Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-10-10
Jenson's Travels.

1890 aud hired a man with a gray
donkey TO take me through the city aud
out to the great pyramids beyond the
Nile. lcft the hotel at 7;5o a. m
being mounted as gracefully as possible
on the donkey whose neck was richly
decorated with Egyptian brass icwclry.
but whose constant abuse Of his bfayng
powers made me perfectly disguised
with him before the day was over His
master who ran behind me aud donkey
could talk little broken English. SO /
dispensed with the additional luxury Of
a Especial guide, though such a one. who
styled himself the guide oil Cairo. offered
bis services for six shillings day. pro-
vided | hired carriage for both Of Us
which would cost me sixteen shillinga
extra. Believing In economy decided
to get along with said Mohammed and
bis donkey Tor four shillings per day.
As we rode through the streets Of
Cairo. saw much TO admire and many
things TO disgust me Most every visitor
to the capital Of Esp, believe IS at
FIRST bewildcrcd. same as was, by the
novel scenes which crowd upon him.
and ONE time necessarily olapses before
he Is able to diseniangie his confused
Impressions aud realize each feature Of
the marvellous picture. After awhile
one begins to understand that he Is In.
deed In q purely Oriental city. As he
examines itsbazaais aud passes through
H. streets he seems carried back 10 the
days OF antiquity. There are a lew
straight, and regular streets In Cairo, but
most Of the ihoroughiarcs arc so mar.
row as scarcely to admit Of two eamcls
passing abreast; some OF is baziafs
glow with the richest productions Of the
looms Of the East; is mosques aud
minafcts arc apparently innumcrab.c,
ana rs fountains al the air with an en-.
during freshness Many OF the richly
caipcted shops are cngloscd In front by
a divan, and 10 the midst sits venerable
Turk or wealthy Arab, smoking his
pipe-oiten a splendid nafghilch OF gold
placent gaEe bis costly wares. which en-
braces jcwclry from PARIS, chibougues
from Constantinople, tobacco from
laiakia, dainty muslins from India, keen
bright swords OF Damascus steel" and
rusiling silks from the land OF the
Celcstials Meanwhile the ways arc
ihfongcd Ia many parts, and u o. often
With difficulty the pedestrian escapes a
rude jostlc from the dunkCys which pass
him every moment, laden with sand,
illur, water, ETC.. or occasionally with
happier burden Ia the person Oi some
Egyptian beauty Of the hafcm closely
veiltd and attended by walchiui guards
With my best ondeavofs TO make II
Otherwise the braying donkey that rode
ran headlong against several persons
and also against other donkcys, though
his master claimed that his donkey
ranked very high In the scale Of good
behaviour as compared with CairU
donkeys IN general.
Cairo lies In latitude 90 y north and
longitude 81 70 east on sandy level
between the right bank VI the Nile aud
the range OF the Mokutlam Hills. Il
was founded eastward OF what Is now
called old Cairo by Touloun, a Moslem
governor u Egypt IN A. ID. sos, but
VAS removed sull further eastward, TO
IT, present site, by the Fatimite khalii,
Ed Mocz, In A ID. gs3 II remained
the capital OF the Fastimile rulers until
IfTi, when the famous Sllldin usufpcd
the throne. In t2so II was unsucca,iuily
bcsiegei by the Crusaders. In 1850
Moosa-cl.AshTci was deposcd by the
Mamelukcs, who retained possession Of
the city until 1877 when Il vas stormcd
aud ca, iiufed by sultan Selim. Though
Il has lost most Of It's original i'm.
porianec, Il Is still a prosperous city
with population OF about 7so uoo.
mostly Mohammedans. II may be con.
sidefcd as the great centre OF learning
OF tie Eastern world. H. celebrated uni.
yefsity being presided over by men Of
acknowledged erudition and annually |
attended by some two thousand |
students.
one OF the most remarkable cdidees |
la Cairo is the Cathedral which domi. |
mates over the whole town from IT, |
elevated position on bold ridge OF |
sandstone. Its wall are Of great sol.dity |
and, In some places, one hundred feet /
la height. Il was within these walls |
that the massacre OF MAmelukes took /
place March isi, 1874; and is battle.
ments were crowned by NapOleon's |
victorious standards Ia 1905. The |
Cathedral walls were enlarged and 1
strengthened by Mehemet All who re.
sided here during the greater part Of /
his reign. The pfocpect Il commands Is |
Of very extensive and impressive |
character, including not only the city Of
Cairo with rs carved domes and ianias.
nc minarels, but the sequesteted valley |
OF the Nile with il tombs OF the /
Mameluke Sultans; the rich deep yer,
dure OF the distant della. The sharp
clear outline OF the mysterious Pyrs |
mids; the yellow lronuer.belt OF the
desert; the meandedngs OF the tranquil
Nile, and everywhere d soil that has
been swept by succf &c waves OF
revolution from the days oi Meaei aud
Ramtses To those oi Napoleon Bona
parte. When stood on the Top Of the
high wall by the great mosque which
stands IN the centre Of the Cathedral.
aud looked out upon The valley OF the
Nile, | certainly thought that my eyes
bad never rested upon a more pictuf-
esaue or interesting landscape.
The Caifene minareis are Justly
culogised by travellers as the most
beautiful Of any In the East They
rank as exquisite creatures OF the
strange dreamy Arabian genius; tower
Ing TO an extraordinary height built Of
courses OF red and white stone and or
with balconies llom which the
Muezzins announce 1.-The hour OF prayer.
Ol these the most ancient adjoins the
great mo Que OF the Sultan IoulOun,
,uiit In "A IL g-a anon aitpF the iauu. |