If we went for a walk in the narrow streets of an Egyptian city or big
town, we should see on either side open shops, each with its owner
ready to sell his goods. Many of the people of the towns have shops
or trades. They sell jewellery, furniture, cloth, and everything that
is wanted in the house for cooking. In the streets there are some men
carrying drinking-water for sale, because it is hot walking about and
people get thirsty. Others will be selling sweet-stuff made of sugar,
which everyone likes. Others wait about ready to write letters for
people who cannot write for themselves, and there are always many
beggars. Great steamers from other countries--England, France, India,
Japan--bring merchandise to Alexandria and Port Said, the seaports of
Egypt, and so people from these countries have shops and offices in
those towns. Then the goods are taken by boats or trains to the
capital, Cairo, where the Sultan lives, and to other large towns. In
all these towns there are hundreds of people, so that a man can only
know those who live near him or work with him. Most of them are
unknown to one another and are like strangers, although they all live
in one town and can all speak Arabic.