HAREM LIFE.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 241, 13 April 1866, Page 3

HAREM LIFE.

IS EGYPT AND CONSTJJJTIirbPIE. By EaEttELTNE LOTT. ( Concluded.) The princesses were most disgusting in their habits, and so totally devoid of decency that they did not hesitate to empty the contents of their "vases" out of the window as the train was passing along. 1 thought their manners bad enough, in all conscience, at home ; but now 1 had seen them abroad, and I never wished to have the honor of travelling with them again. Then they laid themselves down on the carpet, and fell fast asleep like wild beasts after a gorge. About four o'clock in the afternoon the viceregal party, after having been no less than eight hours in their transit, only a distance of a hundred and thirty miles, on account of the vicegal children being afraid of proceeding at express rate, reached their destination ; during which period the whole traffic on the line was interrupted, to the great inconvenience of the mercantile community. "When we arrived at the terminus at Alexandria we met with a most regal reception. The platform was covered with crimson carpet, and decorated with flowers and flags. The Grand Eunuch, who had preceded us by three days, met our party there. He handed H. H. the Grand Pacha and myself out of the carriage and conducted us into the waiting-room, which was also covered with crimson carpet ; while the band played " The Sultan's March." | £he troops who lined the platform presented arms as we walked across it, The Wmtim tf State p$ tto» l w§j®efo to

he prince, and accompanied us to the viceregal state carriage, which was in attendance. It was drawn by eight fine grey horses. Three outriders preceded us in front ; sais, " grooms," ran on before to clear the way, and also by each side of the carriage; we were also attended by an escort of cavalry to the Palace of Kas-el-Tin, situated on the ancient isle of Phaoro, which was built by Mahomet Ali, and where that celebrated prince held his court much oftener than at Cairo, which latter city he disliked. There we alighted and passed into the harem, which stands facing it, and from which it is only separated by a large court yard. In. short, much more respect and ceremony was shown to the little prince on this occasion than is generally shown to his illustrious Baba. The princesses had led me to believe that there I should find everything arranged for my convenience, but,' alas, I was doomed to be most woefully disappointed. On entering the gates of the harem, so replete with many an historical , reminiscence, we passed through three spacious marble halls ; then proceeded up the grand staircase into his fiighness's apartments. It was a very spacious three- windowed room, overlooking a large marble-paved court-yard, around which were situated the princesses' rooms. It was excessively dirty; the windows and frames were nearly all broken ; totally destitute of hangings, with the exception of pieces of white calico, which were nailed up at each win-' dow as substitutes for blinds, with a piece of cord hanging down in the centre, by which they were drawn up and dowa. The floor was covered with common country matting; the walls and ceiling were whitewashed. It was totally destitute of furniture, with the exception of a divan which stood under the three windows, covered with cotton chintz. "Well," thought I to myself, "if this is all the arrangement that has been made for the comfort of my prince, what can I expect has been made for me?" I soon had an opportunity of seeing this, as I was shown into my chamber, which certainly was a large room. It was one consolation, after the cupboard in which I had been cooped up at Grhezire, which at best w r as only 'fit for a lumber-room, in such a hot place, with the thermometer standing at 110 degrees. It was filthily dirty, lighted by three windows, at which were hung up six tattered brown calico curtains, and three dirty white calico blinds. The walls and ceiling were white-washed, tho floor matted ; and the furniture consisted of a divan, as damp as if it had been soaked in water, covered with brown cotton to match the window-hangings; this was placed underneath . the three windows. And there, kind reader, you have an accurate description of my lady's chamber. I was tired, suffering from attacks of my recent illness, and weary after my journey, andthis wasthe apartinentin which I had to vegetate, after having entered Cleopatra's capital in viceregal splendour. I was really quite disgusted with harem life ; and I will leave you to imagine what were my feelings to find that there was , nothing whatever for my convenience, not even a bed to. lie upon, for it was utterly impossible that I could sleep upon that damp, mildew- covered divan. I sought to lie down upon the floor, but that was equally impracticable, for it was only matted, and as damp as the deck of any of those wooden walls I beheld from its windows, as they commanded a good view of the roadstead, in which many vessels were at anchor, and among which I espied two or three Egyptian frigates. I looked round my apartment and longed to possess harlequin's magic wand or Aladdin's wonderful lamp, that I might bid some fair spirit transport even the few conveniencies I had left behind me at Grhezire ; but, alas ! neither was there 5 so I had to*put up with it. When the superintendent of this harem, who was a great tall hoarse godmother of a black, most meanly attired, entered to pay her respects to the prince. I inquired where I was to sleep ? Her answer was, "On the divan ;" and, at the same time, she told me she was quite surprised I should feel dissatisfied, as I had the same accomodation which had been provided for H.H. the Grand Pacha. I had no idea of being treated in that manner, so I walked down into the marble-paved hall, where some of the baggage had arrived, and made the slaves, nolens volens, carry up my bed and bedding into my apartment, and lay it upon the matting. At eight o'clock I clapped my hands, and Zenana, a Turkish girl about fifteen years of age, not very prepossessing in appearance, and most assuredly not gifted with more sense than she knew what to do with, responded to my summons, as she had been newly appointed at Grhezire to attend upon me. I ordered her to fetch my dinner, but she soon returned and very cooly informed me (it will hardly be credited, but it is a fact) that there was neither European bread nor any meat in the harem, so that, sick as I was, and after travelling from seven in the morning until seven at night (for it was about that time when we reached Bas-el-Tin) I had not had a meal provided for me. Then I was obliged to content myself with what I could get within this " Mansion of Discomfort " of the billionaire of the world, the wealthy scion of the usurer, Ibrahim Pacha. Well did I verify the truth of the old saying, that " hunger requires no sauce ;" so I sat down on my pallet, not "on the cold flinty rock," but on the damp matted floor, and there' I selected a meal from the carte — a piece of Arab bread as salt I as brine, and some salad, which consisted of a lettuce dressed with oil and water, without even pepper, salt, or vinegar, and i a slice of boiled fowl, of which the soup had been made which had been served up to the young princesses, who had already partaken of their supper, and a findjau of coffee and that constituted my reparst. Then I was obliged to give the Grand Eunuch money out ot my own pocket to purchase me an , ewer, basin and vase, and in this man-

morable day in the harem at Alexandria. There, seated at the window, my thoughts naturally wandered over the reminiscences of all the varied scenes I had beheld, and the inconveniences to which I had been subjected ever since " I trod the soil of Egypt's pestilental shore." Then I recalled to mind the day of my arrival at the Pacific and Oriental Hotel, where I Had found excellent accommodation, plain auberge though it was, and gladly would 1 have returned to it again. Eor although I was an inmate of the stately marble halls of a viceregal palace, the residence of the Croesus of tKe East, I had been unable to procure a crumb of European bread, though loaves in abundance might have been procured in the city, almost within a stone's throw of the harem, and everything was at hand ; yet not any of the conveniences enjoyed by the meanest villager in my own country had been provided for me. With whom did the fault rest ? Surely not with that goodhumoured jovial Prince H. H. Ismael Pacha," whom I had left not many hours before in his splendid palace at Burlac, surrounded by every luxury that wealth could command, who had said — " Madame, whatever you want, ask for and you shall have it."