Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-29
Letter from Egypt.
.JEBE1 SHIGRE, March 4th. ISL

tNOTE.-Je DeI, OleDel5 OF Sebti, ~
written on the maps is the Arabic for
mountain.)
Dear Journal Having made an
other halt for a few days, l continue
the topic of my last letter. descrip-
ton OF the personnel of our expedi-
ton.
The sheiks are distinguished from
their interiors chiefly by wearing the
usual Oriental robes more or less
plain, and turbans, while the common
people are always bare headed and
barefooted. Nothing protects their
heads from the fierce heat of the sun
but their long and artistically arranged
hair. always we'll streaming with
grease. But even old men who are
quite bald wear no head covering.
The usual dress of the camel drivers
is a band of cotton originally white,
loosely wrapped around the loins and
hanging half way to the knees, with
another band thrown around the neck
and shoulders like a scarf and fire.
ouenIty dispensed with altogether. I
notice frequently one of them whose
costume on the ma CHI consists solely
of the aforesaid band around his loins,
and a pair of brass mounted hint-lOck
pistols stuck into it. They all carry
weapons-some lances and shields !;
others, old flint and even matchbox
muskets of the most fanciful and ex-
traordinary patterns. All the shelks
carry large straight two-edged swords
| with small cross-hilts, and of the most
ingeniously Unbalanced construction.
TLey generally buy the blades only,
| and the musket barrels and locks
! which are imported from Germany,
; they make their own hits and scab-
I bards for the swords and stocks for the
muskets. Some of the old swords be-
| longing to the head men, such as Mo-
hammed Ralifa, are mounted with
handsome silver hits and owing to the
antiquity and fneness of the blades are
estimated at a very high price.
Most of these people have very re-
markable heads and faces. They are
nearly black, but that is the only point
of resemblance with the negro. They
are small but very well formed with
small hands and feet. Their facial
angle is 80 deg, and the breadth and
! holiness of their fOreheads are striking.
| One of them has q head like Horace
Greelev-another is just like the busts
OF Socrates. Many have long oval
faces with thin lips, sharp chins and
fine aouiline noses of the best Hebrew
tyre. Some OF them exhibit Just sucl
types of face as we find among our in
telligent classes and there can be DC
doubt that they came from pure Cir
cassian stock.
Last, but by no means least, [ vii
gay word about our soldiers and the
Egyptian army i'll general. The grea
majority Of the recruits are taken by
CONSUMPTION from the te{iahs tpeas
antry) of Upper, Middle and Lower
Egypt. The term of service is no
very long, so that large proportion
of the male population pass in turf
through the army. The Egyptian
soldier is rarely under five feet 81,
.nches ana many are six feet and over
His complexion - probably Httl
darker than that OF the native Cuban
and differs i'll hue from the mulatt'
tinge. His hair is straight, glossy ant
black, but not SO coarse and stiff a
the Indians, and he wears it extremel,
short. The common people nsuall,
have their heads shaved with n raZo
several times year.. His form is per
fest, with Glnall hands and feet, and h
, stands as straight as an Gtfow. Alto
gether the 2IhHSiquA of the Egyptial
soldier is far superior to tina
, Of the French or Italian. Lik
, all Southern races, he is extreme
, ly abstemious in his diet His ration
, consists of coarse bread, onions, len
, ills, little butter or oil, and twice
weel, a small quantity of fresh mutton
, On this s.}antH fate i.e gar stand
wonderful amount of labor ana fatigEe
All the troops | have seen are extreme
ly well drilled They are armed witt
the Remington 1itie-musket (breecl
. loader of American make, as good al
, arm as is to be found in any country
and Judging frem several target firing
, THAI W. have hal. the soldiers are a
good shcts as tho ayafage CT On. OHIO
, army. Whenever We have remaine,
, long at any camp and there was n
fatigue duty for the soldiers i'll tn
way Of excavations, &c. they hav
, been put to drilling by their lieuten
ants, who are excellent drill masters
and. considering the months that hav'
elapsed since they had req, lar drill
ing, they have astOnished me by TIL
perfection of their marching, manua
Of arms and bayonet exercise. The,
grill W tie French system. TRANSLATED
into Arabic, which is the very sam,
one known in America as Hardee'
drill. All the words of command a
we'll as all military terms are in Turk
ish, (the language of the conquerors O
Egypt The manner and inhe1ion
of voice in uttering the commands ar,
exactly Ito oErs. 4 corporal is called
um-bashi (chief OF ten1, sergeant
tchawish Heutent, miiazim captain
yuse-bachi (chief of hundred)
Major, bim-bachi (chief of a thou
sand); LieutenantC alonel, cai-macam
and Colonel, Bey or niir-alai. al
ihasa ere Turkish words. The Lieut.
Colonies are also Gaile.i Beys, and al
the military Deys rank the civil Bsys
The uniform of the Egyptian arm,
is of white heavy cotton drilling, will
metal buttons. The trousers are o.
the full zouave cut for the infantry
and the ao4i j. & very short tunic
skirts not over elgtIb o. Ten lnches
long. Having two suits, the soldiers
keep their uniforms as white as snow
All the troops are supplied with excel
lent shoes. coarse shirts and drawers =
a long dark brown wooden capote with
q hood for cool weather, and good
blankets al their accoutrements are
excellent and tie cavalry are very
well mounted. The line ohlcers wear
in full dress. the French uniform
dark blue cloth trnic and red trousers.
The staff wear a dark blue tunic and
light blue trousers. All the army
wear the national red tarboush.
The obedience and subordination of
the t-oo.fs ere perfect. [ never saw a
more quiet, respectful ent. willing set
of men than the soldiers we have with
us, or who performed duty with more
alaeriiy, o. gave less trouble The
certainty OF punishment has something
to do with it, but natural docility still
more.
Among theimprovements introduced
in the army is one which most Euro
pean governments would do we'll to
initiate, and it is chiefly DUG to the ex-
| ertions of orr American Chief OF staff.
It is the establishment of regimertal
schools in wiiok the soldiers are
taught the rudiments of co1nn.on ed
rlcation. Twenty years ago, hardly
the field officers Of a regiment could