By Charles Dudley Warner
Eighteenth Edition
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company
1876
0001
0011
0012
TO
MR. A. C. DUNHAM,
AND THE
VOYAGERS ON THE DAHABEH RIP VAN WINKLE,
THIS
IMPERFECT RECORD OF THEIR EXPERIENCE IS
DEDICATED.
O Commander of the Faithful. Egypt is a compound of black earth and green plants, between a pulverized mountain and a red sand. Along the valley descends a river, on which the blessing of the Most High reposes both in the evening and the morning, and which rises and falls with the revolutions of the sun and moon. According to the vicissitudes of the seasons, the face of the country is adorned with a silver wave, a verdant emerald, and the deep yellow of a golden harvest.
From Amrou, Conqueror of Egypt, to the Khalif Omar.
CONTENTS
PREFATORY NOTE.
My Winter on the Nile, and its sequel, In the Levant, which record the experiences and observations of an Oriental journey, were both published in 1876; but as this volume was issued only by subscription, it has never reached the large public which is served by the general book trade.
It is now republished and placed within the reach of those who have read In the Levant. Advantage has been taken of its reissue to give it a careful revision, which, however, has not essentially changed it. Since it was written the Khedive of so many ambitious projects has given way to his son, Tufik Pasha; but I have let stand what was written of Ismail Pasha for whatever historical value it may possess. In other respects, what was written of the country and the mass of the people in 1876 is true now. The interest of Americans in the land of the oldest civilization has greatly increased within the past few years, and literature relating to the Orient is in more demand than at any previous time.
The brief and incidental allusion in the first chapter to the peculiarity in the construction of the oldest temple at Pstuma peculiarity here for the first time, so far as I can find, described in printis worthy the attention of archaeologists. The use of curved lines in this so-called Temple of Neptune is more marked than in the Parthenon, and is the secret of its fascination. The relation of this secret to the irregularities of such mediaeval buildings as the Duomo at Pisa is obvious.
Hartford, October, 1880.
C. D. W.
0020
CHAPT. I.AT THE GATES OF THE EAST.
The MediterraneanThe East unlike the WestA World risked for a WomanAn Unchanging World and a Pickle SeaStill an OrientOld FashionsA Journey without ReasonsOff for the OrientLeaving NaplesA Shaky CourtA Deserted DistrictRuins of PstumTemple of NeptuneEntrance to PurgatorySafety Valves of the WorldEnterprising NativesSunset on the SeaSicilyCreteOur PassengersThe Hottest place on RecordAn American TouristAn Evangelical DentistOn a Secret MissionThe Vanquished Dignitary
CHAPT. II.WITHIN THE PORTALS.
AfricaAlexandriaStrange ContrastsA New WorldNatureFirst View of the OrientHotel EuropeMixed NationalitiesThe First BacksheeshStreet Scenes in AlexandriaFamiliar Pictures IdealizedCemetery DayA Novel Turn OutA Moslem CemeteryNew Terrors for DeathPompey's PillarOur First CamelAlong the CanalDeparted GloryA set of Fine FellowsOur Handsome DragomenBazaarsUniversal Good HumorA Continuous HolidayPrivate life in EgyptInvisible BlacknessThe Land of Color and the SunA Casino
CHAPT. III.EGYPT OF TO-DAY.
RailwaysOur Valiant DragomenA Hand-to-Hand StruggleAlexandria to CairoArtificial IrrigationAn Arab VillageThe NileEgyptian FestivalsPyramids of GeezehCairoNatural Queries.
CHAPT. IV.CAIRO.
A RhapsodyAt Shepherd'sHotel life, Egyptian planEnglish NoblemenLife in the StreetsThe Valuable Donkey and his DriverThe swell tiling in CairoA hint for Central ParkEunuchsYankee Doodles of CairoA Representative ArabSelecting DragomenThe Great Business of EgyptAn Egyptian Market-PlaceA Substitute for ClothesDahabehs of the NileA Protracted NegotiationEgyptian wiles
CHAPT. V.ON THE BAZAAR.
