St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-22
The City of Cairo.
Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN

colOrS ana ha01tS. 1t includes the saSheC
and turbaned Moslems. gowned Turks
with the tasselled tez, swarthy Nubians
and Somalis fellah women in loose
blue garment, Greek or Copt dragomans
in wide baggy trowsers and braided
jackets, gorgeous silk and gold lace, with
curved scimitars; swift running Sais in
velvet waistcoats with short, wide
gauzy sleeves that float like wings, run.
ming before the carriages of the great
Egyptian women with black robes and
black wells hung below the eyes and en-
circled with curious gilt ringed arrange.
ment resting upon the nose, water car.
riers with bloated goat or sheep skins;
French, Germans, English colonists,
Americans-all form the most cosmopoli.
tan crowd possible.
The bazaars fill one with bewilderment
and amazement. Fruits. cucumbers,
water carriers, sherbet sellers, Turkish
sweetmeats, ETC., are everywhere in
evidence. and men working in brass,
silver and gold and selling gems, chains,
agates, rubies, emeralds, lapis-azul, tur-
quoises, beseech you to buy. Others un-
fold rich rugs and Persian carpets, azure
and gold gauzy fabrics, snowy robes,
belts, scarabs and all the marvels of needle
work and skill. We went to several of
the finest of the mosques, and shall not
soon forget the university where seated
on mats, goat skins and on the floor,
were hundreds of students busily cours-
ing the Koran. Some were learning
writing and mathematics, but the sacred
book of the Mohammedans was the
most engrossing. The teachers here re.
.eived no pay for their instruction in the
Mosque, but any pupil may have all his
betrayed if necessary. In some
Of the inner rooms were most beautiful
copies OF the Koran illuminated, and rare
treasures of art, as well as possessing an
interesting and curious history.
Our Easter Sunday in Cairo was a day
IT intense interest. The clear moonlight
Vt the Passover season reminded us of
he time of the Exodus, long years ago,
When 100000 men besides women and
hldren, camels, donkeys, and laden with
he spoils of the Egyptians, passed out
fter the hastily eaten meal of the Pass.
'ver lamb and unleavened bread and
litter herbs-out on to the sandy wastes
m their long pilgrimage, leaving sorrow
md wailing and cries for the 6rst.born.
SEEING the grand old tombs, kno wing of
he palaces, the splendor and pomp and
wealth of Egypt, we realized what Moses
enounced and how he chose poverty
With the people of God rather than to be
allied the son Of Pharaoh's daughter
ind to enjoy the riches of Egypt.
We attended the Church of England
ervice at 8 o'clock in the beautiful and in.
eresting Memorial church. full OF tablets
% those who fell in the Egyptian war,
ind one to the memory OF Gen. Gordon.
ichly decorated with Easter flowers.
vas near the entrance. The festoons of
palms and the lovely floral offerings
we're most pleasing. At II o'clock we
vended our way to the room where the
Scottish Presbyterians have their service.
ind met the pastor and chaplain and
lis wife who walked home with us to
'ur hotel. In the evening at O'Clock
ne went to the American chapel. and on
Monday had the privilege of meeting the
pastor and his wife in their pleasant
lone and of dining with them. We shall
lot soon forget the grand view from the
,itadel and the minarets and domes of
over 300 mosques, and the story of the
Marmaduke's leap, and the glimpses into
he Oldest, and also into the magnificent
alabaster mosque, built by Mahomet Ali.
after the plan of Santa Sophia in Con-
We saw the quarries whence
'ame the huge blocks of stone which were
lsed for the pyramids, and drank of the
water OF Joseph's well, and to our sur
prise found it cool and sweet and pure.
How much one thinks of Joseph in
Egypt! We'droveto Heliopolis and saw |
he noble obelisk in its lovely grandeur,
md the Virgin Mary's well, and the |
pictures of the Flight into Egypt were
epeated in many Landscape as we
a yelled mother bearing her |
hid on a donkey and the father walking |
beside her. We saw the Khedive's palace
ind met Lord Cromer driving, and called |
IN Gen. and Lady Talbot, and after |
wards had fine sunset view of the nina
'ets in the soft, mellow light, the naked, |
sandy hills of label Mokaltan, robed in |
gold and purple, the green Nile valley,
and far away the dreamy Lybian desert. |
Early one morning we started for |
Memphis and Sakkarah, and took don. |
Keys and beheld the wondrous prone
statues OF Rameses H., the Step pyramid, |
he temple of the wonderful and rich and |
ambitious and well-fed and guarded old |
II. a worthy and notable character, and
7isited the Apis Tombs-stuffy subterra.
lean passages filled with colossal and
magnificent sarcophagi, wherein were
aid the Sacred Bulls. On my way to the
uins of Memphis my donkey stumbled
nd rolled over me, and gave me a bad
ye and cut cheek and dis6gured me by
1y tall on the sharp stones for days to
ONE, but l was not daunted and went
n sightseeing, grateful that l was no
worse, in spite of being somewhat of
light, and inspiring sympathy.
MRS. MARY w. GRAY.
Cairo, April IS, 1908.