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cavalry to one of the British Viceroys of India who wished to make the same visit.
Upon our return to the hotel on this first day a young compatriot from Providences R. I introduced himself to me as having been to a dancing party at our family dwelling in Charleston the previous winter. His name was Franklin, and he expected to take the Nile trip in one of the native sail boats with a party of three others. He asked me to dine with him which I did with pleasure, in company with the local American vice consul, a Syrian by birth, who entertained us with some of the peculiarities of domestic life in Cairo. We were seated at the table in the midst of the other boarders, but, at one of the ends, and several young Englishmen near by joined in the general conversation. One especially astonished me by his correctness and fluency in French, and I discovered afterwards that he had studied the important modern languages for a position as clerk in the English diplomatic service — a place he was then filling.
On our second day we made the trip to the Pyramids and Franklin accompanied us - the party consisting of five, all mounted on donkeys and followed by the donkey boys. It was curious, upon reaching the river, to see the motly crowd of arabs and camels there collected, either intending to cross or having just come over. The facilities of the ferry were of the simplest kind but slightly improved perhaps upon the times of Moses and the Pharaohs. There was no regularly chartered ferry boat and each one had to make his own bargain with the many little sailing craft lying near the bank. While waiting for our donkeys to be taken on board, which was effected with perfect ease, as the little animals had often crossed before, I was amused to observe the unwillingness of the camels to make the same embarkation. Their long legs and necks and their loose jointed movements made it no easy matter for one to adjust himself securely on one side of the single mast of a boat, which required to be weighted by men on its other gunnel until another camel could be fitted to the other side. When only one was to be taken over he was made to lie across the boat and amidships. During the whole process the camel continued to protest by grimaces and scowlings, and it was necessary to urge him vigorously.
Having remounted on the other side we soon reached the edge of the desert which lies quite near to the river. It was necessary how ever to pass certain sheets of water which remained from the inundation of the previous year, and there we first met a group of Arabs who belonged to a tribe living somewhere in the neighborhood and who made their living by carrying tourists across those waters and then assisting them up the great pyramid. We had been warned of the importunity of those men and that they would be begging for an additional shilling throughout the day, also that under no circumstances should they be paid until their work was over, and then only one single shilling. Upon dismounting at the water I was taken on the shoulders of two men who as they carried me over, were urging me to pay them and not their chief, who, they insisted would keep all the money for himself. This chief, who is known as the sheik of a tribe, was in
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this case a negro — dressed in a robe of brown cloth and wearing a white turban. He was dignified and composed in manner, and seemed to have perfect control of the Arab under him. We were taken across three sheets of water in the manner described and soon after were at the base of the pyramid ready for its ascent.
It is usual for a lady to be assisted by three men while going to the top, two of whom are in front and to each of whom she gives a hand while the third gives her a shove from behind. We did not require though more than two, each one in front and helping us to rize from one block to the other with their hands. These blocks which compose the layers of stone of the outer faces are from 2 ½ to 3 ft thick, and without assistance while stepping from one to the other the ascent would be difficult and tiresome. As it was, although my progress up wards was rapid enough with the assistance I had, I felt quite sore in the muscles of the front of the thighs the next day, in consequence of the straining to which they had been subjected in raising the foot to such an unusual height.
The painted apex of the top disappeared centuries ago when the outer layers were removed for building parts of the present Cairo, and there is now on the top ample space for a number of persons to stand. As soon as this was reached several Arabs importuned us to bet with them that they could not descend the great pyramid, then ascend and descend the second, and return to the starting point in ten minutes. We chose one of our men for this feat, and taking out our watches, bade him start. The only piece of clothing upon his body was a coarse blue cotton robe, loosely secured in front. This flaunted about in the wind as he proceeded downwards, and while running to the second pyramid, the attachments below the neck had become loose, and it projected to the rear at about the half of a rightangle. In this state it was an impediment to rapid progression, and shortly after the ascent of the second had been commenced it was thrown away altogether. It was amusing at this point to see how thoroughly in earnest the man was, and those who were looking at him through their field glasses could see the shining of his back from the perspiration. He finally returned to the starting point within the ten minutes, and we paid him his well earned shilling.