Sight Seeing in CairoAn Eastern BazaarCourteous MerchantsThe Honored BeggarCharity to be RewardedA Moslem FuneralThe Gold BazaarShopping for a NecklaceConducting a Bride HomeA Partnership matterEarly Marriages and DecayLongings for Youth
CHAPT. VI.MOSQUES AND TOMBS.
The SiroccoThe DesertThe Citadel of CairoScene of the Massacre of the MemlooksThe World's VerdictThe Mosque of Mohammed AliTomb of the Memlook SultansLife out of Death
CHAPT. VII.MOSLEM WORSHIPTHE CALL TO PRATER.
An Enjoyable CityDefinition of ConsciencePrayer is better than SleepCall of the MuezzinMoslems at PrayerInterior of a MosqueOriental ArchitectureThe Slipper FittersDevotional WashingAn Inman's Supplications
CHAPT. VIII.THE PYRAMIDS.
Ancient SepulchresGrave RobbersThe Poor Old MummyThe Oldest Monument in the WorldFirst View of the PyramidsThe resident BedaweenAscending the StepsPatent ElevatorsA View from the TopThe Guide's OpinionsOrigin of Murray's Guide BookSpeculations on the PyramidsThe InteriorAbsolute NightA Taste of DeathThe SphinxDomestic Life in a TombSouvenirs of Ancient EgyptBacksheesh!
CHAPT. IX.PREPARATIONS FOR A VOYAGE.
A Weighty QuestionThe Seasons BewitchedPoetic Dreams RealizedEgyptian MusicPublic GardenA Wonderful RockIts PatronsThe Playing BandNative Love SongsThe Howling DerweeshesAn Exciting PerformanceThe Shakers put to ShameDescendants of the ProphetAn Ancient Saracenic HomeThe Land of the Elea and the CoptHistorical CuriositiesPreparing for our JourneyLaying in of Medicines and RocketsA Determination to be LiberalOfficial life in EgyptAn Interview with the BeyPaying for our RocketsA Walking TreasuryWaiting for Wind
CHAPT. X.ON THE NILE.
On Board the Rip Van WinkleA Farewell DinnerThe Three Months Voyage CommencedOn the NileOur Pennant's DeviceOur DahabehIts Officers and CrewTypes of Egyptian RacesThe Kingdom of the StickThe false Pyramid of MaydoonA Night on the RiverCurious CraftsBoat Races on the NileNative VillagesSongs of the SailorsIncidents of the DayThe CoptsThe PatriarchThe Monks of Gebel TayrDisappointment all RoundA Royal LuxuryThe Banks of the NileGum ArabicUnfair Reports of usSpeed of our DahabehEgyptian BreadHasheesh-SmokingEgyptian RobbersSitting in DarknessAgricultureGathering of TaxesSuccessful Voyaging
CHAPT. XI.PEOPLE ON THE RIVER BANK.
Sunday on the NileA CalmA Land of TombsA New DivinityBurial of a ChildA Sunday Companion on ShoreA Philosophical PeopleNo Sunday ClothesThe Aristocratic BedaweenThe SheykhRare Specimens for the CentennialTracts NeededWoman's RightsPigeons and CranesBalmy Winter NightsTrackingCopying Nature in DressResort of CrocodilesA Hermit's CaveWaiting for NothingCrocodile MummiesThe Boatmen's SongFurling SailsLife AgainPictures on the Nile.
CHAPT. XII.SPENDING CHRISTMAS ON THE NILE.
Independence in SpellingAsiootChristmas DayThe American ConsulA Visit to the PashaConversing by an InterpreterThe Ghawazees at HomeAncient SculptureBird's Eye View of the NileOur Christmas DinnerOur VisitorGrand ReceptionThe Fire WorksChristmas Eve on the Nile
