real ruler of Egypt. In the Sudân Agreement it is Lord Cromer's signature that stands written in pledge of the faith of Her Majesty's Government. If the advice of a British expert is disregarded, if an obnoxious minister must be dismissed, or a Khedive deposed -then the British Agent appears; at other times he is as unobtrusive as his official residence is modest. But whether the sky be fair or foul his motto is always Festina lente. CHAPTER V FROM MEMPHIS TO CAIRO First impression of Cairo-Two Cairos-Mediaval and European-It occupies natural site for capital of Egypt-Memphis-Herodotus' account of Memphis, c. 400 B.C.-Strabo's account-Memphis and Babylon in the age of Augustus -The capture of Babylon by the Saracens, A.D. 638- Fostât-Expansion of Fostât under Tulûn--Foundation of Cairo in 972-Its growth under the Fâtimite Khalifs-The citadel added by Saladin-The tomb-mosques by the Mameluke Sultans-Remains of medieval Cairo-Respected during British occupation-Preservation of Arabian monuments-Difficulties in the way of exploring mediaval Cairo-Chief groups of buildings. LIKE the first view of St. Peter's at Rome, the traveller's first impression of Cairo is one of disappointment. He had cherished the place so long in his mind as the well-head of Oriental life; he had read the "Arabian Nights" once more after twenty years; he had noted with pleasing anticipation the long sections devoted to "street scenes," Arabian buildings," and "Mohammedan customs" in his guide-book-in short, he had forgotten nothing, every mosque was to have its minaret and dome, every woman to wear her yashmak, every man to have pointed toes to his slippers, and to sit astride of a gaily caparisoned mule, in an atmosphere cooled by fountains, and perfumed by attar of roses. But this vision was dispelled when the train drew up alongside the platform of the railway station, and he saw his friend waiting for him in a straw hat and a tweed suit, which would not have been unbecoming at Henley. Of course he does not forget his Arabian Nights and his guide-book at once. On the contrary, he notices, with great satisfaction, one or two unmistakable minarets, which he passes as he drives from the station to his hôtel, or to his friend's house at Kasr-ed-Dubara, and he buys a fly swish from an Arab at the gate. Moreover, after he has gone round the links at Gezîreh two or three times, and played about as much lawn tennis and croquet in a week as he would have played in a season at home, he confides to his friend that he would like to see the Bazaars, or the Mosque of Sultan Hasan, or the Tombs of the Khalifs. His friend, however, who is a resident, does not encourage him. It is not much good, he tells him, to go to the Bazaars unless he wants to buy something, and as for the mosques he must first get a ticket. Of course he can easily drive to the Tombs of the Khalîfs, but it is very hot, and yes-he must have a ticket before he goes there, too. My dear fellow," he ends, "perhaps I am nervous, but I have been down with fever twice -he looks the picture of health in his Norfolk jacket and knickerbockers" and you may take my word for it, the less you go into that part of the town the better. Here, thank Heaven, we are tolerably clean and airy, but the native streets have not been swept since the days of Saladin.” Then the visitor listens to some statistics of the sanitary—or rather insanitary-condition of the old town, with a vivid account of the cholera in '95. In the end his friend promises to ride out with him to the Pyramids, where they can have a good lunch at the Mena House Hôtel. Nevertheless it is all there, even to the plash of fountains and attar of roses. The fact is that there are two Cairos, which, lying side by side without any visible division between them, hold two populations whose lives are absolutely distinct and dissimilar. According to the latest returns, Cairo has a population of some 600,000 inhabitants. Of these, the great bulk are closely crowded in the network of narrow streets of which the old town is composed, while the remainder occupy the spacious streets and squares lying to the west and north. The city lies on the east bank of the Nile, between the desert at the foot of the Mokattam Hills and the river. Roughly speaking it extends for two miles east and west, and for three miles north and south. If the rectangular space thus indicated be divided by a line drawn diagonally from the railway station on the north to the Citadel on the south, it will roughly separate European from medieval Cairo. To the |