Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-19

LOW LIFE IN EGYPT.-A correspondent
writes from Egypt: From my window 10 what
believe to be the most southern hotel 10 all
Africa above Cape Colony, at Minich, Upper
Egypt, l looked down into the interior of the
houses of many of these agricultural laborers,
II houses the simple structures can be called
They consist Of clay inclosure of irregular
shape, six feet high and ten to twelve feet
square. Across one corner of this inclosure is
thrown few bundles of reeds or cane, which
form shelter from the uoonday rays of the
sun. The door of this inclosure opens into
similar one, but without such shelter, in which
at suorise stand donkey and buffalo COW
and her calf: ibis yard opens toto the street,
from which 1t IS separated by door of plated
reeds. This structure the Egyptian calls bis
home. Here he lives, here his children are
born, here he expects to. die. The whole af:
fair costs probably five dollars besides his own
labor
ln the neiebborhood Of the town he may
rent small plot OF ground at the rate of
$40 per acre; he also possesses the buffalo
cow and her calf, a donkey and a few
goats; then perhaps $40 worth of tools,
furniture and clothing, and ornaments for
his wife and family. This ends the cat.
alogue OF Achmet's worldly possessions.
Yet Achmet is the most Independent man 10
the world, and it is just this independence that
ruins him; this absolute freedom that keep him
10 such abject poverty. He wants help from
nobody; he shares his task with nobody. He
is utterly ignorant of that great modern secret
Of power-the division Of labor. He does not
support shoemaker, because he and bis fami-
Iy so barefoot the entire year, nor tailor, be.
cause his wife, Fatima, takes the cotton cloth
from the bazaar, and sewing few seams, makes.
upon similar and most simple plan, all the
garments OF the family; nor does be need
WOODEN mill, tor he sits at the door of his hut
spinning with single spindle sometimes all
day long. Nor do his needs extend to a wagon
maker; the donkey transports everything he
rcqures-hls homemade, sun dried bricks. his
bay, himself, Farma and his children. He
wants 10 miller. for Fatlma, turning one fat
stone upon another, grinds the corn aud wheat
to coarse powder. Dispensing with the
oven, Eauma mixes this powder with water
and bakes 1t in rude stone and clay oven.
which Acbmet, aself-taught mason has built in
one corner OF the outer yard He needs 40
halter, for he rolls his turban of white muslin
hmselt-aud this to the European is the most
attractive work of art of which Achmet is cspa.
bic. tie scarcely patronzes the comb-maker,
because his head, tor cleanliness sake, is shaven
as close as the chin of Frank He requires
no physlclao, because he has suspended around
the necks OF his family, in durable leather
bags, scraps OF paper bearing magical texts
from the Koran, which a scribe who sits cross
legged at the corner OF a street, is ready to
write at moments notice, and these are the
cheapest and best preyentives and cures for all
diseases
Even his dissipatioos are of his own prepara.
ton; be grows drowsy 90 tobacco raised on his
bit of ground, which he smokes as cigarette,
rolled by himself. He smokes or chews the
hasheesh grown by stealth in his garden, and
he lDtoxicates himself upon the date spirit
which he has fermented and distilled in his
primitive alembic. Fatima's entire domestic
establishment has 90 work for a cooper, for all
her vessels, except an iron pan, are of coarse
earthenware. Nor does she need churn, for
saw her from my window use the most singular
and primitive cburn in the world She brought
from some mysterious corner a skin of last
year goat, which had been taken from the
animal as nearly whole as possible. To each of
What represented the legs of this animal she
tied the end.of cord, then brought the other
ends together in knot, and suspended the
whole to peg FIVE feet above the ground 10
the wall. She now proceeded to open the skin
at the neck and pour into it buffalo milk or
cream from large jar
She blew the skin full of air, and tying the
neck tightly with string. sat down upon the
ground to shake it, For FIVE minutes she shook
1t with both hands back and forth-the buffalo
COW herself looking on With a most knowing
expression and ruminatiog slowly the while
then the air was let off and fresh supply
blown in from the lungs of the woman. This
alternate shaking and supplying with air was
continued for half an hour, when there was ev-
ldenty mass of butter rolling about within
the bag The but:ermik was poured off into
the cream jar and carefully preserved, the but
ter squeezed into coherent lump. and the op.
Grafton was complete.
NORN KNIVES and CORN HOOKS.
I 1,rh hnlnaal Ia :,