cletian, after his eight months' siege of Alexandria in 296 A.D., and sanguinary suppression of the rebellion of Achilleus.

The MAHOMEDAN CEMETERY is very near Pompey's Pillar. It is a wilderness of stones, without fence or rail, or anything of the sort, to seclude it from the common roadway. Many of the stones have a turban roughly carved on the top; some are painted green, showing that the deceased in his day made the pilgrimage to Mecca, or was a descendant of the Prophet.

The Mosque of the 1001 Columns is said to occupy the site of the old Church of St Mark, which commemorated the scene of the Evangelist's martyrdom.

ROUTE 216.

ALEXANDRIA TO CAIRO AND THE PYRAMIDS.

B

Y railway from Alexandria to Cairo is 131 miles; time, seven hours; by the express, once daily, time, five hours.

The first-class carriages are good.

Soon after leaving Alexandria, Lake Mareotis is skirted to the right. Early in the year the waters are abundant, and the lake appears of vast extent, but it is very shallow. As the summer advances the waters diminish, and there is a broad expanse of swamp. Thousands of birds are seen on the shores of the lake-ducks, pelicans, and every description of water-fowl.

Kafr Douar is the first station. At Aboo Hommoos the Mamoodeah Canal is left, and the rail

way proceeds to Damanhoor, a arge town with cotton factories and a few good houses. Near Damanhoor, Napoleon narrowly escaped being taken prisoner by the Memlooks in 1798. After passing Tel-el Baroot, the Rosetta branch of the Nile is crossed by an iron bridge, which opens to allow large vessels to pass. Here the brother of the Khedive was drowned. He was returning to Cairo from Alexandria, and the ferry bridge being out of place, the train plunged into the river. At Kafr-ez Zyat the train halts for refreshments. We are now in the Delta of Egypt. The country is very fertile, and cotton plantations, sugar fields, and grain of every kind abound. The soil is the rich mud deposited by the Nile, and the divisions of the land are not made, as in most places, by hedges and walls, but by small canals.

The tourist will be interested in watching the various industries of the people. Watering the land seems to be one of the chief, and this is done by the most oldfashioned appliances. The shadoof and the sakich are both seen in frequent operation; and as these are notable Egyptian institutions, which will everywhere meet the traveller's eye, it would be better to describe them.

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"The shadoof is the arrangement most in vogue. It consists of a long pole, made heavy at one end, and resting on a pivot, at the other end a bucket, or large water-tight basket, which lowered to the water and filled; and, as the heavy end of the pole goes down turns out its contents into a little gutter, whence it is worked by the foot into the appointed channels. Sometimes this is superseded by the sakich, which is a water-mill of cogged wheels, turned by a buffalo, or camel, each revolution of the wheel

working up a series of earthen pitchers, which empty themselves into a trough or pool. More primitive still is the practice, in frequent use, of raising the water without any mechanical contrivance. Two men stand in the stream or canal with a waterproof basket between them, which they swing as regularly as clockwork, and throw the water on to the bank, where another stands ready to divert it into its proper place. It was in contrast to this style of work that it was said in Scripture that the land which the Israelites should possess 'is not as the land of Egypt, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot; but is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven.'-(Deut. xi.)." Not less interesting is it to watch the ploughing with the quaint plough, which is familiar byillustrated scriptural books. Not unfrequently it is drawn by camel and buffalo "unequally yoked" together. Tantah, celebrated for its fêtes or festivals, is now passed. They are held in January, April and August, lasting eight days in each month. They are in honour of Seyyid Ahmed-el-Bedawee, a Moslem saint, to whom an invocation in time of sorrow is guaranteed to bring strength to the faithful. These fêtes, which are attended by two or three hundred thousand people, are the most interesting in Egypt. At Birket-es-Sab the Damietta branch of the Nile is crossed. The palace of Abbas Pasha is seen, and then Benka is reached, a junction for Mansoorah or Ismailia, both via Zagazig. Tookh station is passed and the first sight of the Pyramids is obtained. The next station is Kalioob.

Looking out on the left, the Mokattam Hills and the minarets of the city are seen; and after

passing through some of the most charming scenery of the whole route, the terminus of the railway is reached at CAIRO.

Before the train stops at the platform it is surrounded by Arabs, clamorous for the passengers' luggage; but passengers are advised not to allow anybody to touch an article of luggage except the commissionaire from the hotel where he proposes stopping, or if he is travelling under their arrangements, the agent of Cook and Son.

CAIRO (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST").

Post Offices.-Egyptian post office for all mails (except the French) in the Esbekeeyah.

French post-office, at the Messageries Office in the Esbekeeyah. Letters to England, via Marseilles. The American Consulate is near the post-office.

Carriages.-Two shillings an hour; but a bargain is necessary, as the tariff is not respected.

