Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-05
NO. 81.
E.sEe, IN CAIRO.

We have been favored with the fol
lowing Interesting extracts from 4 let
ter received in Liverpool from a Gen
tleman who was Il Confederata Genera
and is nov in the Egyptian service:
CAIEo, July 1873.
arrived here in the worst month O.
the year. at season called here Kan,
seen, which in Arabia means fifty
because for fifty days, from the
middle of April. the wind may al
any time shift 10 the south. and
stay so for two OF three days ut Il time
After that period tho wind blows with
almost invariahle regularity from the
north. bringing the cool hreezes of thc
Medit"rranear. Just now the weather
is charming-thati is to say, il !, in
tenselv hot from eleven o'clock till
five; but at that tirne everybody STAYS
indoors. There i alnav.s u breeze
stirring, and the n-~ilts arc cool nn,l
beautiful; Ven know that t,n cloud
e:er obscure; the stars here, aad il
never rains more than twice in the
year, which Is in January, aad
amounts only to light showers Hence
| the unspeakable dust Of this connt1y;
and what contrast TO your OWL land
of bright vardure and perennial! show
ers. But the clcarnCsS Of the sky is
amazing. About two dozen English
suns would hardly make such eun-
shine as broils The earth here. Aud
| the nights The moun shines with
unequalled spientor, and when size is
absent the sky is black as ink. not
| blue, and from this black ground the
stars stand out with 1t brightness
| doubled by the contrast A great
many stars not visible in tho cloudy
| skies OF Europe and America, are visi-
| BILE here, SO that the stars look much
more numerous ana the milky wav
| seems a great deal winter.
To return to the kamseer. There is
generally 4 strong wind stirring about.
which looks like Il dense fog. but in
tinitely more slisagree#Ale. The wind
comes from the vast region Of the sles-
ert and feels like the breath Of :, bIicl.
or lime kiln. The Dust Denetrates the
closest houses. fills Your eyes, mouth.
nose, and makes yonr HE q burden.
| But foI tunately it never lasts long. and
does not return usually more tllan
| three or four times during the tiftv
days.
Just now tie Nile is SLOWLY rising,
andwiltcontinre to dofso nntii October,
and its rise brings cooiness and hu-
1nidity but not rain. Il wurld take a
volume to describe all ti.at Is Of inter-
est IN this city [ have not Yet seen
anything Of Egypt beyond Cairo-and
very little of that The present Khc-
dive III the ten wears cf ms reign mas
made some immense 2lnpr"voIaents,
and entire new quarters !ia e riSen.
L.
. cities-witle. str;.iglit sire, =. hand
public water, which c:.u BE intrut:.icetl
into all the private dwellings,, SC
Some new hoale~artis are going ND,
which viii be exceedingly h4mtsor.ii..
and there is Il beautiful garden, cover
ing several acres. beautifully lighted
up, with Il large pond Of water frinccd
all around with gas lights which pro
duce a charming effect II ere one OF
the garrison bands PLAY every night.
and the garden i, iil;..i wish Eurore-
ans and natives in every variety Of
costume. Bat What is more interest
ing perhaps to the I,urol,. ans IS the
Arab quarterS-tlsrn "!i' from some OF
these new strC OTIS and go twenty steps,
and you find Yourself II once trans
| ''ArabiHn Nights | say the times.
because :hc manners an,i the costumes
have not changed for Il tEol,sanl wears.
Some of the streets ROW exist
ing-Antl, no doubt. unit., Tnc:.angnd- -
are the theatre of some uf the adven-
lures of Caliph 1taF r3ln-al- Rasc!.d. re-
lated iii the "ArHbian Nights" The
| same haZaars. the same little sitons.
wall about ~ feet square. The whole
| front ~ open. The wares are on the
| shelves, and the floor # the shop is
| about three fr"t above tie. level IF lie
| street On it &iie ti.t. merchant cross
| legged. Moslclm women closely vciled
come there to -ho!, an,i sit ditto, talk
ing and probably flirting " it'll the mer-
chants, The streets Themselves are
not over u nr u feet W he. and as tl,,
| / ,1,s of th,. inu~e>s project over them
/ the sun docs not shine int" 49,. street,, :,
/ hrt there is Il want nf {ir,,,;i:,i ,br of ar
! which Is worse titan tie Sunshine. In
! these lfar:,.n ,,t.ttt<, of his very pop
| crowds OF people, donl,ey~. e;.n2eis.
and even c:rFinecs. T:sr latter have
| to be preceded ty 4 rnnrer on fo"t
called Il ',s;,is. vlo calls ont Il, make
way for his carriage, otherwise thev
could not circulate at all. Every vari-
ETY. OF costume Is to be seen. The old
! Tulhs and The bieuted MnsIfES >ticl.
to the old dreas-trrl}slts Il Ea;irle
colours, and long robes If every hriga.
colour also hanging loosely 10 the
heels-the front open showing white
undergown also reaching t, tie heels
hn I ~ !,
short embr, idered jache;s and huge
retticoat- t-hreechoS gathered AMI rIa5t-
ed with g thuns,,nd folds Mt th, waist,
Next come the most tidicu!oHs OF all
the native Arabs. who have taken t.
wearing coats generally the Slop shop
coat of the universal .J-w clothier. who
abnunGs in Cairol, bat hayo not yet
learned to wear pants. 50 that
the coat Is worn over the long
loose white gown hanging Ia The heels.
They generally wear the j,s,.jc5sc}-a
red cap with q long b.ss~h ta-se', with
out briIn--tho most iiIatjc heau-,l3;-SS
ever devised for hot country. Next
comes the dress of the nlIieiais' civil
employees. wo by the 3<hciliyc h.i1l
self and the Egyptian s.:,;.e. classes,
except til" hgotcd N:.s~,:'nalas. Il
consists OF Z s,tft-iE roe cox "tIii
stand ib9s t,s,t.tr aud single row ii blacl.
| hl,ttnns exactly like = t-'oTev'5ts!i. S coat,
black pants also. and the universal tar
bonet, 50 that Il group cf gentlemen
looks exactly at Il dist:tncs. ls!." Il is;1nt-
ber of hinge r-ds":l Il -: i,ottl, 4
Pas"irg CA from nlnf, t" :s'lit;aaiS tor
must be brief there are thrs" which at
tract the attention, tt.a ,tnn'l->s, the
es,me!s, .smt I'll" horses, I'Aere' re
pis.t.ty Of f.sc6S IN C,jr.r IT u moderate
price, hut the oluui.N,s---.t,- street CA
is the donkey, Many Of them az
no laigor than It thrce-m!ontiIs' calf. !
il amazing to see what loads and W'la
big men they carry. Each donkey i
attended bv boy, who runs behint
him and beats him or twists his tail t.
make h m run faster. Ths II x / -
rapid shuttle, very smooth anl easy
and a long-iesged E2r.>. Who gets t:re'
of riding has ,,s.tv Il, pnt his feet o.
the gr&,,n.i ard let tine animal pas
f,..n. nntler him. They "r" III" laos
uoc.la, patient, long suffering ,t:!'