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    committing the same blunder that is incessantly committed by European politicians—the blunder , namely , of supposing that you can anticipate political growth , is indicated in the following passage : — « Anv one versed in the internal history of Egypt during the government of Mohammed Ali must know that his great mistake , or rather his great crime , was , that he endeavoured at any sacrifice to force the country into a resemblance with the E uropean states , whose military . power he envied and whose praises he coveted . He levied armies and launched navies , and introduced manufactures , and undertook public works ; and every step he took spread disaster , and misery , and death , through the population . For these things were not the natural product of the rising prosperity of the country . To bring them about he was compelled to la y on taxes of unexampled severity , which nearly extinguished all motive to exertion in the fellahs , and rapidly reduced their numbers . It is to be regretted that he had not a taste for building pyramids . He might have caused equal misery , but there would have been something to show for the money . His armies have been

    devoured by fire and sword ; his fleets have rotted in the port ; his fortifications are still unarmed ; his manufactories are for the most part abandoned to rats and spiders ; and the Barrage , at length suspected to be a great mistake , will probably never be finished . What Egypt wants is a gradual emancipation of the fellahs , the destruction of the system of forced labour . Its peop le are remarkably acquisitive and naturally industrious . Let them alone , and they will soon find the way to prosperity , and make railroads for themselves when necessary . In the meantime , if English cap italists could obtain permission to spend about a million sterling in their own way in improving the communication between Alexandria and Cairo , it would be very convenient for Indian travellers , and would not only be temporarily beneficial to the fellahs , but might lead to a permanent improvement in their condition . "

    But there is little politics in Mr . St . John ' s volumes , and the absence only renders them more agreeable . He touches the subject occasionally , but only in passing , as he touches many other subjects , including hieroglyphics , and the pretensions of "learned Thebans" to decipher them—pretensions which excite his profound scepticism . Let us , with his aid , catch a few glimpses of Egyptian life . Here is one of the appearance of the fellah women : — " The fellaha women wear a blue skirt , of the same form with that of the men , but somewhat longer and of more transparent materials ; so that if they were particularly squeamish they would shrink from passing between a stranger and the light . Over their heads they throw a mantle , either of the same stuff or else of checked linen : and one corner , kept in position by hands or teeth , serves to veil

    two-thirds of the face , leaving one eye , often the only one , uncovered . Generally speaking , they are without ornaments ; but some wear necklaces or collars of thick wire , bracelets and anklets , ear-rings and nose-rings ; also coins hanging down beween the eyes when they have a burko , or face-veil . They tattoo the forehead , lips , and various parts of the face , as well as the arms ; and a blue star often attracts the eye to where the opening in front reveals all the unelaborateness of the costume of these deep-bosomed beauties . This practice of tattooing , generally followed by the women and by many of the men , is condemned as sinful by rigid Muslims ; and Derweesh used often to regret that his arms had been thus disfigured when a child . The operation is performed , not without incantations , by the gipsy women , who pretend thereby to preserve children from innumerable imaginary disorders .

    " There is something massive about the beauty of Egyptian countrywomen . Their faces are of a short oval , like that of the young Bacchus . The expression of their eyes , which have space to ( levelope their voluptuous outline , crushed slightly , as in the case of the men , by a heavy lid and long lashes , is often stiffened , if I may so speak , by the black border of kohl . It would ho difficult , however , to imagine more beautiful eyes than those that sometimes flash upon you in the villages . There is a promise of heaven in them ; often belied , however , by the earthly reality of the full pouting lips of swarthy red . Except that in souk ; of the larger curves there is too great an evidence of muscle , and ( hat the breasts arc early wearied with child-feeding , no forms can surpass those of the fellahas . Parisian hotlines never confined such exquisite feet ; and those ; hands that dabble in cow-dung would , in Europe , be caressed all day by lovers , and startle the artist as the revelation of his long-sought ideal .

    " Kings Cophetuas , prone to love beggar-maids , sire not of everyday occurrence ; and I have rarely found people to sympathize with me in my admiration of these dirty Venuse . s . . For it must be confessed they are as dirty as their occupations make them . Not that they have any . special fondness for filth ; for they wash their persons daily , and their clothes as often as might be expected , considering that they rarely possess a change . Hut , in spite of their efforts , they are always begrimed more or less ; and the odour of the dye used in their garments is ho repulsive , that , only travellers possessed of cosmopolitan nostrils can venture to approach them .

