The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-27
WATERBURY BOY SEES EGYPT AND
 THE HOLY LAND

Frank Urba of Waterbury, who IS now studying for the Roman Catholic priesthood at Fribourg, Switzerland, has written a letter home describing some of his experiences in that far country. He took a vacation trip to Egypt and the Holy Land in March, which he greatly enjoyed
 On reaching Alexandria on the morn ing of March 15. he woke up to see speaking a terrible language and dressed in fancy loud-colored dresses and hats Going on shore he. found the houses old and dilapidated; the women masked so that only their eyes were visible; dirty kids in the streets and lots of little donkeys not much bigger than big dogs" They went on to Cairo. which pleased the traveller much better. On the way they saw camels and donkeys heavily loaded, ralm trees. The Arabian markets in terested the party greatly. Father Duffy. who was in charge. found an acquaintance in Cairo, who spoke Arabian. so the sight seeing was done under very favorable conditions. They visited a mosque. which the writer de scribes as "a big church all covered with rugs. ard without an altar, but with a niche in the east wall toward Mecca, toward which they turn when
  ing and touching their heads to the ground. He was impressed by the seven towers or minaretS from which the call to prayer is made three times each day. The shops. the. women car rying their babies astride of their neckS the babies holding on to the mothers heads, the curious dress of both men and women. the funerals with their hired mourners. and many other curious sights are well de- scribed.
 This party visited a city in the desert just outside Cairo. where the water must be brought from the larger city, and even the earth to plant things in must be imported. In Cairo they saw the famous gardens and banyan trees. and in the afternoon of the same day visited the Pyramids and the Spinx. which the writer climbed and felt we'll rewarded by the beautiful view from the top. The Arabian mud hut villages. the wonderful Cairo ba- zaars; the water sellers: the Moham- n.edan university, where the students sit on the floor and study aloud the mosque with jeweled windows: the wonderfully painted Egyptian tombs; the horse and donkey races; and the ride on a camel in the curing rain; these are only part of the things described in the Cairo part of the let ter.
 The party left Cairo the night Roosevelt arrived there, much to the regret of it's mem bers, but the boat was due. and could not wait They returned to Alexandria and went from there to Jerusalem; passing a day en route in Port Said, where there was little to do except to walk around all day drinking Turkish cof- fee, and watching people with money buying things and getting stung." At .saffa, where they left the boat to | take the train to Jerusalem, they had a terrible experience in the, small l boats, as the waves ran very high l and the boats were tossed about in | an alarming fashion, making the pas | sengers very seasick during the hour or more occupied in the transit. They | remained in Jaffa a short time, sec ing. among other things, the house | of Simon the Tanner. where St. Peter | had his wOndrouS vision, and which | is one of the best authenticated of | the sacred sites of the East. They | enjoyed particularly the famous Jaffa | oranges of which the writer says: ''I | had lots of them as big as my head" l
 On arriving in Jerusalem. the tour ists were met by a Dominican Fath- CT, who took them to the convent where they were entertained. This was on Holy Saturday or Easter Even, and the sacred places pointed out as they neared the city, and from the on the site of the martyrdom of St. Stephen), including Calvary the l. Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Way of the Cross and others equally sacred, were doubly impressive. Dur ing their stay in the Holy City. they saw many places of interest within and without its walls. including Bethlehem. Bethany. Emmaus, and the birthplace of St. John Baptist. They stayed over night in Q Francis can monastery in the latter place, and mass was said by the Rev. Faith CT Duffy, the leader of the party, there