St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-04-13

steamer running between Cairo and the
First Cataract Of the Nile, we seem to be
i'll a different world
As write, the Arab servants on the
boat are washing the decks, pouring
plentiful supply Of water and sand over
the boards and scrubbing them with a
small bunch of twigs pushed back and
forth with the right foot. One ofthe party
chants a solo in a high monotous tone
and all Join in the chorus semi-musical
shout, the man at the end clapping his
hands and gesticulating. From my
window | can look out upon the west
bank of the river and see a stretch of
sand in the distance, clumps of palm
or acacia trees, a few mud huts in which
the Arabs live in the foreground, and
now and then a line OF camels passes
along the bank laden with pieces of
white limestone, or with great jars of
light colored pottery, fodder or sugar
cane. Men on donkeys hardly as large
as themselves trot briskly along, and
everywhere, from the mouth of the wind
ing river as far as we have gone, is the
line of living green on one or both banks,
the beautiful foliage of the palm, and
beyond the tawny sand of the desert
On the east bank we have passed many
limestone cliffs pierced with caverns,
which may yet reveal the wonders of
ancient Egypt to the seeker. Even the
desert is not smooth trackless waste,
but with many mounds or hillocks in
which one can pick up fragments Of
pottery, rock and mummy cloth.
Whenever we reach any point of in
lerest, our steamer stops at the landing
and excursions are made on the little
donkeys which stand waiting for riders.
Armed with white umbrellas lined with
green, large sun hats, wells and dark
glasses, each passenger steps off the boat
to be Immediately surrounded by
swarm of Arab donkey boys screaming at
the top Of their voices, milne good
donkey, Missus; me good donkey boy;
me donkey name Telephone" etc, etc.
AT the same moment the lame, blind
and halt Of Egypt press around begging
for "backShish." The dragoman or
guide striking right hand and left with
his cane, chooses a donkey, places the
passenger upon it and the animal starts
with an attendant i'll the rear to poke
or prod him along.
The excursions planned for passengers
taking three weeks trip up the Nile are
well arranged, in that visits are made to
the least attractive places first. The
ruins increase in size and grandeur
further up the river and our wonder be-
comes greater after each expedition.
We have just spent three days at
Thebes with its marvellous temples OF
Karnak, Luxor, Gournah and the
Ramesseum. We have seen the Colossi,
about which we have read since we
were children, sitting upon the plain as
they have sat for the last 1000 years.
We have been into the cavernous depths
of the mountains to see the royal tombs
prepared by ancient kings for their
mummies, the abodes empty now, alas
of all their glory, save the carvings and
paintings upon the walls, telling OF
what they expected in the future world,
or what they had done in this. We have
seen Karnak in the glory of the morn
ing light with the blue Of the Egyptian
sky shining through its wonderful
columns; and, perched upon one of its
great pylons, we watched the sun gG
down and then rode back to Luxor as in
dream, gazing at the ruins, theriver, the
palms and the waving grain glowing in
the crimson and yellow light. This and
much more have we seen, but there is no
way to tell it, Egypt must ever be un-
known save to those who look upon it.
During our last day at Thebes we had
an experience not often met with. For
four hours we were in a binding storm
of sand from the desert Our steamer
crashed against the landing stage and
nearly broke away from her moorlngs.
Every door, window, blind and screen
was closed, but the dust drifted in and
covered every article. The atmosphere
had a peculiar yellow light at first and
grew darker and darker as the storm in
creased and the thermometer dropped
nearly twenty degrees in almost as
many minutes. The mail boat which
was Just ahead of us was stuck on a
=, sand bank for fifteen hours and only got
off by unloading the coal stored in the
hold. We were fortunately on the
{ steamer and protected, but we could I'M
derstand what an intolerable experience
such a storm would be out in the desert.
After a glimpse at the First Cataract
' and Philae, the "Unapproachable,' we
, turn our faces again towards Cairo,
= where we hope to have few days before
leaving for Port Said. M. G. 7.