Entrance into Cairo of the princess, mother-in-law to Abbas Pasha, coming back from a pilgrimage to Mecca. We went to the palace in the Suez desert to wait for her.
Pilgrims on camels, coming down and falling into the arms of friends and family - two men kiss and cry and pull back immediately; the infantry doing parades in the desert - it is cold with a lot of dust. Bekir Bey brings us among the General Staff; the music plays polkas; the master of music, big belly, in frog coats and boots, on horseback; Nubar Bey, young Armenian who looks like he comes out of the Quartier Latin; - ludicrous figure of the poor Turkish Pashas in their tight European uniforms.
Dressed camels. The Princess’s camels have mirrors surrounded by pearl necklaces tied to their knees; around the neck a triple necklace made of bells - on the head bunches of colored feathers.
A litter. The windows of her litter are shaped like a ship’s portholes and decorated with mirrors on the inside. The spears of the irregular soldiers are decorated with feathers at the end of the shaft.