West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-03-14
HELD BY A ROPE
BY LEIGH YouSoF.


Egypt has been called the Gift OF the
Nile, and,ogcrythinS in the land is con.
nected with the NOV ements or the erea,
artery that is the life of the country.
The seventeenth OF June is the "nioht
of the drop" and is celebrated as fes-
uval. Moore in his "LalleRookhn tells us
OF the power of
The drop that down from the moon.
Fails through the healing air of June.n
According to the ancient legends, Isis,
the goddess OF Egypt weeps over the
ari1ness oil the country, and tho tear
Ia'ilng from her eye into the Nile causes
the overflow which brings renewed life
10 the land. The Cairenes spend the
night beside the river, either in the
open air or in houses near the bank. and
practice all sorts of ceremonies. Each
member of the family places a piece of
dough on the roof; if the dough rises.
happiness is in store for the fortunate
one who placed it there; IL not, it is an
i'll omen.
Ten days later the river slowly begins
to rise, and the Nile crier goes through
the streets every morning with the latest
bulletin as to The height of the water.
The great festivity OF the wear is the
Wefa or the cutting of the dam. which
takes place between The tenth and four-
teenth of August. G 81
Egypt IS now no longer a vast lake
during the inundation as il formerly
was. The water is conducted into a
net work of canals and reservoirs, and
distributed as it Is needed. aud enpi-
neers are appointed to see that thee is
mo loss nor waste. evees are built to
..eep the waters within bounds, and
many OF the villages are connected by
these, while Others can only be reached
by boat.
When we reached Egypt, in the middle
OF October, the inundation was at the
highest point, higher than it had been
Tor years. To attempt the journey to
the pyramids was, we were told, mad.
ness, the whole face of the country be-
tween Ghizeh and the city being under
water. But the food would not abate
Tor weeks, and we could not wait, and
30 decided to try it,
Selecting our donkeys with care, we
started out, party of four, including
the dragoman and the little animals,
which are the street cars Of gypt. The
donkey boy, very bright little fellow
OF fourteen years, was family man,
be told us proudly, with two wives and
Tour children, and he supported his
whole establishment on the one franc
day he earned by taking care of the
donkeys.
On past the city out into the open
we rode, congratulating ourselves that
We had not needed the advice given us.
Our route lay along high embank-
ment beside one of the numerous canals
which encircle the city, aud a more
beautiful scene cannot be imagined. The
water wa' almost up with the banks, and
10 the sunlight glittered aud glistened.
Tall reeds and rushes with waving
plumes beautifully green lined the shore,
and the reelection in the water gave back
every leaf and twig.
Then suddenly and abruptly the dyke
was cut of, and before US was sheer
descent into the yellow water. The
force Of the waves had undermined the
foundation, and il had sunk. What to
do next was the question
lussef got down, and went forward
20 explore. Finally he came back with
the intelligence that there was a boat a
little way back, which would take us II
wo were willing to 20 in that way.
Turning, we rode 20 where curve in
the embankmeot formed tiny cove. and
there was the boat. long, dirty.
weather-beaten craft, with the immensely
high mast and the odd-shaped sail that
they use only on the Nile.
Leaving orr donkeys to the boy who
was TO take them back to the city, we
embarked and pushed OF. The little
boat rocked and reeled with the force Of
the current, but the bOatmen seemed to
know their business, aud piloted us
safely enough, tho lgh it was no easy
task. The talest trees were ha'f under
water, and the smallest we're wholly sub.
merged and when one least expected il.
he was apt to run up against one, for the
water was 90 thick with mud that moth.
ing could be seen below the surface.
Mon were at work upon the embank.
ments strengthening them. and busy
scene the green terraces rising up out Of
tho yellow water pre- ented. Where the
rush had swept the dykes completely
away, they were throwing connecting
bridges was forcibly reminded of the
scenes at home, when the Mississippi
bursts its bounds and breaks through the
iovees. very available force on the
plantation is set to work to strengthen
tho barrier that keeps of the waters. It
was Ell the more striking, as the follahin
and our Southern negroes closely resom.
BILE each other.
Our little boat with its great sail
brought us finally up TO the elevated
plateau where the pyramids stand, aud
we landed, glad TO be on terra frma
No one ever forgets tho view that he
gets from the TOP Of Cheops, where he
feems to feel The centuries 20 by. The
drawback to the pleasure and awe which
the place inspires Is the chattering, the
quatrslng and the clomOring for bak
sb.sh Of the swarm5 of Arabs that haunt
tho place Thanks, however, 70 the
over ow, none but our own party we're