GLIMPSES OF OTHER LANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

GLIMPSES OF OTHER LANDS

[BY THOS. ALLEN'.]

EGYPT REVISITED.

Thkrk is a fascination about the Land of the Pharaohs that attracts an increasing number of visitors every year. America sends a large contingent, some journeying independently, while others cross the Atlantic in parlies of 400 or more, on steamers specially chartered by tourist agents. These usually call at several countries bordering on the Mediterranean, concluding their tour with a few weeks in Egypt. A large number of victors come from Britain and the Continent of Europe, while a fair proportion from Australia and New /calami make a short stay in Egypt ou their return from the Motherland. There are several lines of s.tea mere crossing the Mediterranean, and we sailed by ■me of the North German Lloyd, the Fredericli der Grosse, a tine twin-screw* steamer of 11,000 tons, We found her very much like the other steamers of the same company, very steady and comfortable, the staterooms, table, and attendance, with the extensive promenade decks, leaving nothing to be desired. After the excitement and whirl of 20th century commercial life ill Chicago, New York, London, Melbourne, or even Auckland, it is hardly possible for anyone wiao has not travelled to realise the ordinary everyday life of Egypt. The Mediterranean still divides the East from the West, and centuries of intercourse and traffic have not altered the special features of.Eastern life. EVERYDAY LIFE. The ordinary characteristics of everyday Eastern life are very much in evidence, and remind us of the familiar Maori expression "Taihoa." Where no one is in a hurry there can be no real delay. We are made to realise the fact that the day is before us, and not only this day, but the whole winter of days. Every manner and custom of the people appears strange and novel to Western eyes. So far as externals go, we appear to be living in a former age, or rather to be drifting through it. The sky is clear right through the winter, the air is full of dust, and the streets of the city are full of 'noise and bright with varied colours, and all the strangeness of active Eastern life. We are spectators of a neverending pageant, not for one day only, but every day. for the people fall naturally into picturesque groups. Rich silks, with brilliant dyes on the one baud, and tattered rags of a sombre black or brown on the tuber. Nothing appears to be out of place, but all seems to be in keeping with the surroundings.

The markets are usually held in some open place, where fish and dates, beans, nuts and sugar-cane, live sheep and camels, with drapery goods and ornament*;, are all exposed to the dust ami the heat of the sun.

