The festivals and sights of Cairo are both numerous and curious. We witnessed the return of the Pilgrims from Mecca, which is one of their annual ceremonies. The procession contained many thousands, and the Holy Camel, elegantly caparisoned, was conducted through the streets with great pomp and parade. The Mooled e Nabbee, or "birth-day of the Prophet" Mohammed, is a fête that begins soon after their return and occupies a whole week. It is held in the Uzbekich or great square in the Frank quarter, which is filled with booths, swings and other things erected on the occasion, giving it the appearance of a camp or fair. During this period the Saadieh derwishes, the modern Psylli, occupy their booths day and night, and perform all sorts of fanatical motions and juggling tricks with snakes, some of which are truly disgusting. On the evening of the last day the ceremony called the Doseh is gone through with, which no one can witness, except such people, without feelings of horror and disgust. On this occasion the sheikh of the Saadieh, mounted on horseback and accompanied by the derwishes of various orders, with their banners, goes in procession to the Uzbekich, where these wild fanatics throw themselves on the ground, and being wedged close together permit the sheikh to ride over their bodies, and consider themselves as unfortunate if the horse fails to tread upon them. After this is over, a grand ceremony is performed at the house of their president, the Sheikh, el Beker, the reputed descendant of Abou Beker Saadieh.

The bridal processions are also very curious, being composed entirely of females mounted on donkeys, after the manner of men, covered up with large silk robes, with the exception of their eyes, and each one uttering a shrill whistle as they pass along the streets. They go in single file from the lady's house to the house of her husband, and those who constitute the procession are paid as at funerals to increase the display and do the whistling.

To describe the various strange sights of this wonderful city would require a volume. Something new and interesting presents itself for contemplation every time we go out, and one may spend months here both profitably and pleasantly. The excursions in the neighborhood of Cairo are very numerous, and require a great deal of time to make them satisfactorily. Our first ride was out to Heliopolis, or the ancient city of On, mentioned in Genesis. It is situated

five miles north of Cairo, and contains a large granite obelisk, remains of sphinxes, mounds of the old town, and the fountain of the Sun, all of which mark conclusively the site of that city. Returning, we passed by the old sycamore tree under which the Holy Family rested while in Egypt, and the tomb of El Ghoree, now in ruins. Like that of the Memlook Kings it is constructed of stuccoed brickwork, and covered with a dome ornamented inside with paintings and curious figures.

The gardens of Shoobra and the Petrified Forest are also objects of considerable interest. The former is attached to the Palace of Abbas Pasha, is laid out in the European style, and managed by Italian gardeners. The forest is in the desert, and consists of great quantities of petrified wood and fossils, embracing the crab, celini, etc. Some of the wood measures as much as thirty feet in length, and abounds in great quantities. The most interesting excursion from this city is to the Pyramids of Ghizeh, situated off the west bank of the Nile, five miles from the village of the same name. Our party went over on donkeys, and occupied an entire day in examining the pyramids and the site of Memphis. The pyramids of Ghizeh, like those of Aboowash, Sakkam, and Dashoor, are situated in the desert, a short distance from the tillable land. They were originally cased with polished stone, which has disappeared with the exception of the upper part of the second pyramid. We ascended on the outside of the largest one to the summit in five minutes, with the assistance of two Bedouin guides whom we employed from the sheik, in order to avoid the trouble of being asked for backshish. There is a space about thirty-two feet square on the top covered over with the names of visitors, and the view is very extensive, embracing all the pyramids, the city of Cairo, the river for many miles, and the great desert on the west.

The exterior is built of a large block of sandstone which would have crumbled to pieces long since in any other climate. The interior is made with red granite, so well put together that it is as strong and as perfect in all its parts as it was when first completed. The passages leading to the great chambers are not more than five feet square, and the ventilation inside is so bad, that it is unpleasant to remain even a few minutes. So many persons have gone through these passages that they are worn perfectly smooth, and it was not

without considerable danger that we groped our way with bad lights, and our eyes filled with dust, to the sarcophagus of the great king. A great number of tombs and mummy pits are scattered around the pyramids of Ghizeh, near to which is the great Sphinx, half covered with sand. Its head, neck, shoulders, and breast are still uncovered; its face, though worn and much broken, is mild, amiable and expressive, seeming, among the tombs around it, like a divinity guarding the dead. In view of the Sphinx, and close to the pyramids of Sakkara, is the site of ancient Memphis, of which little or nothing now exists, but a large colossus of Remeses II., a few fragments of granite, and some substructions. The colossus is broken at the feet, and part of the case is wanting, but its original size can readily be discovered, and may be estimated at forty-two feet eight inches in height, excluding the pedestal. The expression of the face is much better preserved than that of the Sphinx, and considered beautiful by the ladies who made the excursion with us.

