Year: 1875

| oPAoS VI SAeU euOFCSs ", now thankful
was, when I was we'll abed on the steamer.


was called By the steward at half.past
nine to get ready for breakfast. I found
that we were still in the harbor at Caifa,
and would remain there until noon, as we
had ninety head Of cattle to oai-consol-
ing, was it mott watched them load icl
little while, and then went away, as it
was painful to see it. They put large


band under the creatures belly, and they


were :hoistcd up, in great terror; one
kicked himself loose and fell
ten feet on his head into
the upper hold. He Immediately got UP
and walked of, rather astonished but not
hurt.


found here young gentleman whom
had seen at Jerusalem. He had embark.
ed at Beyrout two days before, wishing to
get to Italy as soon as possible, but had


been delayed so much Ey the storm. that
he missed the Carnival 1T Rome. So that
what had been my good fortune was his
loss.


We reached Jaffa at six that evening
and lay there until three the next after
noon, most Of the time doing nothing, so
that we came into Port Said three days
behind time.


We dropped anchor at the latter place
at seven o'clock in the morning, and
waited there until midnight for the mail
steamer up the canal to Ismailia. These
! steamers are just about the size Of New
York harbor tug boat, and in the first
cabin, which was about ten feet square.
they crowded fifteen passengers. Icould
| not stand it more than a quarter of an
hour, and then another gentleman and
myself went up on the upper deck, and
lay behind the smoke.stack. There was
a strong chilling wind blowing, and it was
not very comfortable, but was = great
improvement on the cabin. The sun had
just risen when we drew up to the wharf
at Ismailia, about half way between the
Mediterranean and the Red Sea on the
Suez Canal. We were happy to find that
we only had to wait five hours for the
train to Cairo. A very few years ago,
the present Ismailia was the same track
loss desert that now surrounds it, but now
is a well built town, with park and
many trees along the streets. in addition
TO private gardens.


Very fortunately we had all learned
patience long before, and the numerous
delays did not aggravate US as they would
otherwise have done. At last we were
started, and Immediately entered the
desert.


Never before have my ideas been so
fully realized as in this great desert, huge
mounds of yellow sands, without single
sign of life Of any kind, and perfectly
dazzling in the monday sun. In the
wilderness of Judea, we saw a few thorn
bushes, all brown and burned, but here
not even these were to be seen.


This is the land Of Goshen, but not as
it was when Jacob, came down into Egypt.
1t was then fertilized by canals from the
Nile, and being afterwards neglected, the
ever encroaching sand Of the desert COW
cred it, and left it as we now see it.. Not
far from Ismailia we passed the sight of
the old Ramesis.


After six hour ride, we reached Cairo,
being warned long beforehand by the
Pyramids, and the nosque on the citadel.
How glad l was when was fairly in nv
hotel. l was as tired as if had travelled
hard all the four days that was on the
way. What delightful city Cairo is
At least, so it seemed to me after having
Travelled nearly two months without see
ing anything better than those mudholes,
Constantinople, Damascus and Jerusalem.
| do not think I was ever more astonished
in my life than when I entered this CITY.
had heard that it was the most oriental
OF all the cities usually visited by Euro.
peans, fully as much so as Bagdad. Hav-
ing seen that class of cities, I was fully
prepared for the worst, expecting to find
a maze of narrow crooked streets. with
here and there microscopic paving stone,
and bottomless pits Of mud between, the
whole swept by a huge heavily laden
camel coming one way, and an almost
equally heavily laden donkey coming the
other. and all the odors Imaginable as
sailing one from all sides. Instead of
this, l found streets which would do
credit to almost any European city,
broad, straight and clean, and at the sta.
tion were several elegant carriages, each
with two fine horses, for the benefit of
those who wished to pay pretty high
price for them, and donkeys without
number. l was still more surprised to
see on the way to the hotel, that the
street was lined with fine large trees,
species of acacia called s'libbekh,' and
several fine buildings. The Turks and
Mohammedans generally must think that
His Highness, the Khedive of Egypt is
hopelessly mad. He goes in way direct
~ contrary to Mohammedan custom and
and teaching. He has regular system
of taxation and customs, lines of steamers
on the Mediterranean, Red Sea and
Nile, several lines Of railway which he is
rapidly extending, is aiding the cause Of