es, upon Homer's "misty
deep." It would be interesting to see what Pinturicchio would have made
of El Azhar; or how Gentile da Fabriano would have copied the crowded
outer court.

[Illustration: STUDENTS IN THE OUTER COURT, EL AZHAR From a photograph
by Abdullah Freres, Cairo]

The president of El Azhar occupies, in native estimation, a position of
the highest authority. Napoleon, recognizing this power, requested the
aid of his influence in inducing Cairo to surrender in 1798. The sheykh
complied; and a month later the wonderful Frenchman, in full Oriental
costume, visited the university in state, and listened to a recitation
from the Koran.

Now that modern schools have been established by the government in
addition to the excellent and energetic mission seminaries maintained by
the English, the Americans, the Germans, and the French, one wonders
whether this venerable Arabian college will modify its tenets or shrink
to a shadow and disappear. There are hopeful souls who prophesy the
former; but I do not agree with them. Let us aid the American schools by
all the means in our power. But as for El Azhar, may it fade (as fade it
must) with its ancient legends draped untouched about it.

All who visit Cairo see the Assiout ware--pottery made of red and black
earth, and turned on a wheel; it comes from Assiout, two hundred and
thirty miles up the Nile, and the simple forms of the vases and jugs,
the rose-water stoups and narrow-necked perfume-throwers, are often
very graceful. Assiout ware is offered for sale in the streets; but the
itinerant venders are sent out by a dealer in the bazaars, and the
fatality which makes it happen that the vender has two black stoups and
one red jug when you wish for one black stoup and two red jugs sent us
to headquarters. But the crowded booth did not contain our heart's
desire, and as we still lingered, making ourselves, I dare say, too
pressing for the Oriental ease of the proprietor, it was at last
suggested that Mustapha might perhaps go to the store-room for more--?
(the interrogation-point meaning backsheesh). Seizing the opportunity,
we asked permission to accompany the messenger. No one objecting--as the
natives consider all strangers more or less mad--we were soon following
our guide through a dusky passageway behind the shop, the darkness lit
by the gleam of his white teeth as he turned, every now and then, to
give us an encouraging smile and a wink of his one eye, over his