The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-07-27
FROM sUEz TO CAIRO.
Scenery Which Reminds One of
Western American Plains.

for European residents, the first /
have seen since leaving America, /
boarded the train a! 8 o'clock.
It was q tambls.down sor. Of 8
train, With no Letters or inscriptions
shout it except the number Of the
engine, the words "Phste Govern
mentale Egyptienne" on the mail
carriage, and the figures 1; 2 or on
the other o9aohes to indicate the class
to which they belonged. The engine
was a queer looking affair, more like
side-wheel steamer than an engine.
It had one immense driving wheel.
As I measured myself against it l
came to the conclusion that il was
nothing short of ten feet in diameter.
This seemed to presage tremendous
speed, but didn't discover any on
the way.
The first thirty Ave miles was run
without stop, through the desert so
6rssiy that I SILVER rs look back to
it. On the right wac the Suez canal,
with great Lodges OF dirt on either
side. above which only the maats and
tunnels of the soB-going steamers
we're visible.
I was iorolbly reminded OF the
desert in western America, on the
Californis side OF the Salt Lake valley.
There was 8 short growth OF what
rsaemblsd sage brush, the shick saline
deposits duplicated alkali appearance
on our western plains, and the piles
OF drifting sand made life similarly
burdensome in the cars.
These Egyptian railways were
originally constructed by the French,
but have been allowed to run down
considerably since they passed into
she hands OF the local government.
They contrast painfully in equipment
with those OF India, AS We proceeded
further north we struck an occasional
mud village. and at sixsy miles out
from Snez stopped at the thrifty little
village OF Ismailia, on the western
ahore of Lake Timsah, the halfway
station on the canal. On the depot
platform saw soma real, live boot
blacks and several long strings of fish.
The train now backed for three or
four miles, retraoing the journey to q
junction which | hsd noticed With
some wonder on the say into Ismailia.
A couple of hours more OF desert;
and suddenly the wilderness blossom
ed as rose. I never saw such an
abrupt transformation anywhere else.
On both sides OF the track the fields
were brilliantly green, aud palms,
oocoanuts and weeping willows
delighted the eye. The amazing fruit
fulneas of these meadows is due to tho
sun ouickened slime which tbs Nile
river leaves behind after the annual
inundation, far richer than guano or
bonedast. Sleek. well.fed cattle
broWsed in the rich pastures, remind,
ing one of Pnaraoh's fat kline. Each
herd mas watched by ragged peasant
OF fellah at work in the field near by.
At each station women promenadsd
the platform with articles OF diet for
sale-gayly colored boiled eggs, dates,
| figs. oranges, small loayes of bread,
and, for the native passengers, whose
diet seemed to bs much ike that oil
| acknowledgements leaves, onior
tops, and q sort Of r1bber gTiddle
cake, if I may dsfine il in view OF IL
shape and its elasticity. Other
women had stone jugs containing
drinking water, the neck of each jus
| hsing filed with a fragrant weed
; something like our spesrmint.
| Ats o'clock the train arrived in thi
city, and I was driven to the Hotel dl
Nil, the emblem OF which is of course
an alligator over the p1sin entrance
As look out through the garden
where am now writing, I notice il
/. front OF me q shapely orange tre
loaded With ripe fruit, clump o
bananas, a graceful date-palm, ant
numerous tropical pets. Some of tn
trees are loaded with purple al
/ crimson blossoms. almost to To
? breaking point. Water Rplaehes in
. fountain near by, piano On one c
: the parlors is yielding a tide OF Straus:
melody, and take it all in all, this
something like civilization.
My frs! impression of Cairo is tbs
l it is across the line OF Asiatic barba1
liam. Things begin 10 look homelikt
All the races OF Europe are here, ian
in such numbers that the street scene
y are essentially European, Even To
= majority of the natives are bleache
: out in color and have an intellige1
!. look, after such long surieit OF Hi
q docs, Mslays, Chinese. Anamese, Blu
Y mese, etc. People dc not answer u
# tc every question, but talk logicall!
and occasionally at least, tell II
3, truth. In place OF oriental scream
ing, pushing, and squeezing, there
c dignity, quiet. repose Of .chGracte
People read ths news papers and re
son togetper. European dress domi
aies. Ideas ere broad and progre
aive. Evidences OF refinement FL
culture abound. The cafes aud hots
are really splendid, and there q
hundreds OF them. Though EDglil
is spoken comparatively little, and
am as helpless az ever,it is q substa.
Z tial comfort to pass along the stree