Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-01
CLIMBING UP CHEOPS.
AN AMERICAN DESCRIBES A VISIT TO
THE PYRAMIDS.

Feat That Requires q Good Nerve n,
Cool Head-Three Natives Assist Eo,
Climber-Graphic Description of a Mon
tain Ride on q Camel.
T The Troy IN. " Times prints a le
ter written at Cairo, Egypt, by Rev. D
| L. M. 5. Haynes, pastor Of the Fir
Baptist church Of that city, to H. /
Sweet, parishioner, in which he saw
"Our conductor called us to an earl
breakfast at $50. Our party of f,
were promptly on hand. Our carriaa
was an ordinary American hack. "
soon reached the bridge over the Mi
and entered the avenue of acacia free
skirting the elevated pike which I'll
government has built clear to the pyrs
mlds, distance of about eight miles
The road was literally crowded wit
farmers 'fellahee, coming into market
We passed hundreds of camels and don
keys loaded down with every conceive
Die thing especially fresh white clover
great quantities of which are sold in tn
city. Each camel carries about 40
pounds. With all the animals ther
were men, women and children, most O
them walking, but they will ride back
The men and boys seemed to be hayin.
a good time; but, as usual, the wome1
and girls looked sad and miserable. TIL,
donkeys were looking down to tn,
ground, but the camels looked up in tbs
air, as they always do. They are very
high minded. Their backs are also high,
as can testify, for I had my first came
ride today In about an hour we rode
up to the very base Of the great pile Of
stone and alighted from our carriage in
the sand, with the sun three hours high
and blazing hot. TWAS about 9 O'Clock.
we were Immediately surrounded by
the usual crowd of clamorous Arabs,
anxious to help US up the great climb
But our conductor, Mr.. Solomon. and
our superb dragoman, Abraham, who
mad been with US up the Nile, cleared
them all away, and we selected three
men each, fine looking men in white
We went right away over a pile Of
sand along the base and stood upon the
first tier of stone. Then I formally
looked up for the first time. We had
seen the three pyramids. so familiar in
picture, for more than an hour, but they
did not seem to be SO very large, be-
cause there is nothing to compare them
with. But it is three-fourths of a mile
around Cheops, and $50 feet to the top.
The stones are about six feet square, and
project one beyond the other, Just like
going up many stairs. The place for
your feet is about four feet, very good
standing if you reached the floor or
we're not going up 48O feet right up in
he air nearly three times as high as our
church steeple.
We walked easily along one course
II stone on the west side, which were
worn smooth with passing feet, and
anne to the northwest corner, where
he ascent is made. Two men took me
y the hand, and one pushed behind,
md began going up stairs four feet at
step. After about 200 steps conclud-
d to stop. We must have been about 80
eet up at that corner. was not dizzy
or very lame, but 1 felt very peculiar,
nd felt more peculiar every minute |
fterward until got back Oh to solid |
nd capacious footing. But up we |
7ent, hop, skip and jump, going all the
lme and going up on the ragged corner
nothing The stones were smooth,
regular and sometimes broken, but
one less than four feet Heaven was
bove you and both sides Of you, and
smashation beneath you if
on should fall Just then one Of the
rabs tumbled little and gave me
lock like an electric battery.
Now we come to the half way place
here they have thrown off few rocks,
nd where you can brace yourself
salnst the breast stones Of Cheops and
ok off little We were $40 feet I'D
the desert air, standing or leaning on
70 ragged corner and trying to behave
I'd say it was fun. But it was not.
1ere was too much risk and danger
'me people have to be blindfolded to
t them down, and many faint, and
It long since an English soldier fell.
1T on we go a little farther, and, think
g the matter all over, 1 called halt
d deliberately decided that was
ough. The view was something grand,
suppose, and if I could have done the !.
mbing when l was 20 years old I .
ght have seen the grandeur. Going 7
wn, as was not dizzy, was easier
It any step might have been my last, +
d did not enjoy it as much as I did j
: splendid reception, though that en-
rrassed me somewhat =
''Once at the bottom we mounted =
nels to go to the sphinx A very g
ge, white fellow fell to my lot. He 4
S fat on the ground as I mounted. :
zen he began to get up, I thought he =,
s going all to pieces. He rose in Sec (,
Us, with four distinct motions, and
each section assumed the horizontal c.
vas jerked backward and forward +,
a foot log into four parts, joint them r.
ether, get astride and have that log -;
IN to assume the shape Of q saw M
Sc, with you on top, and you have 81
idea. However, l held on, and away in
went. | estimated that from my ~
n to the end of the cancels nose was ;;
feet at least The motion, once up, N,
not very disagreeable. j.,
Would gentleman like to trot?' in f.
red the driver. The gentleman said
would. He had come to Egypt to see =,
'ything. He might have said there H.
lore to feel than to see. Anyway, we e.,
It for about 30 rods, when l called ~.
oh, oh, obi and the creature fell H.
q walk -.
Soon we came to the great sphinx. Il.
J big, and no mistake-a huge wom- FL,
head on a lions body. 1t is about 10
arTe as our church. IL front Of it, H.,
iy buried i'll the sand, is a temple Of ~
lite and alabaster. whose irtricacies -.
: visited. 49,
IS far of, and rather like dream sa5
All assurance that my remembrance -
ANTS. -Shak espeare.
The Original Smoker. t,,r
'e learned Camden speaks Ct Lane TAX
&c original English smoker. It is re-