    " It is worthy of remark , Unit nothing is more rare tlmn respectable-looking old age among fellfdia women . They all shrivel early into hags . Neither is there any beautiful childhood of either sex ; and it . is really wonderful that the miserable pot-bellied creatures , covered with dirt , and sores , and Hies , which crawl about the dunghills of the villages , should grow up into fine hearty young men and charming maidens . " Mr . SI ., John enlivens his volumes wif , h abundance of characteristic mwcaIoIvh and stories . Kcad this : - TO PKJiSONS A 1 KIUTTO MAKHV .

    " The , fellah , named llarotm , said that when he came of age to marry—which was when the barber ' s wife be ^ an to throw daic-stoncs at , him from behind a wall , and then betray herself l > y mi ndeeled giggle not finding a suitable iiiuf . ch in his own village , be travelled through the neighbouring ; districts until he met with a very poor couple who hud an only daughter . lie made his propositions , was accepted , and , after I ho necessary delays , found himself possessed of a wife . A detail of all his comic I ribulnl ions need not l > e given . Sullice it . to say that the bride too young to have the witness within her of the propriety of her being handed over to the rough tenderness of a stranger-was as restive as a colt ignorant of the halter . During the first half of the honeymoon Hnronn ' . s iiiee became so ornamented with scratches Unit no friend could recognise him . lie gravely applied for redress to the parents , who promised to scold mid intercede . If they did «> , it was without effect ; and 1 , 1 le bridegroom returned to his unlive village ; with a new father and mother , and a wile whom it was as dangerous to approach an a hedgehog tied in a , bug . Had he been alone with her , matters might huvo been smoothed

    at the expense of a few tears ; but hi the midst of his remonstrances the old people would invariably rush to the rescue , and accuse the poor bewildered man of assassinating their daughter . Under these circumstances he consulted the Kadee of tha village , who was esteemed of good counsel . " ' The matter is easy , O Haroun , ' said the Kadee , having heard an unvarnished statement of the case . ' Pretend thou to give up the matter as a bad job , and ga out as if to work . The old people will soon grow weary of staying at home , having all their new relations to visit . Watch thy opportunity , and slip back armed with a good stick as soon as they are out . Let the stick be at least two fingers in . thickness ; and when thou hast locked thyself in , fall to in the name of the Pro . phet , and beat thy wife well : beat her till she shrieks for mercy , beat her till tliou drawest blood—zing , zong , Wallah ! Billah ! and , by my beard , she will become as , amiable as a young buffalo that feedeth out of its master ' s hand .

    " The bridegroom did as he -was advised , and , having nearly committed murder , was acknowledged as lord paramount ; so that when the parents came back they found their daughter humble as a dove just fluttering after capture , with one eye beaming love and the other bound up by a rag . "' In this way , ' said the narrator , ' was I saved from the necessity of divorce / " The following is the conclusion of a story which might have found a place in the Arabian Nights . To make it intelligible we need only say , that the hero , Abd-el-Haii , has beggared himself by profuse hospitality , and is now returning homewards :

    " So he proceeded on his journey until he reached another village , towards the hour of sunset . The people had come home from the fields , and were seen sitting before their doors , whilst others were strolling by a row of acacias , breathing the freshness of evening , and waiting for the call to prayers . Sheikh Abd-el-Hai walked very slowly along , to give some one an opportunity to invite him ; but no one said tafuddal or bismillah . Had he been of more respectable appearance , he would have gone at once to the house of the Sheikh and claimed hospitality ; but he was ashamed to do this hi his ragged and dirty state ; and sneaked along the streets , looking more like a thief than an honest man . A pack of hungry dogs

    suddenly attacked him ; and one , catching him by his trousers , carried away a large piece thereof . Probably they would have devoured him , for he was too dispirited to defend himself , had not a young girl , bearing on her head a large square tray covered with loaves of bread , appeared and called them off . This done , she went tripping away ; but Abd-el-Hai , deriving hope from the sound of her voice , which was sweet as that of a lamb learning to bleat , followed her as fast as he was able , and laying his hand upon her garment , cried"" 'Oh maiden !'

