The sun., 1901-05-05

| was ospcciuly suuCh Dy tno pei nov " --S-
at Mlsr. where he saw raritiss and WORKS
Of art such as he had seen in no other city,
and he was astonished at tho profusion OF
fruits and vegetables In the bazaars. lie
describes the pottery made at Fustat as so
delicate that you could see your hand through
It. and remarks the metallic lustrs which Is
still observed in fragments found In the
mounds which occupy the site OF tho city. lie
also saw some fine transparent green glass
manufactured there The sEopkeepers sold
AT a n1ed price, and II thew ohsated. they
were put on a camel and psraded through the
streets. ringing bell and oonfsssing their
fault Ordinarily tho trsdespeopls redo don
KEYS which we're on hire In every street to
the number of fifty thousand Only the
soldiers rode horses.
Nasir--Khusru found Egypt In state OF
the utmost tranquility and prosperity. Tho
shops OF the jewellers and money changers.
he says. were left unfastened. save by a cord
stretched in front The people had fuil
confidence in the government and In the
amiable taliph Mustansir whom the traveller
saw riding his mule at the high Festival OF
cutting the dam. a pleasant looking, young
man. with shayen face. dressed very simply
In white kafLan and turban, with parasol
enriched with precious stones and pearls
carried by high oeioer. Three hundred
Pcrsians followed on foot armed with halberds
and axes. Eunuchs burned incense OF am
brrcriS and aloes on either side, and tho
people threw themselves on their face anc
called down blessings on the Cali9h The
chief Kadi and a crowd of doctors and ofnoinls
followed. and. according TO the traveller.
who seems here TO exasgcrate. the escort
Included 10000 mounted hitama Berbers,
10000 Batilis. 20 900 bla cks, O0o "Oricntals
Turks and Persians) 30. 900 purchased slaves,
$4,000 Bedouius of the lliga2. $4,000 black
and white slave attendants and chamber
lains. O.0OO palace serva~ts and 5000 negro
swordsmen Besides those. which, In Mr..
anc-Poole's opinion, constituted the whole
army, and probably were only represented
by select divisions, the Ciliph's suite com
pretended various princes visiting the court
from Maghrib tMoroccol, Yemen lSouth
Western Araba) Rum the Byzantine Empire),
SlayOnis. Georgia. Nubis. Aby ssinia and
even TatRrs from Turkestan and the sons
of the King Of relhl Poets and men Of
letters In the Caliph's pay attended and all
Cairo and Misr Christians included, turned
out to see the cutting Of the dam by the Callph
AZ tho side OF the pavilion built by his ances-
tor. Az.z After viewing this spectacle
the onlookers would 20 sailing on tho Nile
The frat boatload would he OF dear and
dumb people. whose presence was neld to
assure an auspiCious opening OF the festivi-
ties We may add that though his descrip-
ton relates chiefly t. the capital, the Persian
traveller records enough about the country
from 1innis 10 Asvan to confirm the I'M
prcssion that in agriculture and In general
appearance II differed little from the tgypt
/ Of to-day.
Tho inventory Of the Cahph Mustans!r's
treasures recorded by the historian ell
Makrizi reads Ike a fable in the thousand
and ono Nights" Some Of tho items are
Interesting as cv, ,dence oi the art OF tho times.
Omituug precious stones l,uch as box con
tanning ten pounds OF emeralds worth 100000
dHlrs and 25O pounds Oi fine pearls, ruby
r!ngs, 6cJ. ws note that the inventory In
clude- thousands OF large crystal vases. some
engraved with the name OF A2lz. gold plates
inlald and enamelcd In Colors and cups OF
hcIonr engraved with tho name Of Haruh-
er-Kashd ukstands OF gold silver, ebovy,
ivory. alops and other wood. carved. inlid
and jeweliei great porcelain lars fun of
1 Clmphor. cups OF amber, phills oi musS
large wa~hturf on three legs II N. form @.
animals. worth 1000 dinars apiece white
china eggs perhaps for warming the hands,
the gold mattress on which the Caliph Mamun
had slept. eaImelled plates presented by tho
| Roman Emperor to A2i1 steel mirrors. eSse.s
OF glass and pottery, nnunerable parasols
with gold and silver sticks chased and inlaid
silver vessels Of every shape chess and
draught boards covered with silk emhroid-
cred in gold. the chessmen and checkers
being wrought OF gold. silver. ivory and
ebony, 1000 gold vases for narclssu- flowers
ard 1000 for vlolets. artificial fruits and
other toys made Of amber aud camphor; a
eWe,sl 'urbau valued az 10000 dinars. tho
stone. Of which weighed seventeen pounds,
perfumes IN vast masses gold peacock
with ruby eyes and cnamclloI feathers, II
gold cock whose comb and eve' were made
OF gubies a ga2e,lc covered with pearls, h
table " s1rdonyx. a go,d paiw tree with
dates OF precious stones. The thirty-eght
state ba~gc- or dahqhyas 'or Nue process
sion. included one made for the Caiiph at u
cost u 1900 linars. and "A silver b.TSe.
Tho silks and enbroiderie- velvets and
other stuNs, included red dama-ks embroid-
owed with gold IN the design of parks where
elephants rormcd. sin, embroidered with
the history OF the dyulstios - the East and
with portraits Of famous mon, their dates
and deeds being set forth n carpet made for
Mol1z at rustur depicting a map of the world
its mountains. rivers and cities, where Mekka
and Medina could be clearly recognized
stgns of Dabik. Kalmun, BehneSa, Damas-
Gus and China, iunumerable and priceless,
immense collections Of iowelled daggers,
swords, llveiins, .ances and arms of all sorts.
, Including the swords of famous warriors
and e. Ctliph-: tho cuirass ~ Hoseyn, son of
Al: the shield Of Hama, and owe" the fam
ous "Dhu-el-Fikar," the ENcalblr Of the
Prophet Nohammol himself Tia tents Of
gold hrpcada and silk were sometimes worked
with plcrIrrs % men, and animals and birds
r and supported by gilt poles one especially
, large tent made for tho Ei2ier id2Uri at a
Gast II 5000 diners. Ind pole As cnbits high
and a circumference Of 500 cUbts. and re-
guirci 100 tsInsls 70 transport II with ga
, rurnil-e II was covered with designs
Z and had taken ffty ait 70, nine yearst TO mann
fqcture The Callph Zahr's tent was Of pure
gold thresi supported on six silver pillars;
r another made a; Aisppo. and costing 10000
dnars. was supported by the tallest mast
r 81 venet'un galley another was called the
;. slayer. b. n"s" ia the pitching = It ore or
6 tro Mon .Nrre always killed The extent
~ which culture was carried in Egypt under
. the Fatimld rulers may he measured by An
= incident which occurred IN 10 lS, when revol;
. / ,e r,,rl,ah ,oarNenariaa tyaa tatunorarilV y