• In the narrow streets of the city, the projecting second and third storey itoors, with old latticed balconies, almost meet overhead, thus forming a shield from the direct rays of the sun. Here we meet and have some difficulty in passing loaded camels, donkeys with double panniers, and hawkers of vegetables. The donkey wears jingling bells and silver ornaments around his neck, while his hair is shaved artistically in spots, 011 neck or legs, to give him an ornamental and variegated appearance. No Itnimal appears to be worse treated, for he is beaten with sticks, hard ridden, and galled with straps. Yet. with all this, it must be admitted that he is patient and surefooted. 1 He can thread bio way through a, crowded street, or will stand patiently for hours with the reins thrown loosely over his neck in a noisy thoroughfare. BAZAARS. The bazaars are little more than narrow lanes, many of them roofod over with cane or palm branches as shade from the rays of the sun ; but they ate a never-failing source of interest One quarter is devoted entirely to the manufacture and sale of slippers, each stall having rows of slippers suspended in line across the front. Silk bazaars, gold bazaars, silver bazaars, brass and copper, arms and jewels, spice and perfumes, cotton and bookbinding, fruit and carpets. In these bazaars we find various nationalities crowded together, with very little breathing space. Egyptians ancl Turks, Algerians and Persians, Armenians and Greeks, .Syrians and Jews, all anxious to sell cheir goods. The gold and silver bazaars are the narrowest, and to many the most interesting of all, the passageways being barely 3ft wide. On either side we see little shops just large enough for the dealer, with his iron safe and a small table. At times there is, in addition, a small forge, bellows and anvil. Here we saw the worker." in silver and gold cutting up the ingots, and beating out the pieces into various ornaments, from the solid silver or gold anklets to the liner necklets, rings or brooches. In some of these small shops we noted two or three veiled Egyptian or Turkish women, seated on the floor, and .sipping '1 urkish coffee. They have 110 doubt come to spend hours in bargaining foi some article of adornment, usually silver 01 gold bracelets or anklet:, which the majority wear. As we return from our tour of the bazaar we see the same women seated, and apparently far from completing the barj gain, although it may appear to the ordinary reader that the walking through these j Eastern bazaars would b-j somewhat monotonous. In reality it is not so, tor there is an ever-changing picturesque scene of I',astern tile, with which one i-4 never wearied. EASTERN CHARACTERISTICS. Every day her.* dr> scenes of ordinary life that possess a great charm for the Bible student. The allusion to the separation of : the sheep from the goats can only be fully • understood in an Eastern country, where ; the sheep and goats are so much alik< in ; shape and colour that it is difficult to dis- | tinguish the one from tin otlici. On many | an evening in the country, as the sun sinks below the horizon, we meet a mixed . flock of sheep and goats returning from 1 their pasture, the shepherd carrying in bis j arms a lamb or kid, too small or feeble j to keep pace with the flock. The wine skin of Bible days was the I same kind that i.« now used by the water-carriers all over Egypt, and enables intelligent visitors to understand the illustration of new wine in old bottles. To see the village sheikh walking about with his long staff, and note his camels and asses, sheep and goats, with the villagers. who are practically his men servants and maid servants, all help to bring to mind the old patriarchal days, and it requires 110 effort of the imagination to realise the mode of living at the time of Abraham and Job as it is described in such poetic language in tho Bible. The letter-writers are a peculiarly Eastern institution. Wo see them in the streets, often alongside the wall of some public building, and under umbrella-shaded tables. Here these public letter-writers are seated, and always ready to write letters or petitions for illiterate applicants. GRACEFUL FIGURES. Tho stately walk of the Egyptian girls and women on their way to the Nile bank, just before the going down of the sun, for the water required for the evening and early morning, is a picture of natural grace. Egyptian girls are early taught to work, and at the age of seven or eight years they begin to carry small jars of water on tiieir heads. By the time they reach the age of 12 or 13 years they think nothing of balancing a large earthen ja.- of wate. on their heads, as much as they lift. Then, walking leisurely, and with a Jignified attitude homeward with their companions, they beguile tir. way with the latest gossip. For thousand j of ycai« their ancestors have followed the same course, aud to-day the

girls carry pottery jars of the same style and pattern ii the Eastern girls of Bible days. ' STATE SCHOOLS. The Government State system of education in Egypt has been established about 20 years, and is divided into elementary, primary, secondary, and 1 professional schools. The Kuttabs are the Mohammedan elementary schools, where the Koran is taught, and. the pupils receive lessons in reading and writing Arabic, to enable them to memorise the Koran. If the teaching proves satisfactory, these Kuttabs receive Government grants based upon the average attendance, but before this is received the pupils must be taught. arithmetic. Children attend these schools up to the age of eight years. Private schools may come under Government: inspection by showing that they meet Government requirements as to 'standards, but the only ones that receive. Government grants are these elementary schools or lXuttabs. In visiting these Kuttabs we noticed that in addition to (lie Koran arithmetic of the most elementary sort is also taught. The rooms were dark, with stone or brick walls and mud floors. Soin- of these rooms had benches without backs, but in others there were no seats of any description, so the teacher and children sat. mi the floor, the children using tin or wooden slates, and Arabic primers. Not a particle of decoration was visible to relieve the bareness of the walls. At one of these Kuttabs, it was very amusing to hear both master and children -with outstretched hands cry out "backsheesh," as wo retired after a brief visit. • f In th« primary schools,' which pupils usually attend up to the age of 12 years, the syllabus includes reading and writing, arithmetic, geography, and dictation both in Arabic and English. Over 90 per cent, of the population of Egypt are Mohammedans, and, this being the religion of the country, the Koran is used as a text book in all the primary schools. During the first school year the pupils must not only rend and write Arabic from the Koran, but must a.lso learn by heart a number of chapters. During the third and fourth years they are taught the fundamental principles of religion, the necessity of religion to man, and the benefits derived therefrom. The teachers in all the Kuttabs and primary schools are Arabs. In the secondary schools all the teaching is in English. These schools are wry much like tho colleges and liiajh schools of New Zealand, ant! the ages of the pupils average from 12 to 16 years. The curriculum is somewhat similar to that of the colleges in New Zealand, with the exception of the Greek and Roman classics, which are not taught here. Strenuous efforts are put forth to train competent, natives of 'the country for the higher professions. What may be termed free public schools are absolutely unknown here, and there does not appear to be any immediate prospect of establishing them ; all pupils must pay some fee for their tuition. It, is, however, an encouraging sign to find, wealthy Egyptians founding and endowing private schools, and asking for Government inspection. Although there are no free schools, the Government encourages study for professional life by giving grants to promising pupils sufficient to pay their expenses. Professional schools are established by the Government for the study of law, medicine, teaching, and technology. All who have studied' the question must admit that the social and moral elevation of the people of Egypt depends almost entirely on the uplifting of the women of the country. So far as we could ascertain, the organisation that is working the most successfully in this direction is the

