The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-10
WITH WOLSELEY.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF LIFE IN
THE FAR-OFF EAST.
The Scene on tho Outskirts of the EneaInp.
ment-The Native Men and Women
Church and Paiace-S0I-
diers and Sailors.



the river Great sleepy buffaloes wander
about the outskirts of the encam pment.
Hooded crows are in close attendance on
them. Nultures and kites hover near o,,1
place of rest. Ugly yellow parish dogs are
everywhere Stagnant pools of water
covered with green slime, dot the surround
iag country. Eotting filth is plentiful. Gar
bago covers the streets, but is now being
cleared away by fellaheen. Birds of many
kinds are abundant. Sedge warblers chirr1r
from the dikeS Water wagtails come con.
fdently close to our tents. Great flocks of
blue pigeons are flying about At New
Oongoa, like other places towers have been
built for their accommodation. As look
around me | see tie fantastic shapes il
which some of tho pigeon towers have
been modeieL HarpieS, with their gay
pnmaga, graceful strutting, and pretty
crestS, hop around the tents. Larks can
almost be Knocked down with a stick. The
beautiful little white egrets are very tame.
Long legged and hook bealled fiamingos are
not moro than thirty yards from where
Wiite / can $40 palicans by looking either
up OF down the river. Multitudes of buzzinl
lies are in the ar Fleas swarm in the
ground Thy are Of enormous growth.
Officers and men are using fly-hopperS o.
late insect powder has been found useful "a
protection against the pests
1t Is market day. The place of rendez
Vnus is at the other end of the village. Here
the needy "etlendi' or squireen has sent hi,
lean goats, little sheep, fowl and dates IL
great varieties. lie hopes to get goot
price from the 'iuGdels' who are now follow
ing The tortuous channels of the Nile. Bed
ouIns, NuhiauS. negroes, Arabs and q few
| Copts are chatteriuc with English quarter
| masters about the price of supplies Women
| with blue TATTOO marks on their temples
| chins, noses or cheekbJnes go about carry
| ing earthpn pitchers full of water on their
| heals Their compilations are yellow Til,
| brown compilations of the men are Well So.
| oil by the snowy white tarbooshei which
| cover their heads. Soma of then
come from afar. They live in camel
| hair tents or hastily constructed dwellings o
| whites and grass in some oasis in the desert
| Now their female CamelS with their youns
are strolling, peclsing at the scanty herbag,
| around the village A "sabai1 or drinking
fountain stands at one end Of the market
! p!ac1. The weak, dolorous grating of tn
| saklyah, or the water-Wheel Is harsh to tn
| ear Scarlat-coatad soldiers mingle in tn.
| throng. Many Of them are struggling will
| sheep AM goats. which they are leading t
| I've slaughtered. Others hold groups of fow
| by Inc legs, ami ara marching gayly back t,
| their tents. On their way they pass tn
| whitaWashed barracks, which has all the al
| pearan2e OF falling to decay. 1t is built o
| stone, and is dingy looking. Grass is grow
| ing through the crevices in the steps whicl
lead to the gateway. The hinges are rusty
and the underworld is warped.
The sentry is dressed in Egyptian uniform
| and he moves indolently. He is muscula
| and naughty booking. His arms are in goo
| order, ana his clothes are not much soiiei
| The mudyr's palace is close at hand 1t
one OF the principal buildings in the town
The Coptic church, the chief mosque, am
the "bosta,' or postotEice are the other:
| The mosque is going to decay. The woodel
| lathwork can be seen through the structur
OF the dome. The ceiling, rich in carving
| has in many places fallen down The min
| arets Of the Coptic church are lettering an.
| unsafe In the "bostan there are many sine
cures for the mudlr's favorites The palac
itself is a low, rambling structure of baStar
| construction. The original beauties of ii
| Saracenic architecture have been impaire
| by tawlry attempts at European orna
H!ehtaIion. III company WIN thfe
| other officers l was invited inside.
saw relics Of gllded chairs, glaring cal
pets, ami articles de Paris. Instead Of
Saracenic apartment, with all its rich nae
safes, saw painted Cupids, cheap looking
glaSses imitation marble slabs, ormol
'-'.'>'' @i~ 6IuNs N"' 'iiIiS ., CAV i''lu-i7
| a-+D-SN Lhe alVah5 were OF ths Grandio-
! design. The beauties Of Saracenic art ha
been put away for the GauIy make-believ2
| IT Farisian manufacture.
,-,., lso,-.. +F., MN; ;,, loo, --,..,,,,4 -
81 P,-e~D . 0'''i IA, "
.'1 "H''e' X NOV IuS up III" river Inc
afe approaching Ihe place oi our encaml
| ment, Iuere are twelve men-tcu soldier
and two saiiors-in each boat The saiIol
arc rowing. ana a sailor is at the helm an
| e4,,ta4r nj the bov Tho b,ats hava tn
,,-- .,ifa ,,ab or5 +,,,s. cor, h., ,,.o,r,-,
= N'-n y "a
'S~'7 ms "'lo,S an AWNING "
7tfeI2.i-4 over each boat. ihey are puLt {
Write pines anu without gear weigh =
pounds each. One Of these boats will carr
Jour tons OF provisions, ammunition an
! Appliances The food each boat carries
sufficient for twelve men for many dav
The complexion of the men is bronze
almost To copper color. Their coats ar
J OF and they have learned to Feather
2 their oars and and row together TneF
, are movable gunwales which can be rails.
fo, thair projection against rife Shot
from the shore. Tie arms and az
cnIttrcna,rts of the men are close at hanC
) Tho look the nictIre of health As tba
..r,ria closer / sae that thav halone, tn II
Sf9tforI,hire ragimant and I learn tba
tIIav- ara ordered nm to ioin their common
,rIic1 is now beyond Eorti Their cloth.
ara t1rn With the work Of travel Wniin
IaoJs baIp tLeIn on shore The whgIer g;p
ars baarhed and The men are naraie7
There ara only eicbty-two of them ali tnIl
nh, sallor5 remain in charge of the boat
md tho storas fhe soldiers fal,ing thei, arm
a,.,y'u,,itiay AMI accoI,fren1ants and "foII j.
for n,sntrfinn
Tho iu,7, qra votuer I,oi,incr and the rictt,,
cuIar. in some CASES patches of blue clot
have been sewn on their scarlet blouses. 81
Inc stitches are close anu the patches ut wei
rv i- thcjl, hlInets aT, Tt+le soile J'' an
djn-ed They have discarded their spect,
cl.s for the present When the