The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-04-03
HELD BY A ROPE.
by LEIGH YouNeE.

BY LEIGH YoUNGE.
Egypt has been called the Gift of the
Nile, and everything in the land is con-
nected with the movements of the great
artery that is the life of the country.
The seventeenth of June is the "night
OF the drop" and is celebrated as fes-
tival. Moore in his "LaIla Rookh" tells us
of the power of
The drop that down from the moon,
Fails through the healing air of june
According to the ancient legends, Isis,
the goddess of Egypt, weeps over the
aridness of the country, and the tear
falling from her eye into the Nile causes
the overflow which brings renewed life
to the land. The Cairenes spend the
night beside the river, either in the
open Dir 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 1t there; il not, it is an
Ill 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 year is the
Wefa or the cutting of the dam, which
takes place between the tenth and four
teeuth of August
Egypt is now no longer a vast lake
during the inundation as il formerly
was. The water is conducted into
et-work OF canals and reservoirs, and
distributed as it IS needed. and engi-
neers are appointed to see that there is
no loss nor waste. evees are built TO
keep the waters within bounds, aud
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
for 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 flood would net abate
for weeks, and we could hot wait, and
so decided to try it.
Selecting our donkeys with care, we
started ont party OF four, including
the dragoman and the little animals,
which are the street cars of Egypt The
donkey boy, very bright little fellow
oil fourteen years, was family man,
he told us proudly, with two wives and
four children, and he supported his
whole establishment on the one franc a
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 was almost up with the banks, and
In the sunlight glittered aud glistened.
Tau reeds and rushes with waving
plumes beautifully green lined the shore,
and the reflection in the water gave back
every leaf and twig.
Then suddenly and abruptly the dyke
was cut off, and before us was a sheer
descent into the yellow water. The
force of the waves had undermined the
foundation, and it had sunk. What to
do next was the question.
Nussef got down, and went forward
to explore. Finally he came back with
the intelligence that there was boat a
little way back, which would take us if
we were willing to go in that way.
Turning, we rode to where a curve in
the embankment formed a tiny cove, and
there was the boat. long, dirty,
weather-beatcn craft, with the immensely
high mast and the odd-shaped sail that
they use only on the Nile.
Leaving our 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, and piloted us
safely enough, thoIgh it was no easy
task. The tallest trees were half under
water, and the smallest were wholly sub
merged ; and when one least expected it,
he was apt to run up against one, for the
water was so thick with mud that moth
ing could be seen below the surface.
Men were at work upon the embank-
ments strengthening them, and busy
scene the green terraces rising up out of
the yellow water presented. 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
levees. very available force on the
plantation is set to work to strengthen
the barrier that keeps off the waters. 1t
was all the more striking, as the fellahin
and our Southern negroes closely resem-
BILE each other.
Our little boat with its great sail
brought us finally up 10 the elevated
plateau where the pyramids stand. and
we landed, glad to be on terra frma
No one ever forgets the view that be
gets from the top of hoops, where he
seems TO feel the centuries go by. The
drawback to the pleasure and awe which
the place inspires is the chattering, the
quarreling and the clamoripg for bak-
shish Of the swarms of Arabs that haunt
the place. Thanks, however, to the
over ow, none but our own party were