After descending to the earth again we visited one of the chambers in the interior of the pyramid. It contains a sarcophagus in which it is supposed that the body of one of the kings was placed, but everything of value was taken away long ago. Our Arab had been begging us for an extra shilling during the whole time, and while in the chamber they became so obstreporous and menacing that Franklin pulled out his revolver and threatened them with it. This was quite unnecessary as it was evident to Hayes and myself that they dared not commit any violence, but it had nevertheless the effect of somewhat sobering them and during the rest of the day they continued to beg for the extra shillings with a now subdued manner. We did not part with them until the last piece of water was successfully waded and then when I, as paymaster, paid the sheik the shilling which was due to each one, with two for himself, there was not a murmur of dissatisfaction to be heard. There is scarcely anything to say about the sphynx except that we walked around it and that I was surprised
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to see how the features were worn away by the time and how much the whole was buried in the sand. I little thought then that excavations to be made long after would reveal the existence of a kind of temple between the forelegs.
Egypt under the Pharaohs, like several other monarchies of that early period in the world’s history, was a grinding despotism of the most intense kind. The people were really slaves and obliged to do the bidding of those who ruled. The building of the pyramids is proof to this day of the extent to which they were tyrannized over, and one of the traditions handed down to the present as to the amount of suffering and misery endured by those who were obliged to work on these immense accommodations of stone, was that, for generations after their completion, whenever the name of pyramid was mentioned among the people the person spoken to would spit scornfully in the direction of he who spoke Mr Buckle, the historian of civilization, has well said with regard to them that they are evidence of great despotism on the part of the rulers and great submission on the part of the people.
The artificial hatching of fowls eggs has been practiced in Egypt for centuries and in our return from the pyramids we stopped at a village near the crossing point of the river to see the process. There was nothing to be seen however but some ovenlike constructions of mud or sunburn't bricks where the hatching was carried on in the springbut then everything was empty and at a stand still.
When I first arrived at Cairo it was my intention not to proceed any farther, as to take the Nile trip in a sail boat would consume two months, and I could not spare that amount of time for that alone. I found though that a steamer would make the journey to the first cataract in about a week, and be back in a fortnight from the day of starting. In consultation then with Hayes who proposed to be a passenger, and finding that, if I went also, he would accompany me afterwards to Jerusalem. I concluded to do the Nile as part of my Egyptian trip. It was a wise conclusion, as the ruins of ancient temples on the banks of the river should never be missed by anyone who has the opportunity of seeing them, and what I saw during those two weeks has dwelt on my mind ever since.
While waiting for the departure of the steamer we spent our time roaming about among the bazaars and streets and visiting places of interest in the suburbs. The palace and gardens of Shoobra, the tombs of the Caliphs or of the Memlook Kings and a ride on a camel in the desert east of the city after having seen the citadel where the Mamelukes were massacred and the window from which the sole survivor jumped with his horse. The writing materials of every educated Arab are carried in a brass case with inkstand attached inserted in the belt. Those who cannot write use a little brass seal and there are men in the bazaars whose business it is to cut these. Hayes and I had our names cut in Arabic letters by one of these men, and then we submitted them to several passers by to see whether the sounds were correct. The three simple and distinct sounds of Man-e-go were easily rendered by those who were asked but the G in George or Hayes’ name was pronounced
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hard by everyone - there being apparently no way in that language of softening it through some sign or dash over the letter.
When all of the passengers were collected on the steamer there was found to be a full complement, every berth being taken. Many nationalities were represented, and besides the English Americans and Germans there were several from Italy, Malta and Sicily. There were even three Frenchmen, who, as a people, are not much given to travelling. Among all those men there was only one lady. She and her husband, Postlewaite by name, a clergyman of the English church, had hesitated until the last moment hoping that some other married couples would turn up as company. This delay resulted in their having a forward stateroom which was badly located and which subjected them to many inconveniences. After leaving Boulak which can be called the river port of Cairo we steamed for about two days before reaching any temple ruin of any consequence. The river banks are monotonous and uninteresting until a village is approached when some life is observable, there being generally a large flock of pigeons flying around, and into these those passengers who had guns would fire and bring down several. We stopped to see all of the temples which we passed, the only two worth mentioning south of Thebes being one on the east side which was dedicated to the worship of the crocodile and the other on the west side, the capitals of whose columns were imitations of the water and other plants growing around. The workmanship was excellent and they exhibit strikingly the skill of the ancient Egyptian designers.
