The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-20

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which did not expect to visit when
leaving America. | have trav aied
over a good part of Europe in the |
meantime, and my intention was 10
have returned in the Fall; however, L
have got into Africa, and expect TO
stay here for the winter. I have been
rather out Of health the past summer,
and as the air of Egypt and travelling
on the Nile seem to have a great repu-
tation for restoring invalids, an i'm
movement of health formed one in
ducement for prolODglng my stay; an
other was that having nearly all my |
family along, it seemed q pity to cross /
| the Atlantic In the winter season and |
| leave them all behind.
Our bills are now up for voyage |
or trip of from seventy five to ninety
| days from Cairo to the upper cataract
/ on the Nile and back, visiting the. an
cient temples and other objects of in
terest by the way, for which we allow
from twenty to twenty-five days, in
cluded in the above. The Nile boats
generally carry from three to six pas
sengers, and crew of six to ten men,
besides the captain and pilot. They
depend upon their sails mostly for GO
ing up stream, but when it is calm or
light head winds, the men get out on
the bank and track or cordelle the
beats up; in descending, they depend
upon the current and rowing princi-
| pally. AS our party now consists of
nine persons, Give Of whom came from
America almost expressly for the Nile
Journey, we have taken two boats,
large and small one, to run in com
pany, all taking their meals on the
/ large boat. We have an interpreter
: or dragoman, as they are called. who
superintends the whole concern, and
runs the kitchen department in par
ticular, employing a cook and two
!. walters. He also goes with US In our
+ excursions on shore, hiring donkeys,
guides, &c, and settles all way ex-
penses. fees and charges, interceding
: for us with the natives whenever nee
: essary. When the wind is fair and
J, strong we have to keep on board, but
when the men are tracking or wind
: light we can leave the boats and range
; over the banks, amusing ourselves by
: shooting wild fowls, pigeons, &C., or
: at anything else that turns up, in
n Guiding the necessary exercise.
There IS a steamer now on the Nile
, making q trip to the first cataract
: (Assuan) every twenty days, and al
q lowing her passengers about eight
: days to visit Thebes and other places,
which answers pretty we'll and saves
considerable time and money to the
| Oano~ol &wo~x~low Ia Al
q proved plan is to hire boat and crew
by the trip or month, and live on
board, stopping when and where you
! | please. ii.i2
{ There are Americans here from
o several of the States, Western as well
!, as Eastern being represented; also,
{ plenty Of English coming and going.
= Cairo is queer old place, as you may
l. suppose, aud retains more of the old
ways than COnstantinople; many oil
r. the descriptions in the Arabian
= Nights would answer pretty we'll for
e the present day. There is one long
/ street that is from twenty to thirty
v feet wide generally, but without pave.
!; ments or sidewalks, which admits OF
carriages and small wagons or carts
= but most OF the streets arc only
r. adapted to camels, d0nkeys, and foot
d passengers. There are few horses tC
be seen except those used to haul
strangers about in poor carriages and
some of the wealthy citizens, but the
d natives mostly use donkeys for trans
K | porting themselves about. They
work buffalo COWS or oxen to some
extent for hauling boxes and bales on
i small wagons with low wheels, work
ing them singly. Building materials
. especially stone, comes IN from the
!. desert on the camels. while horses OF
Z donkeys move the joists and plank
y slung on each side, with the ends
i dragging on the ground
,fl There is plenty of cotton growing
in view from the railway coming NJ
. from Alexandria, but the price il
> down, and there is not as much
W raised as two or three years ago. AL
Il exandria is said to have 10000 pop
!, uiation, which is a pretty good village
= and Cairo, l suppose, nearly three
times as many. Pasha Ismael ha.
n a number of palaces here, and drives
% out with good team and rather M
= unpretendlng way, not having more
~ than half dozen to take care of him
l. He gave the public some races on tho
lie 10Th, to which the entries were free
t. and he paid all the stakes run for
and the following night ball at one
of the palaces, being disposed to make
l. himself agreeable His object was
,e mainly to introduce his son and heir
now about fifteen, to the public anC
let him see little of the world.
. Taking the result of the Fall cleo
t. tons altogether, | suppose we have
l. abundant reasons to be gratifed a:
o Republicans and patriots, and to looI
3 forward to better state of things
- during the next four years. Tha
IN seems TO be the opinion of mos
IN Americans l have lately met with.
A. With regards to yourself and In
curing friends, truly yours,
FRANCIS AMoRY.