont
the one helow. and the caves almos
touoh at the top. Some of the by
streets in Cairo are not more than fiv,
feet wide. This secures the shade
but stops the circulation of air, ant
one of the best improvements mnd'
here has been to cut some broa,
straight streets right through tin
heart of the Arab city, diffusing ligh
and air through those crowded qu,,r
ters.
On the west side of the Eshekich
and fronting npon it is the "Ney
Hotel" n large and very handS..m
stone building. about four hundred fee
front. During the Winter it has man
hundred visitors. just now it has no
n single one. Shepherds Hote
and all the others ditto, for n
one stops in Cairo in the Summer I'M
less compelled. On the corner mex
to the New Hotel, between it am
Shepherds, on large garden of palr
trees, riscs still building which wi
soon disappear, for it's demolition ha
already hegnm, and whore histor
brings NIL the barbarian of the dnr
ages in inxtapositinn with modern civ
lizatiOn. Ia that palace, less thu
twonty years ago. lived the dnIlghte
nf ehemet Ali, beautiful an
tnlrntel woman, but licentious an
cruel. Tier ennnchs were employed +