AMERICAN MISSION SCHOOL. The American United Presbyterian Mission was begun in Egypt in 185*4, and in addition to the work of preaching the gospel they have established schools all through the country, extending fiom Alexandria to Assouan.

In the city of Cairo they have a substantia lbuiluing in a central position for the city schools. On the boys' side they have over 300 pupils enrolled, and on the gills' side 58C pupils, of whom 4C are Mohammedans. They great feature of this school is the boarding department, foi. at, the present time, they have 90 girl boarders, who have come from 40 different towns, and of these 10 are Mohammedans. In this school are to found the children of Copts and Hebrews, Greeks and Romans, Mohammedans, and Protestants, side by side in the classes.

The first school hour of the morning is devoted to Bible study, at. which all the pupils are present. They then take the usual course of reading, writing, grammar, arithmetic, composition, history, and geography. These subjects are taught in English and Arabic, with both oral and written translations from one language to the other.' It was specially interesting in visiting these schools to see an Egyptian girl walk to the blackboard, and there work out a sum in English arithmetic. .->ls<> in another classroom to see similar work done in Arabic. The pupils appeared to be very bright and intelligent, also so devoted to their work that many of them were studying their lessons during the recess. All the*girl boarders are taught housekeeping and »cooking, in addition to the ordinary school subjects. The dormitories are lofty, as are also the dining and sifting rooms, all being kept scrupulously clean. LUXOR GIRLS' SCHOOL. During our stay in Upper Egypt we attended the public exercises at, the opening of the American mission new boarding school at Luxor. Here, on the main road, and about midway between the famed temples of Karnak and Luxor, practically in the centre of ••■ncient Thebes, the American' Mission Association of Egypt- has ejected a very substantial building of brick and stone, two storeys high, and standing in its own freehold ground of about three acres. The walls of the building are 3ft thick, the rooms are huge, with lofty ceilings, and in the centre of the building there is a large courtyard, after the Eastern stvle. The boarding school at- Luxor has only been established about three years, but the phenomenal success has led to the erection of the. new and extensive premises that on completion will be able to accommodate 400 boarders. At the present time they have 287 pupils on the roll, of whom 52 are hoarders.

The public exercises and sale of work were a great success. The girls were examined in geography, physiology, grammar, and astronomy, They also gave some musical items, recitations, essavs, and exercises iu drill.

On a. platform a? one end of the hall over 50 Kgvptian women were seated. Theywere clad in the usual black satin or alpaca garments from head to foot, and their faces closely veiled up to the level of their eves. It would be interesting to know their thought.* and feelings as they saw these bright girls, many of them being their own relatives, and clad in fashionable creme cashmere or crepe dresses, and with their bright faces uncovered. It must have been a revelation to these Egyptian women, and also to their husbands and brothers, to hear these girls recite fluently, describe the various countries of the world, and give an original essay 011 " A Model Home," all in fluent Arabic. There are over 13.000 pupils in regular attendance at the American Mission schools of Ecrypt, and less than 9000 pupils attending the Government schools.