Procession of the new consul general of austria in egypt, going to the solemn audience of h. H. The viceroy, january 5, 1859, according to a drawing
by mr. Henry de montaut. - below is a letter from henry de montaut to the editors of the magazine. - courrier d'orient. Cairo, january 6, 1859. Orient mail. Cairo, january 6, 1859. Mr director,
i wholeheartedly accept the invitation that you kindly extended to me to be your correspondent in this orient that i have been traveling for three years, and where my current position allows me to respond to all your desires. You can therefore count on my pencils and my pen, and so that you cannot doubt my eagerness, i am sending you today both correspondence and sketches: these are my deposit. The first days of january saw one of those solemnities celebrated in cairo where the magnificences
of the old orient still explode in the midst of the renovating movement operated by civilization in
muslim customs. It was the reception of the consul general of austria, which h. H. The viceroy of egypt had fixed for 30 djemed-akher 1275 (january 5, 1859. )
from the morning everything announced this reception at the palace of karr-el-ab, one of the wonders of this country which has always excited admiration by its movements from the pyramids to the nile dam, from the
temples of louqsor of its transhistorical dynasties to this suez canal with which its current sovereign will endow, not only his states, but the world. The troops in full uniform were gathered there in much greater numbers than usual, and took up positions at the main points where the procession was to pass. It is above all in the appearance, both elegant and warlike, that these militias present, that we recognize this transformation undergone by eastern society since mehemet-ali and mahmoud. The equipment, previously still so ample and so luxurious, has freed itself from all the sumptuous paraphernalia which so completely hindered the military momentum and the use of weapons, to approach the alert and martial simplicity of the european uniform without losing however, the wealth that we find especially in the embroidery, in the harness of the horses and in the weapons of the chiefs. It was between their lines that the general agent of the austrian court, mr. Schreiner, went to the viceroyal audience in one of the carriages harnessed eh gala and escorted by a hundred cawa, shaking the silver bells of their batons. Office. He was accompanied by all the staff of the chancellery and by zeky-bey, who had come on behalf of the viceroy to pick him up from the consular hotel. The drawing that i am sending you (the first engraving of this issue) reproduces this procession. Received on arrival at the palace by his exc. Koënig-bey, and immediately introduced by this senior officer to his highness, mr. Schreiner was presented by his exc. Cheriff-pasha, general officer, now minister of foreign affairs, and who, in the difficult position that circumstances and the position of the sovereign of egypt have given him, revealed to the whole body
consular with the rarest diplomatic qualities. His highness, dressed in the graceful egyptian uniform, received the letters of credence from the consul general and was kind enough to offer him the chibouque. Alors le chef des cawas appela le café par un cri long et aigu de cinq ou six minutes. — plus on crie
longtemps, plus on soutient la note, et plus on fait honneur au personnage à qui on donne le café. A ce cri, cinq ou six serviteurs, portant des cafetières, des réchauds d'or et des zarfs enrichis de diamants, furent introduits. Après la cérémonie orientale du café, son altesse fit présenter à m. Schreiner un sabre à la turque en
or, de la plus grande richesse. Le chef des cawas le plaça en sautoir sur l'uniforme du consul général qui, après avoir salué le vice-roi, sortit, reconduit par le service d'honneur de son altesse. A la porte, il trouva un cheval de pure race arabe dont le caparaçon de velours rouge étincelait d'or et
d'émaux. Ce cheval, mené en main par deux saïs, précéda la voiture de son altesse, qui reconduisait
chez lui m. Schreiner, suivi de son cortége et au bruit du canon. — un instant après, les troupes rompaient leurs lignes au cri d'effendimiz tchoq iacha! (longue vie à son altesse!)
voilà le petit épisode qui est venu distraire un in stant notre colonie européenne de la préoccupation
profonde dont l'agite la canalisation de l'isthme de suez. J'espère avoir à vous transmettre bientôt l'annonce et les croquis d'événements plus importants. Veuillez agréer, monsieur le directeur, l'expression de mes sentiments les plus distingués. Henry de montaut. Date: 12 February 1859.
Loading...
