St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-26

surprising what time those old spawned
horses made across squares and across
corners as we dashed through the
streets. We entered Cairo at less than
2:40 gait. and as our particular Vic
tOria dashed up to Shepheard's some
minutes ahead of the others, we felt like
winners of a chariot race. AS our time
was limited, we started out bright and
early for our long anticipated Journey
to the pyramids. The trip to the pyra-
mids can hardly be called journey, for
on the contrary, it is very pleasant
carriage drive of about eight miles
across fine iron bridge, and along
splendid macadamiZed and tree-fringed
road. which leads in nearly straight
line from the river up to the sandy slope
on which the pyramids stand. AS
we drove along under the beau
tiful acacia trees, where branches
lock arms over head, forming a superb
archWay of everlasting green, through
whose densely padded foliage the suns
rays cannot penetrate. We met many
scenes so oriental in appearance that
there was no longer any doubt about
our being in one of those lands of which
we have so often dreamed of visiting,
and which was perhaps at one time, too
eXtravagant for moments indulgence.
Hundreds of angular camelS loaded
with green clover, sugar cane or fire
wood, followed by their turbaned driv-
erS, Stalked along the middle of tile
street in Indian file, at a measured
pace, making way for no man;
dozens of little donkeys, each
carrying the load of horse
wound in and out among the vehicles;
quaint looking bullock carts, drawn by
the almost human-loolling oxen; whilst
q al oil yai Io1
loose Silken garments the wind turned
into big black balloon, tied in the CEN
ter. and whose bright eyes winked as
she trotted by on her gaily caparisoned
donkey; and there was sOlemn-lOok-
ing, fat old Turkish merchant, sucking
his long pipe, on his way to his baZar or
his mosque; thinly clad women of the
lower classes carrying water on their
heads in stone jars, and the pig skin
street sprinklers laying the dust in their
primitive way, and many similar scenes
aided us in realizing that we were in
The Land of PharOah.
When we arrived at the pyramids a
wordy war. i'll broken English took
place among the hordeS OF young Arabs
who surrounded us, as to which guide
should have the honor and profit of con-
ducting each "good master'' into and
up the vast pile, whose stupendous
magnitude is now first realized as the
eye mounts the gigantic staircase from
its base to its far. away summit, com
pelling a sense of awe and wonder and
personal insignifcance. such as per-
haps no other work of mans hand could
inspire. We hired our guides, two
each, from a serious looking old sheik,
who looked like a lineal descendant of
Abraham, and with one to pull and the
the other to push, began the tiresome
climb. One of my Colorado Maduro es-
corts was named Added, very decent
name, whilst the other insisted on be-
ing called Achmet AjeeZelaram, but |
abbreviated him into "Achmy." much
to the others amusement. We made
the ascent and descent without accident
to any of our party, and really the feat
requires more strength than daring
though occasionally a life is lost through
carelesSneSS. 1t is no small undertak-
ing, however, to be pulled up nearly 500
feet, three or four feet at a time, and
then dropped down the same distance
from one ledge to the other. 1t is dis
aStrous to ones muscles and Joints, and
makes young man feel about sixty
years old before he is through with the
job. From the Top of the Great Pyra-
mid, of which a description does not
seem necessary, is obtained a magnif-
cent and unobstructed view of the Val
ley of the Nile, through which
that mysterious river, when the
annual dispenSation of Providence un-
locks the springs and fountains that
nourjSh the earth, rolls his swelling
waters throughout the realm of Egypt,
overSpreading the fields on either
side with the salutary flood, giving the
.icIa mt 70 oil hi
life along his course. A few hundred
yards away from these oldest and grand
est of human monuments coucnes the
half-buried Sphinx in her sandy basin,
with outstretched paws and uplifted
head, gazing straight on, with calm,
eternal eyes," across the vista of 1000
years, with the same earnest eyes and
tranquil mein with which she watches
the works of the new, busy race OF to-
day. There is
A Solemn Stiffness
time defying antiquity about the
Sphinx, which commands the respect of
the Intelligent man and checks the rail-
cry of the ignorant. Besides she q
have decided she is woman) was the
only resident of Cairo who did not yell
hack shees" at our approach. Half
way between the pyramids and Cairo is
the museum, of which RameseS ii. is
just now the drawing card. So, passing
rapidly by the hieroglyphics, ooeIisks
and similar relics of by-gone age, we
the mummy department. There we
found mummiess1f Thot Le', the Ptole-
mys and many other men who were
active in making history for old Egypt
centuries ago, but the best looking
mummy in the lot was the one labelled
RameseS H., but whom l prefer to re-
member as the hard-hearted old ruler
pharash. Lying there in his sycamore
coffin with his Swathing at mummy
clothes around him, his hands crossed
over his breast, his finely shaped feat
ureS and we'll proportioned head, all in
a wonderful state of preservation there
is.something kingly about him still.And
the tuft of red hair which still clings to
bis head explains in great measure
his extreme stubbornneSS. And no mat
ter how musty ones ancient history
may be, Its impossible to stand in the
presence of these celebrated relics with
out recurring to the time when they
ruled the land and were not exhibited
at few piasterS a head SO before
| knew it, Moses and Joseph and the
children of Israel all came tumbling
over Abraham and others, asserting
their rights to a place in my
memory. The bazars of Cairo are
famous; the crowd that passes through
them is incessant, and every turn pre-
sents fresh picture of oriental life and
manners. Indeed, to wander through
them at random is one OF the most de-
lightful things l am acquainted with.
Of course, there is nothing oriental
about the European part of Cairo, for
that quarter is as modern in every re-
spect as London or Paris; but the old
city is still labyrinth of dark, dirty, in
tricate lanes and alleys, in many OF
which two donkeys can hardly pass
abreast, and whose topping upper sto-
ries so nearly meet as to shut out all
but the narrowest streak of sky. 1t is in
this quarter you will find the bazars.
and defy anyone to go through this
maze of tiny shops without buying
something. His trunks and bags may
be bursting with curios, but trip