What We Saw in Egypt Part 5

We were told that the language taught in the schools generally is Arabic, but that some of the children learn English. They are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, needlework, embroidery, and, in fact, everything that can be useful to them. They read the Bible, and many of them can say large portions of it by heart.

We next went to the ragged school. There we saw a number of little children, some of them not more than three years old. They are fed and clothed, and stay at school all day, only going home at night. They looked very happy.

Besides these schools, there is also a school for Coptic young men.

These schools were all founded by the Rev. Theophilus Lieder (a German clergyman, head of the mission in Egypt) and his wife. So great a work needed much self-denial, courage, energy, industry. But Mr. and Mrs.

Lieder gave these willingly for love of Jesus Christ, and of the lambs of his flock. He has helped their work, for he always blesses the work which is done from love to him. Very few of us can do such a great work for Jesus Christ as Mr. and Mrs. Lieder have done. But we can all do something for him. And if we love him, he will help even our smallest work in his name. For he has said, "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

On our way home from the schools we rode round the princ.i.p.al bazaars, a never-failing pleasure to Hugh and Lucy.

CHAPTER VIII.

A LONG DAY.

Fostat, or Old Cairo, was the next place of interest which we visited.

The walls built round it by the Romans were of small squared stones, mixed with tiles, and were about nine feet high. There were two towers, each half a circle in shape, standing out from them, and two other large towers at the princ.i.p.al gate. The gateway was almost buried in sand: still, we could distinguish an eagle on one part of it.

The only entrance it now has is a small gate, too narrow for a carriage to pa.s.s through. The streets are really only lanes, and the houses are high. In old times this city was called Egyptian Babylon.

"Is it the same as Babylon the Great?" Hugh asked.

"No. Babylon the Great stood on the River Euphrates, and was the capital of the Babylonian empire."

"Can you tell me anything more about this Babylon in Egypt?"

"Yes, a little. Sir Gardner Wilkinson mentions an early Christian record, sculptured on wood, of the time of Diocletian. It is in the west tower, and we will try and find it. Then the crusaders, under Louis IX.

of France, besieged but did not take it. The Sieur de Joinville, who wrote the life of the king, has given an interesting account of the siege. He describes the terror caused in the army when the 'Greek fire'

was thrown from the walls. In the middle ages it was a noted place, and a stuff called 'cloth of Baldeck' was manufactured here. It was made of silk and of gold and silver threads, and was ornamented with imitations of trees, flowers, and birds. It was worn and much prized by persons of high rank. Henry III. was, I believe, the first English king who wore cloth of Baudekin or Baldeck, but it was worn in other countries of Europe before his time."

We went to the upper chamber over the west tower of the old gateway, and there saw the record described by Sir Gardner Wilkinson. The upper part with the Greek inscription; below it a symbol of the Deity, a globe supported by two winged angels; and on each side six figures, which Sir Gardner Wilkinson believes to be the twelve apostles. We were very much interested in this Christian record, and wished that we had had some knowledge of who these early Christians were who had left the traces of their a.s.sembly in this upper chamber.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OLD GATEWAY.]

We next went to see the mosque of Amer. This mosque was built by the Saracen Amer on the spot on which he encamped with his army when he besieged the city and took it. He founded the city of Fostat, which became the capital of Mohammedan Egypt. Four hundred years afterwards the present city of Cairo was built by one of the caliphs. He made it the capital, and called it Masr-el-Kahira, or "the Victorious City." The city built by Amer was then called "Old Cairo."

We were not so much struck by the mosque of Amer as we had been by some other mosques. There are some fine pillars and arches, both pointed and circular. But its chief interest is its great age. There is an old tradition that whenever this mosque falls, the Mohammedan power will fall in Egypt.

From Old Cairo we crossed over to the Island of Roda, to see the Nilometer. It consists of a square well, in the middle of which is a pillar marked in degrees, for measuring the rise of the Nile. There was once a tower over it. At the time when the Nile is rising, the criers come into Cairo every morning to proclaim the height to which it has risen since the previous morning. This overflow of the Nile irrigates the country for a long distance from its banks, and makes them very fruitful.

From the Nilometer we went to see the gardens belonging to Ibrahim Pacha; then to the spot where Moses is said to have been found by Pharaoh's daughter. We could picture the cradle of bulrushes floating on the still waters; the royal princess coming down with maidens to bathe, the anxious Miriam watching with eager eyes to see what would be the fate of her baby-brother. Hugh and Lucy both said that it made the Bible seem much more real to them, now that they were in the very land where so many of G.o.d's wonders of old were wrought. We all felt it so, as we looked at the spot where Moses was preserved in his babyhood, while floating in his cradle in the very waters which afterwards at his word, by G.o.d's command, were turned into blood.

