Connecticut western news., 1873-04-25
M|yhe SEe1tts*
SALISBURY. CONN. Friday Morning, April 25, 1878.
Egypt.
HOTEL D. EUROPE, MAR. IA, 1873, ]
 Alexandria. Egynt


 hotel coming out to meet us, were soon transferred to small boats for the shore :; surrounded by multitude of natives shout ing, gesticulating, in the most frantic man. ner, to whom crowd of New York hack men would be heaven of repose in com parison. The baggy trousers, turbaned heads, or what was more striking. the bright red fz; donkeys; Turks, Arabs, Ar menisns, Greeks, Lyrians, Maltese, Jews, French and English could be counted in the motley crowd which greeted us from the shore; but pressing through to the passport office, then the Custom House for an examination of baggage (by majestic Turk in long black gown and turban, who waved his wand with the supreme majesty one might assume if King of Egypt we at last found refuge in our carriages for the Hotel d Europe. This city, though built S22 years before Christ, is said to present one thing of interest 10 detain a traveller more than>one day SD after nasty break fast We took carriages for the ''tall col umn, which first attracted our attention as We came into the bay, viz: ''Pompcy's pillar It stands on slight rise of ground some two miles to the west of the city-its history is only known by the Greek inscrip- tions, stating it to have been erected by Pubiius, in honor of Diocletian, ID A. D. 296. at which time thousands were massa- cred by fire and sword. Its height, includ- ing shaft, capital and pedestal, is 100 feet, being of red-polished granite, elegant and in good style. We next visited some new excavations, Greek church, but as little or nothing can be gathered of it's history, from persons or otherwise, gave but little thought to it, On our return we took the old Viceroy's palace, now unoccupled ; grounds fine, were presented flowers, &c.,, returning to dinner. Directly after obtained our permits Boosting five francs each) to visit the Khediye's new palace, grand imposing edifice on small peninsula, with beautiful outlook on the sea. We entered by grand staircase of white Casrara mar ble, carpeted with tue finest of Persian tapestry, thence to a magnificent audience chamber, circular in form, inlaid floor, satin tapestry hangings, immense chande. Hers, &c., &c., thence through many rooms, imposing in size, and superb in gay fixtures, quite unlike anything ever seeu before. One floor of ebony inlaid with pearl, many of the choicest perfulned wood, polished like mirror. This, sup pose, is Orientalism. The present Khedive lsmad Pacha, looked from the wall upon us. \ bright genial face of 43, while his father, Ibsahim Pach and grandfather, Ma homet Ali, were suspended near by. The harem we saw only from the balcony, with promise of a minute inspection at Cairo. Returned by the public garden, listening to the music, strange and sonorous to those who lave long listened to tho soft warb- lings of the '' Pineian Band," and turning again to the coast by Olegpetsas needles, found two obelisks, one erect, the other prostrate and nearly buried in the sand, both formerly stood before the temple of Heliopolis, 75 and 60 feet high, (base seven and eight feet9 of red granite. They were quarried l465 years before Christ. which would make them 3.33s years old now. Their mates are to be seen one on the Place de Ia Concorde, Paris, the other in Rome. Rain coming on. we drove through the chef bagasso (which are far from being picturesque and decidedly dirty), no trees, but now and then palm, banana, or orange. The camels and donkeys afforded much amusement, the former, laden with immense bales of cotton or sugar cane, gaunt, unsightly creatures, tho latter with average height of three and half to four feet. when carrying fat sbaky Turk, his feet reaching within six inches of the ground, perched between two goat skins of water, while a boy belabors the little fellow with stick from behind, is droll sight, and seen at every turn. This ended our sight seeing in Alexandria. ....... ...
 ...e1a CAIRO, Egypt, Mar. 15, 1878.
 We left Alexandria by the eight o'clock express; day pleasant and cars fine, the same as we find on the continent, but aside from this one feature we can see through Abraham's eyes the ancient Pharaohs in manners and customs the farther you pen etrate. Cairo, 135 miles from the mouth of the Nile, was founded by the Arab con- querors A. D. 970, on the the east bank of the Zion, and partakes largely of the main Mahomedan characteristics of upper, mid dle and lower Egypt. Our side down was through thickly settled country, inhabited mostly by Musselmen, living in small villages with apparently few comforts that would indicate civilized life. We saw them blowing with wooden blows, one OK in ad- vance of the other irrigating their lands by buckets and many scriptural modes which would indicate little or no progress for many centuries. What an innovation a railroad must have been to these uncivil- ized creatures! The Nile is at low water. and crops are in their prime, fields of wav- Ing wheat, and other grain nearly ripe for harvest. and fruit so plentiful as to be sick ening. Within 20 miles of the city you get your first views of the deserts, Libyan on the west and Arabian on the east, and with glass could distinctly see numerous tents, camels, &c., moving over this vast sandy plain. We reached our hotel at jus, one o'clock, ate heartily and took carriages for Feliopolis, as the shower just before our arrival had providentially arranged a fine drIve free from dust. This ancient city, the Bible ''On," or city of the Sun. Soon after passing the suburbs of the city we met the son of the Khedive who was recently married to the daughter of the Sultan of Turkey. A friend of mine at- tended the wedding. He was in close carriage with six mounted escorts with long flowing white robes, and two elegant ly dressed runners, with the speed of horses, waving their silver rods and shouting to make way for the great and mighty Khe- dive's son. Behind followed a carriage