The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-03-24

marked were much like ours Of the
present day. There were great
many flower vendors In the streets,
and we saw as many flowers here az
in any place that we visited. One
peculiar thing that we noticed was
that all the harnesses, even on the
work horses, had silver or brass
trimmings. Nearly all of the work
animals were very small, about the
size OF our Shetland ponies, but even
II they and their drivers looked half
starved they had elaborate trim
mings. We saw a few beautiful car
riaga horses. Some had the ends OF
the bit in each nostril on which the
driver pulled. One sight that at
tracted our attention by its oddly
was a Neapolitan funeral Of a dig
nitary. 1t was a long procession
headed by a large company of SOL
diers and band after which came the
hearse and flowers. Then there
came about 20 empty hacks. Instead
of mourners attending the funeral
they hire substitutes who wear long
white robes completely covering
them, with holes cut for them to see
through. The real mourners 20 to
the theatre and make a festive occa-
sion of the death. All the friends of
the deceased send their private car
riage as a sign of respect. After the
ceremony the body is disrobed and
put in a pit where all the bodies of
people who have died that same day
are put. When we came back
to the ship after our day
at CT oil
few Italians on deck making their
last bargains on corals and laces. AS
we sailed out of the beautiful bay our
last impression was of a crowd of
Italians waving their hats and shout
ing, while the strains of Santa Lucia
grew fainter and fainter as we sailed
away to Port Said.
The next day the captain went out
of his course several miles so as to
give us a glimpse of Messina and the
terrible disaster wrought there. We
stopped when within a little way of
shore, and could see the tumbled
down buildings and blocks without a
window. The city is very prettily
situated nestled in the hills. The
whole coast nearby was affected by
the awful earthquake that killed So
900 people and injured 10000. We
were all proud to think that the
United States sent 100000 for the
relief of the sufferers.
Our next stop was Port Said.
We went from here to. Cairo by
train and were all glad to get out of
Port Said for it is supposed to be the
meanest place in the world as here
all questionable characters find a
safe harbor We were proud of the
fact that our ship was the largest ever
to have gone through the Suez
Canal and in order to make this
passage all the passengers had to go
by rail. We rode by the canal for
"a miles. 1t is about 100 feet wide
We saw several boats making the pas
sage, but all were going very slowly.
1t was a surprise to find such a
big city with beautiful hotels in the
middle of such a great desert. as we
went through after leaving Port Said,
and if it were not for this great mys-
ferrous river Nile this civilization
walled in by two deserts would not
be in existence. When we were on
the train bound for Cairo. although
several miles away, three mighty
shapes stood sharply forth on that
vast area of desert. This first
glimpse of the grandeur of antiquity
we shall never forget These were
the same pyramids that have stood
there for 5000 years. Cheops and
Gizeh were 2000 years old when
Abraham was born. and they are the
same ones that Caesar, Antony and
Cleopatra have visited. Under the
shadow of one of the pyramids Napo-
leon said to his soldiers, 40 cen
turtles look down on YOU" this much
of Egypt's glory has not vanished.
We found this country, the land OF
mystery, of hoary age and tradition
and the mother of civilization, whose
history is lost in the unknown, a
very interesting country We found
the streets of Cairo like a perpetual
theatre where we could watch the
tribes of the earth so by all in a day
AS we sat on the big veranda OF
Shepherds hotel we could almost
imagine we were watching circus
procession, the people of which were
all dressed in picturesque oriental
costumes. This city is most cosmo-
politan, for here we see scientists
explorers, tourists, Italians, Turks
Egyptians, Arabs, Jews and the poor
benighted Hindoo who does the best
he kin doc. who sticks to his caste
from first to last, and for trous-
ers makes his skin do
We see here all manner of dress
and all colors of turbans. The Mo
hammedans believe that a pilgrim
age to Mecca secures salvation. A
green robe or turban denotes thai
the wearer has performed this coy
eted journey or that he Is a descen-
dant of Mohammed and this great
posts.
In this city is situated the oldest
university in existence. Here people
have gathered for 1000 years to learn
the teaching of Mohammed. Tower
ing far above the city of the Cal
iphs is a high fortress called the Cit
adele. From here we had fine
view of the city with here and there
a minaret breaking the monotony OF
roofs. In the Citadelle we saw the
native soldiers in European dress
many of them studying the Koran.
There are several beautiful wide
streets in Cairo and one particularly
pretty is shaded by tall acacia
trees. 1t is five miles long and
is called the Shoobra avenue
In the afternoons of the tour
list season this fashionable prom
enade is filled with landaus and vic