Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-07-22
THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT.

-I0C hhlDOr ana etCs
The population of Alexandria has in
creased from 5000, century ago, to
300, 900 at the presentday. The modern
city is built on the isthmus connecting
the mainland with the island of Pharos
and on the island itself. The new
streets, like.the rue eileen and the
rue de Meidan, present the aspect of a
European city, but in the Turkish quar-
ter the streets are narrow and dirty.
The new embankment along the eastern
harbor, and the new buildings on the
great square of Mehemet Ali have added
greatly to the attractiveness of the city
The palace of the pasta and the lofty
harem first strike the strangers atten-
ton on entering the city. Among the
other large buildings are the custom
house, the arsenal, the medical, naval
and other schools. The Place Mehemet
Ali, or grand square of the consuls,
where the greater part of the ma ssacre
in the recent riots took place, is the
centre of European Alexandria. The
older houses recall somewhat those of
Italian sea ports. On this square are
principal hotels, bankers, steamship
offices, and the dwellings of most of the
consuIs. At each extremity of the
square is q fountain, which at sunrise
and sunset is surrounded by Arabs per-
forming their additions. The pasba's
palace is finely situated facing the sea,
and is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
The grand staircase is of Carrara mar
bic. The buildings of the harem stand
opposite the palace.
The form the land on which
"Scandaria'-the name by which Alex,
andria is now known to the Arabs-has
been described as like a Macedonian
cbalamys, or soldiers mantle. There
is projecting peninsula into the Medi.
terranean which at the point spreads
out to east and west, forming two bays,
that on the west being now the modern
harbor of Alexandria. This was secure
from every wind bat that from the
northwest, and to avoid this break
water was begun ten or twelve years
ago; it runs from northeast to south
west, and it now makes the harbor eafe
from any wind that blows. The old
Pharos is generally supposed to have
been at the eastern end of the PENN.
sula; the bay on the east was in ancient
times called the Great Harbor, and
that one on the west called the Port of
Eunostus. Both Of these ports seem to
have been difficult Of access, from sunk
rocks about the entrances. The entrance
to the present harbor is still in condi-
ton which requires great caution, and
vessels always take on board an Arab
pilot before doing SO. The passage is
very narrow, but once passed the sound
ings are deep and the anchorage good.
The objects which attract the visitor
as he enters the harbor are the number
of forts or batteries along the sandy
nights where the palace stands. They
are of various forms and sizes. Never
having gone along the ground on which
they stand it is impossible to describe
them in detail +; it will be enough to say
that the whole length of these heights
are covered with them. They command
the passage which ships must take in
coming in to pass the breaawater.
There are large and formidable bat
teries round the lighthouse at the other
end of the breakwater. 1t is on the
sand ridge where Arab Pasha is taid to
be constructing batteries, and the ques.
tions asked in Parliament are silent az
to the existing defensive works which
Rave been visible to every one enterin
Alexandria for years past. These forts
were all heavily armed some years ago by
Ismail Pasha, as he expected an attack
from the Sultan when there was q
dispute about authority aud vessalage.
Aiabi Pasha may be adding to or i'm.
proving these works, but he cannot re-
quire any more batteries to drive ships
of war away, for it would be useless to
lombard these forts unless there was a
sufficient force to land and carry
them by assault. These sea batteries
are the real defences of Alexandria; the
town itself is surrounded by an old wall
of the medieval kind, which would
offer no difficulty to an attacking force.
A large rock at the entrance of the
great artificial harbor obliges ships to
be piloted in ziezag fashion during The
day, while at night they cannot enter at
all. In stormy weather large vessels
sometimes remain outside for days, fear
ing they will be cast upon this reef, il
they attempt to enter. The Alexandria
harbor is work of lesser magnitude
than the Suez Canal, though its local
importance is greater. The outer break.
water, two miles long, is more than
that distance from the quays, while