The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-01-24
Ghinss Sbroad.
wIHTRRIHa IN CAIRO.

WINTERING IN CAIRO.
| Il is becoming so fashionable to visit
Cairo during the winter season, and either
to pass part or the whole winter there,
that many readers will no doubt be inter.
ested to learn little about the gayetics
and amusements which go on in the CAPT
tai city Of the Khedive. Few who have
read descriptions of old Cairo, could i'm
agine on arriving at night in this city, that
it was the same place, 50 modern is its
appearance. Driving from the railway
station through the well-lighted streets
into the Usbekieh, with its shops and
buildings, and cafes chaatants, past Shep-
heard's Hotel and the gardens of the Khe-
dive to the new hotel, and the round
Place" with its fountain in the centre,
the fine opera house, government buildings,
ETC., one could almost imagine ones self
in part Of Paris IL it were not for the
cries "Yenienak" (right,) "Schumalak" "
Cleft, for every one drives the side he
chooses in Cairo Of the coaehmen and
syces (runners0 the flaming torches Of
the running bearers belonging to the vice
regal and harem carriages, or the sight Of
the Arabs lying strewed about in the streets
fast asleep, rolled in their rugs, the per-
petual barking Of the wild pariah dogs,
and the braying of donkeys These two
latter noises rather disturb the peace Of
night for the weary traveller on first arriv-
ing in Cairo; but the ear soon becomes
accustomed to the sounds, and hardly no
tices them.
The morning light awakens one soon to
the fact that one is in real eastern city /;
the grave looking, slow marching camels,
carrying their heavy loads, with but rarely
a swifter footed drOmedary, gayly trapped,
his rider securely seated on his enormous
saddle, real Bedouin of the desert, in
flowing burnOus, gaudy turban, waist
scarf stuck full Of awful-looking weapons,
q long carbine over his shoulder, and saw
age, though good-looking face, speeding
along at a swinging trot; the donkeys Of
all sorts, the little over-worked carriers of
stone, vegetables, and multitude Of other
things-the saddle donkeys for hire, more
or less good in appearance, the grand white
donkeys having private owners, beautifully
groomed, with their own attendant, and
with trappings Of crimson and gold, tasseIs
and chains of silver, their heads reined up
tightly, and ambling proudly along the
little, badly-made, low, squeaking, rumbling
carts, dragged by weary old horse or a
young bullock the cabs, or "arbaggies, y
as they are called here, and which are
infinitely more comfortable than London
cabs, each with its little pair Of overworked
Arab horses, and quantities of wild dogs
wandering, sleeping, fighting at every
corner.
Then glance at the people--nearly every
costume meets the eye, from the European
lady and gentleman to the common street
Arab, with his bare feet, flowing gown Of
dirty light-blue cotton, reaching from his
shoulders to his heels, and still dirtier
brown or red felt skull cap on his shayen
head, with his wife trolling after him, clad
from head to bare feet in dark blue cling
ing garments, heavy load on her head,
and the hideous yashmak" covering all
her face except her eyes. Alas for those
who come to the East dreaming of glori-
Gus Eastern beauty beneath the modest
veil. The real thing" is a hideous piece
Of black stuff, looking like long black
tongue, fastened across the face under the
eyes, and kept in its place by metal chain
down the centre Of the forehead, and Civ
ing the most beautiful eyes decided ex.
preston Of squirting; and the eyes nearly
all are small and blear-looking. However
poets and painters may rave, beautiful
eyes are quite as rare, if not more so, in
the East as in Europe, and then there is
no variety, as they are all of the same color,
namely, black. Occasionally, Of course,
one sees what one reads of so often, that
is, a pair Of large, languishing orbs, black
as night, with fringe of eyelashes which
any one might envy, their beauty heigten-
ed by the black kohl lines drawn beneath
them, for the Eastern women are not In
any way behind time in their knowledge
Of cosmetics. The "henna-tipped finger" "
however, Of which, think, it is Moore
talks with such vivid imagination, do not
fancy any one would admire, the "shell-
pink" Of the poets being, in reality, a
hideous brick red stain, with which both
women and men daub their entire fingers
and palms. However, these are the beau
ties Of the lower class, aud l shall have
more TO say presently of the beauty and
dress Of the harem ladies'.
| To return to the street costumes, which
are chiefly those of men, as the Turkish
and Arab ladies confne their outgoings