Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-18
RAS El TEEN PALACE.
ONE OF THE NOTABLE BUILDINGS OF ALEX
ANDRIA.

ONE OF THE NOTABLE BUILDINGS OF ALEX
ANDRIA.
The Ras Ell Teen palace has been partially
destroyed by the fire from the British
squadron. If the Alexandrians thought any
thing OF this whatever they have been unfor-
tunate. One of Arab Bey's first tasks was
to set Egyptian and Turkish troops to place
earthworks and guns on either side of this
edifice-the same which Dumas the elder
contemptuously referred to as the miserable
white building built by Italians. These
earthworks have the appearance of being not
altogether despicable from a military point
of view. The ostentation which was dis
played in mounting them with guns and
fixing accommodations for Egyptian SOL
diers in their vicinity, invited at
tack. The Alexandrians themselves were
accustomed to speak of Ras Ell Teen as
invincible, and long before the British
attack took place there was not a miserable
donkey-beater or yeller for backsheesh who
did not look upon the white outlines of the
pashe's palace, as they shifted TRANQUILITY on
the reflection Of the gently heaving waters OF
the harbor, and consider that it, at all
events, was a building which was sacred
from the attacks OF the Giaour. The harem,
a more lovely building still, which stood
upon higher ground, and the pomegranate
gardens of which looked down upon Alexan-
dria harbor on one side and the sapphire
blue Mediterranean upon the other, was not
more respected by the populace than the
palace, There were women there, it was
true. women gathered from the shores OF the
Persian gulf, dark-eyed beauties born IN the
ewcet and cedar clsd Gcorsizn vai-
of Hindoosten, Ethiopian slaves seized
from their homes in the Soudan-but
the cameI-iriver,,t the dragoman, the donkey
bow, nor any other in Alexandria thought
ANYTHING of the harem in importance as
compared with the palace of Ras Ell Teen.
That to then, was i sacred building, beaulI-
full and inviucibe by the will OF Allah. Few
Egyptians would approach it, driving around
the northern circle of the harbor, without
pausiug to saIaam it and murmur with re-
spect that truly it was the abode of the great
prophet, and therefore worthy of the most
nrofound yeneratiop. The palace is stu ated
upon the northern bend of the western har-
Dor, and its frontage dips right down into
the tide The stories which have been told
of the bowstring and the mysterious caiques
in the homes of Turkish voluptuaries on the
Boephorus are plentiful OF this same palace
on the wafer in Alexandria. Ancient resi-
dents, looking across the sandy shores on the
opposite side, have seen yelled boats pushed
off into the stream, heavy sack thrown
overheard, and the slaves returning in their
craft to the white palace, leaving behind
them, euveloped in the silent rolling and in
exorable waters, come tale of a sated pasha's
disgust or the miserable mortal remains of
poor human amour. Ii is built, or was, upon
the southern shore OF the island of Pharos,
and was surrounded by series of forts, which
were supposed to render it imPregnable TO
attack from the mainlsnd. The FIRE from the
British feet which destroyed ii has not only
spoiled the chance of Arab Bey making
snccessfuI defepse of the forts which sur
rounded the Ras Ell Teen, but has ruined GER
tajnly the most costly buildings 10 Alex
andris. Adjoining it were gigantic stables
filed with horses OF all breeds. from the do
cile ard dimiputive Arab to the larger and
less tractable English charger. In the build
ing itself there were a series OF magnlhcent
rooms. representative of the principal Eu-
ropean countries The furnishings Of the
Paris, the Roman and the London rooms
we're especially remarkable for costliness and
characteristic design.