The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-12
AN EXTENDED JOURNEY.
LETTER FROM CHARLES D.
 SHERMAN OF THIS CITY

Europe, Egypt and the Holy Land,
 and Have Stin Many Places to Visit.
 4 New Haven party enjoying an extensive trip abroad are F. c. Sherman, ex-superintendent of the New Haven Gas company, now consulting engineer for the company, his wife and his son, Charles D. Sher- man. They have been away two months and have visited Antwerp, Brussels, Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, AL exandria, Cairo, the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the upper and lower dams of the Nile. Thence they returned to Cairo, visited Port Said, Joppa, Jerusa- lem and took an eight-days' trip through the Holy Land, where they were recently. They are booked to e. turn by way of Constantinople, Athens, Naples, Rome, Vienna, Milan, Germa- ny, Monte Carlo, Paris, London, Glas- gow, and to sail from Glasgow for home. They expect to reach home again by July l. MT. c. D, sherman writes to the Courier as follows:
 Cairo, March g, 1906.
 From the earliest days of childhood Egypt has the greatest attraction for us all. Almost from our very first les sons we are (from the Bible) made ac- Quainted with the Land of the Pha- raohs" while later the fairy tales of the Arabian Nights allure us to the capital of Aladdin
 There was a time when voyage to Egypt was considered an adventurous undertaking, involving the greatest hardship, and he who had been bod enough to risk a journey to the Land of the Pharaohs" was looked upon as an explorer, and on his return to Flu rope or America people revelled in lis tening to his thrilling accounts about the home of the Arabian Nights" In those days there were no hotels in the European sense, whilst transit was of the most primitive kind, consisting principally of hired caravans, oamels and mules, and we know well eaoJgh what it means to be at the mercy of Arabs, who can take advantage of cir crn1stances in driving bargain with Europeans.
 Within recent years, however, condi- tions have been greatly altered, and Egypt now is the winter pleasure ground of all civilized nations with ho- tels as luxurious as those of London, Paris and New York and traveling is as comfortable as in any modern coun- try.
 We sailed from Marseilles, France, on Thursday at D. m., and arrived at AL exandria the following Tuesday morn- ing, after an invigorating and health giving sea-voyage> of five days.
 The first impression of new country are always fascinating to the tourist, and those of Egypt are stamped on the mind for all time with a pleasing re- fiection and delight, for the sudden contrast between the west, which we have just left, and the east, which we have just entered, takes one by sur prise, and the mind is dazzled with the spectacle of the new scenes and sur roundings
 Egypt has double charm for the tourist, for here he can revel in a true NtIICttJdI piClulC SdAS elL EIiS pe1IiiC time ait the wonders of bygone cehtu- ries, for one meets at every step mighty monuments and traces of an- cient culture and civilization which prove to the world at large that Eu- rope was still in a state of barbarism at time when art and science already fiourished in the Land of the Pha- raolls."
 Our steamer had hardly touched the landing stage at Alexandra when a tall Arab attired in a most gorgeous Orien- tai costume, entered the cabin, and in loud, shrill voice acquainted us with the fact that he was the man from Cooks" He took charge of our bag gage and cleared it through the custom house and conducted us to our hotel
 The excitement of landing was very great and the interest was increased by the sight of the crowds of Arabs in a variety of costumes and distinctive headgears, representing to the Ameri- can a novel picture of eastern life.
 Alexandria was founded by Alexan- der the Great in BPS B. C., and accord ing to Pliny, its circuit was some fif- teen miles, and 1t possessed popula- ton of 100000 citizens and as many slaves. The city then contained numer- ous magnificent palaces, temples, thea tres, ciEcuses, gymnasiums and gigan- tic monuments, but ultimately it was much damaged by the Roman the By zantine and other conquests.
 In the year $40 A. D., at the time of the capture of the city by Amru the city contained 4000 palaces 4,0O0 baths, 400 theatres or public buildings and 12,- GOO shops.
 In the various struggles that followed between the different dynasties Alex andria. was reduced in importance so much that at the time of the French invasion under Napoleon it was prac- ticaliy an insignificant village with only about 800 inhabitants. During the re- volt by Arabi Pasha, in 1882, Alexan- dria was bombarded by the British fleet when 1t was much dmaged and the city has practically been rebuilt since.
 The present population of the city is S20,OO0, consisting principally of Greeks Armenians, Syrians, Jews, Copts and a native Arab population.
 During our stay in Alexandria we visited the old Roman catacombs, Pom pey's Pillar, a most imposing monu- menA and drove along the bank of the MaiLludian canal which connects AL exandria with the Nile, and was con- structed at a cost of $l,5OO 900. On it's right bank are the houses and gardens of wealthy Alexandrians, and 1t forms