What We Saw in Egypt - LightNovelsOnl.com
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Sandys, an Egyptian traveller of a hundred years ago, calls this obelisk "Pharaoh's Needle." Even in his day the other had fallen. It was so nearly buried in sand that we could only see part of the top of it. The two obelisks are supposed to have been brought from Heliopolis by one of the Caesars, to adorn the city of Alexandria.
We next went to "Pompey's Pillar." It is more than ninety feet high. We were quite angry with the foolish people whose vanity has made them scribble their names on the pedestal.
"I am very glad that all the people who have disgraced themselves so are not English," said Hugh.
So we all were, if one could feel glad about anything so discreditable.
There were French and Italian names there as well as English.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MARKETING IN ALEXANDRIA.]
About two miles beyond the Rosetta Gate we came to Caesar's Camp. It was here that Augustus Caesar defeated Antony's followers. We saw some remains of towers and walls. This spot also had a still greater interest for us English as being the place on which Sir Ralph Abercrombie fell, in the famous battle on the 21st of March, 1801.
In the afternoon we went over the "mosque of the thousand and one columns." This mosque is said to stand on the spot where the church of St. Mark once stood, and where the evangelist St. Mark was put to death.
The church was destroyed by the Moslems in the year 121, in the reign of Malek el Kamel, and whilst the crusaders were besieging Damietta.
We pa.s.sed another large mosque, the Mosque of St. Athanasius. From this mosque was taken the sarcophagus called "The Tomb of Alexandria," which is now in the British Museum.
The next day we returned to Cairo, and on the day following our Nile travellers arrived. A very happy meeting it was. They had stayed one day at Luxor, to see the temples there, and had then hastened back to Cairo as quickly as they could.
We were all very much interested in Rahaba. To Lucy's delight, the little girl seemed to take a great liking for her. Before Hugh and Lucy left, they had taught her the hymn which begins,--
"Jesus who lives above the sky, Came down to be a man and die."
Miss Roper thought of asking for admission for Rahaba into the Mission School, and said she would take her first to see it. But Rahaba's eyes streamed with tears when it was spoken of, and she pleaded so hard that she might not be taken from Miss Roper, that the idea was given up.
Mr. and Miss Roper took her with them to England. The prayers of us all are offered daily that G.o.d would send a blessing on Miss Roper's labours to make Rahaba a Christian. We believe that our prayers will be heard, for Jesus Christ's sake, and that Rahaba will learn to love the gracious Saviour who died to save us. For he has said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
LONDON: R. K. BURT AND CO., PRINTERS.
