Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-02
NO. 26o.
AT CAIRO.

The train depositing us at Cairo, we
once more ride on the donkeys' backs, and
canter away along an avenue Of acacia
trees till we enter an extensive square,
where a garden is laid out. with fine
houses surrounding it, and soon arrive at
the Arab quarter Of the city, where the
oriental character at once strikes the in
terest of the traveller. We wind our way
through labyriDths of narrow streets, with
scarce room for two persons to walk
abreast, bending under low arches at ev-
cry alley, for can not call them streets.
As we gaze upward we discern a deep
blue serpentinc line Of sky between those
strange projections of lattice-work, the
windows of the dwelling houses, where
the fair women of the harem peer at the
sights below, yelled from the gaze OF the
common curious crowd by those wooden
screens, of every variety Of form, that
overhang the thoroughfare till they nearly
meet. Sometimes an old Saracenic house,
with its red and white stripes, horseshoe
arch, and inscribed portals, looks won
derfully picturesque and we peep through
the half-open door to where the dream of
the "Arabian Nights" is realized in yon
court, with its playing fountain and facade
where palm droops its fan-ike leaves in
the still silence of Moslem harem. How
strange is the jostling throng that idly
gaze and fill these contracted streets
There, cross-legged. sits the merchant on
the floor Of his shop, square closet void
of door or window, surrounded by lis silk
en- scarfs and shawls; slowly he curls the
smoke from his silent lips, and scarce q
,f hot hov ovAonuno apthv
face, with its flowing beard, which falls
on the gay-colored dress which harmon
lied so we'll with the striped tnrban. Let
US buy something of him. and the never
failing coffee and chibouque, or twisting
narghile, is forthcoming with a gracious
smile. and we squat. Turk-like. on the
carpet. silently watching the mass Of peo-
Pile habited in the all-varied hues Of the
rainbow. The Arab boy, attired in blue
jerkin, drags the donkey past with cry.
and an auctoneer, in brown coarse
cloth, loudly offers his goods for sale. A
Nos'em ullers his prayer softly at the cor
ner of the street. and is interrupted in his
meditations by the stick OF black running
slave, in q garb Of white muslin, who
clears the way for the yelled lady, whose
dark eyes OF liquid fire peer from out a
mass of silken wells as she gallops past.
riding in man-like fashion. Camels, over
laden with goods, stalk past; half-clad.
quarrelling Arabs fill the scene; ma
MACS wild chant is often heard, as he
saunters by with great turban. the mark
of Mahomet's descendants, bits Of tin jing-
ling about, as he receives money from the
by-standers, who hold the idea that he is
a saint. Through massive gate, painted
white and red, with high minarets, we
make our way to the citadel, the oldest
building by ninety years in Cairo. Most in
teresting is 1t to wander round the long COL
onnades that surround the large square, and
to trace those curious stone.carved cubic
characters on the wall, commemorating
the age of the building. 8l9, A. D., while
the Arab, ever ready with his tradition,
points out the tree where Abraham sacri-
feed the ram in place of his son. and the
shrine where Noah offered his thanksgiv-
ing after coming from the ark. Of far
more beauty and majestic grandeur than
the citadel is the mosque of Sultan Ell Has
san, which is entered through one of the
loftiest pointed arches, carved in its hollow
with that grotesque carving so beautiful
ly characteristic of Moorish architecture,
representing shell rising over shell to the
keystone Of the arch. A small vestibule
leads to the spacious hypathral rOohess
ball. which presents the same dlapidated
appearance. The richly-carved and gild-
ed wooden cornices are retting in the sun,
while the Bourbon feur de lis. relic of
the Crusades, crumbles with the towering
walls formed of the stones taken from the
Pyramid. Four recesses adjoin the court,
and in the eastern one is the niche of I'm
aum, where, on Friday. the Mahomedan
Sabbath, the priest of Islam offers his
prayers to God and the Prophet. Within
q small gloomy chamber, half lighted by
colored lamps OF Syrian glass, lies the
tomb of the founder, bearing the date CA.
D. 1868, and inscribed with the beautiful.
distinct characters of the Koran. We
must now ascend the citadel Of Cairo. 1t
is fortified by ancient walls, with European
bastions. Crowning the height is the new
mosque Of Mehemet Ali, vast dome, with
two elongated minarets, built of Oriental
alabaster. The costly material, however,
is to great extent sacrificed to the par
TALLY defective architecture; vet. withal,
we are more than compensated for this
blemish on viewing the interior. The no.
BILE court, with its cooling fountain, and
above all the colossal dome, figured with
golden letters on green ground, the
brightness of the different colored glass
windows, and the high columns, support
ing round arches and bearing fancy capi-
tails, give to the whole a superb effect.
As we return. the Well of Saladin, with
the ancient walls which detied the crusa-
ders, claims our notice In memory OF the
knights of old We must now hurry for
ward to Shoubra, the palace of the Vice.
roy of Egypt, about two miles along the
river. We enter under modern but
handsome Moorish gateway, and find our.
selves in luxuriant garden,
Where the flowers ever blossom, the beams ever
shine,
Where the light wings of zephyr, oppressed with
perfume,
Wax faint DER the gardens of Gyl in their bloom.
The yellow oranges are ripe the prickly
pear and the sweet plaintain hang invi.
lngly forth. The palace Of eastern luxu-
rance is before us. The marble fountain
sparkles from the placid pond. and kiosks,
and colonnades of white carrars stone are
reflected in the CLASSY pool. Soft SILK
divans line the rooms. where, on inlaid
polished floors, the harem ladies idly vile
~ .:.,,a o,yay Pey0iut utsrepee of E0yxf