The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-02-25
SUEZ 4 DREARY DITCH.
Canal Cleft Through Region Bare OF
All Save Biblical Richness.

". z. Curtis in Chicago Record-Her-
aid.
Anoat on the Red sea, Jan. 1S.-
Every vessel passing through the Suez
canal is compelled to take pilot, be-
cause shippers Of ordinary vessels can
not be trusted TO navigate the narrow
channel. for the slightest deviation
may cause damage that will cost thou
sands of dollars 10 repair. Each year,
however, navigation is rendered easier
by the widening Of the channel and
by the excavation Of additional sidings
or basins where vessels can pass.
From the moment the pilot goes on the
bridge he takes charge Of the move
ments Of the ship and is responsible for
whatever may happen, regulating the
speed according to tonnage and
draught.
Vessels cannot pass in motion. When
they meet the one which arrives first
at the signal station is compelled to
stop and tie up in the basin until the
other goes by. These basins are found
at intervals of few miles, ana at
every basin is a "gare" or station IN
charge of a signal officer, who corre-
spends to train dispatcher on one
cf our railroads, and the block system
is used to regulate the movement OF
vessels. Formerly no traffic was all
lowed at night, but now it is carried on
without interruption by the aid of
electric lights on the shore and search
lights on the vessels.
The canal looks exactly what it is
big ditch on a desert of sand on
which foxes, jackals, hyenas and oc-
casionally lions are seen by the watch
men in the signal towers. At some
places the banks Of earth on either
side are so high that passengers on the
steamer cannot see over them, but for
most Of the journey you have a wide
sweep on both sides back to the noun
tains that rise from the desert, and
at a certain point for mile or two
Mount Sinai is visible 81 miles to- the
southeast, and is pointed out to you
by the captain or the deck steward.
Naked Arab boys run along the banks
crying for baksheesh and easily keep
abreast of the creeping vessel, grab
bing at pennies which passengers
throw them from the deck. Half the
coins roll down in the water, which is
eXasperating to the youngsters. They
do not like to stop and dive for them
while there is a chance of getting more,
but imagine they mark the spots and
come back to recover lost backsheesh
when they have left the vessel.
There are only two towns Of any
account on the canal One Is 1smalia.
a half way point, with a.population a of
1000. It is the only monument in honor
of the Khedive Ismail, who did the
most and spent the most to carry out
the enterprise, and lost his throne
thereby. 1t is rather a pretty town,
abundantly irrigated, and hence mas
lovely gardens and groves OF palms
and other trees. Here reside most OF
the engineers and other officers OF the
canal, because it is preferable to Port
Said. There is a hospital for sick en-
ployees, a club for the benefit Of the
officers, and several good houses, In
cluding one erected especially for the
entertainment Of NJ. de Lesseps, when
he should be pleased to use 1t. Beyond
Ismalia, as before, are occasional
oases in the desert-groyes OF palms
and luxuriant gardens surrounding the
stations Of the canal officials, for
wherever you can turn water on that
lonely desert everything win grow with
a wild luxuriance. It seems as If the
earth suddenly released terminating
power that had been accumuiating
during centuries Of Suppression.
The chief interest is found IN the
town of Suez, because 1t Is the crossing
place of the great caravans or camels
that furnish transportation between tne
two continents of Asia and Africa, and
travel regularly between Cairo, Da-
mascus and Bagdad; also because bib
lical historians believe that here the
waters Of the, Red sea opened $500
years ago and allowed 100000 OF the
children of Israel to cross over upon
dry bottom. It requires considerable
concession to the imagination and a
strength of faith that a majority OF
mankind do not possess to accept this
theory, but no one knows to the con-
trary, and experience has taught me
never to doubt the faitn of interesting
stories. If you do, you deprive your
self and others Of much pleasure. 1t
is like analyzing. the attraction Of
pretty woman, or separating her fea-
lures into lots, classifying them and
measuring them by the Venus de MILO.
On the other side Of the Red sea,
which, by the way. is not red, but olue
as blue as the sky in June-you can
see the purple peaks of the Smaltlc
range, and q few miles from the shore,
which you can reach in three nours
by donkey, one Of these remarkaole
oases that are frequently found IN tne
desert. This particular one is called
the Wells of Moses. There is COM
fortress hotel kept by an Arab. where
beds and refreshment can be obtained,
but it is better to start early IN the
morning, so as to get back the same
day, and take g. luncheon in a basket
from SueZ. The trip can be easily
made while the vessel is coaling.
The children of Israel, according TO
the Bible. wandered three days In the
wilderness of Shur and found no water,
and when they came to Marah they
could not drink the waters, for they
were bitter, and the people murmured
against Moses, sayin: What shall we
drink" and he cried unto tho LORD
and the Lord showed him a tree which
he cast into the waters and the waters
were made sweet. And they came 70
Elm, where there were IL Weiis OF
water, and three score and ten pam
trees, and they encamped there py tne
waters. And Miriam, the propnetess,
the sister Of Aaron, took a tlmpre.
in her hand, and all the women Went
out after her with timbrels and "ltn
dances. That beautiful scene, one OF
the most dramatic in the whole B1ole
is believed to have taken place here
for these wells are the wells OF Ellm,
and three and ten palm trees stlll
shelter a collection Of dozen or more
springs. The village is peopled by
naked Arabs, sinewy, springy, en-
during fellows, whose flesh shines like
nolished mahogany, and who must re-
semble the young men Of Israel Wnen
they started on the journey that was
not finished for 40 years.
It is difficult to understand why ano
how they happened to be wandering
nhn,,t co long down here If you VIII