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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1878)
October, 1878. THE WEST. SHORE. 37 the great Aqueduct, built upon massive arches and reaching from our observa tory to the Nile, a distance of about two miles. Here, as before, heaps of gray sand, Mosques and Minarets weary the eye Willi suangc sameness of ex pression. A redeeming element in the picture, however, is the grand old Nile itself. The ruins of Old Cairo, the Island of Rhonda and the beautiful groves there on, present an agreeable contrast to the otherwise sterile 'appearance of the country. On the other side of the river, the little town of Djixa is seen nestling among smiling groves of syca more, fig and palm trees; a little be yond still, loom up in the blue air the Pyramid) of Djiza and Saccara. Fi- panorama of the city and its environs. Cairo comprises, essentially, a net-work of narrow, dusty and crowded streets, running in every direction through a waste of eloomv wall and ill-ap pointed buildings. A respectable vol nine would not sulfite to contain what might be said concerning the Interest ing details of this truly city. To speak of the inhabitants of Cairo ' and their social condition, would only be to repeat what may be found in scores of volumes in every considerable library in our land. Many of the more intelligent people in the higher walks of society arc wisely abandoning the ruts of ancient usage and adopting the American and European ways of con ducting social amenities. One great of Almehs would be sure to go to the full extent of their art. Saintly dressed, they disport themselves in a way that strongly brings to mind those practices among the Greek eud ike Romans that prompted Cicero to exclaim: 'Nemo sattut sohrius, nisi forte insa nit!" The Almehs wear upon their fingers little bells and carry in their hands tambours of various forms. With the bells ami tambours, together with their voices, they rudely contrive to accom pany their still more ungainly dancing. The most extreme abandonment of bal let dancers in our theatres would he adjudged the quintessence of feni ale propriety and decorum when compared with the motions and attitudes alTectetl " 411'- 1 nally, and beyond all, the famous Lib yan Desert is projected until it clearly cuts the azure of heaven. Looking to wards the northwest and north, one sees the renowned and wide spreading Delta occupying a vast area, dotted with groves, gardens and w hite gleam ing cottages. Romantic djcrmscan jas and other forms of little craft are seen scuddling along the dark surface of the river. Lastly, and to complete our picture, we look towards the northeast and take in a view of the entire city of grand Cairo. Almost beneath our feet stands the grim old Mosque of Skan Hai fa. Thu have we Completed living CAIRO, EGYPT, PROM THE ITAIiHI. stumbling block difficult of removal, sadly obstructs the march of Improve meut in this direction. We allude to the Almehs, or dancing women of Egypt J jealous of their profession nut! tenacious of its indent celebrity, these women obtrude themselves into the In si Turkish society lo It round in the city of Cairo. Why they should be tol erated at all is the strangest part of the whole matter. Ladicn of distinction in vite these dancers to their houses on all occasions of festivity, and scrm lo look uion their grotesque and lascivious at- titudes and motions a not in the least. unseemly, or that may not lie witnessed by all the inimUrt of their household. Should foreigrfff be preeent.thabavy by theae women. We will cloee Ibete stricture by quoting what a late lia cler justly says concerning tin si-darning women of CflirOI "Kg) pi pre nerve its pristine attachment to a las civious dance; mid presents that dam c as it was beheld above three thousand year ago, in the annual procession to liubailrti, when the female volant's distinguished themselves in the cities through which they passed by in decency and daniing." While wr write, fruit harvest is going on; in lit Ids and gardens of this locality, the inhabi tants are Uginiiing to gather the date that grow almost pnntanaouly wher ever young trees have bean planted along the Nil. The cahal WN nil ma