West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-08-29
eLIMpsEs OF EGYPT.
The Suez Canal, Carlo and the
Pyramids.
wIilten speeIaIly ioI rhe 80.

NH"t We hiOlpSN dHIHOl 1T Suoll
distance from the shore az Suez. 1t
had been unusually disagreeablc and
damp all the way up through the
Red Sea. At other times in the
year the heat through the Red Sea
is almost unbeatable. 1t is very
hard on fremen and engineers
many of them succumb to the heat.
A sailing vessel is seldom, il ever,
seen. Anyway, the dreary, unin-
viting shore presented few attrac-
tons, and we were quite loath to
leave the vessel.
About s a. m. the doctor came
on board for inspection. The usual
"round-up" was made, for we were
coming from that pestilent stricken
city of Bombay. Fortunately no
sign of bubonic plague, smallpox,
or any such slight ailments seemed
10 exist, for we had been away from
Bombay twelve days, two days over
the time given for anyone to take
the plague, so we were gwen per-
mission to land.
Finally, an old Arab came along
side in his boat and mounted the
gangway and began canvassing for
passengers to go ashore. As | was
going from this place to Carlo, I
started negotiations as TO how much
he would charge, &c. / found the
old fellow very independent and
charging four shillings, or about 81.
thought this a very stiff price, but
there was no other course than pay
and go, if | wanted to go. Pre-
arrangements with all these Oriental
people are almost absolutely neces-
sary for the protection Of ones
pocket book, for they are always
watching for chance to run up the
price on the unsuspecting. Every
body in the boat, the old fellow be
gan collecting the fares. He wasn't
going to run any risk in taking any
one to the shore then not get the
money. The distance was a good
piece, but we made it in pretty fair
time, as the wind was well in our
favor. The shore reached and va
rious checks and stops made, we
finally, after what seemed to me
horrible delay and inconvenience,
were turned loose in Suez.
No one but he who has been to
Karachi, Suez or Port Said, has due
appreciation for Oriental squalor.
But once in the city, Suez does not
present such a bad appearance.
lost no time in finding the station
and time of first train to Cairo. l
found would have about four hours
to wait. Immediately | hunted up
restaurant and got a lunch. Res
taurants and cafes are in abundance.
OF course your fastidiousness must
not run too high.
chased around a good bit seeing
the places of interest and incident
ally finding what l could get for a
S. gold piece. After several "dick-
ers" with money changers, l found
that could get the same rate as is
given on the English Pound. 1
considered l was doing fairly well.
Besides the per cent the money
changer charges, he always gets the
difference in value between the
American S. gold piece and the
English Pound, for the Pound is
worth only S4.87. SO in travelling
it is always advantageous to have
English money. In Egypt the Eng
fish and Preach money of all de-
nominations arc current, and N
some places like Port Said any
money in the world can be passed.
The time for the train to leave
for Ismalia and Carlo arrived, and
we soon found ourselves pulling out.
The strange impressions Of ones
fret trip over an Egyptian railroad
are so diferentfrom any ever before
experienced. What drcary, hollow
desolation Beside which trip
over the deserts of Utah and Ari-
iona are quite pleasant, for in the
latter one sees a good many bushes,
weeds and cacti In Egypt, it is
the glazing hot sun so bright that it
hurts the eyes, and vast cxpanse of
sand and nothing else. The car
windows have to be kept closed, for
the wind comes scurrying over the
desert wastes, carrying clouds Of
sand and forcing it even into the
closed cars, covering the seats and
ones clothing with thick coat
Of dust.
The distance from Sucz 10 Carlo
is about roo miles. From Port
Said it's about the same. Ismalia
is about half way between suez and
Port Said IN The Suel Canal. one
changes cars either for Carlo or for