New Ulm Weekly Review

Visit To an Egyptian Princess-
I generally found the Princess coiled up on a divan, attired more simply than her attendants, for she usually dressed in white, as her husband preferred it. Her jewels surpassed anything I ever saw; they were both quaint and valuable. The Princess I refer to was the first who ever introduced the fashion of birds and butterflies, made in precious stones, as ornaments for the head. I was with her one day when she was giving an order to a Frenchwoman to have several made for her in Paris. She selected them out of a book, and chose those of the brightest plumage. In those days visits were always long; you were generally expected to remain three or four hours. A short visit was looked on as not polite.
These beautifully dressed slaves handed chibouques (long pipes) to the visitors, and then others entered, carrying a tray draped and covered in velvet, embroidered in gold, with long gold fringes, while others poured out the coffee in small china cups, like our egg cups without the shank, and then placed them in gold "zarfs" set with precious stones. I have seen zarfs with large rubies and emeralds, worth I don't know how much, in this Princess' harem, and in filigree gold of the most exquisite workmanship, and all done by native workmen. When you had finished your coffee, the slave came and took your cup, placing her hand on the top of the cup and holding the foot of the zarf with the other hand, making you a slight salutation, which you returned by putting your hand to your lips and head.
After this, you conversed a little, in a sleepy fashion, as silence is golden in the East, and talkative people are not appreciated there. Then come the dancing girls and the musicians, who play a wild kind of music, very unmusical to our ears, but seeming to give them intense pleasure, judging by the movements of the dancers. These girls are generally dressed in a kind of tinsel, and are most of them very young. The most wonderful feat they perform is taking a small coin off the floor with their mouths, bending back their bodies in a perfect arch without touching their hands, with their head thrown backward. This dance lasts about an hour and a half.
I have seen them dance our "lancers," which was very funny. They were danced in a much more elaborate style than we ever dance them. The Princess had this dance for me, in compliment to my country, and she turned to me and said: "This is the way you English ladies dance." I tried to disabuse her mind of such an idea. Whether I succeeded or not, I am sure I don't know. In the East they look on dancing as a menial occupation, and therefore cannot understand ladies and gentlemen indulging in such things and calling it amusement.
There is one very erroneous idea about Eastern people which I have read in several books, written by persons who had no practical experience of their habits and customs; which is, that they are very generous and give handsome presents. I can only say my opinion is quite the reverse, as I never received a present from one of them, and when I asked a lady the cause of it, she replied: "They hold you in too high esteem to dare to offer you anything." On one occasion I presented a lady to the Princess, and, to my horror, this lady intimated to the interpreter that she would like a Turkish costume; the next morning she received a magnificent one at her hotel; so that this proves that those who have had presents ask for them, and that these Turkish ladies throw the Christian "dog" (as they term us) a bone in the shape of a costume or jewel. I should prefer my self-respect to all their cast-off finery. There was a lady who was always boasting that she had such lovely presents from the Princess, and when some one asked the Princess why she liked this person so much, she replied:
"Why, I don't like her at all, nor do I respect her."
"Then, Altesse, why do you give her such lovely jewels?"
"Why, she admires them, and says she would like them, so I throw them to her!"
When the guest has waited for the dancing girls to withdraw, she takes leave of the Princess, who rises and gives her the Eastern salutation, touching the heart, lips and forehead with her hand, the guest doing the same. The attendants then conduct her to the outer hall, where other servants offer her a sweet kind of drink in large gold goblets of rare workmanship; then the eunuchs see her to her carriage and hand her in, her own footman not being allowed to enter the inner court-yard.
Those who have visited Egypt since the time of Ismail Khedive have never seen in his harems a reception such as I have described, as his ambition was to make his women appear Europeans, while he knew they were not. In the time of Said they were much purer in morals, and while they strictly adhered to their Mahometan customs you feel a respect for them which you cannot feel now, as then it was the true metal, but now only gilt. It is a curious fact that now the only ladies I know who adhere to the Oriental costume habits are the daughters of a Frenchman who became a Mahometan, and brought up his family strictly in the religion. They are very charming and cultivated, speaking five or six languages, and reading all the new magazines and reviews.
The Whitehall Review.