St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-04-17
Gbe Californian.
PYRAMIDS AND TEMPLES.


Last Saturday we visited Sakkara.
Leaving the hotel at $50 a. m. we
were driven to the steamer landing,
thence up the Nile some 10 miles to a
point of embarkation. One passes
many objects of interest on the way.
On the left as far as the city limit the
denselv crowded sailing vessels lying
at the banks, the Nileometer,
mosques, COptic churches, old Cairo;
farther down the quarries from
whence the stones were taken in con-
structing the old city, and also those
used for the present.
Arrived at the landing weleave the
steamer and climbing up the steep
bank find the donkeys, each with
their accompanying drivers and all
loud in praise of the respective merits
of their beasts, ready to convey the
party to the pyramids and tombs.
Having secured mine, | informed the
driver that being of a retiring and
unselfsh disposition, he need not feel
it obligatory upon himself to place
me in advance of the procession.
But what party mounted on the
back of an Egyptian donkey ever
held his destiny in his own hands
The motive power IS out OF reach,
and though we all started at a con-
sentative pace we soon became IN
volved in an indiscriminate scramble
for the leadership. | pulled in on
mine and the bit slipped from the
donkey's mouth. | imagine he
thought himself being embarrassed;
at any rate he stopped suddenly and
commenced feeding. During the time
occupied in repairs, | asked my boy
what | should say when | wished to
slow up. He replied ''Telephone.
Possessed with the talismanic word
that would in the future prevent my
dashing into the unprotected rear of
the column, started on at q brisk
gallop. | never used the word but
once.
The first halt was at the statue of
Ramcses II. Mounting again, our
journey led us through mud villages,
across plains green with growing
grain, under the refreshing shade of
palm groves to the edge of the far
reaching Libyan desert. Turning to
the left we made up the slope and
among the ruins of ancient Memphis,
out by the great "step pyramid" to
the tomb of Apis. Entering there by
a sloping way we arrive at a cham
Der where we are supplied with can
dies, lighting which we follow our
guide along the corridor, coming to
a large dark granite sarcOphagus
nearly filling the passage, stopped
short of its dcstina ton. Passing to
Al ,a oh oh n NH
on either side of the way. The guide
books give Ga i'll number; "a of these
contain the immense sarcophagi in
which the Apis mummies were placed.
The covers of these monster collins
have been pushed aside and their
contents removed. a few are highly
polished and covered with inscrip-
tons.
Our stay within was not prOlOng-
ed, the temperature being very warm.
Out in the clear air again, we next
visited the tomb of ii, interesting for
its well preserved paintings and
hierogIyphics i'll bas-relief. Hours
11<a111 3 9snt here very enjoyably,
Est1A OH fz5eEssvas limited and besides
III me nam became more urgent
ii for recognition; SO the
eaksfs interest we visited
stis3plfi fs5Hinch supplied by our
hotel was awaiting us. Refreshed
and rested, we next visited the tomb
of UnOz, after which the column
formed and wendell its way toward
the waiting steamer
Monday we visited the pyramids
of Gizeh. A start in carriages at 9
a. M, our route took us across the
Nile bridge and along an avenue
shaded the entire way by Leppek
trees. We passed along the bank of
the Nile, out through Bulok, meeting
long lines of camels and donkeys
laden for the Cairo markets, squads
of filthy children who persistently
run beside the carriage calling out
the national word ''backsheesh" or
''sheesh," until our driver stepping
down from his seat mercilessly lashes
their bare legs, and ribs us of them
for little time. An hour or more of
vari-cOlOred experiences of sights and
sounds, and we reach the stopping
place at the base of CheOps. What
shall | say of it Right here | draw
the line No written or expressed
words of mine are adequate to con-
vey an appreciation of the feelings
that move one as he stands gazing
up its lofty, slOping sides. Perhaps
YOU have wondered that guides
should be necessary, other than an
aid i'll climbing; that it would be inn
possible to fall should you slip only
to the step below YOU. This latter
fancy is disabused in the fate of an
English soldier two years since, who
halfway up missed his foothOld and
rolled to the bottom, an unrecOgniza-
BILE mass If you are troubled with
giddiness, don't 60 up.
As soon as we alighted we were
assigned by the sheik three guides,
two of whom, feeling the response
bility of their commission, grasped
us by each arm and marched us off
as fko1Ef1 we were culprits; the third
sAsEs}s zfssz 3 Aprs of the others
br zztss<if-F D<3ffS 4 4tFa the sedentary
20 = = ) = s5,lf se<sies Thus forrnid-
al5sy sZt n 81 4 1l7tnmenced the as
cen i 20 sziz;is part we scorned
the aid Of the gdides; soon we allow
ed ourselves to be helped; and later
on we asked permission to rest.
Each demand was readily complied
with and received a response of
Good Master, take your time"
Our arrival at the top was signalled
by a hurrah from our helpers, and