Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-01-05
Queer Sights to be
Seen in Egypt

"Boats are making fast along the rlv.
or bank, some coming down the Nile
from khartum, some coming NJ the
Nile from Cairo" writes Jerome Hart
In u description OF the queer sights at
the great Assuan dam in Egypt. "lhc
quay along the river is semi European,
or, rather. l.eyantine, It's buildings,
with arcaded fronts, like those one
sees In Algiers and other Mcditcr.
ranean cities. Tourists In the latest
tourist fashion pass along this boulc.
ward, on foot. on horseback, ON donkey
back and In carriages, Every combina-
ton Of costume may be scen. Here
comes an old man u European, In q
high silk hat and white Kid gloves.
Behind him sklps a Risharcen hoy Of
fifteen. his shiny black skin exposed
10 the cool breeze. his curly hair lus-
trons with grease, Next comes au
American girl IN u thin muslin gown, a
chip straw hat. mounted on a donkey.
Behind her rides m elderly Egyptian
official. sour faced and fexxed. all
crouclied M and apparently shIvering.
on his donkey, with u very heavy cloak
gathered about his shoulders.
Next comes u squad Of Sudancse
soldiers In khaki uniforms and khaki
colorcd fezcs, with riding breeches and
puttecs on their powerful but lanky
legs. They carry little 'swagger
Switches like those of Tommy At.
kins. and ARE modelled on him In other
respects. but have faces 80 hideously
ugly and ~ Incredibly black that they
make you fairly stare. Behind them
again IL another native group, this
time Of Bishareens. They differ both
from the Egyptian Arabs and the Su.
danese. There II nothing Of the Ethio.
plan about their faces except their
skins, for they have the same rich.
glossy. stove polish black that the Su.
danese have. In other respects they are
utterly dissImIlar. for they have
straight noses. dne features, oval faces,
kind eyes and are often very hand
some. except for their color. They
usually wear but u garment, q dirty
cotton shirt. VA.
Here comes a Mohammedan lady.
richly attired. with immaculate gloves
and neat Greek boots. She wears a
very thin veil, hss large black eyes and
from her figure and her eyes ID appar.
emily young and beautiful. A nurse &C.
companies her with Z baby. and they
step into a smart carriage behind a.
span Of beautiful Arabian horses. Al
scowllng black servant Ii seated on the
box beside the coachman. We see an.
other Mohammedan woman in the
same picture. also In black. But hers
Is not a handsome gown; It II patched.
torn, dirty: II 10 in Topped and winded
raggedness; Il 10 apparently the 9
er's only garment. Above It her skinny
arms stick ont. holding her baby. Be-
low It her shrunk shanks and bare feet
protrude. She il extending a mendi-
can hand to the woman In the car
riage.
up the street comes a camel caravan
laden with kegs. At the command Of
the driver the camels kneel down. The
drivers unlash the kegs. which roll all
over the road until ut last they are
stacked up on end. Curious to see
what the kegs contain, for theoretical
~ the Mohammedans drink no liquors.
we approach. A trinity uniformed ma
tive policeman politely warns US off.
When ! endeavor to ascertain the rea-
son the only English word he can dig
up IL magazine From this | gather
that they are powder kegs. and ! re-
spect his warning. Generally speaking,
u II wise to obey the orders Of sentries
and police officers In a strange land,
perhaps even at home"