The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-25
sUEz A DREAB BY DITCH.
Canal Cleft Through Region Bare OF
All Save Biblical Richness,

Afoat on the Red sea, Jan. 1S.-
Every vessel passing through the suez
canal is compelled to take a 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 to 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 snip 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 tC
stop and tie up in the basin until the
other goes by. These basins are found
at intervals of few miles, and at
every basin is a "gare" or station in
charge of a signal officer, who corre-
sponds to a train dispatcher on one
of our railroads, and the block system
is used to regulate the movement of
vessels Formerly no traffic was al
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 1t is
big ditch on 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 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
ting to the youngsters. They
do not like to stop and dive for them
while there is a chance of getting more,
but I 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 lsmalia,
a half way point, Wi tn a population OF
1000 It is the only monument in honor
Of the Khedive Isnaail, who did the
most and spent the most to carry out
the enterprise, and lost his throne
thereby. It is rather a pretty town,
abundantly irrigated, and hence has
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 hospital for sick en-
ployees, club for the benefit Of the
officers, and several good houses, IN
Guiding one erected especially for the
entertainment Of NJ, de Lesseps, when
he should be pleased to use it. Beyond
Ismalia, as before, are occasional
oases in the desert-groves Of palms
and luxuriant gardens surrounding the
stations of the canal officials, for
wherever you can turn water on that
lonely desert everything will grow with
a wild luxuriance. 1t seems as If the
earth suddenly released terminating
power that had been accommodating
during centuries Of Suppression.
The chief interest is found IN the
town of Suez, because it is the crossing
place Of the great caravans OF camels
that furnish transportation between tce
two continents of Asia and Africa, and
travel regularly between Cairo. Oa-
mascus and Bagdad; also because DID
lical historians believe that here the
waters of the Red, sea opened $500
wears ago and allowed 100000 OF the
children Of Israel to cross over upon
dry bottom 1t requires q considerable
concession to the imagination and
strength Of faith that a majority OF
mankind 90 not possess to accept TINS
theory, but no one knows to the con-
trary, and experience has taught me
never to doubt the faith 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 Iea-
lures into lots, classifying them ana
measuring them by the Venus de MILO.
On the other side of the Reo sea,
which, by the way, is not red, but blue
as blue as the sky in June-you can
see the purple peaks Of the Slna1rc
range, and few miles from the shore,
which you can reach in three hours
by donkey, one of these remarkable
oases that are frequently found in the
desert. This particular one is called
the Wells Of Moses. There is com
fortress hotel kept by an Arab, where
beds and refreshnent can be OBTAINED,
but it is better to start early in the
morning, so as to Iget back the same
day, and take a luncheon in 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 murmureo
against Moses, sayin: What shail We
drink?" and he cried unto the Lord
and the Lord showed him tree which
he cast into the waters and the waters
were made sweet. And they came to
Elm, where there were II wells OF
water, and three score and ten PAIN
trees, and they eneamped there by the
waters. And Miriam, the prophecies,
the sister OF Aaron, took tinbret
in her hand, and all the women went
out after her with timbrels and with
dances. That beautiful scene, one OF
the most dramatic in the whole Bible,
is believed to have taken place here,
for these wells are the wells Of Elm,
and three and ten palm trees still
shelter a collection OF dozen or more
springs. The village is peopled by
naked Arabs, s sfnewy, springy, en-
during fellows. whose flesh shines like
polished mahogany, and who must re-
semble the young men of Israel when
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