Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-05-08

9th and 18th Chapters oil ACTS. Fol
five more days we are in the solitude!
of the Mediterranean; for one day thu
iwind and waves hold us back; and ther
the waters grow greener and we see the
tops of Egyptian palm trees at Damietta
The land is so low we can not see it
Over from the east is Port Said light
house, We near Egypt, enter the walls
that are break-waters to the sea, pass
by other ships and anchor In the Suez
canal harbor. All is strange. The
steamers from the Indian Ocean have
awnings stretched over them. Dredg-
| ing machines stand about. Dark Arabs
paddle canoes around and their words
come, jammed together and unintelli.
gible, to our ears. A night of rest and
we visit Port Said, walk amid sleeping
groups of Arabs, see them canter by on
donkeys, stroll among their markets and
startle many swarm Of flies, hear their
music, look upon them at prayer in their
mosque, enjoy the rich luxuriant flower
gardens OF De Lesseps and of the Eng
lish' Consul, and return tired from our
tramp over the sand and in the hot sun,
stepping from the light skiff that took
us ashore, its Arab master says "Ge'me
bucksheesh." 1t is the first time / hear
that eastern word which means gift.
"a what ?'' ask, IA thank you," he
answers.
At sunset, Turkish man-of-war fires
twenty-five rounds with his guns, and
away over the level plains the echoes
roll and quiver. It is the christmas
month of the Mohammedans.
With glad and expectant feelings we
see the sun rise and our steamer start
for her overland trip on the great canal.
We leave Port Said, which, ten years
ago, was an uninhabited plain, which
now numbers 1000, and was named af-
ter Said Pasha, the last Vieeroy of
Egypt. Our trips grand. On narrow
stream of water, 800 feet wide and 26
feet deep, our ocean steamer sails all
day, with lakes and desert shrubs and
mounds and hills on every side. Arab
boats bear sacks of grain over the lakes,
the waters of these lakes are covered
with birds and spotted with little is
lands and rushes. The silt and sand is
piled up at our sides, and over the 18th
mus the telegraph poles stretch away.
Behind us come the masts Of two other
vessels, till we and they stop at Ismailia,
on lovely lake, in the deserts center.
Here We wait for vessel coming the
other way, from Calcutta. Two vessels
can not pass in the canal, places are
chosen for that, and we must stop. We
see the masts of the coming ship, like
moving trees, nearing us over the plain
till the ship dips in the same lake, and
four steamers, from different portions
of the world anchor together for the
night. A heavy dew is on the morning.
The sun unfolds a lovely scene as Gar as
eye can reach, and as we sail on we are
amid this scene Of tamarisk-ceyered
land quiet water in every shape and
form that land and water can assume.
1t is splendid and refreshing. Itgrows
hot, and sand and sun dazzle our eyes.
We may not go through the canal by
night, and so we travel by day only,
and at four o'clock of this second day
we see the houses of Suez and the noun
tains of Arabia. We have, come 81
miles by land, have crossed the paths of
of Jacob and of the Saviour,
when, in their day they came into
Egypt from Palestine, and now before
us is the Red Sea. Our captain has paid
over $500 in gold as canal expenses.
The Turkish officer at Suez says, call
right" and as we skim over the Gulf OF
Suez, with massive mountains on either
side, we feel We are in the Orient and
think of Moses and the ten tribes. At
early dawn Of Thursday, Feb. 14th we
are up to see three peaks upon Mt. ST.
mai as they stand in majesty above the
white clouds. Again, we feel, God is
here eDcircling those nights with his
glory. Coral islands are edges to our
sea, and moses and pink jelly fishes
float by. The Red Sea is oppressively
hot, to us from an Ohio winter, and the
at So degrees. Near Alden
the wind blows strongly through Babel
Mandeb straits, and cools the air; all
along we pass steamers; and al Socotra
island we bid goodbye to Africa, hav-
ing already said farewell to Europe and
America. Slowly we cross the Arabian
sea, frighten its fish, pace our familiar
decks by starlight, and seem to glide at
times, on waters as smooth and glisten-
ing as glass. Wednesday, 9TH, the watch
see land. l cannot.
A sailors eyes see farthest. In few
hours we see a dusky, cloud-like land,
in few hours more we stand on deck
with our glass and see the ridges and
peaks and green cOcOanut trees, and Joy
fully utter "Ceylon." As we skim along
the verdant island, memory and heart
are busy till the old song of Heber is
On our lips and we sing together, II
L y .
"what though the spicy breezes
Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle, etc." ..rs.
For a day We round the island, at
enjoying its fragrant air, at
evening breathing the cool, northeast
winds and watching the fantastic shapes
Of shore and hills. To-day, We wander
ont of sight of land, the Bay of Ben
gal is tranquil, our pl ow is towards the
north, the temperature is "a degrees,
and the suns rays slope but little at
noon. Tomorrow We expect to land at
after thou sand miles by rail
and more than eleven by sea. We are
p days from Suez, A days from Fal-
sc from London, and 30 days
from New York, with hopes and spirits
thankful and glad for the ending of the
long journey. Our work is before us.
The last word from America, we saw i'm
a French paper, about month ago.
When this reaches you it will be May
and changes shall have occurred in
Holmes, that I know not of. May the
peace and the joy Of your readers be
that which come by faith and life in
Christ.
All kind of pictures at Halls gal
lery. lStf