Donkeys.-Short rides, sixpence; by the day, two or three shillings, more if required to go some distance from the city. The donkey boys may be reckoned among the curiosities of Cairo. They are amusing and indefatigable in their exertions.

Cafes.-The Cercle and others, chiefly in the Esbekeeyah.

English Church, near the Esbekeeyah, on the road to Boulak. American Mission near the English Church.

THEATRES, &c.-Opera House, in the Esbekeeyah; French Theatre, in the Esbekeeyah; Hippodrome, near the road to Boulak-occasional circus performances.

FESTIVALS.-Departure of the Pilgrims for Mecca, 25th of Showal (10th month); return of the Pilgrims, 27th of Saffer (2nd month); Greater Festival, 10th, 11th and 12th of

Zul-hag (12th month); Lesser Festival, early in the month of Showal (10th month); Festival of the Cutting of the Canal, August 10th (about); Birthday of Mahomed, beginning of Rebea-el-Owwal (3rd month); various other fêtes of Moslem saints, &c.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST.-Bazaars, Dancing Dervishes, Joseph's Well, Mosque of Mahomed Ali, Mosques, principal; Museum at Boulák, free, open daily, except on Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Palace of Gezeereh, order from the Khedive's Chamberlain, to be obtained through the Consulate; Public Library at Darb-el-Gamameez, free, open daily, except on Fridays; Schools, &c., Tombs and Cemeteries, University, Walls of the City, ascend at the Baben-Nasr.

OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONS.-The Barrage, Obelisk of Heliopolis, Baths of Helwan, Ruins of Memphis, Mosque of Amer, The Nilometer, Old Cairo, Palace and Gardens of Shoobra, order from the Khedive's Chamberlain through the Consulate; the Petrified Forest, Pyramids of Ghizeh, Pyramids of Sakkarah, Tombs of the Caliphs, the Virgin's Tree.

Cairo is a walled town with 71 gates. There are four large open spaces in the city where out-door life can be studied. The Esbekeeyah, the Birket-el-fil, the Rumeyleh, and the Place Mehemet Ali.

The Rumeyleh was formerly a very low place, but has been made quite respectable by recent improvements.

The Esbekeeyah is the most important public place, and is adjacent to several public buildings-the Opera House, the Palace, and the chief banks and hotels. There is a large garden

in the centre, surrounded by a fine avenue, with alleys of trees radiating from the centre.

The Mooskee is a fine street running from the Esbekeeyah through the city. It forms the Frank quarter.

Near the Mooskee are numerous bazaars, which are amongst the chief curiosities of Cairo. Many of them have specialities; cloth, porcelain, and glass work should be sought for in the bazaar Kams-Awi; coffee and tobacco in the Gemanieh; arms, in the Soukel-Sélah. There is one curious bazaar, where boots, shoes, and slippers are almost the only articles. At the Lerongèh, harness and embroidered leather are to be procured. The finest of all is the Bazaar Turc, filled with jewellery, gold work, and precious stones.

There are a few other important streets. The Boulevard Abdul Aziz, the Boulevard Méhémet Ali, the Boulevard Clot Bey, and the road to Boulák; but the old city mostly consists of an immense number of narrow lanes and passages, the houses frequently overhanging the way till they nearly meet overhead. The public baths are richly decorated. brick edifices; they are very

numerous.

The Citadel or el Kalah, is said to occupy the site of the Acropolis of ancient Bablioun. The Boulevard Méhémet Ali leads direct from the Esbekeeyah to the Citadel. It is built on the flank of a hill overlooking the town. There are two entrances, one by the magnificent specimen of Saracenic architecture known as the Bab-el-Azab. This gate is in the form of an elliptical arch, with two enormous brickwork towers, built in alternate bands of red and white. Hence a narrow winding path leads to the highest part of the citadel. In this defile

the slaughter of the Memlooks took place in 1811. Only one escaped by leaping his horse from the terrace on the eastern platform, called "La Saut du Mameluke." On this occasion 450 Memlooks, with their leader, Ibrahim Bey, were killed in the Citadel, and nearly 800 in the city.

The Palace of the Khedive presents nothing worthy of admiration. There are some handsome rooms, with good views from the windows. It is now used for State receptions.