The government of Egypt is nominally under the control of the Sultan of Turkey, to whom an annual tribute is paid; but in reality Abbas Pasha may be said to have things entirely in his own hands, and the connection is merely kept up for the sake of protection. England and Russia have their eyes at present upon this country, and fear of each other is the only thing that keeps them from taking possession of it. The motives for conquest on the part of the former country are increasing every year. The great overland route to India passes through this capital, and thousands of English subjects are settling in the country, creating interests that must eventually result in conquest. They have prevailed on the Pasha to allow them to connect Alexandria with Cairo by railway, against the wishes of the Emperor of Russia, and the British Consul General in Cairo has more influence with the Pasha than any other foreign ambassador and I may say even his own advisers.

10*

LETTER FORTY.

THEBES, Egypt.

Journey up the Nile-Grottoes of Beni Hassan-Osioot-Temple of Dendera-Thebes, Karnak, and Luxor-Temple and Dancing Girls at Esneh-Temple at Edfou-The First Cataract-Island of Philæ-The Nile above Philæ, and Incidents connected with the Journey.

HAVING ascended the Nile some distance above the first cataract, we are now at anchor opposite the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes, on our way back to Cairo; and I embrace the opportunity of writing a description of our journey, while the boat stands quietly along the shore, and all on board, except the faithful watchman, are wrapped in the arms of Morpheus.

We were detained ten days in Cairo, on account of the difficulty with the villagers of Embarbeh, which I alluded to in a previous letter; after which we set sail with the determination to avoid, if possible, any further trouble, and make our journey as agreeable and profitable as circumstances would admit. Our reis, in order to prevent any communication between the crew and those on shore, anchored the first night in the middle of the river, opposite Old Cairo, and started the following morning under a spanking breeze, long before we awoke. The next day brought us to Benisooef, the first large town, which is seventy-seven miles above Cairo. It is the capital of the province of Beylik, and residence of the Governor, whose palace can be seen from the river. Here the wind failed us, and we were compelled to track three days along the monotonous shore; but having guns and plenty of ammunition on board, we amused ourselves shooting at ducks, geese, and pigeons, which are abundant in Egypt. The novelty, also, of seeing the Arab sailors, in a perfect state of nudity, and their heads shaved close, with the exception of a small patch on top, by which they expect to be drawn into heaven, was sufficiently amusing to divert our attention from the slow progress we were making. Just before reaching Gebel Shekh Embarak, which is a lofty table mountain, approaching near the river, we were alarmed a second time by a large body of men and women, running to a point ahead of us, and armed with guns. pistols, and the long stick which they use so effectually in their dif

ficulties. Thinking that some of those in the Embarbeh affray had pursued us, and aroused the villagers of Tokai to join them in an attack, we immediately loaded our guns and prepared the deck for an action, if they attempted to board us. It turned out, however, that we were not the object of their pursuit, but the Bedouins of the village of El Madal, who were attempting to take away their lands. Several guns were fired, and the Bedouins, retreated to the desert, leaving the villagers of Tokai in their rightful possession. A steamer came along about this time, and fearing the Pasha might be on board, they laid down their weapons in the grass and hid themselves very much after the manner of our western Indians.

Just before reaching Minieh, the second large town, there is a long, black-looking bluff, running close to the river, on the east bank, called Gebel e Tayr, (the mountain of the bird,) with a low stone convent, of the rudest nature, on its summit, named Sitteh (Sittina) Mariam el Adra, "Our Lady Mary the Virgin." It is inhabited by Copts, who live there like vultures, to spy out an apportunity of getting a few paras or piastres. Four or five of these creatures swam out to our boat, crying out at the top of their voices, "Ana Christian ya Hawagee!" One succeeded in getting on board; but our crew (who were all Mohammedans) pushed the others off, fearing that they would carry away all of our loose change. We gave the fortunate one a few piastres and an empty bottle, which he put into his mouth, darted into the water like a duck, and made for another passenger boat just behind us. We saw on the same day several Shereefs, on their return from a pilgrimage to Mecca. They claimed to be descendants of the Prophet, wore green veils, and carried a banner and drum with them. Like almost every Arab that we have met in Egypt, they cried out, "Backshish Hawagee !" and seemed to consider that their position entitled them to a gift from our hands.

At Osioot, the third large town, we stopped twenty-four hours, for our crew to make bread, which is required three times on a voyage up and down the Nile. They bake it in large ovens made for the purpose, out of meal from the dhoura, which is a species of maize, with a grain about the size of a pea. The bread is very dark, and becomes in a few days almost as hard as a stone, which they soften by boiling it, and mix in a few onions and garlic for seasoning.