Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-28

lmiles north of this shoal. When tn
navigator took his bearings this morn
ling he found that the current had drift
ed us right over the rock during tn
might, and you may easily imagine tina
1.-THE captain and navigator were fright
prised had we been piled on the shoa
lat any minute with the other ships ant
dock right on US, and grand smasl
up II would have been. The navigator
is positive that we passed over th'
shoal, but we did not strike thing
Now we are all right again. Such 6
current as this would not affect a shiI
going full speed; but we had to go 81
slowly that we got the full effect Of 1t
and this is a reason why we have t.
be so careful when near land"
The next letter is dated at sea, Apri
lis, 1906, and addressed to Mrs. Dobson
In this letter Mr.. Dobson says.
1.-THE cruiser Tacoma, which has beer
with us a week today. leaves tomor-
row morning with the mail for Port
Said. Today at noon we were only $50
miles away, and we hope to reach there
early Thursday morning. We shall
probably slow down Wednesday be.
cause 1t is rather risky to approach
land with the dock at all, and especially
risky to approach 1t at night. We left
Las Palmas four weeks ago, and with
the exception of two days have had
good weather all the way. Today Is
very different from last Sunday. Then
the wind was blowing seventy-fi five
miles an hour and the seas were run
ming twenty feet high. The ship was
rolling so much that we found 1t diff
cult to stay on deck, and we had to
turn the dock adrift, otherwise 1t would
carry all our ships back with 1t, and
probably bump us together. But today
the sea is as calm as pond, with
hardly ripple to be seen. On April
| 10 we were only few miles south OF
where we eSwere on April s. The five
days were entirely lost But during
the past few days we have had no
trouble in making hundred miles
day"
This letter commenced at sea, was
not completed until after Mr.. Dobson
entered the Red sea. Continuing he
said:
'It was very difficult to get Eng.
lish gold money at Las Palmas and
was unable to get anything like as
much as I wanted. But at Gibraltar
got so much that I am hardly able
to shut the door of my safe. The coal
bill at Las Palmas was $4,000. II
will hardly be less at Port Said. and
this along with canal tolls will take
close on to 100000. am satisfied
now that I am going to be too busy
to get to Cairo and the pyramids"
The next two letters are dated al
suez, Egypt, are on April 20, and the
other on May 8. The letter Of April
20 says:
1--WE anchored off Port Said on the
night of the 18th, and went UP to the
city on the 18th. Then my work be.
gan and was rushed to the night OF
the gath, when we started through
the canal. I had lots Of ropes, points,
etc., to buy and had to replenish my
stock of provisions, including frozen
beef, mutton, etc. All the ships had
to be coaled too. I have three ships
and a dock to provide for and they
take lots of money and all my time.
The people on the ships told me at
Port Said that they did not see how
I could stand the rush and excite
ment. It was very hard on me, but
was so busy that ! did not have time
to get tired. The day after we left
Port Said, / was about half sick; but
am all right now. went ashore here
yesterday, and rode through the Arab
section of the town. 1t is the filthiest
place I have ever been in and I can
not see why all the people don't die
Port Said is a much better city, but
1t Is not half as good as Valetta, NAL
Ia. There are q good many French
people in Port Said, but most Of the
Inhabitants are Egyptians and Arabs
They have no morals at all and
have established for this place the
reputation of being the most immoral
city on earth. The men and women
dress alike except that the women
wear a kind Of shawl over their faces
allowing nothing to show of their
| a.
ried women wear a piece Of brass OIL
bamboo in front Of their noses; buI
the single women do not.
"All the ships are coaled by the
natives They carry the coal in bask.
cts and keep on the run from start
to finish. There were as many as
200 Of them engaged in coaling this
ship and 1t was quite an interesting
sight to watch them.
THE trip through the canal was
not very interesting. AS far as we
could see on both sides there was
nothing but sand. There was strong
wind blowing from the Egyptian des.
ert, and the air was so full Of sand
that we could hardly breathe.
I'VE are just waiting on the dock
She started through the canal early
Friday morning; but has only made
about thirty miles. They can't man
age her because of a strong wind
They have tied her to the bank and
the understanding is that she viii
have to remain there until the winc
stops blowing In the meantime, un'
til now, all traffic has been blocked
and there is quite a collection of ship
ping at both ends of the canal.
paid over $4,000 to the canal com
pany to get our three ships through
and to get the dock started; but there
is no telling how much 1 might have
to pay for the dock by the time sht
gets to this end, as the captain Is very
fearful that she will tear the sane
banks down and all that will be to
pay for.
1T is impossible to say when the
dock will arrive; but we are all anx
ious to get started on our journe!
again. The monsoons are apt t
break the first part Of June and We
want to be as far from land as pos
tba,, ofrila will q w