The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-07
EGYPT OF TIE PRESENT.
Charms and Fluctuations in Oriental
city Streets


glow. and the deiicste browns Of the dss-
ert. can be best suggested in water coiors.
for. like Venice. Egypt demands a master
hand in oils
The traveller Of unreasonable naturs
yields 20 the fascination OF Cairo's quaint
Eastern life. as perfect as u met far be-
yond the Orients threshold and douhs-
satisfying. because found within a hal,
hour Of the creature comforts OF hotels
conspicuously modern. To walk the street.,
OF an Oriental capital. wherein history has
been made between meals. as It we're
and delve by day in museums and MOSQUES
peTpetuating a mysterious past. and dine
de risueur IN the evening. with the best
music OF Europe al hand. explains a charm
that Cairo has for mortals liking to witness
Eastern life, provided they are not COM
PEELED to become part Of IT, II Egypt dis
appoints. the indecisive idler can In four
or five days be back In Paris or on the
Riviera
Every turning in the old quarters OF tho
Aohammedan city had its story The REM
nant Of fortified gateway. a dllapidated
mosque, Cudc text. each has its history.
perhaps carrying one back to the days
when Saladin went forth from El-Kahira
TO meet Richard and his crusaders on the
plain Of Acre; or the minds eyes sees the
good Harum- al Rashid. freshly arrived
from Bagdad. stealthily pursuing his mid
night rambles. A hundred associations
such as these are wrapped about the
crumbling ruins OF medieval Cairo to this
day rich with exquisite achievements OF
Saracenic art. Huge monuments Of the
earliest history of the world fringe the
horizon as one looks from the ramparts OF
the citadel. teaching US how the years OF
Cairo are but as days In the sight Of the
Sphinx and the Pyramids To the left is
desOlate Memphis. earliest city OF the
world. face about, and you behold the
edge Of the land Goshen; two or three
miles down the Nile. near the Embabeh
end Of the railway bridge, Napoleon and
his army. Just a century ago. won the
battle Of the Pyramids. over the Mameluks
horde. and In a modern structure In the
near foreground, the Egyptian Museum.
rest the bodies OF Seti and the great RAM
eses. while within few PAGES of the spot
from which you are viewing this matchles5
panorama sleeps the ROumelian warrior
who by daring and blOOdshed founded ths
dynasty now ruling Egypt. All this. and
more, may be seen in an hour IL the blars
OF bugles. reverberated by the MOkattam
Hills. does not inform you that the British
soldier has decided Il is time to close the
gates Of Saladin's stronghold and you ara
awakened to the fact that your table d'hots
dinner begins in thirty minutes. and you
must array yourself in conventional even
ing garb before you can partake thereof
The suburbs have double charm 70 stu
dents OF the Bible. A visit to the ShOubrs
road, the COrsO Of Cairo until fashion
iecreed the Ghezireh drive. al sunset. VIII
illustrate the Scriptural illusions TO the
sheep and the goats; and pleasing pic
-ure may there be seen OF the shepherd
bearing in his arms a lamb or kid too
nah tn uefF h.
scene might have been taken from an en-
craving in an old Bible. One will not
proceed far without seeing devOut Mos
ems engaged in eveutide prayer on the
lOusetops. The wtne-skin Of old was the
anne as that used now by the Water-car-
Ter, seen a hundred times a day In Cairo.
'nabliug one to comprehend the smile %
lew wine in old bottles. Aged men about
he mosques and bazdrs are aparaled
oday as they were in Abraham's time,
arrying the same slaves and the scribe.
With inkhOrn and pens OF reed In girdle,
oins the thrOng in the Khan Hail today.
md frowns upon the Outcast Jew, as did
he Pharisee upon the publican A few
minutes walk from the hotels brings one
ace to face with the living Bible: a few
minutes drive in another direction may
,ring one face to face with the grOtesqus
OF a hotel costume ball, with,
,etit schevaux for a diversion between
lances. Cairo is paradOxical as well as
Walk eastward from your hotel and in
I've minutes you are in the medley Of
East and West. At the pOstofiice Observe
he mngling OF natiOnalities. German
lurse maid leading the little son Of a
prosperous Frankish merchant. IS enquir-
ng for letters at the pOste restante win
low and a patriarchal sheikh in silken
assrs
rider to send to some up-Nile village.
With a swagger indicating a sense Of i'm
ortance Tommy Atkins enters. pouch
yer shoulder. to get the mail for the
mart regiment qUartergd at Abassieh, and
ONE letters FOR officers and men. An
Their window is surrounded by students
rom El-Azhar. One is expecting bis
lonthly remittance from the family in
unis. and his ten or twenty comrades
Ike a keen interest in the operation OF
TEACHING the Arabic hieroglyphics to the
sveraI receipts demanded in case OF
Ouey order or registered letter
Over the way. ranged along the iron
ilings OF the buildings OF the mixed court.
e the public letter writer's. gravely i'm
,rturbable sitting in umbrella-shaded
bles. prepared 10 write anything for IL
.erate applicants. in any language. for a
astre or two. One is preparing the soul
lnni back in Naples or BrindiSi. assur-
& him that she has not ceased to love
II, although separated by the turbulent
for more than a month. At
lother table one OF the professional
ribes is inditing for Youssef MOhammed
bid for clearing a canal at Assiut for
lich the Government has invited ten
rs.
The contrasts presented by the people
rOnging the streets are amusing and be-
lderiug The European eIement-Greek.
allan, and French-is everywhere blend
with the Oriental Egyptian women
wing along in blue gowns and black
Ills hanging loose allowing the neck
ID line OF cheek to be easily seen. while
ncealing the only part OF the face scru-
lously hidden by an Oriental woman
2 mouth. BadOuins stalk about with
-dly mien. wearing around their turbans
. striped kaheh OF their desert tribe.
ptic effendis uncomfortable in the cler-
lieut. coat signifyins government en-
)yueut, scamper along on donkey-back
nsciOus Of their own importance. but as
sequiOus as slaves on enC0untering a
rsou Of higher official station 4 clat-
r OF hOOfs OF a cavalry guard draws
ervoue to window or balcony to see his
zhness the Khedivs dash past. in ofen
rriage, with aide de camp BY his side.
irving in from KOubbeh to conduct the
vs. affairs Of state at Abdin palace.
inning footmen with bare brown legs
q embroidered Jackets with flowing
ewes. carving wands OF authority. soon
low commanding the populace to make
~ for the carriage Of their master per
rs a pasha making a call Of ceremony.
the diplomatic representative OF one OF
great powers.