Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-04-13
An Egyptian Princess Court.

Hon. John NJ. Francis writes from
Egypt to his paper, The Troy Times,
an entertaining account of his visit to
the Princess Manzoor, the eldest
daughter of the khedive, and the only
wife of Pasha Manzoor. She occupies
one of the many fine palaces belonging
to the khedive. As the Princess
speaks French very well, occasionally
Americans sojourning at Cairo who
may desire to see an Egyptian princess
ask to be presented to her. Visitors
are met at the garden gate inside the
palace walls by four slave girls, fine
looking young Circassian girls beauti-
fully attired i'll gay colored silk dresses
with long trails, jaunty silk turbans,
satin shoes of gay colors, and rich jew
elry. There the visitors are received
by two Nubian men attired in rich
broadcloth, and four more Circassian
slave girls, equally we'll attired as the
first, who lead the way up wide mar
bic staircase into large, richly-fur-
nished waiting-room, where they are
received by the princess lady of honor
and offered richly-jeweled chibouks
and coffee la Turk, in cup-holders of
gold, studded with diamonds. Then
half-dozen more pretty slaves, gayly
dressed and richly jeweled. conduct
the visitors through several beautiful
apartments, followed by the train of
girls. and at last reach the door of the
grand salon. where the princess, sur.
rounded by a bevy of still more beau
tiful and elegantly-dressed slaves,
meets them and leads the way to
large and luxurious divan. Immedi.
ately the inevitable chibouks are again
brought, while the princess enjoys
hers amazingly. The tobacco was so
highly perfumed that it's natural odor
was entirely. disguised, and one real
lied only most delightful fragrance.
Again coffee was served, after which
the princess had recourse to a jeweled
cigarette box, from which she took out
a richly-jeweled cigarette. holder, and
appeared quite as familiar with cigar
cites as with the chibouk. One of the
many beautiful gilt ornaments upon a
little table near the divan was in the
shape of tree. from which issued
dainty little cigarettes. This salon
was magnificent in its furniture and
mirrors, its floral and ornamental dec
orations. After an hour of pleasant
chat, the princess. taking her visitors
by the hand, led them into her little
boudoir, which was gem of beauty,
with its many mirrors and gilded fur
niture of antique forms covered with
richly.embroidered Persian cashmere,
mixed with crimson velvet, and bas-
kets, mounds, and festoons of beauti-
full flowers of French manufacture.
All of the floral decorations in the
place are artificial work manufactured
in Paris. The princess study room is
another bijou of an apartment. In
one corner Of the room was large sal
yer of gold and silver, upon which was
q bowl of same metals s-the princess
washbasin, as she told us; near at
hand was the towel of white silk, en-
broidered with gold and silver thread,
and the Bohemian glass vase of per-
fumed water, which she considered an
essential accompaniment. In this
room were some beautiful ornaments
in alabaster and in gold and silver.
There were twenty-five slave girls in
attendance during the visit, all of
whom were richly attired and jeweled.
The princess has fifty slave girls at her
command.