Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-01-04

saying that "lIe who hath not seen
Cairo hath not seen the world"
But the gem of the whole panorama
is the citadel itself. which stands upon
n steep rocky bluff overlooking the
town. True, the massive walls are fast
crumbling to decay, and a military
engineer would be anything but salts
fed either with the condition of the
defences or with that of the guns
mounted upon them. But the most
resolute fault-finder could hardly object
to the stately white front and tapering
minarets of the great mosque, or to the
wealth of coloring lavished upon the
graceful columns and fretted cornices
and deep, shadowy archways of its
beautiful interior--a fit monument of
he greatness of its founder, Mchemet
Ali Pasha, the Napoleon of Egypt,
who ruled the country with rod of
iron in the earlier part of the present
century.
Beyond the mosque, in the outer
angle of the fortress, and just at the
point where the rocky face of the hill
upon which it stands falls away into a
sheer precipice, lies aspacious quadran-
gular courtyard paved with broad Hat
stones and encircled by quiet, shady
colonnade, the back of which is formed
by the ramparts themselves. As you
enter this quadrangle. gray-haircd
Arab, who seems TO haunt it, tells you
in tone of sombrc meaning that it IL /
the Court of the Mamclukcs.
The name recalls at once the half +.
forgotten details of one of the grandcst |
and gloomicst tragedies of modern /
times, and for any one who wishes to /
know what Egypt really is, it is worth .
while to look back and see what deeds .
were done in this quiet spot on GER
tain fine summer evening within the .
memory of men who are still alive.
The evening sun is just beginning
to rcddcn the bold ridges Of the AIokat-
tam hills (Which flank Cairo on the
east) as a troop Of horscmcn, mounted
on superb Arab courscrs and arrayed
in all the barbaric splcndor of Eastern
warriors, ride gallantly up the path
leading to the citadel. All are stout
and stalwart men, armed TO the teeth
and seemingly quite ready 10 use their
at a moments notice, against
either friend or foe.
These are the famous Egyptian
Mamclukes, the hereditary aristocracy
Of the, land, who once faced the best
soldiers of Bonaparte himself beneath
the shadow of the Pyramids, and from
whose ranks came the renowned Sui
.ans that formerly ruled all Egypt from
The sea TO the cataracts Of the Nile.
Proudly do they file in through the
gloomy old gateway. rejoicing to think
hat even Mchcmct Ali Pasha himself.
he dreaded Governor Of Lower Egypt.
kinks it prudent to stand well with
he Mamclukcs and bid them to a feast
n his own citadel at Cairo.
Little do they dream what manner
If feast it is 10 Do" Mohcmct All is
not the man TO lrt any one stand in his
way, and these naughty chiefs, with
heir fierce courag" and uncomfortable
notions of independence. have long been
! burden 10 him. II he intends 10 { a.
lc does) become absolute master Of
Ill Egypt, he or they must go; and he
las already made up his mind which
# the two it shall Toe.
In al their pride and splcudor the
loomcd men march into the fatal court
'ard, whence they are never to return.
The gate shuts unpcrceiycd behind
hem as they enter, while a crowd Of
servants press around them
% aid in dismounting, tie up their
lorscs and marshal the noble chiefs"
10 their appointed places.
In the last glow of sunset (for this
strange banquet hall has no roof but
the open sky the Widespread tables
and colorcd lamps, the crimson hang
Ings of the encircling colonade, the
dark handsome faces and rich dresses /
Of the Mmneukes. made a goodly show.
But, although most of the guests
seemed in high good humor with every
thing, one SCARED veteran, with a
long gray beard hanging over his
brawny chest, looked ominously grave
and gloomy.
What ails thee Father Hassan2"
asked a tall, handsome lad beside him.