Our next expedition was to the tombs of the Mameluke kings. We rode through a not very interesting part of Cairo to the "Bab-el-Nasr," or "Gate of Victory."

The tombs stand at a short distance from Cairo, on the edge of the desert. Each has its mosque, with dome and minarets. In one, called El Kait Bey, there is the print of a man's foot on the marble slab. This is said to be the footprint of "the Prophet" Mohammed. It is within a covered enclosure which is open at the sides. The Arabs show their respect for it by touching it reverently with their hands, which they kiss afterwards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FINDING OF MOSES.]

Another beautiful tomb is El Berbook. It has been faced with red and white stones, many of which are still left. There is an open corridor on the first floor. The entrance-hall leads into the large court of the mosque, in which there once was a fountain. It has long ceased to play, and the ornaments are all in ruin. The dome was richly ornamented. The door to it was locked, and we could only peep through some holes at the beauties within.

We next went to the tomb and mosque of Ahd Bey. The pavements, the windows, the grand arch, the ornamentation, all were beautiful. And the thought that the great Mameluke sultans, in whose honour these were wrought, made us silent. These palaces were not for the living, but for the dead. Even Hugh and Lucy grew grave. It was such a solemn thought that we were walking among earthly palaces, dedicated to those to whom earthly glory has for centuries been less than nothing! Here they sleep, silent owners of their silent city in the desert, till the last great trumpet shall sound, and the mighty dead shall (with their humbler fellow-men) be judged according to their works. Thanks be to G.o.d who giveth his people the victory in that day, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In silence we pa.s.sed on from one tomb, one mosque, to another.

"Where are we going now?" Hugh asked, after we had ridden on for some time.

"To the petrified forest."

"Shall we find the trees standing, all turned into stone? For petrified means turned into stone, does it not?" said Lucy.

"Yes, it does. But I do not think we shall find any trees standing, from what I have read about the 'petrified wood.'"

True enough. When we reached the petrified forest in the Valley of Wanderings (this valley forms the beginning of the desert leading to the Red Sea) we did not see a single tree, but the sand was for miles covered with fragments of wood. Though these were turned into stone, we could see knots and fibres, and even the rough bark, which showed them to be fragments of trees.

"Is it not wonderful!" exclaimed Hugh.

It was indeed wonderful. And now we came to what looked like the trunk of a large tree; there was another like it, at a little distance; they must have been quite fifty feet long, or more; they lay in the sand, and seemed to have broken as they fell, for there were small pieces scattered about all around.

"What made it?" Lucy asked.

None of us could tell; nor have we since been able to find any account of how these trees were turned into stone. But it seems certain that all this part of the desert, on which there is not now a blade of gra.s.s, must have been covered by a wood.

We could but look and wonder. "How unsearchable are the judgments of G.o.d, and his ways past finding out!"

We all picked up some pieces to bring away with us. Then we sat down on one of the large petrified trunks and ate our lunch, the wonders all round us giving us plenty to talk about the while.

On our way home we came round by another group of tombs beneath the mountains of Mokattam. We had had a long day, and it was nearly sunset when we left the tombs.

The sunset clouds were gorgeous. All at once, as the sun sank beneath them, the deep-toned sound of the muezzin called the faithful followers of the prophet Mohammed to prayer. Every one around us prostrated themselves. Our hearts obeyed the call; we offered our thanks to our Heavenly Father, who has made such a world of beauty and wonder for our enjoyment.

"O G.o.d, O good beyond compare, If thus Thy meaner works are fair, If thus Thy bounties gild the span Of ruined earth and sinful man, What must those glorious mansions be When Thy redeemed shall dwell with Thee!"

CHAPTER IX.

THE START UP THE NILE.

Our party was now to be divided for a time. We were all anxious to see the Nile, but it was thought better for the children and their mother to stay quietly in Cairo. Those who were not pressed for time offered to remain with them, while the others hastened up to the second cataract.

After much discussing and arranging, it was decided that three should stay with the invalid and her children in Cairo, and the other three should go up the Nile together.

The most comfortable sort of boat for travelling is the "dahabieh." One was engaged. Mohammed laid in the stores necessary for the journey; and when all was ready, we went to Boulak, which is the port of Cairo, to see the travellers start.

We went on board the dahabieh.