The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-01-22

days from Bombay across the broad stretch of Indian to Aden British coaling port at the mouth of the Red Sea, and thence up the long, narrow Red sea to the mouth of the Suez canal constitutes pretty sizeabe journey in itself We had splendid weather and without ripple, but Suez looked good to in the early morning light.
 Coming into the Red Sea, we noticed many Italian roopships and countless cargo boats heading for the rocky coasts that we could sihoueed against the skyline Africa home of beleaguered Ethiopia On the eastern shore of the Red Sea, steamng short distance out of Alden noticed the ancient city of Mokha, the center of the south Arabian coffee trade as deserted the skeletons of old mining camps of Nevada mining boom days. The place had population of over 25 5000 hundred years ago. but with the establishment of the British port of Alden began to dwindle The town is surrounded by wall; many of the large white buildings are in ruins, but the lofty mnarets of two mosques still stand senti nes against the blue Arabian sky remind the pass ing world of place that gave its to the world and then died. For here is where the expression "a cup of Mokha originated to signify as always, good cup of coffee.
 Landing in Suez Minister Fish had automobiles waiting for Senator and Mrs Wheeler their daughter Frances Wheeler and Senator Reynolds and his daugh ter, Frances Reynolds and Mrs. Hurja and me The two hour and half drive through the desert started
 
 dawn began, with beautiful cloud effects It was an interesting drive though dusty one past of camel drivers, with occasional mosques jutting from hilltops into a eaden sky Into Heliopolis, modern counterpart of the ancient city, to Cairo, where stopped at the historic Shepard's Hotel Cairo founded in 973 AD, and at various times has beeli in possession of Turks Arabs French and English It is an interesting and coorful city, with its mosques and temples and above all it's medieval citadel, built by Saladin, crowning high eminence. From it we could Nile below us and in the distance through the haze the everlasting pyramids
 In one of the mosques visible evidence of the brief reign of Napoleon in Egypt When he attacked and captured the city his cannon trained on the towers that came to view. Whether they were forts or churches, did not matter. In the tower of one mosque numerous dents made we were told by Napoleons cannon in 1798. In fact, one cannonbaIl visible, still stuck in the masonry of the minaret
 Due to the thoughtfulness of Minister Fish who before being named by President Roosevelt to this post was an orange grower in Florida got the treat of our lives following delightful luncheon at the Mena Hotel in the age-long shadow of the giant pyramid He had provided cames and the entire party set out camel-back to get a closeup view of the pyramids and the Sphinx It was an interesting ex- perence riding across bit of desert waste to im posing emnence from which excellent view of the sphinx and the giant pyramid was obtainabe. The dragoman with us promised to change the of the two camels that Mrs Hurja and rode to Demo crat and Roosevelt not however until after he had been mellowed by tip of twenty pastres equivalent in money to dollar.
 Trying to see Egypt III d lew days is like trying to get a view, almost of our own Washington in ten minutes It just can't be done
 But our brief stay has given us glimpse of the cpir an6a If tha p1oo twohour visit to the step pyramid Sakkara the old est stone monument in Egypt built in the Third dynasty, about 2900 years before Christ Nearby we visited the tombs of the Aps-buls of twenty four granite sarocophagi each weighing 65 tons wherein repoSed for nearly 4000 the mummified remains of sacred bulls used in the rituals of long ago In another mausoleum, all excavaed by scientists, we the murals in the tomb of Iii wealthy and- owner of about 2750 B. C.. drawings carved into the rock showing picorially the life of the anciens They considered the finest examples ancient Egyptian art found anywhere.
 Back to Cairo, after driving several miles through the richly cultivated green countryside criSs-crossed with irrigating canals and visiting all that is left of the ancient city of Memphs-a fallen colossal statue of Rameses IT. which, when standing as an ancient guardian of some forgotten tomb, was over 60 feet high The Egyptian Museum at Cairo one of the finest in the world and surely greatest for Egyptian curostes had to finish in two hours whereas two days would do scant justice to the wealth of interesting exhibits Our chief interest in the objects in the tombs of King Tutankhamen or King Tut to use the current coloquialism
 Beds, chairs, tables all the accoutrements of an- cent life, were there just as found with the various chambers, intact, in which they discovered Mum mics sacred vessels tools and hundreds of artfacts and jewelry of all descriptions dazzling assortment all descriptive of luxurious fife of the ancient Kings
 After delightful luncheon at the American bassy today about to start for Alexandria, to take ship again for Italy, and thence back to the States
 While arriving here told of many anti English riots they have subsided to a great extent since the party leaders of all parties in Egypt gether about two weeks ago in demand on Britain for return to the liberal constitution of 1923 The