Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-07
PharOS CasfIA
{ IRE. pcndencs London Times.

/ E~fsI~cfIC
Being at Alexandria in the spring of
last year, desired to visit the building.
and WIS fortunate enough to obtain a
permission to do so, which for long
time pest has been rarely granted. My
object, apart from motives of inter-
est in the old building iteelf, was to es-
certain, if possible, whether any signs
could be dLcerncd of its having been
erected on the actual foundation of is
more ancient and renowned prede ce~sor.
| My inspection was necessarily a very
| superficial one, but as fsrfs it could 90
1t confirmed me IN the belief that some
such indications are actuelly to he de-
tected, and | noticed in particular spot,
nesr one of the corners of the building.
where the wall could te perceived to
Tun in a direction not widely, but die
| tinctly, different from that of the pre-
sumably original foundation, with which
it formed a gradually divergent angle.
The Pharos YVES still in existencs in
q. ID. 1926. 1t became a complete din
between that date and A. D. 1349. The
present building was erected by the
Egyptian Sultan Kait-Bay. who reignCd
from A. d. 1853 to 1896. 1t may readily
be presumed that, according to the uni
form practice of the East, the ground
continued until that time encountered
with the ruins of its predecessor. The
name and titles of Kat Bay were imper-
fectly but Enthusiastically legible on one of
two much dCcayed limestone tablets over
the entrance of the gate. The latter WIS
roughly formed by three massive blocks
of granite. two of which, steudIng err ct.
served as jambs on either side, with the
third forming a Intel across the top. the
whole presenting peculiarly Ee yptian
appearance. A wide pass ge, turning at
an abrupt right angle to the left gave
access 70 a small mosque, consisting of
a hyp8threl court, with four archcd
recesses, one of which contained the lib
ldh and pulpit. The slight deviation of
the walls of the Q stle from the lines of
the ancient foundations may possibly
have been made for the express pr,poce
of placing the mO0que in the tue line of
direction towards Mecca The mosque
composed but a very small poi zion of
the building. The remainder, rising
one STORY above the other, YVES occupied
by innumerable rooms of vsI.ous sizes,
opening out Of lOnT end narrow pa--
sages, all empty, aGC for many years ap-
parently disused. | YVES informed by
the officer VINO was NV guide that it YVES
capable of lodging 5,CCJ men-a state
ment which ives probably not exagger-
a. i. The qus-iers nt3nded for the
commander a1d o her supel ior officers
were e9Si'v dIsinc Jishable by Eeir su-
perior lC0K, aud by some scanty remains
of decoration aud of ancient mosaic
flooring of color mo- bl >.
On the fiat roof TCee a somewhat Iuiu-
GUS minaret, the upper portion of which
had DISAPPEARED, but which contributed
much to the picture sqIele~3 of the me
sive equGre building, which, with its
rounded t0wei, at o. III of lis four ar giles,
formed 8 cons OicuOus feature in the
view OF Alexandria, ca j. Casf 3rn side,
both from the land end from the sea.
was rec s'vCd with the mc.t perfect cour-
tcsy by tie TT 'kish officers, and was
conduct d over every pr, both of the
outer and inner c5.nt s of the fortress,
not exclud NC the coGemai / batteries
construc' d at the foot Ct the tower, and
commanding the sea on Two of its sides.
In complia nee with the honorable under
standing under which l YVES admitted,
studiously ab3t 2incd lrom pay ing any al
t3ntiOn TO IFS milit2 : features, of which,
indeed l should not have b en- a compe.
tent observer. On that part of the sub
jet C; I, therefore, offer Only the gen
erel remark that the bait cries struck me
as pre- entiug veg formidable appear
ance. 1t is, of course, highly improba.
BILE that The c"stle w t3 rebuilt. We
must, on the contrary, expect that its
SHATTERED fragments will speedily be re
moved. But me1y. l feel sure, VIII join
with me in hoping that this may not be
done without the presence of some com
petent person, able to ascertain with
some des rec of precision whether any
thing he really still in existence of the
lest remains of the widely celebrated
monument that once stood upon the spot.