The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-20

ana what not--aL goes by 1t, and only the
fotsam and jetsam remain. The fixed
alien population of the town OF Suez--if
there may be said to be one--is comprised
Of persons who can't get away, who prey
on travellers, or who are fugitives from
justice. Agents employed by govern
ments. obliged to 1--we at Suez, do not
count of course as permanent residents
But it is not possible TO believe that
they really enjoy Suez. There is nothing
to enjoy there.
Sights at SucE.
Since the work of widening the canal
began there has been a more general
passage through It, but a zen years
ago only a small proport on of passenger
traffic employed that narrow cut of
water. Suez Is the term nus of the rail-
way that brings "overland" passengers
from Alexandria where the p. and o.
steamer has dumped them, after bringing
them from Br ndIsi. At Suez they re-
embark for the Red Sea trip. But the
troopships ard some other steamers con-
tanning family cargoes for Africa and
India went through the canal. and all
roads led to Suez.
How dismal 1t is there! Dismal sounds
an homogeneous objective to use of a place
which is flooded by light, hut If there
Is anything more dsmal than fierce dry
glare perpetually. what IS it? And a gar
pervaded by fine grit. and tempered only
by another kind OF l'ndness-from sand
storms-is the most depressing Of all.
A six-Dny Stop.
If anything could add 10 the discom-
forts OF Suez. an enforced stop of six
days. expecting every moment to SAL,
so that no trip of any exte co.. Rd be
taken In any sort of peace. seemeA to
furnish that neces airy adjunct Hurried
trips to the hotel. VIII re uGexr ect d meet
ngs and interrrp ed games Of cards and
rani" In the very act of raj NOR
sci of Cd to ones fps cert in,y ish-
ed more excitement than was he.lt full
in that seething climate. Ten abr pit
sketches OF Mount nal. hasty glimpses
Of little games with fps at 4 e ON
pany's office, VIE G tie moveme Of
S Gamers wee tie egraphed and ac ed out
with toys on a board; feve ish don ey
trips and other per ,urbed diversions, ca s.
one to recCllect the place in kind Of
nightmare.
Growers.
Then how everybody did sold! No one
knew the cause of the rid Gu Gus delay. 1t
was In reali y on count OF an acci ent
20 another steamer off Malta, aud for
that other disabled vesse we were wait
Ing; nut no one was In the captains COZ
defce, ard eve ybod1 IN d. En- Ii n
officers who had used up the asst minute
of their ,eaye-that is, who lad left moth
ng for SueZ and its del & t. and VIII,
would be locked Of pay-these were
furious. But it only made them hot to
be furious, so what wa the use? The
donkey boys were mon ltonous. and so
were the Greek ard Arab b attn en-, wro
olamored to take parties OUT sal ing
Their boas were NEST picturesque ami
dflap dat d, ard the dirty an sails
S owed Up well ag 1inst the vari as vel
lows OF the sky, cliffs and whirling sands
Of the dese rt; but as much of tie Ia ter
was in ones own headquarters of Wis on.
the sight was not always thoroughly APP
preciated
BY Rail Across Egypt.
But If six days at suez, with the mit-
eating influences of sympathetic compan-
Ions In grieving squads, plenty Of ice and
soda water and cool clothes end shade,
palled and grew to the last extent irri-
tating, what shall be said of a railway
Journey from Suez, along the line of the
canal, as far as Ismai,a, and then across
Egypt 20 Alexandria TO join another and,
as it happened, far worse steamer. for
Messina? No one in the party knew ex-
came up, nor how long it lasted It obllt-
Grated intellect, time, space and memory.
Sitting in the corner of a railway COM
partment, as sand-tight as 1t could be
made. was the writer of this, her head be-
comirg.y % swathed in a bandage of wet
newspapers and saturated leaves. the
whole crowned with a helmet Of pith and
a veil of poisonous green hue, snatched
hastily from Suez bazaar, and treasur-
cd
on earthl Gaspirg for breath was she,
with the sand sitting and drifting In the
windows and lying on the stills like snow
(from the internal reg5ons); with hot
wind bowling without, excatly like a win
ter wind (gone wrong; with bread baked
through to the middle with heat. no ice,
and claret boiling in the bottle; with the
train off the track with the sands drift
ing; with impotent, childish natives gsz-
ing foolishIy upon the disas-
ter, for four mortal hours. midway he
tween stations. How funny 1t seems now,
and how appalling 1t was then! Ones
eyes ears and mouth were filled with cut
ting hot sand; ones bread and claret were
gritty with 1t. Why did we leave our
happy ship? Better the slow, narrow.
hot, stupid canal than a foretaste of ere
ma ton In the middle of an iceless, shade
less, rainless, remorseless desert.
Keller at Last.
Comparisons may be anything disagree
able they like, but the hotel at Alexandra
seemed heaven when we got to Il. And
after days upon days Of cabin life in the
sun-baked Red sea, living in packing
cases and sleeping In suffocation, we
found the food ambrosial the air celes
tial and the space baroniaL Clothes were
flung about the rooms in an ecstacy Of
Joy parched threats fairly sizzled to the
welcome showerings of cold fluid within
and prlckling skin to the grateful bath
without
What would life be without It's con-
trasts And even a sirocco in the desert
may point a moral Of the virtue of con-
tentmcnt with small discomeorts. The
Spaniards at Suez and our own soldiers
at Santiago may find many things bear
able after tropical tortures. And the for
mer have other troubles to come, too