Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-07
IX.--ArOund
Cairo
By Edgar
+. Folk,
DID.

knees. He was about to pitch me over
his head, but just got off" and landed
on my feet right side up with care. My
nttle ship of the sands soon righted HIM
self. l stepped aboard and we proceeded
on our way rejoicing-at least 1 was-as
II nothing had happened. A lady member
Of the party had about the same expert
ence. Another lady was not so FORUM
ate A camel ran into her donkey,
knocked her to the ground, and bruised
her arm considerably The donkeys all
have names, such as Moses" 'Roose-
Welt" Anna Held" CLEOPATRA" Yam
kee Doodle Automobile" etc. Mine
was named Automobile. He did not,
however, have very much self motion
about him, but moved only when some
external force, such as the stick of the
donkey boy or my heels moved upon him,
which they did rather frequently. When
he does go, though, the donkey has an
easy gait, something between the rocking
of a camel and the pace OF horse, and
II is really quite enjoyable. -he great
est objection to riding a donkey is not
the donkey himself; he is all right, but
the donkey boy. or man. From the time
you start until you get back. he worries
YOU to death for "backsheesh." 1t Is not
sufficient that you are paying for the
donkey. The shiek of the village gets
that. The donkey boy wants something
Tor himself. 1t is not sufficient to tell
him, and then tell him again and again
through your dragoman, that you will
give him something when you get back
to the boat He is afraid to wait until
then. He wants It now. He wants it all
along. One lady in our party gave back
sheesh several times to her donkey boy.
But he is never satisfied Like the grave,
he is always crying more" And the
more you give the more he wants. He
will invent all sorts of excuses to get
backsheesh-such as picking up a hair
pin, which has been shaken loose by the
donkey offering to carry your camera
or handbag for you; he is thirsty and
wants a little money to buy drink of
water, etc, etc. One lady In our party,
who was riding sideways, complained
that her saddle girth was loose. The
donkey boy replied, Not loose, madam.
Donkey hungry''-implying that the trou-
BILE was that like the negros fish, the
donkey had "swunk up' for want of
something to eat, but a little backsheesh
10 buy some clover for him would relieve
the situation better than tightening the
saddle girth. Going to and returning
from Memphis and Sakkara, had three
donkey boys. / first started out with the
father. He then turned me over to his
son, boy about H. who went with me
most of the way, but as we got back to
the village another little fellow, about
five years of age, whom he proudly in
troduced as "my brudder," took me in
tow holding on to the bride of the donkey
and leading him with very self-impor-
tant air. OF course had to give back
sneesh" But the larger boy was not
satisned The donkey boys never are.
MOONLIGHT ON THE NILE.
We were a little late in getting back
to our boat and part of the return trip
to Cairo was made after night. But we
were fortunate. The moon rose over
the city" And it was beautiful moon,
full, round, clear, bright, just about such
a moon as shines over our southland in
June The man in the moon smiled his
broadcast smile upon us, and the woman
in the moon gave us her most gracious
look BY the way, you have seen the
man In the moon, of course. But did
you ever see the woman in the moon?
II not, look for her. She is there, of
course Wherever you find a man you
will generally find a woman somewhere
around. This woman in the moon is
well worth seeing, for she is beautiful,
with a Grecian type of beauty. At any
rate, the man and the woman looked
like old friends. We almost felt like
speaking to them, and asking them
about the folks at home, for we felt
sure that they were looking down also
on our friends and loved ones in the far
away homeland. So our boat glided
along on the placid waters of the Nile
''the graceful Nile"-we sang THE Old
Folks at Home" MY Old Kentucky
Home" and then drifted into Take the
Name of Jesus With YOU" "All Hail the
Power of Jesus Name" Perhaps the old
Nile in all it's long history, had never
heard this song ring out so strongly as
it did that night We closed with I'm
the Sweet Bye and Bye" Oh, 1t was
glorious, that moonlight ride on the
Nile. 1t was worth crossing oceans and
seas to experience. But it is such an ex-
perience as usually comes only once in a
lifetime.
HELIoPOLIS, THE CITY OF THE SUN
One Of the most delightful drives we
had was to HeliopoT1s, about miles
from Cairo. This was one of the most
ancient cities of the Egyptians. 1t was
their sacred city, dedicated to the wor-
ship of the sun god, for which reason
the Greeks called it Heliopolis, the city
of the sun. In the Bible it is spoken
of as On. In Gen, xii, 40, IL is stated
that Pharoah gave Joseph ito wife, Ase-
nath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest
of On" 1t was an interesting circum-
stance that in our party were two ladies,
a mother and daughter, named after
Potipheroh's daughter See also Gen.,
xii, 80 and XVI, 90. In jeremiah xiii
IS, it is said: HE shall also break the
pillars of Bethshemeth, that is in the
land of Egypt; and the houses of the
gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire.
Bethshemeth means the house of the
sun, and in all probability refers to
Heliopolis or On. The pillars" evident
ly mean the obelisks. There were two
of these. erected by Sesostris I in cele-