    " But she , mistaking his action , replied" ' Lewd fellow ! is it not enough that I have saved thee from the dogs ? Wouldst thou now molest me ?' " So he withdrew his hand , and was silent for shame ; whilst the maiden , hastening away , entered a house , and presently came out again without the bread , and turned down a bye-lane , looked fearfully about , lest the impudent and ungrateful stranger should follow her . " Then the Sheikh began to reflect , that if he remained wandering about in this wise , he should meet again with the dogs ; and he said , ' It is better to eat than to be eaten . ' So , observing that the bread-maiden had left the door of her house hands

    a-jar , he slipped in , and finding all dark , began to stretch out his as he walked , lifting up his toes very high , and holding in his breath . Suddenly , however , some people entered behind him , and he had only just time to say , ' By your leave , O blessed ones ! ' and creep into the oven , or rather stove , which usually occupies the further end of the principal chamber in a fellah house , and serves for a bedstead as well as a warming-pan . Having quite hid himself , he listened attentively , and heard a man and woman speaking tenderly one to the other . To his Hiirpnse , be recognised in the voice of the man that of one of the rogues who had stolen his cattle . At first he thought he had got into a robber ' s den , but soon discovered that he was in the house of Sheikh Noor-cd-Deen , who was engaged in entertaining his friends in the reception-room , whilst his wife received her lover . After sonic

    conversation , the woman said" " The supper is ready cooked , and Fatmeh has brought the bread , hit tliou on the fiirn ( oven ) , and I will give thee the dishes , naming them as I give ; for dare not light a lamp , lost the neig hbours might peep in through a chink and tee thee . ' " ' Good , ' said tho man , gruffly ; ' but make haste , for I ain hungry . " ' Here is a dish ofshorba , my love , ' quoth the woman , in a nnnenig tone , ' and 1 put a spoon into thy hands and a loaf of bread by thy side . ' " ' Woman , ' was the reply , ' 1 have a . spoon ; but 1 can find no bread , and n *

    no soup . ... , .. ( " The woman laughed , thinking ho was joking ; but the Sheikh had nhly I " ' bis band and taken in the dish and the ; bread : but he was afraid to eat , lest < mig ht be beard . According to the narrative , which here becomes too complete ^ be true , the whole supper was brought , dish by dish , and disposed ol in tie w way , until the guilty couple began to suspect that tho devil w : » s concerned in . affair , and to he very much afraid . At this juncture there was a knocking a , door , and the voice of Noor-od-Deen demanded admittance . ^ " < Ready , O Lord !' . said the woman , who feared her husband more limn devil . « My love , hide in the turn , ' she added , in a low voice . ^ " Tin ; man accordingly , without even saying ' . Dcst-onr , ' tried to get , in ; l » i worthy Sheikh , with forked fingers poked his eyes , and nearly blinded him . » ' The devil's in the turn ! ' growled he , starling back . ' Jfcsloiu ; drstotii , . /

    ¦ ni olxtrakccii ! ' . .. | y <) in " ' ( Jet in , fool ; my husband ' s at the door , ' muttered she , thrusting inn behind ; but every t / niie he advanced with chattering teei . h , the Sheik "> "" "" in ( , of his npologeticnl desf . our , tapped him on the nose , or squeezed Ins t uoi ^ ^ sent , him squeaking away . At , length , however , the woman mustered- »» 1 " ^ strength , and fairly bundled her lover into the oven on the top ol tUe . m ^^ began pummelling his enemy to his heart ' s content , quite certain tlial , t dare neither to resist nor complain . . - K i ,, ; - " The husband was now admitted . Probably lie had entertamed »»^ I » " - ^ . ^ fo . e ; they wen . pretty nearly changed into certainty by the delay Uml »' place . However , he made no observation thereon , but sittin- down on asked for supper . " JJuth not , my lord supped r said the wile , in u coaxing tone . •< ' JSlo : do as 1 bid thee , ' wuh the brief reply .

    Untitled Article

    1022 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 23, 1852, page 1022, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1957/page/18/