The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-10-14
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
tFrom our own Correspondent

Cairo Egypt, Sept. %, 18S2.-Vol-
umes would never exhaust the charms
and marvels of this Egyptian capitol,
which by strange turn of fortune is
now held by the British troops. FL
Masr el-Kahera, "The Victorious Me
tropolis, has gone through all sorts of
vicissitudes since the Fatemite General
Gowher founded it in A. d. 900. 1t
occupies an area of between three and
four square miles, and contains at the
present day not less than 100000 in
habitants. The citadel towers above
the eastern end of this vast area of fiat
roofs, domes, and minarets, visible
from its ech0ing streets and lanes; and
in spite of the heats of September, will
afford q pleasant as we'll as an historic
and dignIfied, billet to the Victors of
Of Tel-el-Kebir Even in the hottest
part of the year it is cool in the Cair-
enc mornings among the alabaster col
umns and upon the marbel courts and
galleries of the Mehemet Ali Mosque,
which is the chapel, 50 to speak, of
the Fortress. And those who hold
Saladiv's ramparts in force are always
masters Of Egypt from the sen to the
Cataracts. The celebrated emin-
ence" has been for nearly a thousand
years the central and the dominating
site of the entire Nile Valley.
But the extent, and true character
and endless hidden life of this ancient
and wonderful city which the English
soldiers have just rescued from fire and
sword, can only be studded when the
main streets are left, and the explorer
Of Cairo plunges into the labyrinth of
lanes. In and out, up and down,
round and round they wind-nar-
row, mysterious, dim passages, where
it is always twilight, even at high
noon, and dark as midnight itself after
sunset, except for the sparkle of an
occasional lamp or the gleam from a
carved or latticed window. The pas
senger after dark in old Carlo carries
his own lantern, that he may not
stumble over dogs and beggars, or the
sleeping guardians of the housegates.
He goes, as it were, interminably be-
tween walls of masonry striped in
black and white, or red and white,
passing now and again richly carved
gateways, and mosque fronts, or pub
lie fountains, where the thirsty suck in
their Eli from brass nozzles projecting
from the masonry; by mysterious
walls, without a door or window,
which enclose, perchance, lovely in
ner courts, inlaid with rich marble
and adorned with embroidered col
umns and fountains-now seeing a
dried crocodile swinging in the night
air-now meeting a wedding process
sion with torches. 1t is the one city
still, and in spite Of all the rash mis-
chief wrought by so-called improve
ments"-where the East Of Alnaschar
and Of Aladdin is pleasantly apd east
ly realized. You meet the people of
the Thousand and One Nights" in
the course of a single moonlight or
midday stroll along the inner bazaars
and out-of-the-way quarters of old
Cairo. Abon Hassan, says a charm
ing and accurate American writer, sat
by the city gate as | passed, and l
distinctly saw Haroun Alraschid qui-
etly go by in his old disguise as a
Mosul merchant. I could not but
wink at him, since | knew of so many
Of his midnight doings in the old Bag
dad times. But he only stared instead
Of saluting, as friends should do in
masquerade There, too, was Sinbad
the Porter hurrying to Sinbad the
Sailor. | turned and watched him
disappear in the black shadows, but
I doubted if he could reach Bagdad in
time for the Eighth Voyage.