I.

JAFFA, SYRIA, April 15, 1895.

We left Cairo the 13th at 11.30, ran out on the main line to Alexandria, some twenty miles, then branched off, running due north through the land of Goshen, a beautiful, rich farming country of broad plains, as fine as anything we have seen in Egypt. This was where Pharaoh told Joseph to locate his kindred, and where the Israelites grew and multiplied, and afterwards became slaves, and were at last obliged to make bricks without straw; and then Moses came, and led them out to the land of Canaan.

We passed through some of the treasure cities they built for Pharaoh. One of the places is now named Zakayik. After leaving this, we passed along the edge of the great desert with nothing but sand and sage brush.

We also passed Tel-el-Kiber, where the battle between the English and Egyptians was fought in 1882. The English soldiers being so far superior, much better drilled and equipped, they made quick work of the affair, the battle lasting only twenty-five minutes, the English losing only twenty-six men. We saw the little plat of ground where they were buried, which was fenced in and neatly cared for. As soon as the battle was over, the cavalry proceeded at once to Cairo, and made their demands, which were granted without further resistance.

About five o’clock we reached Ismalia, where we changed cars, taking a narrow-gauge road to Port Saïd, forty miles distant. Ismalia is noted for its baggage thieves; for, if a piece of baggage is lost there, it is never found again. So we held on to our grips, and kept our eyes on the trunks, which had to be transferred about ten rods from one depot to another. This was done by Arabs taking them on their backs, which was a marvel to us. I saw one Arab with four steamer trunks on his back at once. I would not have believed such a story, had I not seen it with my own eyes, and shall not insist on any of my friends taking any stock in this transportation company unless they choose to do so.

Ismalia is where we strike the Suez Canal, and is about half-way between Port Saïd and Suez. Our train follows the canal all the way to Port Saïd.

The earth that was taken out of the canal was largely taken out with baskets by the natives, and left on the banks. This seems queer to a Yankee, but labor at ten cents a day changes the operation wonderfully. Much of the way we could not see the water in the canal, and it was a peculiar sight to see steamers of all sizes sailing through the sandy desert. At times we could only see the upper part of the vessel.

This great water-way cost nineteen million pounds sterling, some over twelve million being taken by the stockholders, and the rest by the khedive. The income is getting to be enormous. The first year, 1871, the receipts were three hundred and forty thousand pounds. In 1890 they were two million six hundred and eighty-nine thousand pounds. The canal has a depth of twenty-six feet, and at the bottom is some seventy feet wide. Within a few years the electric search-light has been introduced, which enables the vessels to run nights.

We reached Port Saïd at eight o’clock in the evening, and such a motley crowd you never saw. From the chatter and clamor that was going on we thought that the Tower of Babel must be somewhere near. We took carriages, and went to the Eastern Exchange, a hotel seven stories high, fireproof, with a twenty-foot wide veranda running all around the building. This was carried up the seven stories; and most of the rooms opened on to those verandas, and in this climate, and standing on the seashore, was very pleasant.

Port Saïd has some twenty-three thousand inhabitants, and is said to be one of the wicked places of Egypt. The next day after our arrival was Easter Sunday, and you would have thought it was the Fourth of July,--bands of music, firing of cannon, and a general holiday. We remained in our hotel until about four o’clock, then went aboard a large French steamer that lay in front of the hotel, and at about 6 P.M. steamed out of the bay for Jaffa, reaching this place about eight o’clock in the morning.

To-morrow morning at six we start for Jerusalem. Some of our company are going by carriages, others on horseback.

Jaffa, or the Bible name Joppa, is where Jonah started from, when he came in contact with the whale.

As you come up the bay, you see the city commencing at the water’s edge, towering up as it recedes, one tier of buildings above another. Follow this up some ten minutes’ walk, and you come up on a broad plain, a place of some twenty thousand people, about one-half Mohammedans, the other half from all creation, nearly all kinds of dress but American. Most of that is seen on the tourist. The bazaars are fearful; that is, as far as dirt is concerned. Jaffa is the shipping port for Jerusalem. Here was landed the material in the time of Solomon for the building of the temple.

Our hotel is located on the east side of the city, and is a very comfortable place to stop at. On the upper veranda you can look over hundreds of acres of orange-trees, and far in the distance can be seen the hills of Judea.

We have visited the house where Dorcas made so many garments, also the house of Simon the tanner, where Peter had his vision when praying on the house-top. Have driven out some two miles to a German settlement, and found a beautiful country, more variety than in Egypt.

Jaffa has no harbor for large steamers, so we had to be landed in small boats. There are times when the surf is so high that they cannot land the passengers, and they carry them by to Beyrout; but we were fortunate, and were landed very nicely, although some of our party were fearful that they should go to the bottom of the sea. But after we were in the little boats, and went tossing up and down over the waves, we rather enjoyed it.

One peculiarity of this country, there is no wharfage. We find the climate a little cooler than on the Nile, and more variety of scenery. Here we first placed our feet on the land of Palestine. This was the section of country allotted to the tribe of Dan.