The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-01
On the Nile. near Assouan.

| ON the Nile. near Assouan.
Egypt. March Is. 1901.
Editor Providence News:
We are now becoming quite accustomed
TO our mode OF life on the Nile. As oui
boat passes up the river IL is one contin.
uous panorama OF strange and interest,"
| ing scenes.
The sky is always blue. 1 have not
seen drop OF rain or scarce a cloud In
the heavens since coming into Egypt.
The nights are deligN fully cool and
| comfortable, but in the daytime the
| glare of the sun is most uncompromising
! and by noontime the thermometer rises
to at least 30 in the shade. We do most
! of our sightseeing quite early in the
| morning leaving our little steamer some
1 times by half past six.
The population along the banks OF the
| Nile is larger than had imagined. There
is scarcely an hour OF the day in which
we fail to see human life in some form.
READY FOR HARVEST.
Almost all OF the cultivatablo land Is
diligently titled and the crops are now
! about ready 10 be harvested. The fields
and pastures are watered OF course
| wholly by irrigation and the most COM
mon OF sights throughout the whole land
OF Egypt are the little wells along the
banks of the river from which by a most
primitive arrangement OF buckets on the
old well-sweep principle, sometimes three
| or four tiers in height, the water Is Dip
ped up from one landing stage 20 am
other and then poured into the trenches
from whence IL finds It's way into the
fields.
Thousands upon thousands OF the poor
'fellahin" are constantly employed i'm
this work. Their wages average about
10 cents a day. no part OF which sum sp-
parently is spent upon superfluous cloth
fl4n acfg1 faaal1 Wa 70
pretentious irrigation r.ant. This con-
sists Of a large wheel lying fiat and raised
about three feet from the ground. This
Is TURNED by bullock or sometimes by
"A yoke of oxen. by the simplest possi-
bic arrangement of wooden cogs this con-
meets with a vertical wheel TO which is
n chain of stone water jars.
The turning OF this wheel carries the
Jars under water where they are filled
and then lifted 10 the surface OF the
earth, when in continuous succession
their contents is poured into the mina-
ture canals and thence 10 the thirsty
crops.
MUD HUTS FOR HOUSES.
Most of the population reside in miser-
able mud huts clustered together I'm COM
pact little villages along the banks of tho
river Generally these are situated in
grove of date palms.
To each other and there is an unmistak-
able odor emanating from the whole ge-
nus.
If one chances to be reading while
sailing along and does not notice: the
nasal organ will give unfailing notinca-
tion OF their propinquity. Some of the
more venturesome of our party have.
now and then. explored the interior OF
these habitations. One OF the results OF
their daring Is that when they return 20
the boat they are permitted TO enjoy un-
disturbed possession Of the section OF the
deck which they may select whercon 10
rest and refresh themeslvcs.
Owing TO the fact that tho river |
is becoming very low. wo have
steamed as rapidly we could. !
We have found time. however. 10 |
stop for few hours 10 visit some OF the |
most interesting OF the ancient temples |
and tombs.
SIGHT SEEING.
At Assiout one Of the most important