Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-03-23

first, but it's a very light and airy Co.'S
tume-very little trouble to dress, and
withal has many good points, especially
for this country and lazy climate. One
drawback to travelling in this country is
the everlasting begging or "backsheesh."
1t seems a small matter to give 5, 10 or
25 cents. but when you consider that
sometimes 100 hands are held out to you
at once, why it will not take much
figuring to use up 800.
We have one in our party who weighs
more than the donkey she rides, and tits
one of the sights of Egypt to see 300
pounds Of female loneliness on q $50
pound donkey. All you can see of the
donkey is his ears. We have another
very nice parsonage in our party, but he
will insist and persist in picking his
teeth, also his ears with his spectacle
bomss, at the table.
l send you program of the camel, but
falo and other races we saw at Luxor.
They were very funny. The camel is
not so bad as he is painted, but tits a
long time between drinks with him.
Yesterday I rode n eight miles over
the Nubian desert to the Island of
Phili@. All the others took donkeys
and laughed at me, saying "you will
wish you hadn't" but [ was the first one
in andthe old camel and myself laid down
under a tree in the shade and ate dates
until the party arrived. Our dragoman
told me not to ride a camel. Said it
made some people have hemorrhage of
the lungs. This one was an exception
ally good and easy one or I'm a natural
camel rider probably the latter) for the
motion was pleasant, very pleasant
when walking and when goirg, no harder
than a trotting horse. On our way we
saw the huge obelisks partially quarried
from the native rocks. At the island of
Philiae we visited the Temple of Isis,
one of the most elegant structures
amidst the most beautiful scenery on
the Nile. The whole island is covered
with ruins and here is the splendid
temple known as "Pharoah's Bed" where
we had a fine lunch in the temple. Re-
turning we took a boat and shot the
first cataract stopping on the way to see
the half-wild Nubians jump about
twenty feet into the boiling rapids and
swim out. Others shoot them on a log
after taking off all their clothing. All
this for n plaster or five cents. It
seems strange how much people will do
here for a few cents. The other day
when 1 was visiting the tombs of the
kings at Thebes, one of the pretty little
water girls came along side of my donkey
and said: "Me your girl to-day" I said
no. She put her hand on her heart aud
said. "You no like me-; I feel very sad
because you no like me; [ like you; you
very nice man; you pretty man; I think
you American man; me like Americans
you very rich man; I be your little
water girl today, please sir" Well, what
would you do in a case like this? or
course I let her be my water girl after
all that. She was tall and straight as
an arrow, dark skinned, snow white
pearly teeth, black eyes, bare feet and,
legs and SO little clothing that it is not
worth mentioning. Well this dusky
maiden followed me and kept close tt
my donkey either walking or trotting,
with her water jar on her head always
ready to give me a drink or pour water
on my hands or wet my head, all this
for twelve miles in the hot sand and
burning sun for 10 cents. Some only
give 5 cents. I gave her 25 cents, and
blushed for giving so little. At Thebes
we saw the statute of Rameses the
Great, which is the largest in the world.
The weight is 1000, is tons a foot, eleven
feet long and of the toes larger than
a mans body. How in the world they
ever transported this immense piece of
stone is a wonder. Assouan has a popu-
lation of about 10000 about 600 miles
from Cairo and steamboat terminus from
lower Nile. It is a beautiful place, in
a fertile strip of fine date palms. Con-
siderable trade is carried on in products
from Soudan and Abyssinia, brought on
camels and shipped north to Assint and
Cairo. The chief articles are ostrich
feathers, ivory, india rubber, SIENNA,
tamarinds, wax, skins, horns, dates, etc.
Can get ostrich feathers from 40 cents
up. Egypt is full Of temples and tombs
and the mountains are literally honey
combed with the latter. Human skulls
and bones are scattered around every
where, and If they we're in Dakota they
would be gathered up and shipped and
ground up as bone fertilizer the same as
our Dakota buffalo bones are. The en-
terprising Egyptians, however,do rob the
tombs of the mummies and they have
them for sale on every hand.
You a purchase hand, foot, head or
any part you want. I have two mummy
hands, and bones Of various parts of
the anatomy, which [ have picked up