Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/279



, September 4.

It is wrilten that “El Kaherah” which the Europeans have metamorphosed into Cairo, vas founded by a general appointed by Ali, the husband of Mahomet’s fuir daughter Fatima; but the present city was not built until some centuries later, and for Egypt is quite amnshroom of a tuwn only some mine hundred years old, Butit was built on the ruins of much older cities, near the site of the earliest temple-pulaces of the Phuraohs; and, after Constantnople, isthe oldest Mua- hometan city in the world.

The Nile, the most mysterious of all tivers, flows on ihe same from age te age, its greasy, muddy, turbid waters the souree of Irnitfulness in a land that without them would speedily become a desert. Un- changed they have rolled on aineo the touch- jng story of Joseph and his brethren was eu- acled on their bauks, since Pharaoh’s daugh- ter bathed in the turbid stream, since the Israclites slaved nloug the shores, and many centuries luter they bore the gorgeous gal- Jeys of the voluptuous Cleopatra.

Egypt was for ages ihe storchouse of knowledge, and the nite magic is still studied in the land, whem of old the potent- ates, who united the Kingship and Pricst- heod in one person, called in its aid in hum- bugging the masses of the people. We are taught that the early race of men originally was endowed with miraculous powers, the knowledge of which lingered for cen- turies among the Chaldeans. They were skilled, perhaps, in those wondrous sci- ences, stich as mesmerism and clairvoyance,