Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-03-24


hundred yards from the pyramids,
spend the day around these incom.
perable monuments. by far the most
interesting OF all relies of antiquity.
and drive back TO the city at or
in the afternoon Just in time to meet
the long procession of carriages filled
with native princes. pashas. yelled la
dies from the harems OF rich Egyp-
tians. generals In the British service.
civil officials of the government, mem
bers of the diplomatic circle, Hindu
and Parsee millionaires, and all the
gay world who are spending the win
ter at Cairo and come over that way
for their afternoon air You can see
many more and much finer horses
md carriages in London. New York
or Paris, but In Cairo the oriental
costumes and colors give an addi-
tional charm which no other city en-
joys.
fou can climb the pyramids If you
like. As You step OF the street car
or as you alight from your carriage
al the gateway OF the Mena House you
viii be greeted by n vociferous group
Of Arabs dressed in long white or
blue tunics and wearing enormous
| turbans of the same color, some of
them as big az a bushel basket. They
Will offer the services of themselves
and their doDkeys or cames to show
you the wonders you have come to
see. II you choose a camel the drv-
| er viii make the great awkward
beast kneel down In the road until
you are firmly seated In the saddle,
when, pt signal from It's driver, II
VIII begin 10 rise, one section al
lime. II is considerable trouble for
4 camel to get into action. and the
passenger on the upper deck must
hold on firmly or he will be thrown
over the animals head or his
launches. II you prefer donkey you
can have yonr choice among dozen
lr 90 sturdy. tough, sure-footed little
lnimals. whose legs do not look big
ger Than pipesiems. but will carry
he heaviest man who comes here
without even a protest
When your party is mounted the
procession moves along toward the
pyramid and makes quite a caval-
sade. In addition to the donkey boys
md camel drivers you are attended
by dozen or more guides and as
many peripateiic peddlers of scarabs.
nd coins, clay images and other cur
iosities. which they insist were found
N The excavations around the pyra-
mid bnI were more likely to have
been manufactured in the bogus cur
shops of Cairo, which are numer-
ons aud profitable. Then you have
arge contingent of beggars. of all
'ges. with all kinds of ailments and
elormities. some Of them keen. Gun.
ming and amusing, others repulsive
md loaihsome And finally groups of
urchins, more persistent Than the flies.
who follow along showing off what
little English they know in making
bright remarks, which they repeat by
rote to every conner day after day
md sometimes dozen times day.
md expect backsheesh as evidence of
appreciation of their wit and naivete.
Everything is backsheesh. You hear
that wcrd from morning till night
from the time You enter the East un-
ii you leave it. Everybody demands
II and our rich fellow countrymen
have unfortunately stimulated the ma
tural pcrsistency of the beggars by
responding TO their appeals with more
generosity than judgment Everything
is arranged To extort backsheesh, hut
a few pennies go great way. Even
the camels and the donkeys are nam
ed TO crafty the visitors When
Americans come they are invited to
ride Yankee Doodle General
Grant" Theodore Roosevelt" "Wll.
liam Mckinley" and other beasts
named after distinguished fellow citi-
zens. English. German and French
visitors are complimented in similar
manner.
AS you arrive at the base of the
pyramids. a solemn looking sheik
comes forward and informs you that
you are expected to pay five piestres
t25 cents) each, and politely explains
that the money is expended In keeping
the place in order. Having secured
your tickets you select your guide,
drive back the beggars and other fel-
lows who have already exhausted
your patience, and move slowly along
in procession to the Sphinx. where
you dismount and walk through the
temple and the chambers and tombs
that have described as lying beneath
IT. Then You have your photograph
taken with Sphinx AS background.
mounted ON camel or donkey or
anyway you Ike. with picturesque
looking guides in Arab costumes to
give character and variety to the
group. Then, remounting. you make
circuit Nf the pyramids and listen TO
the chatter of the native attendants
and the boys who want to sell curios
until you can endure them no longer
and command the guide to drive them
on. He plunges IN Gug them, strik-
ing right and left wi,hnut the slightest
compunction or mercy, slappng one
in the fare, punching another in the
shoulder and bowling anathemas at
those his arm cannot reach.
For very few moments thereafter
you are allowed opportunity to look