The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-06

there A band of music was playing charm
ing tunes. In the centre of this garden wa!
a lake on which numerous boats were plying
In another quarter was the grandest arti
fetal grotto with various fountains. Al
immense amount of shrubbery, flowers o
all kinds, cactus plants, geraniums in full
bloom, and great variety of evergreen
trees which only an eastern cline can pro
duce, were everywhere arranged in the mos
elegant manner Refreshments of all kind
were served there, such as dates, figs, OF
anges and fruits common to Egypt. Tn,
weather was like that we enjoy on bright
beautiful June day No fear of rain. How
grand to escape the rigors of winter Nc
4 snow this year for our party, but a perpet
ual sunshine instead. We enjoyed the
healthy, braeing atmosphere of this gar
den, and philosophical upon the customs
of the quaint and curious people befor'
us, No one can imagine the oriental splen
+ dor of silk and satin of some of the gran
dees in this city, and no one can conceive
/ in what inexpressible rags others of tn,
Egyptians are clad Cairo alone, of all tn,
cities know, can produce such extremes
/ We went to see the Khedives grand palace
of this city 1t was being fitted up for tn,
princess and forty of her attendants. Thn
is mild way of calling them harem
This building, which We had the pleasure
of seeing, contains 800 rooms. all furnished
in the most gorgeous style. No splendoI
in Europe or America could equal what
saw in this palace. This oriental palace
Of which the khe,live has seventy in mum
Der, Is truly astounding. The hest carpets
in the world cover the floor. The riches;
crimson velyets and silks are used for ehairs
and large divans. Al the rooms have diff
ferent eolored silks and satins Everything
Is gilt or painted 10 the highest extent
Money was no object until the government
could no longer pay these sumpsuous lux
ugies. Il would require some of any lady
readers to 90 of in tangent to describe all
the coiors and beauty found in this palace.
Amid all this grandeur the sad reflection
occurs, how IS it possible for one man 10
rcyel in such luxury while the vas; num-
bers Of his people are 80 Poor and oppreSs-
ed In seeing this ! had TO exclaim, give
a government whose ruler has common
sense and wallows not in the mire uf int
qnity
There are no stree; car nor omnibass-as
in Cairo The lonkeys convey passengers
from one place To another. For one pi-
astre 4 ) cenis) ride can BE- taken through
the city. / wonder why some enterpriSing
Yankee has not tired to introduce these
noble animals into cur cities and towns |
rest assured they would bc success- Our
boatblacks might make good doakey-boys
and it would be interesting to- -. an editor
Of a newspaper ride in search o. opy. or
some LAWYER in haste % ecllec, bill Ihe
ladies woald say. a. they DO here, il woas9
be .jus, nice 10 take rlde 10 70 "a-shop-
ping. How easily one becomes accastom-
Cd 10 the habits Of the people ia a strange
country We now ride these little animals
with a. much eomfoT1 and uncuncern a.
We would at home 20 out in earriage.
Among the strange sights We saw in the
streets Of Cairo was an Egyptian snake
charIner. He Was barefoot and had ga
greasy outer garment thar locked ike a
night shirt He drew frun his b,som
live alligator about foOs long With it
BE- performed various tricks lie next pro
dncca two snakes about two feat in length.
These were obediens to al his commands,
and wriggle-wragglesi in every shape and
form possible. He then took eat of his
pooket live porcupinc and box fuil Of
SCORPIONS. Thess wrre handled in the most
Disgusting manner lie noW brought 0sit
Of large leather sack srrpcnt fully SIX
fect long. To che horror Of the spectators,
he made this snake 20 through series Of
eyolations which makesme shnddrr to think
that man can become - degraded a. 10 pGt
himself on level With poisonous reptiles.
All wound up By asking 'hackshessh from
the crowd. When be reviewed this he put
snakes, scorpions. alligator aud porcupine
again Into his bosom and walked away. A
country that has such loafhsome beings j.
truly wonderful and sfiorls reaectioR 10 the
philosopher
With reluctance We left Csiro fer Sae1,
a distance Of $50 milss by railroad We
eroSsed well cultivated district sad reach
ed Zagazig, place Of great commercial
Interest. This town has thirty steam power
cleaning and pressing cotton mills, and gives
evidence of great industry al the head of
the desert. Leaving XAgaxig We went
through the desert of Ahoukekir until wc
reached Suez, At the mouth Of the great
canal which separates Africa from Asia.
Ii was a novel and interesting sight for us
To pass through the desert in the ears.
Far a. the eye could reach nothing bat sand
and gravel for 100 miles. The railVoad fol
lows the course Of the sweet water canal frnm
Cairo TO Suez. This canal furnishes the
drinking water for Suez aud became necee-
sary for the digging Of the great Sues canal
that DECREASES the distance to be travelled
between Europe and India By Suez the
route now Is only $500 miles, whereas il
was formerly IL 200 miles. At SHes We
saw the Red Sea. from which We took
drink Of its salty water. We had here in
tended to cross over into Asia to Mt. Sinai.
This would have been a journey Of Is days
with eamels across the desert. But our
trip had to be abandoned by reason of
threatened cholera among the pilgrims who
are returning from Mecca.
Leaving Suez, we directed our course TO
Port Said. On our way thither We stopped
two DAYS at Islnailia, which stands by the
shore of lake Timsah This town has the
most beautifully maeadamized roads that /
have vet seen. 1t is situated in the land
of Goshen, that was of old given TO the
brethren of Joseph, the ruler of Egypt.
Our stay here was prolonged by reason of
having to wait for a steamer 10 Jatfa. We
went by the Suez canal, distance of go
miles. TO Port Said. This canal is one of
the great works Of the nineteenth century,
and strikes the tourist with wonder. Its
traffic is immense-the revenue now amount
ing to eight millions of dollars a year, In
going through this canal we met numerous
steamers on their way to the East Indies
and China. But what a wOndrous amount
of labor it was for the Egyptian, who uses
no shovel but simply basket and grubbing
hoe in digging canals or making railroads.
1t is very amusing to see how awkwardly
work is done in this country.
When we came to Port Said We had to
wait another day because our steamer was
late through violent storms on the Mediter-
ranean. 1t was Sunday, but very few
seemed to know this important fact At
one time / counted eighteen ocean steamers
waiting to go through the canal. In the
.,,o,,:ae. oe Eah 0k wa took tho GsRia