The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-17

Jaffa, April %, 1906,-Thc first ar
tirIe on Egypt might have been be-
gun with an account of our stay in
~ofaaranttne, but as this prccautlon
against the spread of Asiatic diseases
is OF modern origin. [ thought it best
to speak of it in this article.
The =. & O.. steamer Persia, which
brought us from Bombay to Egypt.
was suspected of having four cases
ing died and been buried at sea just
before we reached Suez, and three
being i'll, the international health
board insisted on taking charge Of
the ten passengers bound for Egypt.
We We're taken on board a barge and
toWed d couple of miles up the Suez
canal to the quarantine station,
which we reached about midnight.
BESIDES the -four in our family, there
were three Americans from Ohio, two
English merchants from Egypt and an
English lady engaged in missionary
work in Palestine. We were com
fortably housed in One-stOry brick
buildings and were informed hat we
would have to remain there five days
unless further investigation removed
the suspicion of the plague. While
the members OF the company proved
to be very C~Ongenial. we We're all anxi-
Gus to have the stay shortened as
much as possible on account of its in
tcrfcrcnCc with our plans.
At the end of two days we were
notified that a bubonic germ had been
discovered and that We must stay the
full time. The quarantine station Is
situated on the ban of the canal and
Is surrounded ON three sides by as
barren q desert as can be found. The
buildings are enclosed by a double
fence, and the only exit is to the
WHARF through a lane. We were per
mitted to go to the wharf and, under
the escort Of a guard, were allowed
to gather shells on the bank of the
canal. Thus occupied. when not read
ing or writing. the days passed much
more pleasantly than we had expected,
and we were almost sorry when the
time came for us to separate. One
day our quarters were visited by a
sirocco. and from the lust and sand
that filed the air until the sun was
darkened we were able TO gain some
idea of desert life.
The canal itself is d little disap-
pointing. 1t is simply a huge ditch.
and with an cXpanSe of sand ON either
bank seems narrower than it is. The
sides are not walled as a rule, and the
deptl-thirtN fCet-docS not reveal
itself. Several drcdges are constant
" at work removing h sand which
drifts in with the wind or is washed
in by the tide. The canal is said to
follow the route laid out more than
1000 years ago by Harnesses II. About
$500 ships pass through the canal
each year. an average of nearly ten
a day. Somewhat more than that
passed during our stay, some of the
ships being loaded with Russian sol
diers from Japan, and others crowded
with pilgrims returning from Mecca.
On the afternoon of the fifth day
the head physician came out and re-
leased US and at the same time con-
veyed to us the cheering. but some
What Debated information that the
three men taken from the ship did
not have the plague; we had, however.
been so cOurtcously treated h a we
did not complain Of the board bills or
quarantine fees, even though the de
tention proved unnecessary. THE
spread of the plague through Europe
would be such a calamity that we rea-
lizo it is better to err on the side of
CVer-caution. At any rate. we have
added to our experience and are carry
ing the yellow flag (the quarantine
sisn"p home as a trophy.
\ few hours ride brought us to
Cairo. the metropolis and capital OF
Egypt. 1t is not an ancient city. as
they count time in Egypt. having been
founded about 1000 years ago. but il
mas IN the business pOfI10n the appear
anCc of a European city and contains
4 population of more than half a mil
lion. Of its inhabitants $4,000 are Eu-
r"pean. the Greek leading With about
10000. and the Italians. French. Eng
ish. Australians and Germans follow
ms in the order named. The British
would outnumber the French if the
garrison We're included. but the city
reminds one mucht more of France
than of England. Many of the build
ines recall the streets of Paris. and the
sidewalks adjacent to restaurants and
saloons are filled with ableS and
chairs as in continental Europe.
Cairo is a city of mosques and min
arctS, as one quickly discovers when
he takes a bird'S-eye view of the city
from the citadel. which stands upon
an eminencc in the suburbs. While
the main streets are suggestive of Eu-
rope, the native quarters and bazaarS
are distinctly oriental, many of the
streets being too narrow for a car
riage. The shops are for the most
part little open booths, and each line