The Mosque of Mahomed Ali, built in 1829, and although of costly materials, is less interesting than the Mosques of Cairo. Its ceiling is a vast cupola, surrounded by four demi-cupolas, and four small domes at the corners. There are two elongated minarets, a spacious court, and pretty cloister. The whole of the interior is lined with Oriental alabaster, except the upper part of the columns, which are painted to imitate that material. "On the left of the entry a golden grill encloses the tomb of Mahomed Ali, with the lamps perpetually burning. In the court there is a pavilion in the gallery facing the Fountain of Ablutions, containing a clock presented to Mahomed Ali by Louis Philippe. From above this pavilion there is a splendid prospect of Cairo and Lower Egypt, which some have asserted to be the finest view in the world. At the foot of the Citadel, stretching northward, lies Cairo, with its innumerable domes and minarets; beyond stretches the verdant Delta. On the right are seen the tombs of the Memlooks, and the Obelisk of Heliopolis; on the left are Old Cairo and the well-wooded Island of Roda, more domes and minarets and palaces, the grand Aqueduct, and the river Nile, and be

yond these the Pyramids of Ghizeh and Sakkarah, and the Great Desert of Libya. Turning to the south, Mount Mokattam is seen, with its rugged steeps, its quarries, and its ruins."

JOSEPH'S WELL is another curiosity of the Citadel. It is 15 ft. in diameter, and reaches the Nile level at a depth of 290 ft. A winding staircase conducts to the bottom, where the donkeys are seen at work raising the water to the top by means of an endless chain, with vessels attached to it.

In addition to the above-mentioned buildings, the CITADEL contains a Mint, Military School, Printing Office, Cannon Foundry, Manufactory of Small Arms, &c. The MOSQUES of Cairo are between 400 and 500 in number. Many are in a ruinous condition. Admission is easily obtained to the most celebrated on payment of a small fee.

There are several which the tourist will do well to visit. The Mosque El Azhar, or Splendid, founded in 970 A.D. The Mosque El Hakem, built by the Fatimite Caliph of that name, who asserted a divine mission, and founded the sect of the Druses; the Mosque Sultan Kalaoon, Sharawee, the Moduid, commonly called the red mosque, and the picturesque El Ghoree, with its beautiful inlaid work.

The CHURCHES in Cairo present no particular attraction for mere sight-seers. The Coptic Church of El Moallake (the Suspended) is curious. It is so called from its being at a considerable height above the ground, and proached by a flight of stairs.

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The PALACES of Cairo, all of which are modern, are numerous, but only those of Gezeereh and Shoobra can be visited. An order from the Khédive's Chamberlain is necessary, and this can be obtained through the Consulate.

The Palace of Gezeereh stands on an island formed by a branch of the Nile, and was built by the late Khédive, Ismail Pasha. The Empress Eugénie and the Emperor of Austria have been entertained here. The ball-room, reception-rooms, hall, and staircase are very fine. There are some pretty gardens, and a collection of African birds and beasts.

There is a Public Library in a building at the Darb-el-Gammameez, beside the Ministry of Public Instruction. Here is a fine collection of books in all languages, including the principal works that were formerly in the libraries of the Mosques. Free use of the library is permitted on every day except Friday. The Schools of Cairo are numerous. Besides the Free Schools there are government schools, both civil and military.

The MUSEUM at BOULAK, open daily, except on Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission free. There are no restrictions as to copying, and extra facilities are gratuitously afforded to students on application. This Museum is only provisional, during the erection of a National Museum at Gezeereh. It is under the supervision of Mariette Bey, who for many years has devoted himself to the unravelment of Egyptian lore, and who, since the accession of the present Khédive, in 1863, has alone had the right to excavate amongst the monuments of Egypt.

Bayard Taylor thus alludes to some of the results of Mariette Bey's labours :-—

"Now we can say, without fear of contradiction, the most valuable Egyptian museum in the world is in Cairo. That which was previously carried away, being for the most part easily accessible, proves to belong to

the later, rather than the earlier dynasties. Unwearied digging has enabled Mariette to reach the records of the ancient empire, and show what we never before suspected-that the glory of Egyptian art belongs to the age of Cheops, and only its decadence to the age of Rameses II. Not only the art, but the culture, the religion, the political organization of Egypt are carried back to the third dynasty (4450 B.C.), and Menes, the first historic king, dawns upon our knowledge not as a primitive barbarian, but as the result of a long stage of unrecorded development. I do not hesitate to say that since Champollion discovered the key to the hieroglyphics, no scholar has thrown such a broad and clear light upon Egyptian life and history as Mariette."

AMUSEMENTS AND FESTIVALS.-The chief places of public amusement in Cairo are the Opera House, where Italian opera is performed from November to March, and the French Theatre. Both these buildings are by the Esbekeeyah. At the Hippodrome 8000 spectators can witness equestrian and other circus performances. There is also an openair theatre on the Esbekeeyeh.

One of the special sights of Cairo is the performance of the Dancing Dervishes, which may be witnessed at their Convent at 2 o'clock on Friday. The service consists in pirouetting round and round to the sound of barbarous music.

There are several Cairene Festivals of great interest in the course of the year. The Departure of the Pilgrims for Mecca, carrying the Kiswet-en-Nebbee, or new lining for the Káaba or Temple at Mecca, is a very important festival. The Kiswet is of rich silk, with gold embroidery. The Return of the Pilgrims is