The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-01
Four Old Captains Spin Their Best Yarns

got the p-ettiest little schooner l
could find. and the way ntlso
out Won would think she was intenoso
for a u1illfonafre's outing ] got TIRES
OF nv former shipmates 70 ACT As
crew. for Upman told me 70 get Inen
knew and could trust and pay tnan
good wages. which I did
The voyage down 70 Gibraltar was
a pienic Upnan was a good relloW
and We had one big pleasure 2arty
There was plenty OF good oooss ana
CIGARS on board and we enjoyed NE
we made the run down the Mecltef-
ra,ean in nice time and sneaked In the
Nile by one OF the smaller mouths OF
The delta as Upman didn't want %
mass Alexandria Then we got
bunch Of those natives 10 tow Us Wneh
the wind gave out Ire TIP up -
river was a new experience 70 me ana
from Upman. who was noted 50
ologist and could read any h-s-
srlvphfc ever czTvsd Oh stoE@
learned more than from all the nisto-
ries of this land Of the Pharaons naFs
ever read. before on since. Ine ruined
cities we passed took on new chaIia
under the combined influence OF sooe
company. scientific explanations anu
everything easy. And az seFeIeI
the towns we went ashore and enjoyed
life We used to have a party or
dancers and singers out on board 20
anuse Us in the evening. and yet ali
the time we were steadily going 1ar-
Their and farther up the river. Oia
Thebes interested me most or any OF
the places. and we stayed there Tor
nearly a week. studying the ruins ana
having good time That was rne
first time I ever tried TO ride a camel.
and II made ne sessick- But we kept
on our way. and the days drifted into
weeks before we knew II. Finally We
reached Karnak. OF all the ruined cit
les I have ever seen this IS the grand
est. the most majestic. The rows OF
broken columns. the gigantic stone nS-
ures, the court OF sphinxes and the
broad sweep OF tumbled down temples
that once tsemsd with life made ne
realize fully how fragile thing man
really Is.
'Upman was ashore every day, and
at the end OF a week he says % me
one evening: Captain. I've found what
And that night we went ashore 20 rhs
ruins OF the central temple. and CDman
pointed out the spot where We were %
dig. And for i've hours We dld dix,
until we reached a stone flooring.
After blasting through this q STONE
stairway was disclosed. and We walked
through great rooms that had not
heard q human football for possibly
thousands OF years In the largest OF
the rooms were three great sarcopnas-
II was evidently the burial placs OF tbs
old kings. There were many strangs
weapons scattered around. cooking
utensils, scientific instruments and
great Jars that probably had contained
grain No. there was no treasure, a.
though that was the first thing looked
for. We gathered Up all the stun. and
Upman was near crazy with JOY. rs
told US we could have anything Of
value we found. but that al he wanted
was this seemingly useless Junk from
which TO write scientific articles He
was reading one OF the old Egyptian
inscriptions on the wall wRen the
guard I had stationed at the entrances
OF these subterranean rooms suddenly
rushed IN shouting that the plsce was
surrounded by q throng OF Bedouins-
I thought then that It was all day
with US. for we didn't stand a chance
with q horde OF bloodthirsty Arabs.
But Upman was not only man OF
science. but man OF resources He
hastily unwrapped one OF the mum
mics and babe me do the same with
another one. He led the way 70 the
mouth OF the tunnel and stood thu
mummy where the moonlight glim-
mered upon it. I stood mine alongsids
Of It.. The two together formed as
ghostly, or I should say as CHASTITY,
picture as one can imagine These two
dead kings standing there IN all their
grim majesty amid the moonlt ruins
OF their ancient temple proved too
much for the Arabs With shrteks
and cries OF fear the Bsdouins broke
for their horses and all we could see
OF them was a cloud OF dust as they
disappeared IN the desert
I'VE hastily carried all the stun
from the subterranean room to the
schooner and started down the river
without delay. We set up the old
kings In the cabin. and really. before
we got back to London. I got TO like
them We named them Tom and Bill.
although Upman had two long handles
that he gave them. Well. the voyage
back was as much. or more, fun than
the trip down, and from the papyrus
found in the wrapping OF the mUmmtes
Cpman wrote several articles on Egypt
that won him fame. We all got our
money and a good bonus besides OF
course there was no adventure con-
nected with the trip, but IL was one
OF the most pleasant voyages. II voy-
age you could call 1t, that ever made"