The San Francisco call., 1906-05-20
IT rs CERTAINTY ,
a GAY LLNH
BY GEORGE ADE.


We are moving (outward) up the Nile.
Like busy sand flies we are fitting,
almost daily, across white patches of
desert to burrow into secondhand tombs
and crick our necks looking up at mutt
lated temples. We have learned to spar
with native peddlers and fight them out of
our. way. We ride delirious don1eys at
pell-meu speed through bewildered vii
lagos, while maniacal boys run behind and
yelp like coyotes. We have adopted he'll
NETS, goggles, sun umbrellas, cameras,
guide books, witch hazel and insect
powder We are letting on to one an
other that we have got all the dynasties
Strengthened out in our minds and that
we are beginning to get the hang of the
hieroglyph.
Ten years ago not one Of us had ever
heard Of kou or khnemhotep. Now we
refer to them in tie most casual way, as
If we had roomed with them for awhile.
IT is certainly gay life we are leading
over the cemetery circuit. Just think what
rollicking fun it must be to revel day
after day in sarcophagi and sepulchres.
stumbling through subterranean passages
and kicking UP the dust of departed kings,
peering down into mummy pits, also trying
10 stretch the imagination like a rubber
band so that we may get the full sig
niiicance Of what is meant by 1900 B. c.
Mr.. Peasley has no use for the tombs
we have seen UP 10 date. At Benz -Eassan
rode on donlzeys and climbed hills for
half an hour to inspect several large cubes
of dim atmosphere surrounded by lime
stone. At Assioot we put in the best part
Of the afternoon toiling up TO another
gloomy cavern. While we stood in the
main chamber Of the tomb of Hapzefai
(whoever he was). trying to pump up
some enthusiasm. Mr.. Peasley mopped his
brow and declared himself
III tell you what / can do he said.
Il can take 100 pounds of dynamite and a
gang Of dagoes and go everywhere along
the Hudson and blow out a tomb in a
weeks time that will beat anything we've
seen in Egypt Then I'll hire a boy with
a markin' brush 10 draw some one-legged
men and some tall women with their
heads turned the wrong way, and I'll
charge s6 70 go inand make my fortune"
The significance OF the six dollars" is
that every traveller who wishes to visit
the ANTIQUITIES must pay a government tax
OF 10 piastres- He receives a monument
ticket" which he must show to the guard
before entering any tomb or temple. I
regret 10 say that the tickets are often
passed along by departing travellers to
those newly arrived, and as the guards
do not read English. anything that looks
like a monument ticket will satisfy the
man at the door. At Beni- -Hassan Mr.
Peasley discovered, when he arrived at the
tombs that he had left his ticket at the
boat Fortunately a fellow traveller had
an extra ticket with him and Mr.. Peasley
had no difficulty in gaining admission to
all the ton1bs under the name of Miss
Ella. Mcpherson"
Before plunging into the details of our
voyage il is only fair that the indulgept
reader should know how and why we came
beating up the Nile. And first Of all he
should know something about his wonder
ful river. The Nile has been described
one million times. at rough guess. and
vet at the risk Of dealing out superhuous
Information am going to insert some
geography.
Total length. nearly 1000 miles. For
thousands and thousands of wears IL has
supported a swarning poulation along its
banks. and yet uni-- fifty years ago no
one knew whence ii came. The
inhabitants suspected that II came from
somewhere, but they were too busy paying
taxes and building pyramids to worry
about scientific discoveries. For 1900
miles up stream from the delta outlet the
Nile does not receive any tributary. 1t
winds over q limestone base. and, through
a rainless desert between high and barren
table lands. OCCASIONALLY where there is
a granite foundation, the stream is mar
rowed and forces its way through rushing
rapids. and these are known as the "cata-
racts ~ The first OF these is at AssouaD,
about GOO miles up stream
AssOuan has, for many centuries
marked the border line of Egypt proper
To the south is the land of the warlilke
blacks, who have been trouble makers
from tho beginning Of time. The First
Cataract is the usual terminus of tourist
travel. but those. who wish to see Nubia
and the Sopdan board a small steamer.
pass through the locks of the new dam
and go by river 30 miles to Wadi Halfa,
thence by rail SIG miles to Khartoum.
II is here. about 1850 miles up stream.
that the White and Blue Niles converge
and bring down from the rainy qua
tOrial regions the foods of muddy water
which are the annual saliva ton of Egypt.
Ten years ago Khartoum seemed as
inaccessible the north pole. II was
headquarters for the most desperate
swarm of frenzied fanatics that ever
swept region with fire and sword. They
had wiped out British armies and put
Gordon's head on a pole. They were in
q drunken, ecstasy OF Mohamnedan zeal,
eager to fight and ready 70 die. and they
got all that they were looking for.
II is less than eight years since Kitch-