The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-08

/ ones at Cairo are referred TO. The
/ Pyramids as every one knows. We're
I the burial places Of the old kings.
Within a few hundred yards OF
them, but much lower, is the Sphinx. /
/ had imagined that the Sphinx was an
enormous affair, but it isn't 1t Is To-
Gated in a gully.
The electric railway takes you from
Cairo to the foot Of the blun on which
I the Pyramids are located. for z cents.
/ There you hire donkeys or camels to
/ carry you up the hill; or you can walk,
/ If you prefer, for the distance is not
great, and the road runs between two
stone walls. There is hotel about
half way up the bluff. and when you
1 altght from the electric railway, you
are Immediately surrounded by Ara BIS
who want TO rent you camels or dom
keys. We chose to ride I'D the hill on
1 camels, but our guide, a gorgeous Be
douin named Ismail. preferred to
I walk. Arrived at the top Of the bluff
| Cairo and the Nile valley lay before
us; and I say again that the sight re-
minded me of the Missouri river val
/ ley at AtchisOn when covered with
I growing wheat in the spring.
The Pyramids are not built of as
/ large stone blocks as / had imagined.
/ they are very rough, and many of the
stone are diSintegra ting: falling to
1 pieces We saw several people climb
/ ing to the top, assisted by Arabs, but
/ they were not making the ascent wher-
/ ever they chose; there is we'll defined
path, and all those who climb to the
top must follow this path. The Pyra-
mids are $50 feet high, and 45O feet
( square at the base. The top of the one
! farthest from the bluff seems to have
/ been plastered, and I did not see any
one climbing it. A good many tourists,
! riding camels and donkeys, were scat
/ tered about, looking disappointed. as
/ We were. TIL ere were also a good
! many Arabs, selling curios, and a good
I raNrnr
/ lures, with The Pyramids as a back
/ ground.
Then we began inquiring for The
! Sphinx. The Pyramids were located
within hundred yards of each other,
! as we had been led to believe but
/ where was The Sphinx? The guide
/ and the two camel drivers started off
/ down the hill, to point It out After
we had nearly reached the level Of the
/ Nile valley they pointed out a rock in
a gully. That was The Sphinx We
/ howled with disappointment but the
guide said we would like it better after
We had had a look at it from in front
You will be disappointed with The
| Pyramids, but The Sphinx will startle
/ YOU, it is so much smaller than you had
always believed. And it is located in q
gully From the front, it looks like
its picture; the best feature is the
mouth. The nose and eyes were sh OF
away by NapoleOn's soldiers. Below
/ the neck, I could see no shape; the
head looked like a balanced rock often
met with in the foothills Of the Rocky
mountains. The Sphinx was carved
1 out of natural rock, and of course it is
terribly battered, after being exposed
/ TO the weather four or five thousand
I years, and to the fire of Napoleon s
artillerymen. But when you see it. you
viii say. How small it ISL And it is
! located in a gully; when you stand on
the banks of the gully, you are nearly
as high as the head of The Sphinx
I whereas Art has represented it as enOr-
nous. and as dominating a vast plain.
/ Were you to visit The Pyramids with
4 out a guide, you wouldn't find The
/ Sphinx at all, it is so little and so com
pletely hidden in a gully on the side of
I the bluff. Near The Sphinx within a
4 few feet is a stone foundation, said to
! be the remains of The Sphinx temple
} This foundation is half covered with
/ sand and is quite massive.
Near The Pyramids are the ruins of
several other pyramids; the stones in
! them were carried away to build pal
/ aces, or tombs. or stores. have forgot
/ ten which. Several miles above the
/ two big pyramids, and also located on
the Nile bluff, are several other smaller
pyramids, which 7 intend to visit to-
morrow.
The most interesting thing in Cairo
/ is the Museum. Here may be seen the
mummies Of the old kings who were
]
/ been opened by curious men, and their
/ contents placed in museums where
/ travellers may see and study them in
/ comfort. The body Of Ramesis II nav
/ be seen in the museum at Cairo, as
well as the bodies of various other kings
/ and queens, and they are so well pre-
1 served that you are able to recognize
their features and characteristics.
In this museum IS also shown the
jewelry Worn by the old kings and
! queens; and it looks about as well as
/ modern jeWelry, although thousands of
/ years old. It is not necessary to tramp
| over Egypt to see the wonders of the
| country; the most curious things of ev-
cry kind have been collected in this
museum, which IS housed in an i'm
mense modern building. But better
collection of Egyptian euriosities may
! be seen in the British museum at Lon
( don. When on are travelling, do not
neglect the museums, they viii save
you a lot Of running around.
After spending several hours in the
/ museum at Cairo, became as tired
of antiques as I once became Of pic
/ lures, after spending several hours in
/ one of the great galleries at Paris. Ev-
cry picture in the gallery was a gem
/ but I became tired of art gems, as
| today am tired Of seeing thousands OF
| antiques, everyone with a wonderful
| history I am tired of seeing sights; ]
[ am tired of being tourist; of having
| queer natives rush at me to squawk
| parrot history. I suppose all this viii
do me good In time-that it will al
/ be useful to me in my future read
ing" as the tourists say, but I an
dreadfulIy tired Of it now. And I shud-
der when / think that I still have the
HoIv Land to see. I wish I could make
some arrangement to be loaded in g
cannon and shot through Palestine.
In various public places in Egypt offi
eiai --overnment notices are posted asking
tour@ts not to give money to beggars
rThe statement is made that thousands Of
T.gyDtians are negleeting regular work t
become beggars. AS a result much harm
is being done, to say nothing of the an
noyance to travellers. These notices arr
nrababIv having an effect. for so far
have not found the Egyptian beggars a.
ANNOYING as those in lnola-