Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1890-01-11

49,, - ~
his companion on every expedition.
From the museum we went TO the place
whittier Mary and Joseph are said to
have fled with the child Jesus TO escape
the wrath OF Herod. The identity OF
the spot seems TO be well authenticated
and is accepted by many of the most
learned students of the age. Here for
the first time we set foot on holy
ground. DIR. Talmage removed his hat
and with head uncovered stood a few
moments in silent meditation. "My
visit here shall form the subject OF the
first chapter of my Lite Of Christ" said
he. "Why others have passed this
seen over entirely or touched lightly
upon 1t | cannot say; but to me IL Is one
OF the most sacred spots on earth"
After examining it thoroughly we left
1t TO return TO the hotel, but about fif.
teen minutes later DIR. Talmage insisted
on going back TO Ii at once saying, II
must see it again and must see il now"
So back we went and a new inspection.
was begun. in the course OF which DIR.
Talmage drew over his shoes a pair OF
rough heavy sandals, and stepping
down into the water that covered b
ground he carefully took the dimensions
Of the place, the girth of the pillars and
their distance from each other. He
then drew a diagram SO true, as 1t APP
peared 10 me. that it would have done
credit To an architect. Having finished
this he said: Il nave seen all l care to
see today; / shall not leave the house
again until tomorrow" Bat rest he
was not able to take. On his return TO
the hotel he found there the notice of o
funeral 10 take place at 3 p. m. from
the American Mission church at Cairo,
the wife of Prof. q. Lansing. an Ameri-
can scholar of note, eminent Egyptolo-
gist and clergyman. hayingdied the day
before after active service in this mis-
sion field of over thirty years. Profess.
sor Lansing being an old friend of DIR.
Talmage. the Brooklyn orator attended
the funeral. with Mr.. Eugene Schuyler,
the American consul at Cairo, Wilson
Bey and DR.. Grant, of Scotland. The.
body. clad in white, lay in front of tho
pulpit; a congregation had assembled
abou: 700 in number. People were
divided into three sections: On the one
side sat he women with yelled faces,
bitterly weeping; on the other side sat
the men in their national gerb of flow
ing robes, girdled at the waist and wear
ing the turban, while the center isle
was occupied by foreigners. Every seat
was taken and the entire audience was
deeply affected. The services were In
both Arabic and English. At the re-
quest of the family DIR. Talmage took
part in them. In the course of his re-
marks he expressed the sympathy of the
entire American church. The name Of
Lansing. he said, had for years been
synonymous with scholarship and Chris
tian conservation. Tens of thousands Of
hearts in America would bleed at the
news Of this good woman's departure.
For thirty-two years had she. far from
her native land, been toiling for the
elevation of a race SO different from her
own in feature, in color, in customs, in
habits, that nothing but an entirely I'M
selfish love could have inspired her.
As DIR. Talmage alluded to her gentle
and long continued ministrations, loud
weeping frequently interrupted him.
The scene was most impressing.
Early the ext day WI started for the
Pyramids, which we reached after a
three hours trip. DIR. Talmage insisted
on climbing 10 the top OF the great
pyramid OF Cheops, called Ghizeh. In
this the whole party joined him. and
with the aid of twelve dragomen and
two boys who carried drink water. we
eNSEAANG NhO ~ AaLlhAs ilAtlOAbR VI 10
ing pushed up as occasion required.
We made the ascent in twenty minutes.
Upon our decent we partook of a sub
stantial lunch we had carried with US
from Cairo, and proceeded TO interview
the Sphinx, which has stared stonily at
the desert for uncounted years.
The mex morning we sailed up the
Nile on a dainty little steam launch.
Ir Taluaara DfIla a., EanI ~a.l th.
prophecies concerning Egypt and
pointed out what appeared TO his mind
evidences of their fulflment. Sud
denly the launch stopped. On investi-
CATION we discovered that we had run
on TO a sand bank. The engines worked
and reversed, but TO no ayiL Nubian
negroes who manned the launch tried
hard TO push it of, but all in vain.
Then one of them stripped aud jumped
into the Nile, and tried by main
strength TO clear the launch. moan
ing loudly with every effort. He
not succeeding another negro
stripped and followed his comrades
example,; then still another, but with
out success. The amount Of moaning
increased but the launch never budged.
Finally DIR. Talmage and the writer took
long poles, and placing of a one an
end in the sandy bed of the river. began
TO push, at the same time ordering tho
engines 10 be reversed, while the union
of the strength Of all the men aboard
was brought TO bear On the work in
hand. by these means, gradually but
surely, the launch was freed, and the
journey continued. About moor we
reached Memphis with its ancient ruins,
including the palaces OF the Pharaohs.
Here we mounted donkeys 70. the first
time, and amid considerable merriment,
surrounded by a hundred or more ma
tives, these clad more or less, particu-
larly less. On our journey many incl
dents perhaps too trifiing TO mention,
but very amusing at the time, helped 70
keep M In excellent humor. One was
the frequent braying Of the donkey rode
by Miss May Talmage. His vocal per-
formances reminded her father of expe-
riences In a church choir in his younger
days After awhile the doctor grew
very tired Of his donkey. and decided to
substitute q camel for him. As camels
are plentiful in Egypt, his wish was
gratified at the first stop we made. His
experience on camel back soon led him,
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