The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-26
FROM FATHER PERFORMANCE.
He Continues His Journeyings
Into Ancient Egypt
Kxperieaces In Alexandriz and
Cairo-yssitss< tfe fyramids
An Interessfax Journey.

of interest 10 Your readers. Ny Jour
ney from Br1nssisi 70 Alexandria
Was very pleasant: the sea, al
though generally a perfect ter
ror 10 travellers. WIS rather quiet,
and consequently Neptune did not
fare As well from my kberality as he
might have had IL we encountered
storm We arrived in Alexandra on
Thursday the 18th Of January II was
raining.
1t is most novel sight for an Amer
lean TO behold for the first time an
Oriental city ike Alexandra. There
you see people of all colars. some OF
them dressed ike Europeans. Others
liks the Mussulmans, and then again
the majority wearing costume not
alslch better than what nature had
provided for them when first they
sAw the light of day. NATURALLY we
cannot expect 70 see muen fashion IN
Egypt, still every sect distinguishes
itself by wearing such costumes as are
required by the rituals of their re-
spectiye religious beliefs: that is.
among the female sex. The Coptic
women have a very neat costume. X
consists OF large piece OF black silk,
thrown over their heads and falling
down gracefully 70 the ground. The
Turkish married women wear also q
black mantle, bat they are not partic-
uiar about cleanliness Their faces
are covered with a piece OF cloth in the
shape OF shirt bosom held MP 60 their
eyes by croSs-bar, which itself IS at
tached IN the center TO a fancy pole
crossing their forehead perpendicular
ly. There are other costumes. but
they are of such rustic nature and re-
semble so much those OF our Indians
on Puget Sound that | viii not at
tempt 10 describe them
The streets OF Alexandria are mar
row and dirty, except in places where
some attempts have been made To
initiate modern cities There IS not q
building particularly deserving notice.
The only monument worthy of our
attention is P.ompey's Pillar and the
Grand Canal OF the Nile: but the
roads TO them are so bad that YOU feel
when you have seen them that you
are not repaid for your trouble.
Trading In Alexandria. Cairo and
all Oriental towns, is done in the
street. outside of the houses; also
cooking, eating and any and every
other nuisance. Ii is almost impossi-
bic TO form any idea of the confusion
which reigns there. The sense of
smell must not be too acute in ORR
entail towns; but / must say that in
Alexandria and Cairo you have a yari-
ETY. of odors. While here you have to
suspend for while the function of
your 0lfaetory organ. and hurry on as
fast as possible from particular por-
ton OF the street. then TO another:
there you feel thankful that you can
enjoy the fragrance of the flowers and
the perfume of the tropical fruits
heaped mp here and there along the
thoroughfares.
On the 18th of January / took the
train for Cairo. We are all aware
that the land in Egypt is rendered
very rich for agricultural purposes by
the inundation of the Nile; but still
we have no idea of the quality of the
soil, nor of the wealth Of that country.
can only compare it to an immense
hotbed, covered not only with the
finest crops of vegetables, of rice, corn,
cotton, sugar-cane; but where thou
sands and thousands of cattle, such as
Egyptian buffaloes, sheep, goats, cam
els, donkeys, mules and horses end |
the richest pastures. The Nile Is the |
main artery placed by Almighty God !
in the midst of this valley; bat the |
natives. knowing the fertilizing mat !
tiers which it contains, have tapped it, |
here and there. and directed as much |
of it through bitches as would enrich |
the poorest parts Three crops a year |
are harvested out of these immense,
fertile plains. The valley OF the Nile /
being rather low the Egyptians and l
Arabians live in villages located in the /
high places, above the reach of the in |
Gndations. These villages are COM |
posed of houses made of bricks dried /
in the sun, and mud. They are square !
in shape, not more than eight feet l
high, no windows, and as close to- /
gether as possible, leaving a small al /
lev between them, and very irregular. |
On the the tops of these houses is /
thrown all kinds of rubbish. AND this /
becomes the favorite resort for chick /
ems, goats, pigeons. dogs. etc.
Cairo is great city and although il |
has all the characteristics of Alexan- |
dria in regard TO the people and their !
habits. still it is far superior in other /
respects 1t is partly a modern city, |
with beautiful parks, promenades and /
drives. have not yet seen any city /
which would offer SO much induce |
ment for winter residence rs Cairo; |
and it is no wonder that it has become 1
a favorite resort in the winter time for l
the wealthy people of the north of |
Europe.
A visit to the harbor is certainly in
teresting. One mus. not suppose that
harbor in Egypt is composed /
OF docks well lined with steam
ers and sailing vessels
It Is simply particular
place where all craft are tied up to
stakes driven along the shores.
visited one of the pleasure boats called !
Dahooayia- They are long and mar
row. bnt very neat and comfortable. Il
These boats are chartered at so much i
lists can enjoy themselves in hunting Il
and in visiting old ruins. There is no |,
stranger coming to Cairo but will take 4
a ride to see the pyramids of Gizeh. Il
and however pleasant may be the an
ticipation of seeing these grand monu-
ments the undertaking is somewhat
on account of the num-
Der OF Bedouins which assail q s.ran-
ger. like hungry muskitoes, to take
away your money and your clothes il
they possibly can. Fortunately / had
placed myself under the care of a
good Bedouin dragoman, who often
had to make use OF his whip To keen
the others away. otherwise | shonld
have been skinned alive. Even as II
was | had but very little loose change
when left the pyramids. For every
service that they desire 10 render YOU
they expect '.backsheesk. III YOU
look down a precipice they hold you
by the arm as ii they were afraid that
You would fall, bat il Is all for back
sheesk" and ii is not only the one that
held you by your csat tail tina.
wants to be paid, but also the
one that suggested the idea. After this
annoyance and after visiting all the
Places of interest, and procuring some
specimens of antiquity. concluded il
was time 20 retire to some lonely spot,
where | could take a cold lunch in
peace, but even there | was followed
BY these hungry Bedouins, but hap
PLY | found place on the threshold II
OF house up a high fight of stairs.
a ~.t. "A = = A