IV.

CAIRO, April 2, 1895.

After mailing my last letter at Luxor on the Nile, where we spent three days, we continued our course up the river, having one hundred and thirty miles more to travel south to reach Assouan at the first cataract, where was to end our outward Nile tour. Assouan is the farthest from Springfield of any place we shall visit, and took us nearer the equator than we ever expect to be again.

The season was late to visit that tropical region, and ours was the last large party to leave the cataract this season. Hence we expected to suffer from the heat; but the Lord smiled on us, and gave us cool weather. Ninety-two in the shade was the highest the mercury went, and that was only a few hours in the middle of the day, always having cool nights. Even Vermonters can stand that temperature.

Our first stop after leaving Luxor was at Esneh, where we visited a temple which was built or had been repaired at a late date; that is, after the commencement of the Christian era. The next and only stop was at Edfu. There we visited the temple of Horace, which was modern and beautiful. Here they had patterned after Solomon’s Temple, had the holy of holies with the exact measurement, also the ark of the covenant.

We reached Assouan March 24, and found it one of the prettiest towns in Upper Egypt. Here is where all the large steamers turn their prows down the river, and traffic that is going up the river is taken by camels or donkeys by the rapids, then put into small boats. This is what has built up the town, and it might well be called the offspring of the cataract. We spent two days at Assouan in the bazaars, trading and watching the habits and lives of the people, etc. We also visited the town of Philæ, giving us a donkey ride of fifteen miles. Philæ is a beautiful town at the head of the cataract. We repeated the old story of visiting another temple. This was the temple of Isis.

Some of our party returned from this place by boat, going down the rapids in small boats managed by the natives. This was a curiosity. The natives always sing when they handle the oars. Their music has time and rhythm, and that is all there is to it.

While on the Nile, we visited one of the Nilometers. With these instruments a record of the height of the water is kept, and by this record the taxation of the crops is regulated.

Egypt is noted for its ancient historical records. Monetho, a priest and Greek scholar, was employed by Ptolemy II. to study ancient manuscript and hieroglyphics, and brought forth a work that was considered valuable at the time. A large part of this work later on was lost; but the study of the handwriting on the wall has of late years been revived, and great interest to-day is manifested in those old historical relics,--the obelisks, temples, and tombs,--and it seems as though God had made Egypt a great repository to keep the records of the Old World. With its wonderful preservative qualities, no rain or dew, a perfectly dry atmosphere, everything seems to keep in its original state. We have seen polished granite, four thousand years old, looking as clean and bright as though it had been polished within a year.

The papyrus manuscripts that have been unearthed in the temple and tombs are making revelations every day. The bread and grain brought to light, thousands of years old, are items of interest.

We have been upon the tops of some of these old temples. In one place we went up two hundred and forty-six steps. Have had some beautiful views of the Nile, with its broad plains covered with palms and fields of grain, etc.

This country is different from anything we have ever seen before. As you sail up this broad river, with its rich alluvial land on both sides, back of these plains rise somewhat abruptly hills and mountains composed largely of sandstone of a pearly gray appearance, seemingly variegated. Here commence the great sand deserts. These hills have not the first green thing on them, and are saying to the tiller of the soil, “Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther.” The plains and mountains give us some beautiful sunsets.

We travelled from Cairo to Assouan, five hundred eighty-three miles; and the average width of this valley is six miles. This is all there is of Egypt excepting from Cairo to Alexandria, one hundred and thirty miles. A peculiar shaped country, but rich in her fertility, raising two and three crops a year, and exports much more than they import. Her historical relics that are coming to light are beginning to draw tourists. Four thousand of this class have gone up and down the Nile the last year; and the number will increase in the future, giving her quite a revenue. It is a very unique trip.

If I were an artist, I would with pencil and brush give you a picture of the natives, camels, and donkeys at one of our landings. But, as I am not, I shall have to content myself with a few outlines. As soon as our boat ties up at the landing, the natives begin to gather with their wares and donkeys from all directions, trinkets to sell, donkeys to let, etc. The natives are very artistic. They clip their donkeys over the back. Then on the sides and legs they notch and slash the hair in such a way they will show beautiful palm-leaves on the sides. On their legs some of the donkeys look as though they had on short pantalets with pointed lace at the bottom, then the mitre and breastplate, etc.

Now let us take a ride into town or some objective point; and, if you are fond of fun,--and I know you are,--here is where you get it. As soon as you step ashore, and they see there is a chance to let a donkey, they will make a rush for you, every man praising up his own animal, shouting in an unknown tongue and gesticulating to the best of his ability. At first you will think you are going to have a street fight on your hands at once. Then they will begin to grab hold of you, and you will make up your mind that you are going to be quartered, and each quarter is going off on a separate donkey, and you will have four backsheesh to pay instead of one. But all is, when things begin to grow interesting, say to them, “Hands off!” and mount the first good-looking donkey you can get at, and you will be surprised to see how quickly things quiet down. No one finds any fault, and the man that secures the job is happy. The next thing is to make your donkey boy understand where you wish to go. Then you are off with a rush. The young man follows his donkey with a whip or cane, and will give you all the speed you want, using his cane over the hind parts of his animal, and shouting at top of his voice, “Zah, hoo, zah, hoo!” but having sympathy for the donkey, and not wishing for such speed, you begin to wave your hand backward, and shout, “Slower, slower!” and, unless you are persistent in your demands, you will still keep up the rush. Either way you are sure to get there all right, then alight from your donkey and go where you please. When you return, you will find your donkey boy waiting for you. When you return to the boat and pay for your ride, it makes no difference what you give them, they will want more. The disposition with the natives is to get all they can out of the tourist. Many a time in selling their wares they will take one-eighth of what they asked in the first place. But such is life in Egypt. It is impossible to go out from the steamer into town without having from three to six of these natives following you, offering to guide you, for which they expect backsheesh, or else they are trying to sell you scarabs or some unearthly thing you care nothing about. A polite invitation for them to leave amounts to nothing. You have to go for them with a cane, and give them to understand you mean business.

The sad thing of this country is the halt, maimed, lame, and blind you meet at every turn, begging. Some of the most pitiable-looking creatures! It makes the heart sick. If a man could be a many times millionaire with a heart to give, this would be a splendid field for him.

The Nile seems to be the pride of Egypt. The people all come to it with their herds to water, also to drink themselves. Their washings are done on its shores.

Money seems to be worth more than in America, and is in smaller denominations. They have here parion, millims, and piastres. The parion is a small copper coin, value one-eighth of a cent. Two parion, a larger piece, one-fourth of a cent. The millim is very small, with silver in it, value one-half cent. Two millim, one cent. A piastre is a trifle over five cents, then there is one-half piastre. The five piastre piece, twenty-six cents, is the size of our quarter. The ten piastre piece, fifty-two cents, and twenty piastre piece, one dollar and four cents, correspond to our half-dollars and dollars. The quality of their silver is better than ours, and stands on equal footing with French gold.

We remain here about ten days, then go into Palestine, where horses take the place of donkeys.