The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-01-14

these men will steal if ever they get a
chance, but they certainly are very agree
able servants. They are not to blame for
the stealing. 1t has been in them for
centuries. They cannot speak very much
English. They know the common things,
but when they try to say much more
they stutter over it and we haven't the
heart to be amused, for we know we shall
be doing the same thing in their language
soon.
Lessons are getting on pretty well. l
have just walked up to it at last and
am really interested. l have read more
than half through my primer now. l
can pronounce the words and know the
meaning of quite number of them.
can say the Lords Prayer in Oriya, too.
| think this has given us quite start.
DR.. Mary certainly has done lot for US
new ones.
Tuesday evening all of our American
missionaries got together in corner of
the dining room and told what we hoped
to do. Some of US didn't know just
where we were going, but we had some
general hopes. Mr.. Dowd and wife and
their two little boys go to Calcutta with
us, stop there few days to buy provis-
ions, take the train for a ways and then
go on pony back or in baskets on men s
backs for three days journey up INTO
the hills. They will be there alone,
three days journey from the railroad,
nine miles from post office, with no
doctor near. They have lived there be-
fore, and for year all alone, so they
know what it will be like. They had
hoped it would not be necessary again.
4.15 same day. Soon after lunch a
cheer went up all over the ship.
rushed up from our cabin to find the
cause and heard the word: 1.-The Emb-
den has been sunk by an Australian
man-o war" 1t was most welcome
news. Our Captain has been just as
cautious as possible. At Port Said We
were told that we were going the rest of
the way IN company with forty-three
ships and a cruiser, all in bunch for
safety. We haven't seen them, but it is
wholly possible that they were near.
We did not follow the usual route either,
but went nearly fifty miles north of it
all the time. At Alden we stopped for
orders, but not being the Captain nor
the Marconi man | don know what they
were, only that we kept on our way.
Just before we reached Alden we got
word from shore that England and
Turkey had declared war We had heard
at Port Said that Turkey and Russia
were at it. They said there was Turk
ish ship in the Red Sea, but we didn't
meet it.
We have seen a lot of war though.
At Liverpool there were hundreds of In
dian troops landed the day before we
reached there. At Port Said nearly a
dozen transports packed full of soldiers
and horses from India and Australia
coaled up right near US and one by one
passed up on their way to the war,
cheering as they passed and cheered on
by our boat. Many of them had bands
on board and they played as they passed
us. One was bagpipe orchestra.
| wish could describe for you the pro-
cess of coaling up steamer at Port
Said. No machinery there. AS soon as
a ship stops tug boat comes out with
two barges full of coal. One is tied up
the other side. Doors in the side of the
ship are opened, planks are placed and
the circus begins. Some thirty natives
on each barge do the work. A few stay
on the coal to shovel, the rest start in
line each with basket of coal resting
on his neck. They run up the plank, in
other door, down the other plank, drop
their empty baskets, pick up another
and so on. Now that doesn't interest
ing, but you aren't seeing them or hear
ing them. When you see this motley ar
ray, and watch them tumble down those
planks like circus performers and hear
that constant chant-I don't know what
else to call tit is interesting. They
seem to be shouting something all the
time. 1t isn't a song, but it comes reg
ularly. | don't know what it is. Think
of the tediousness of it. All day long
carrying baskets of coal on their necks,
running up and down those planks. At
first they seemed joyful, but when |
saw them finish up their job on our ship
and start ashore, brushing themselves
and trying to get at least comfortable |
couldn't see the joy. On that day over
a dozen big vessels coaled in that way.
One transport was still coaling in the
evening. We sat on the upper deck for
a long time that night in the moonlight
with the harbor and city lights all about
US and that strange weird chant ringing
out constantly.
The next morning we started down
the Canal. 1t is eighty-four miles long
and about as wide as the Sebasticook
river in front of Chlld's cottage. At
first We went straight ahead and other
ships tied up for US but when we got in
to new section we had to stay tied up
for two hours or more right in the middle
of the day. 1t was delightfully."- hot.
Several transports full of soldiers passed
US and one British cruiser with sailor
boys all in white and with great guns
pointed at US. At some points the Canal
widened into lakes.
The tropical vegetation which extend
ed quite ways this side of Port Said on
the Egyptian side was exceedingly inter-
esting. Wherever irrigation had come
to the desert, those beautiful trees ap-
peared. Twice l saw herds of camels.
All along the way English soldiers were
making ready to defend their possess
ions.
Early Monday morning we crossed the
place in the Red Sea where the children
of Israel passed over on dry land. 1t is
quite narrow there, but days journey
further brought us into the wider part
where once more we could see no land.
We were four days in the Red Sea.
Five more days and we shall be there.
find it so hard to make real. For days
now | have counted the days till that
time. Five days ago promised myself
that the minute | reached Calcutta you
should have cablegram if it cost forty
dollars to send it. Long before this
reaches you the word will have gone.