The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-17
THE TOILsOME CLIMB UP CHEOPs.
A Troy Pastor Describes a Visit to the
Pyramids of Egypt.

The Troy IN. " Times prints a letter
written at Cairo; Egypt, April l, by the Rev
BAPTIST Bar Church Of that city, to H. D. Sweet
parishioner, in which he says:
"Our conductor called us to an early break
on hand. Our carriage was an ordinary
American hack. We soon reached the bridge
over the Nile and entered the avenue Of
acacia trees skrting the elevated pike which
the government has built clear to the pyra-
mids, distance of about eight miles. The
road was literally crowded with farmers
'fellahee' coming into market. We passed
hundreds of camels and donkeys, loaded
down with every conceivable thing, especially
fresh white clover, great quantities or which
about 400 pounds With all the animals
there were men, women and children most
The - men and boys seemed to be having a
good time, but, as usual, the women and girls
looked sad and miserable. The donkeys were
looking down to the ground, but the camels
looked up in the air. as they always do Tley
are very high-minded. Their backs are also
high. as 1 can testify, for I had my first
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 blazin 3
hot. 1t was about 8 O'Clock. We were imme-
diately surrounded by the usual crowd OF
clamorous Arabs, anxious to help us up the
great climb. But our conductor, Mr.. Solo,
who had been with US up the Nile, cleared
them all away, and we selected three men
each, clean. 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.
hour, but they did not seem to be so very
large, because there is nothing to compare
them with. But IL 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 any
stairs The place for your feet Is about four
feet a very good standing If you reached the
floor. or were not going up $50 feet, right I'D
in the air nearly three times as high as our
church steeple.
1--WE walked easily along one course of
stone on the west side. which were worn
smooth with passing feet, and came to the
Two men took me by the hand and one
pushed behind and began going upstairs
four feet at step. After about two hun
dred steps / concluded to stop. We must
have been about eighty feet up at that cor
ner. i was not dizzy nor Gerry lame, but
felt very peculiar, and felt more peculiar
every minute afterward until 1 got back
onto solid and capacious footing But up
We went, hop, skip and jump. going all
the time. and going up on the ragged cor
ner of nothing. The stones were smooth
irregular and sometimes broken, but none
less than four feet. Heaven was above you
and both sides of you. and everlasting
smashation beneath you If you should fall.
Just then one of the Arabs stu.l,bIed a
little and gave me shock like an electric
battery.
where they have thrown Off a few rocks.
and where you can brace yourself against
the, breastbone of cheops and look or a
air, standing or leaning on ;f1e ragged cor
ner and trying to behave and say it was
fun. But it was not. There was too much
risk and danger. Some people have TO ne
bindfolded to get them down. and MANY
faint. and not long since an English sol
der fell But on we go a little further
and, thinking the matter all over. called a
halt and deliberately decided that was
enough. The view was something grand 1
suppose, and IL could have done the climb
ing when / was twenty years old / might
have seen the grandeur Going down, as I
am not dizzy, was easier. But any stem
might have been my last. and I did not
enjoy Ii as much as did my splendid re-
ception. though that embarrassed me some
what.
''Once at the bottom we mounted camels
TO go to the Sphinx. A very large white
fellow fell TO my lot. He was fiat on the
| ground i mounted. When he began To
| get up i thought he was going all to pieces
He arose in sections, with four distinct
motions. and as each section assumed the
horizontal / was jerkcd backward and
| forward Cut foot log into four parts
joint them together. get astride and have
that log begin to assume the shape OF a
saw horse. with you on top. and you have
| the idea. However. held on. and away we
went. I estimated that from my chin Ia
the end Of the camei's nose was six feet