Smyrna times., 1895-04-03
a Smyrnian Abroad

|
BY permission we are allowed tc
publish the following letter of Rowland
w. Bell to his mother He keeps ,
ulary OF his travels and as thew are az
replete with interest, we Thought II
might be entertaining to our subscrib
ers.
UNITED STATS FLAGSHIP "SANFpAN
CISCO,
ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT.
March 4th. 1895.
think that the best way that I can
describe the trip we have lust taken
would be for mo to take it from nv
diary. March 2nd.-Saturdav. AleI.
andria. -A'o
a party of about thirty of US left the
snip tnis morning to go to Cairo and
see the pyramids. Our departure from
the snip was somewhat inglorious as
we were soaking wet before we reached
the landing. The sea was quite high
ana we were in an open boat. We
hurried through the town like so MANY
sneep with the guide in front of us
we just arrived at the station in time
70 see the train pull out. This was our
nrst and last disappointment. After
UalKlhg the matter over, we decided tn
meet at the station at $50 D. M, and
take the o'clock express. We then
separated, each man to his own fancy
-Four of US took carriage and started
In TO see the sights of Alexandra Onr
hrSt stop was at POmpey's pillar. The
Plllar Itself stands on quite a little
KDoll, ana can be seen from nearly anv
part o. the city. The foundation nf
the pillar is of alabaster and the coluD,n
itself Is of granite. The base sbonId
J Judge to be about thirty feet hioh. tba |
shatt itself about sixteen feet in Dispo
eter and about one hundred ond |
NV twenty ieet high, and all in one piece.
Ane caplCai sets on top of the shaft and |
projects over at least twenty-five feet
You can distinguish yet the fine sculn.
lure AND work on the capital, but time
mas etfaced the finer work somewhat
AIter gettlng picture of the pillar we
LOOK the carriage and went out to tho
NheulVe's Gardens. They are ouite
PreIty' out cannot compare with our
.entral, Paramount or Golden Gate
Alter seeing all through the park we
'ame back in town and had lunch and
ute good one too. We had the hest
u sauce, hunger. After lunch MO
gam TOOK the carriage and went ali
rVer the city and ont to the catacomhs
ne Iatter were rather a disappoint-
neht; as the wind has shifted the sand {
o that nearly all the passages are
losed up. From the catacombs wo
came back to the denot {
ound we had lots of time so started Of '
n foot to see Fort Napoleon EnoIish1
g went up the hill but thew wonid ~
now Us 10 go inside. We came down
tne station then and pretty soon we
'aTted. The scenery between Alley. &
luTla ana Cairo is quite pretty and n
'hd very fertile. We crossed about civ 0
ranches of the Nile during our ionr- y
ey. We arrived in Cairo about 3 20
M aud went Immediately to onr .,
Dtel; AS soon as we had refreshed h
irseIVes we came out and decided To v
ke a donkey ride. Accordingly
'out ntteen of us hired donkevs and 10
went from one end of the citv to pl
e other, and across, around and W
'aTiy every conceivable way that we Tn
uld. We highly appreciated the he'd
hen we came to it at 1I.3O. br
harch ord. .-Sunday-Cairo and ~
exandrla. 1t had been agreed 70 ii;
- nj ght, that we should make an or
rIy start for the pyramids. At about co
" we all met at the public sonsra re
q started in to hunt for a resta1rant wi
breakfast. 1t seems that thev a.
{ eat breakfasts in this conntr,, f o on
hunted nearly all over the town be. -,
9 we hnally stumbled into a place sn, Se,
ere we had cup of hot milk and
ouns apiece After that was fin.
ed the majority of us took carriagas
started Oft for the pyramids. Onr
,cession consisted of six carrisgas
SIX donkeys. We passed tbropSh "a,
pTettiest part of the city. over the
10 branch of the Nile; and ont in,o
avenue OF Locusts. The ten.n,iIo
'e from nearly the center of ~ spet
10 the base of the pyramids 10 ono
ne prettiest drives that I have a1,oo for
d. On each side of perfectly levai OF
'e' there Is a row of locust ,roao was
;eu @ ABOUT thirty feet apart ana 1
Jung overhead. As soon as We baS be
yea at the end of the drive. we amI a fe
sea on ship of the desert y Tho tom
70 Is very appropriate indeed IA the goo
lon Tore and aft is very Iiahle - acc'
le NAL der mer unlass ~ i;ao,e 70 farm
/ to it. '"o 10 naru- Z
lr stately procession finally arrival Sev, Sev,
ne oase OF ghiEeh. the largest of Som
pyramids. Such clamor and bah otbe
AaVe never heard ia my life and stnr
y wish TO again. As soon as we n,
uiSmounted from the camels we had
literally stormed with guides. burr
sIhe " you can, a party of about from
OF US and party of about one fight
ired and eighty Of them, each badl
ing 10 get hold of you, aud, If not his
trying to sell you something at cut {
Zhorbitant price, Another awful III
'gle ensued when we were trying road
ain admittance to the pyramid. hava
5hiek Ia person appointed by the All
live TO look after the pyramidsl. pbia
y told us that IL was compulsory ionsl
,ach man to take at least two nino
,s If we wished to see inside the Gs
mid, IL seemed ridiculous to us snort
st, but after entering we found ont in r.,
badly we needed them, The en- tn
9 is just large enough to admit two nota
MS passing with bent haoksl and as -
going down about twenty feet we anil
lenced to ascend. The frst grade ines =,
aoo.. h. | Us ~
seays,i eSy NUT 1ut the next vivals
the second on up are made of ala, attant %
:, and are as smooth as glass er. he"i. hs.Joi
the stone that people have worn '"Sn M-
ssIons in the softar ss Ssome OF the home
obably three inchas 'Ole would impro
10 the harder stone iust I arais. "iSnt si
presented a pretty s;oh We must rheum
me guide pulling and SUI ~ 'nueed bis be,
lshing us up the incline 1lner 9s Leir
cent through dust and heal 1ver s
twenty minutes We cana ~ ior It wi
g Chamber. It isa Fa1s, " tne subject
yslive feet long. abont sA ABOUT that'pr,
aud about 6ftv 60 Iorty feet ghamb
everytbino - .ess nlgh. After Remed
lut and stas.s ~ oe seen there. we may be
No =. 1@.eou 70 ascend ao.s rs soon