Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/268

 provided with a handful of testimonials tin various European languages. But I have. Jearned by expericnee that this eless are al- most universally a set of thieves and sywind- lers preying upon strangers, and their exae- tlous are only limited by the ignorance or weakness of those who jnay fall into thelr hands. It is a Levantine proverb that the three nuisances of the East are plague, fire and dragomen. So for the present I decline their urgent offers of ser- vice, and stand at the door watching the eurious scene. Here ure » dozen pedlers of antique relies from the pyramids, (probably bogus) canes, bright silk scarfs and turbans; another enterprising dealer has a basket full ofyoung alligators or crocodiles, about a {oot long, and holding up one of these charm- ing prodnetions of the Nile urges me to buy it“only one frane, sar.” On the oppo- site side of the street x mountebank is swal- lowing swords and snakes, surrounded by ay admiring crowd of donkey boys, eal drivers and “hangers-on.” Dogs without, uuniber fill every vacant space, their suarl- ing und barking now abd then varied, when a vigorous kick sends them yelping awuy, A. private carnage drawn by 2 pair of hand- so1ue Arabs drives rapidly by, and in front otthe horses run two Nubians with long white rods screaming to the peaple to get out of the way.

But a new face is deseried by the donkey boys and they go forme atonce. These voys and donkeys together form an institu- tion without which Cairo would logse lalt its attractions. ‘The latter are genorally fat nnd tough, and endowed with all the lazi- ness aml obstinacy of their race. The large suft saddles are coyeredl with red morrocco, and the trappings are flashy and ornamented with cowsze shetis, The stirrup straps are not fastened to the saddte, bul merely pass over it, and unless the boy holds the oppo- site one, in mounting or dismounting, you come down wiih arun. The fall, however, eam neyer be inueh, although somewhat awkward to the stranger with so large a crowd of lookers on. The donkey boys, generally about lalf-grown, are the keenest little gamins I ever saw, and for antic drollery haye no equals. One steps up te me, pulls his forelock with ove hand and wives a corresponding kick behind, whieh necidentally hits another boy in the region of the stomach, and with a grit of humor on his dirty fuce says: “Take ride, sah? Mine splendid donkey. Name Prince”then