Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
The First Time Visitor in Mediterranean
Countries Is Con0inced That Half the
Population Is Engaged in the Guiding
Business The Tzoo Classes, NuiSances
and HeIbers-The Rec TO Tourist
7ruffIc in Cairo.

Of the strange patois Of Malta, mixture of
Arabic, ancient Phoenician, Italian and Span
iSh with spray of English! He will be carried
up a steep hill to a church. where the driver
will engage in a protracted argument to the
effect that the contract is concluded and an
other one is due for a tour of the town. Then
the trusting tourist may call for the second
section of the sightseeing trip, stipulating that
the city be thoroughly circulated. Thereupc1,
under cloak of darkness, the driver proceeds to
cover Valetta not merely once, but twice or
three times, until certain landmarks, such as
the cathedral and the opera house, have be-
come tireSomely familiar. And at the end at
the customs house wharf, recurs the argument
over price and pence, and the contest with the
"dhaigsa" oarsmen is renewed
Strictly speaking, 1 had guide in Valetta
except one who wished himself upon our group
in the cathedral, which is we'll worth seeing
under direction, as it contains the tombs OF
many of the grand masters of the ancient
Order of st. John, or knights of Malta. He
spoke quaint but ineligible English and man
aged to make US reasonably acquainted with
the beauties of the building and its decorations.
He seemed to be quite well satisfied with the
two-shilling tip that covered his services for
half dozen people.
The first people to flock aboard the ship at
Alexandria half a dozen dragomen or
guides, proffering their services with the air OF
benefactors. They were led by Spud Murphy,
VINO seems 10 De the Qean OF the corps OuI-
wardly there was little to choose from. To the
eyes of newcomers in the East these professors
of Egyptology were but little If any different
from the night-gown clad stevedores on the
dock, who were fluttering around handling
ropes and making motions like tremendously
enterprising workers. There were, OF course.
subtle differences between the dragomen and
the dock-wollopers, in attire. But in the con-
fusion these could not be discerned.
selected, for local service, man in West
ern costume, blue coated, with a cap bearing
the name of the firm serving as agents OF the
steamship line. I only wanted him for the
business of getting through the customs finding
my way uptown to Cooks, getting some Egyptian
money buying a couple of additional handbags
for our sojourn ashore away from our trunks
and later getting out of "Alex," which is
the way the ship people and the Alexandrians
of non-native origin speak OF the Nile seaport
He did me well. Perhaps very well indeed, in
the final computation of expenses which he
unfolded to me in the railroad train just before
we pulled out for Cairo. But he was talking in
piasters, which are smaller and therefore more
numerous than dollars, and when later re-
viewed the happenings of the day, the numbers
Of cabs used, the fussy formalities at the Gus
toms ONCE, the faithful services Of subordinate
semi-drago men at the railroad station in
guarding and properly placing my luggage on
the train, concluded that 1t was worth while,
even If HuSSein Abdullah, or whatever his name
was did err somewhat on the side OF generos-
ity TO himself.