New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-27
EGYPT REVISITED.
~, vorrs nv RAyARD TAYLOR.

cairo has somewhat reconciled me TO the changes III
the physiognomy of the newer half OF the cits' DC
cause they are the signs of coming ehanse III VIC
nuhhc and domestic life of the Orientals Simply
for artistic reasons would be gl&i 10 keep 'no
ancient houses with their carved doOrways, their
n;,lored conrts and the flushed seraghos beyond;
tho close irregular streets almost alwaysin shadow
,ho enjoy twilight bazars and the long lanes wbere
craftsmen of one trade work and gossip at ire same
time have fascinating stamp OF the OLD Ihaliia'e'
and we should lose many vivid ILLUSTRATIONS vi pass
history in losing them. But we mustreheupei ,n''
many of these picturesque features belong 10 Poh'i
cal and social conditions which either nave ceaseu
ar soon must cease The dwelling, for instance rep
rosents a secluded, unseen household the narrow
streets are synonymous with disease ana de1orm'S
Naturalization of forms of labor is sign OF caste
There can he no doubt that the broad. open streets
~ Cairo mean comfort and health to the inhab-
,tan1s When the trees now planted spread an arch
of shade above them. and the garden shrubs nave
grown into bowers the plaques of sun and dust VIII
disappear Moreover the rich Egyptian who lnhao-
its house built in the European style, cannot mann
tain wholly invisible harem. His wives who al
ready begin TO wear the white vail of thin TURKISH
cauze instead Of the hideous black mask OF the
Cairene women, must walk in gardens or SIT In
chambers partly open 10 the public gaze. One such
garden on the Shoobra road, is even adorned with
Italian statues of nymphs and goddesses. few,
brt not many of the new residences surrounded
with stone walls instead of iron railing The educa-
,;on of girls is the starting point the example OF
European women is another aid; but the reform
like all others of domestic character-must be ac-
complIshed with very little aid from the men, 70
camy is the natural tendency of the male sex, ex-
cent where the ethic sense has reached high or SEN
sitive point of Development.
Invent 10 see the dancing dervishes again, and sat
isfed myself that the performances belong to the
same class a. the shouting leaping mp and down, or
rolling and dancing excitements which were once
unite prevalent IN Kentucky and other Western
States They are produced by state of nervous ex-
altation See the lectures of DIR. Brown-Sequard),
which some are able to produce at will, and by
which Others are infected There were about 10 der
wishes in the ring; the movements were at nrst SLOW
and languid though little drum and two lnharmo-
NOUS flutes did what possible to quicken them.
The increase in the rapdIty OF the eyrations CORE
spond exactly with the rapt absorbed, bl1ssfui ex-
preston on the faces of the dancers. There was
boy Of H. dressed in pale green silk, who had evil
IDENTIFY lost all sense of time and place; but some OF
the older performers had partly exhausted their
power of happy abstraction, and studied the specta-
tors out of the corners of their eyes. The musical
accompaniment is an innovation; so also was the
permjssion granted 70 an English artist to he pres
ent and make sketches of the derylshes IN their
characteristic attitudes.
This reminds me that Mr.. Hamilton Wild OF Bos-
ton who has inst returned from the Second Gaia
ract. brings back collection of Nilotic studies
which satisfy me better than any have yet seem
Most artists who TO Egypt seek for strong, not
10 say violent effects of color; yet the distinguish
ing Characteristic of Egyptian landscape is aprepon-
derance of the sweetest and most exquisite gray
tnts. The sky here is never blue as i'll Italy or
4. IL i'm largo shining
masses the distances composed mainly of fawn-col-
ored sands OF yellow-gray mountains are delicately
sulued in toDe-in fact, nothing seems 10 CLEAN or
bnrn except the fields OF young wheat, as you look
across them toward the SUM- 1t Is scale OF Color
filed with most subtle and almost infinite grada-
tiops I am glad that competent painter has
st last seen the real instead of the conventional
Egypt. r ,;.
during the past few years. WINTER season IKE INC
nresent is am anomaly of course but there can beno
doubt that the average Winter temperature IN CAIRO
and the Delta Is lower than it at the beginning
of the century Since the foreign population has so
Iargelv increased we find also that the sanitary con-
ditions of the country have been underestimate
The hottest months are May and June, when the
wind is generally from the south and sometimes
rises into dry hot hurricane. which lasts TWO OF
three DAYS. The rising Of the Nile IN Ethopa
seems TO temper the atmosphere for two or three
weeks in advance of the inundation at Cairo. July
and August are hot during the middle hours OF the
dav. but have pleasant evenings and cool nights
and are not unhealthy. The chief danger OF fever
&c during September and October, but even then 1t
is not greater than in most of the Italian cities Our
Consul-G General Mr. Beardsley intends to spend the
coming Summer in Cairo with his family-a trial
of the climate last year. having satisfied INN that
il neither unhealthy nor oppressively hot
The comparatively large mortality among the
natives is accounted for by their habits OF life, ana
the low state of the healing art The boys who sur
vive DIRT prvaton, opbthalmia and other Diseases
become as good physical specimens OF men as one
finds in Italy Spain. The population OF Egypt
proper was 5,25l.551, the 18th OF March, le2 III
has probably increased about half million during
the last ten years. Nubia Ethiopia and Soudan add
about 100000 TO the inhabitants of what might
properly be called the Egyptian Empire. The pro-
portion of Copts is about Onetenth and the popua-
zion If Frank or European birth cannot now be
much less than 10000.
The climate during the last fortnight of our stay
In Cairo was simply perfect. To the raw winds and
chilly showers succeeded almost clorG:11s "@@ tS
famed nv odorous breezes from the growing gar
dens The temperature ranged between 7Oo and so
in the shade at noon falling to CO. In the evenings
uwas neither too warm to walk IN the sum- nor 700
cool TO sit in the shade Yet the unusual weather OF
the preceding weeks seemed TO have left It's marx III
the shape of coughs, ailments of the throat ana
rheumatic pains. Day by day the dahablyehs re-
turned from Upper Egypt, bringing all except a 1e"
bolated tourists and enticng reports OF the
full climate of the Thebaid. Oar time was TOO close
lx.neasured however. to allow us to ENJOY the re-
naming ten or twenty days Of delightful weather.
before the Lhamseen or south-wind. begins to blow
laa nf