The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-30
TIE EGYPTIAN PEASANT.

TIE EGYPTIAN PEASANT.
THE MOST INDEPENDENT MAN IN THE
WORLD.
From my window in what believe to be
the most southern hotel in all Africa above
Cape Colony, at Minieh, in Upper Egypt,
look down into the interior of the houses
of many of the agricultural laborerr, if
houses the simple structures can be called.
They consist of clay enclosure, of irregu-
lar shape, six feet high, and ten OF twelve
feet square. Across one corner OF this en-
closure is thrown few bundles of reeds or
canes which form a shelter from the noon
day rays of the sun. The door Of this en-
closure opens into q similar one, but with
out such shelter, in which at sunrise stan d
q donkey and q buffalo cow and her calf.
This yard opens into the street, from which
it is separated by a door of plated reeds.
This structure the Egyptian calls his home.
Here he lives, here his children are born,
here he expects to die. The whole affair
cost probably Eve dollars besides his own
labor. In the neighborhood of the town he
may rent small plot of ground at the rate
of ten dollars per acre; he also possesses
the buffalo COW and her calf, donkey,
and few goats then, perhaps, ten dol
lars worth of tools, furniture, and cloth
ing, and onaments for bis wife and family
This ends the catalogue of 'Achmets
| worldly possessions. Yet Achmet is the
most independent man in the world, and it
is just this independence that ruins him ;
this absolute freedom that keeps him in
such abject poverty. He wants help from
nobody /; he shares his tasks with
nobody. He is utterly ignorant of the
great modern secret of power, the division
Of labor. He does not support shoe
maker, because and his family go barefoot
the entire year; nor tailor, because his
xv;Ho Eok;Doo toh oa tho cotton. clnkh frnun
the bazaar, and, sewing q few seams, makes,
upon o similar and most simple plan, all
the garments of the family; nor does he
need wooden mill, for he sits at the door
of his hut spinning with single spindle
sometimes all day long. Nor do his neede
transports every thing he requires, his
home made, sun-dried bricks, his hay
himself, Fatima, and his children. He
wants no miller, for Fatima, turning one
fat stone upon another, grinds the corr
| and wheat to coarse powder. Dlspens
| ing with the oven, Fatima mixes this pow
der with water and bakes it in rude stone
and clay oven, which Achmet self- laugh
mason has built in one corner of the oute
| ward. He needs no halter, for he rolls hi
| turban of white muslin himself-and this
to the European, is the most attractive
work of art of which Achmet is capable. HI
scarcely patronizes the comb maker, be
|
shaven as close as the chin of a Frank. III
/ requires no physician, because he ha
| suspended around the necks of his family
in durable leathern bags, scraps of pape
bearing magical text from the Koran
which a scribe, who sits cross legged at tn
corner of the street, is ready to write a
a moments notice; and these are tn
cheapest and best preventives and cure
for all diseases. Even his designations are @
his own preparation. He grows drowsy o.
tobacco raised on his bit of ground, whic
he. smokes as a cigarette, rolled by himself
He smokes or chews the hasheesh grown b
stealth in his garden, and he 1ntoxicate
himself upon the date spirit which he ha
fermented and distilled in his primitiv
alembic Fatima's entire domestic estat
lishment has no work for a cooper, for a
her vessels, except an iron pan, are OF coars
earthen ware. Nor does che need chur
for saw her from my window use the mos
singular and primitive churn in the world
She brought from some mysterious corner
skin of last years goat, which had bee
taken from the animal as nearly whole a
possible. To each of what represented th
Iege of this animal she tied the end Of
cord, then brought the other ends togethe
in knot, and suspended the whole to
peg, FIVE feet above the ground, in the wal
She now proceeded TO open the skin at tn
neck and pour into it buffalo milk or crea1
from q large Jar. She blew the skin full G
air, and, tying the neck tightly with
string, sat down upon the ground to sbak
it. For five minutes abe shook it with bot
hands, back and forth-the buffalo COY
herself looking on with a most KNOWN
; expression and Illuminating slowly the Will
then the air was let of, and fresh sup
ply blown in from the lungs of the woman
This alternate shaking and supply with al
was continued for half an hour, when Their
was evidently mass of butter rolling abou
in the bag. The buttermilk was poured Of
into the cream jar and carefully preserved
the butter squeezed into coherent lump
and the operation was completed.
Pa, are you in favor of the Bible !
vouppster at the breakfast table tb