Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-30

decoration and renovation Ot temples, We
measure the columns by planting a cane in
the ground and measuring both shadows (;
the intrepid ones run up the walls we
scatter by groups and time flies rapidly till
the moment comes to bid goodbye and wish
a good journey to our entertainers, while
we return TO our hotel by land through
clouds Of dust
The Mehemet Ali, another Cook boat, has
arrived while we were rowing down the
Nile Guns have been fired the boats are
the great event of the place, the harvest of
donkey-owners. Rowing is a slow process,
even with the current When we left Cal
ro on March 24 our friends had not yet ar
rived there.
March g. | witness the sunset from the
Wilbour dehabeah it is the hour par ex
cellence on the Nile, which is then seen at
its best. The after.glow is above words to
describe its gorgeous magnifcence
A. Ali Els -Shabeed the teacher-evangelist,
comes and tells me the story of Ali Moorad
Effendi and his troubles with the Italian
agent. 1t is question of land and local
rivalry, the sequel Of which | shall hear in
Cairo
The dining room is oppressively hot. 1
retire at eight o'clock. By-and-by | wake
up, see my door opened, and two shadows
pass through my room into my wife's, close
the door, and hear in her room a scufiie,
as If sails were shaken by the wind.
shout, who's there = when from my own
room NY Lady answers in complete dark
ness "a bat bat in my room" bat
has invaded her sanctum, and she has called
the two chambermen, who with towels try
to expel or catch the intruder finally they
succeed, and appear triumphant with the
| poor frightened beast Sleep is out of the
question for many hours after 80 much ex
citement.
March o. Thermometer SO at 7 A. NJ
OF at eight o'clock for last grand e1cur-
sion across the Nile to Thebes, which Our
Lady has not seen yet. Her donkey-youth
has Fellah fashion, become her slave, and
she has become infatuated with him We
are rowed and poled across the Nile, then
carried on the shoulders of men find don
keys sent over, and ten men to hold the
stirrups The fields are full of men and
women pulling up lentils legion of chill
dren-naked boys-eyes covered with flies
| When we return to this land we shall bring
1000 dozen handkerchiefs, a small pharma-
cy, and ton of pennies TO give the chill
dren with clean eyes. Ophthalmic diseases
are the curse of this nation. We revisit
temple after temple, buy false and real
|
again the statues and colossi Our boat has
been taken much higher up the river, so as
to catch the wind, and we have a delightful
sail across it.
The following expenses in piastres may
amuse and tell details Blind man, one
half blind man, one half guardian, one
waters girl, one three black scarabees, %
one sacred ibis, TO- another black one, 10 ;
another, five guardian, guardian, !
boy who has brought lunch from Luxor,
| four boatmen, 10; Joseph and donkeys,
25-total A, or 81 % for the trip, purchas-
es not included. Only American princes
travel so luxuriously.
March TO- Our boat Rameses, arrives,
and will leave to morrow at daybreak. We
must sleep on board. We are sorry to leave
the temperature is delightful But the Nile
is getting very low, the heat is becoming
greater, and we might be obliged to return
with one Of the semi weekly postal boats,
too dirty to think Of.
Packing for Our Lady is like extracting
tooth-a most painful operation, during
which wise husband makes himself scarce
50 | pay a promised visit to the American
school. Find boys and girls on their best
behavior and with clean clothes. make
them read, sing and relate stories of Joseph
hild hlpntss <Ash lew iucollpuS OH tlt-
mentary geography. Some boys are bright,
most of them slow and heavy the girls are
very young, but with clean eyes and frocks
they look pretty. Mr. Tolba (teacher) trans
lates my remarks into Arabic Only few
old pupils can understand English well
enough.
bid goodbye to the self denying mis-
sionaries and the American consul buy
more mummy hands, backshish all our wait
ers and attendants, get ten men TO carry
our bundles on board, bid goodbye to the
Wilbours, and 20 on board. We fall among
strangers, and are like fish out of water,
We return to the hotel by moonlight to
have last look at the palm shadows to
the terrace ON which we have spent SO
many hours to the orange trees which
have given US the perfume of their bios
SONS Joseph and Our Lady have parted
He is too servile for me ; do not fancy a
human being acting like fawning dog.
Thus end three weeks of loafng and gos-
siping, which, year later, we rembember
yet with pleasure.