Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-04-11


were carrying water for culinary aud other
purposes. II would be impossible 10 state
with amy degree Of accuracy the amount OF
filth In and abont one OF their villages.
The overflow Of the Nile, Of which much
hns been written, ~ not an actual overflow
of the arrable land. THIS would drown
out all the villages. IL isa rice Of water
and an overflow into artificial lakes aud |
canals where IL Ia retained for irrigation |
aud used rs necessity requires.
Cairo is the largest aud eldest city in |
Egypt. Its people are peculiarly oriental !
There nre but lew carriages IN the city aud
these are chiefly used by Europeans. The
native prefers the donkey. There nre u
large number Of them kept constantly
sadilcd and ready for hire. They have
their stands the same as the carriages in
our cities, and when one wishes TO 20 10
any part OF the city, he mounts a donkey
and the driver runs behind with stick
about the aize Of an ordinary cane, aud
beats the oatient animal, and keeps him
on a trct. u is really interestng to ace
one OF these small animals trot of with
large man OH its back. They have pc.
culiar trot and their little iron shoes on
the stone paved street keep mp constant
clatter, which reminds me much OF the old
slave dance of the juber. 1t ia sort Of
tick tack, tick tack, quickly repeated.
The chief places oil interest TO visit in
Cairo are the citidel and the mosques.
That OF Mahomet Ali is the finest and the
one visited. From here the view is msg-
nificent. ! visited the mosque twice, once
to study it, the second time to enjoy the
gorgeous sunset which in clear weather
can be seen from this point, and to zee the
Al ia, l,a,r
people are very fond Of praying in public,
and are not displeased TO zee christian dogs
In their mosques at the hour Of prayer. 1t
is very common thing to see Mohani-
edan In the city praying on the street cor
ner and by the roadside in the country.
All christians are required to put on slip
pers before entering mosque; and there
in II gang of men at the door with these 10
be rented for the purpose. During the
season OF travel these men make good
wages by renting these clippers. All Mo.
| hammeians are required To wash before
they pray, and there is before every mosque
. fountain at which they wash. The guide
showed ME this before entering the mosque,
and whether he expected il or not l do not
know, but not to be surpassed in cleanli
ness by Mohammedan l washed my
hands and face before gong into the in nos-
que
These people have a peculiar mode OF
PRAYING. They first stand erect and mum
BILE few words, then bow low, then drop
ON their knees and stretch out their arms
at full length and bring their ioreheads to
the ground between their hands. This
they repeat number of times, repeating
their prayers at the same time in monot.
onous sing song tone. 1t is said the Mo-
hummedan has only one note in his music,
and on this he sings his love ditties, his
songs of praise, and chants his prayers.
My second visit 10 the mosque was to
enjoy the view and see an Egyplian sunset.
The view was splendid, but the sunset was
not II success. 1t sank slowly behind the
sand ridge, which divides the fertile part
of Egypt from the Great Sahara desert.
But his dying rays did not guild the hori-
zon with those exquisite tints which have
witnessed elsewhere. And the fleecy clouds
which gathered around the place where
he sank to rest, as ii 10 receive his dying
blessing, were not graG6ed with single
silveiy ray to reward them for their faith
full attendance.
The view Of the city and surrounding
country, however, we'll paid me for my
pains. From here the pyramids of Gizell
and Sackara with the long line of sand
ridge, which marks the limit of the great
desert, are plainly visible, with few
orange groves and palm trees dispersed
here and there as if to fill up and round
out the picture. More near were the sub
urbs, and then the city itself with It's
mlnerets and domes was at my feet.
In Palestine, after leaving Jerusalem
my route lay across the field of Boaz and
the PLAINS OF Bethlehem, where the shep-
herds as they watched their flocks by nigh
heard the anges sing the song of peace
-, and good viii to men. From here il lee
, to the pyramids and the mysterious Sphyn,
, - those silent chronic.ers of time which
they neTer report.
In Cairo, on ground once familiar t
8 Joseph and Moses, now stand mosque
: dedicated TO Mohammet, where anolhe
2 faith IL taught and believed, and tn
| tombs of the Califs lie in ground sacred t
= the memory of the Phaross. GeneraiIo
4 afier generation has passed away. Th
r city itself has undergone innumerabl
mutilations. The Pyramids and the Mi
II only remain. All else has changed. Mos'
4, from the heavenly Nebo would he asto,
II ished to look down on the land Of Goshe
h Ills breatlren no longer gather the stra
l. and make bricks, but doubtless come
= the huts we see here were built ot bricl
Is made by the sons of Jacob.
y There is nothing in this world constal
;, bnt change. The power immutab!e hi
o writ en- mutability ON all things terres,u
!. Here in, the midst of mans NEST sol
It structures we have evidence of the fraii
d of all things human. The mysteriol
l. Sphinx is crumbling before the corrodil
e touch Of Time, and the Temple OF Il
is his been destroyed-nothing but Il
3. undatiun, protected by drifting sand, RI
b, mains 10 tell MS Of its former magniticrnc
rs The pyramids themselves are beginning
e ernmble. The inquiring mind "i man h
d penetrated the onler wall and entered in
d the interior to tibd evidences of the obje,
e for which they were constructed. III
o discovery of Sarcophigii has lei To the 30
N clusion that they were tonibs Of the kin
II OF E.ypt-built 10 preserve their bon
% from the vulgar contact Of coming gener
d lions. Vain hope. Their bones have be
n removed and ground to powder, and sca
70 tered to the four winls Of heaven, to f
,f iilize The soil whose resources were q
is haus,ed in the erection OF these vast tom
al which have proved ineffec uil To full
lr the purpose for which they were built.
r. Yours Truly, ASHER COOK.