The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-10
Pictures OF Cairo.
Egyptian Correspondence New York Tri
bune.

Egyptian correspondence New lOrk III
bune.
Cairo is certainly a fascinating city.
but to sec it under us best aspects one
must abandon donkey and driver and
plunge into the narrow lanes, right OF
left, ask 10 questions, but just drive in
wherever chance or fancy may direct
Here in the close courts and alleys you
find the life of the Orient, and here in
the densest by-vays are 'bazars and the
miniature factories that supply the M.
There are originally kind ofhigh street
which ran north and south, and from
this innumerable lanes have diverged:
which are as crooked as the ways OF
evil, and redolent of all odors from
frankicnense and altar to garlic. A stick is
an invaluable accompaniment on all
pedestrian excursions, for although for
eigners are as plentiful as flies, the ma
lives still pursue them with
i.1tolerable curiosity The raising Of the
stick will make man start away several
yards, and a fixed g lance, even if Of al
miration, at some beautiful little girl
will c,Use her to scream aid fly precipi.
lately from the evil eye Of the stranger.
But, if curiosity or cupidity frequently
triamphs over fear, there is deep
seated aversion in the Arab heart to all
those but IF his own faith, The advent
of the English tro ups has brought trade
and security into the country: and if
Lord Dulterin should carry out the re.
forms he has planned, foreign capital
and machinery will soon tighten the
b,,~lo,,o % 1u.,,fo p,,k "a {I,i,
they are indifferent, and prefer their
ing grounds. In many household
verses pass from hand to hand, and are
hung upon the walls bemoaning the con-
dition Of the city. 80 Masr Caro- how
hast thou fallen. Weep for the fate Of
the beautiful pearl. Weep, let US bow
orr heads and weep, for strange men
ride armed through the streets"
The Musk and the Boulevard Moham-
med Ali have cut the old High street in
twain, and monopolized the more mod
ern shops, but the Arab trades are still
carried on in the labyrinth of lanes. In
one barely wide enough for two persons
to pass are the shops ofthe silver smiths,
and all the courts leading from it re.
sounds with the furnaces and bellows of
the workers in precious metals. The
patterns Of their goods are generally re-
productions of the old Cairene, and the
willy dealer has always disco!ored speci-
men of one of these forms to pass of
upon the curious traveller as genuine
work Of the Soudan. With the excep
ton of articles OF general consumption
the value of which is fixed, a preposter'
Gus price is in the first instance always
demanded, so that shopping is an occu'
patton OF Joy to the gentler sex, as ir
other more fashionable capitals
Squatting side by side upon the
shop board, the merchant ane
the fair shoppers discuss their coffee
smoke their cigarets, talk scandal, and
every now and then, as if by accident
return to the object of the purchase
Fifty, francs is sometimes asked for an
article which may be eventually obtain
portance to the trader. but the hu rried
traveller finds tia sore trial to his temper
to bargain for several hours, even with
the assistance ola dozen other Arabs,
who drop in to advise and assist. In the
cSUrts of the mosque of Muristan Kalaun
once spacious hospital erected by a sui
tan OF that Name, tile copperSnths have
established their FORCES, and the sound
of many hammers ard the voice of many
thinkers now break in upon the devotion !
of tho faithful. In a lane adjacent
groups of tailors are cutting and stitch
ing garments, enibroiderers are tracing
gorgeous ornaments for the running
footmen, and weavers are throwing oil
thousands Of yards Of gold lace for the
new mushroom. Egy ptian army. There
are mountains of brilliantly colored Ma,,.
chester goods for woman's wear; stacks
of mysterious articles from the coasts OIL
the Red Sea; labyrinths of yellow slip
pers, and such wild 'rness of red-toed
shoes that one maryels how the bare
footed population will ever wear them
out.
Among the noisy mass that throngs
the streets the only creatures that accep
Kismet in it's absolute entirely are the
dogs. Generally Of the color of the sad
desert itself, they are the most forl 'rn
miserable. NANCY mongre1s accident
halfopened eyes, they lie in twos and
th,ees in the sunniest and most incon-
venient places, and when kicked out Of
the way or trodden under foot they
make no remonstrance, but trail off to
some other spot equally pleasant and in
convenient for the pc iestrian. They
appear utterly devoid of pluck, spirit OF
intention, and exhibit no emotion, ex-
cept when they catch sight of a bone in
the fist Of an Arab munchinS his dinner
on the sidewalk. They about half wake
up then, and surround the dinner
in q semiAcircle, blinking
at the bone in faint sort of feeble ex-
pec'ancy. lndeeu mere is but one
thing that binds them to life, and that is
to keep their beat inviolatc. Ifa stray
dog should venture into the street
where he was not dragged up, he or
she will be instantly assailed by the en-
tire detachment of that street and COM
PEELED to hv or in mediately become q
neal. In other parts of Egypt the doc
displays some Of the qualities expected,
but in Cairo he is too degenerate a beast
to inspire sympathy and too stupid to
accept it even if it were offered.
Carlo is said to possess $50 mosques, a
great number Of them ON the line Of one
cramped and ancient thoroughfare.
The mosque of Ell Ahmar. with q lofty
portal and u vast and graceful interior,
is undergoing restoration. This has been
undertaken by council recently con-
stltuted to protect and preserve the pub
lie monuments, and the authorities have
wisely added the antiquarian Rogers hey
and ~ other Europeans to the body.