The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-13
DR.. SCUDDBR IN EGYPT
He Tells the Tabernacle Pee
pie Of the Beggars and
Morals Of Pharaoh's
Land.

The Rev. John L. Scudder continued
his lectures on the Holy Land in the
Tabernacle last evening. his subject be-
ing Modern Egypt" He said
when one hears the word Egypt he
thinks at once of the Pharaohs, Moses
and Aaron, the plaques of frogs and
flies and crossing the Red Sea; and if
he is a student his mind carries him
back to early civilization, primitive sci
ence and art, interminable dynasties,
pyramids, temples, tombs and mummies.
But let us lock at Egypt as it is today,
reserving history and antiquities for an
other occasion. The Capital of Egypt
is Cairo, a city two miles by three.
whittier Orientals from every cline come
to trade and travellers gather to enjoy
themselves. Cairo is the most famous
winter resort of Northern Africa and
contains armies of sightseers. 1t is ORR
entail and Occidental at the same time-a
queer mixture of broad avenues n
dirty alleys, fine mansions and native
novels. You will see a man sprinkling
a grand boulevard with a goatskin bot
tie, and a fashionable four in-hand
snaried up with camels and donkeys.
I'm this cosmopolitan city you will
run across Persians. Syrians, Turks,
Jews, Circassians, Moors, Hindus,
Greeks, ~Soudanese, Copts and Nubians.
Hither by caravan come ivory and os-
trichs feathers, and by steamers and sail
ing vessels come spices, silks. rugs, per-
fumes and precious stones. More in
teresting than mosque or pyramid are
the people. themselves. They live out
of doors and everybody shouts and ges-
ticulates on the slightest p~rovocation.
Some of the narrow streets are so crowd
ed that the carriage drivers use their
tongues more than their whip, and it is
a wonder more are not run over.
: There are no horse cars, but every
body rides the donkey, which is equally
cheap. You find the animals on every
corner, and they are very good riding.
The gait is easy, and some of them travel
quite fast. The better class are fanci-
fully clipped and sport necklaces of brass
spangles and blue beads. And such
names as these animals carry! I was
asked to ride Yankee Doodle or Chris
topher Columbus or John Gilpin.' There
were other ANIMALS named Dan Tucker
Prince of Wales 'Pinafcre.' Mark
Twain 'Mince Pie General Grant and
Grand Old Man
BEGGARS NOT BASHFUL.
Another striking feature is the beg
gar. He is everywhere and always at
work. He regards the tourist as a char
ity bureau, and never fails to make am
application. They are not at all bash
full and approach you without introduce
ton. On water or IN land, ON the tip
top of the pyramid. and in subterranean
cavern, you are met by an outstretched
hand and the word, '~baksheesh,' mean
ing "a present. Even babies beg. Some
fawn upon you like spaniels; others
play the coquette and wheedle you into
giving. One Coptic maiden raised funds
by saying, Me Christian, ~beksheesh'
and her religion was profitable.
Sometimes burly men make insolent
demands and terrorize weakened tour
lists, especially unprotected ladies. Cab
drivers and boatmen are peculiarly inn
pudent and persistent. They all expect
a present over and above their a They
jabber necessarily, flourish their arms
uncomfOrtably close to your head. n
tear the coat off a mans back, A steait
cane well brandished is the best cure
for their impertinence.
From beggars we pass to bazaars.
These contain endless Varieties of beau
tiful things, and are sources of great
temptation to the ladies, who want to
guy I1DTG ludn In6v really Can dtlOTu.
Ali the shops of one character will be
found in one locality, SO that there is a
shoe bazaar, a jewelry bazaar. etc. The
shops are ridiculousiy small, six feet
by six, mere boxes opening upon the
street. The proprietor sits cross-legged
and can reach almost every thing with
o oea g ln5a ~ IN hea ar ! Iee1 but ia he Is VIII III e shaef
o II he can. He invariably asks from
five to ten times as much as the article
is worth. Occasionally he will ask $50
for what in t1a end he will gladly take
a dollar.
1T requires genius and long experience
skilIful fencing between the purchaser
and the seller. Sometimes you Will rave
to haggle a quarter CT an hour before
you car n,s bring nngo the ,T increment rant q " to !, q
hotel feeling o have a great bargain,
you viii be informed that You have paid
at least twice toe much. Moreover, uns
inferior goods upon you, and they sell
antique guns, swords, ,daggers, spears
and coins. none Of which are two years
a couple of weeks and treat them to
acids to give them an ancient and rusty
Low MORAL CONDITION.
"As to the moral and religious condi-
ton of the people, It Is low, indeed.
lMohammedamism Is the prevailing be-
Cairo, but many of them are in a state
CT unrepair. Queer legends are connect
ed with most or these sacred places, as,
for example. one mosque is said to oc-
cupy the site where Noah's ark ran
aground. Each mosque has an open
court and fountain connected with it;
The Mosiem must wash his hands and
compelled them to wash all over, they
would be a much cleaner people; Elk.
teraally they are quite religious although
coming more and more Indifferent.
There are no pictures IN their
have his portrait taken. for fear at the
last day life Will be given to 1t, and il
may reach Paradise first and bar him
out. They believe In various supersti-
lions, such. for example. as that kissing
a sacred column will cure them of all
disease. Their bowling dervishes shout
until they froth at the mouth, and their
dancing dervishes whirl round and round
until they fall unconscious. And all
thls n the name of r]ellglon4; When yop
the Mohammedan. with his low idea OF
woman, his ~polygan1ous loves, his lack
OF public spirit and sense of justice, his
willingness XII those q opposite
beauty and superiority Of Christianity
May Mohanmedanisrn crun1ble into
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