Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-04-11
LErrER PROM nos. AsnER cOoK,
Egypt ana the Egyptians-Thc Corr
rodiug Touch OF Time on the
Pyrnmids nnd Cairo-rn Love
with am Egyptian Captive.

ALEXANDRIA, EeYrT March ID, 'S4.
FRIEND TIMMoSs:- believe my last
letter to you was sent from here, although
written principally while on the way from
Naples. Since then have made the tour
Of Egypt and Palestine. Have stood on
the ruins Of the temple Of Solomon, and
visited the house Of David on Mount Zion.
Have bathcd IN the Dead Sea aud drank
from the Jordon. am now back TO Alex
andria, awaiting passage, not into Ethiopia
but to Naples In the mean time l will
endeavor to give you some account OF my
meanderings and OF the scenes and people
l have been amongst.
II would be difficult to draw the char.
acteristcs of an enlightened people, on 80
short acquaintance, ms have with those
among whom have Travelled in Egypt
and Palestine. But simple, uneducated
people, made submissive by ages Of miss
rule and oppression, have but little TO dis
tinguish them from the animals with which
they seem to enjoy a community OF goods,
namely, the right to live and serve their
masters.
The native copts in Egypt, and the
Arabs in Palestine, TO whom the common
name, "Fsllah," has been given, occupy n
position very little superior to the Ameri-
can Indian. They are, however, both less
savage, and more religious than the In
dlans. The place of their birth and the
historic memories by which they are sur
rounded, conduce TO make them religious,
the cruelties they suffer subdue the feloci
| ty OF their nature. They are ignorant,
filthy, and for the most part indisposed to
labor. Here, as elsewhere among people
OF this class. the women perform the hard
est labor, and in the political economy rise
but little above the condil OH OF the slave.
As soon as they are marriaseable they are
sold TO husbands, who buy them quite rs
much for the labor they expect them to
perform, as for the social enjoyment they
hope to obtain from their society. Girls
Of this class are sometimes sold IN mar
ringe, at the ender age OF ten years, to
men old enough to be their grand-fnthers.
In the country, they live in small villages,
built IN Egypt Of sun burnt brick, in Pal.
estine of stone. There is usually but one
room in these huts, which are only one
story high, without windows, and an open.
Ing through which they pass IN and out
but enclosed by door. In this room the
family lives at night. In the daytime the y
prefer to sit on the outside, or lay in the
sun by the roadside. They have no beds,
but all sleep on the floor OF the hut, which
is the ground. Those who can afford it,
have quilt or mat to lie on. The others
sleep on The ground father, mother and
children, all In one undistinguished mass,
This is the common life OF the Feliah, and
from this TO the Sultan passing through
the various grades, the shade OF difference
!. is almost infinite. Here every man that
can support it has his harem. He buys
his wives, and If after two months they do
rot suit him, he may put them away and
marry others. These men are wonderfully
, Jealous of their women, and well they neet
be, for where the price OF virtue is the
, degradation of the soul, liberty is swee
though bought by crime.
: On board the steamer, on which we wen
3 from Port Said TO Jaffa, there was one o
, these men, with his white wife, obtained
how or where do not know. He was
large, swarthy Musselman, with higl
cheek bones and snaky eyes, most un-
( lovable physiognomy. She was a small
pretty blonde, with delicate hands and fin,
features. They were sieerage passengers
: and lie had her cooped up behind cur
tain made of Turkish calico. This cur
: tain, or tent, in which she WAS KEPT, wa
= made by fastening the calico to the awnin
I, which covered the deck but the awrin
being slanting, and the calico OF eeuu
width all around, left space enough be
J. tween the curtain and awning for those {
lis who were on the main deck to look owe
e and see the Gagged beauty. The husban
e sat on the ou side oil this curtain, betwee
u his cage and the other steerage passenger
e to keep them al a respectful distance froi
his "vnlued prize" This pen within whic
,, d she was guarded like prisoner, was COZ
,, structed near the gangway, which pro
!" tected il on that side, and submitted III
% trembling creature to the cold, chill
e winds March all night long. The "hu
,e band" lay behind this in the shelter
e. sengers, but for her comfort no thougl
CT most uncomfortable position on the stean
J, er. These ''men"t take no thought of Il
p' comfort of their wives. Their only care
!, to guard them from the sight of other
oi Our gaze seemed to annoy him very mnc
10 but lie was as powerless TO prevent tins,
'e VIC were to liberae his prisoner, which "
-e would have gladly done, if we had ha
re the right or the power to do II, but ne ha
rs the law Of the land on his side, and Il
10 sympathy OF those of his countrymen VIII
SC were on board. thought of the golde
'e days of the underground railroad, ov'
III which we sent 40 many escaped slaves
ic the land OF the free beyond the lakes; mn
~ sincerely wished the boat could be drive
~ by stress of weather, or some accident in
III an American port, where the Chivalry
e, Young America would have restored tn
i Gagged bird of the desert 10 her natur
NJ liberty. She seemed TO appreciate O,
,e sympathy, for she did not allow an oppo
j. tuniIy TO pass without looking longing
N at us. AT the side of her curtain next Il
W water, there WAS an opening and she Toe
W frequent opportunities, when she cou
u, escape the vigilance Of her guard, TO p
OF her fair hand out and draw the curtain
=, one side, which gave ns and her the reci
's rocsl pleasure OF locking at each other.
lhere IN no government IN the wor
ne with such debasing tendencies as the Tur
ish government. But il Is strong in
Oh weakness, for II uniies its people by pal
'e derng TO the lowest and basest sentiment
H. and the ignorant and superstitious alwa
ne fight fcr that which promises an immedin
r, personal qualification. Some of our h,
II manitarians think this Turkish cover,
H. ment is 10 be reformed, and iis institution
o, overlhrewn by the labors of the missio
ne ares. This is an Uiopeon dream. I'll
re missionary is powerless TO overthrow
religion, by moral suusion, or by preachr
10 the gospel OF peace and virtue, which a
" lows lis devetees unlimited license her
l. with promises of fairer beauties in Il
er heavenly hsrem, which lies on the 9th
Se side Of the portals OF death. Nothing bl
ol an act OF God, or some other irresistab
l. power, can change the course of even