328 Egyptian Village Life. 



Two distinctive features obtrude themselves on the stranger's 

 notice in an Egyptian village. One consists of the groups of 

 savage wolf-dogs who combine to attack them, but who are 

 equally troublesome to the native who approaches a strange 

 house. The other is the vast flocks of pigeons, whose homes, 

 are often in the upper floors of the houses, built high in conse- 

 quence, with square turrets that give a simple village the look 

 of a fortification. The birds fly far, and forage all day, 

 returning to their houses at sunset in such incredible numbers 

 that it seems wonderful how a farmer can rear a crop subject to 

 their depredations only, yet he has also to feed the wild birds,, 

 who are equally abundant. The valley of the Nile literally 

 teems with ornithological life. Like the showman's lions, it 

 ' ' must be seen to be believed." 



What will be the future of this prolific Egypt? After 

 many centuries of neglect and decay, will it again arise, and 

 assert its undoubted right to eminence ? Is all this native 

 fertility to go for nothing in a world of enterprise ? is Monsieur 

 Lesseps and his problematical canal to be the end of western 

 pressure ? or is France to point the way to Egyptian emancipa- 

 tion. Already England has made a railroad to Cairo, and 

 conquered the difficulties of the desert route to the Red Sea. 

 We have forced upon the people a knowledge of the mode of 

 making wealth. Our demand for cotton has met with a ready 

 response, the railway is besieged with camels heavily laden 

 therewith ; on the banks of the Nile, cotton and sugar mills 

 everywhere appear. The people are willing, if the government 

 can give a guarantee of its good faith; everything depends 

 on that. With European rule, and honest taxation, all would go 

 well ; the Nile would again flow through a superabundant 

 garden, inhabited by a prosperous and happy people. When 

 will " the sick man" die, and who is to take his place ? Upon 

 the solution of that question depends the greatness of the 

 future. 