I found in a day or two among the passengers a Mr Redmond who had lived many years in Charleston. He was an Irishman and one of three brothers who went there young and for many winters did a commission business which ended in each one acquiring a competence. He was doing the Nile trip also and was in company with a friend to whom I did not take any fancy, so that none of my excursions from the steamer were in his company. Many years after this he spent a winter in Charleston in failing health and I went to see him. He died soon after, but we talked over our eastern trip and he seemed glad to see me.
Our steamer always stopped at night as it is difficult to proceed in that river except during daylight. Its course from the first cataract to the sea is exclusively through alluvial lands, and its bed sometimes shifts its position, making it possible even during the day for a skilfull pilot to mistake the channel. We butted a sandbank one afternoon quite unexpectedly while going at an ordinary speed which was a sufficient shock to have made some damage, but no harm came of it.
One afternoon, an hour or so before sunset we stopped alongside of a village and several of us went ashore. The party with whom I was were walking through the narrow lanes and we suddenly encountered a native woman who was unveiled. It amused us then to see the rapidity with which she seized the skirt of her frock in order to cover her face, while in so doing she exposed quite conspicuously the lower parts of her legs. Another party of our passengers some of whom spoke Turkish a little passed in front of a verandah when an old white turbaned gentleman
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was seated smoking his pipe. They stopped to ask him some question to which he replied, and then in turn he inquired about the steamer and the object of her trip. This was explained to him as far as it was possible to make him comprehend that pleasure and the acquiring of information were objects of travel, and then he asked who the passengers consisted of. To this the reply was made that there were thirty three in all, of whom all were men except one and she was a woman. At this piece of information his impassive features gave evidence of surprise. He could understand that one man might occupy a steamer with thirty two women, for Turks frequently go short journeys with their harems, but that thirty two men should be on pleasure and instruction bent with only one woman to contribute to their enjoyment at the end of every hard working day was entirely beyond his untraveled understanding. I used to talk a good deal with Mrs Postlewaite but never told her this joke.
Upon arriving at Thebes which was the principal and the most magnificent of the capitals of ancient Egypt, we stopped for a day on the west side of the river. When we were ready to start on our sightseeing we found several arabs on the bank near the steamer with horses which they offered to hire to us for the day. I chose a grey which proved to be a well gaited animal, and several of us together galloped over the plain as we proceeded from point to point in a way that proved very conclusively that we were mounted on hired horses. The two colossal and seated statues which were originally in front of a temple but which now stand alone, certain excavations on the side o f a hill which still contain many mummies that were wrapped in the native cloth of the period, all of which have been much tumbled about and turned over by the successive tourists, and the tomb of the Kings are three of the sights of the place which impressed me the most.
These last have not been accessible to the traveller for many years, for the entrances had been so carefully obliterated that they were only accidentally discovered. The interiors are well preserved in consequence and the freshness of the colors of the figures on the walls was a source of wonder to us all.
Most of the scenes represented on Egyptian monuments are triumphs of some king. Majesty is generally seen in his war chariot, and as he draws his bow and sends his arrows into the ranks of his enemies, he slaughters many and they fall like flies before him. The slain in these illustrations are usually pigmies in comparison to the king who is always a giant in stature. There are also many scenes of captives brought in after a successful raid or battle. These are colored according to the hue of their skins, and whenever the captives are black, the conclusion is that war existed with the black tribes to the southward. These differences of color are seen on the walls of the tombs but not on the temples. Other scenes also represent the counting of the slain by some member of the body, like an arm, being brought to the king seated on his throne, and a pile of those limbs lie before him.
Having completed the sight seeing of the western half of Thebes in the single day allotted to it, we then continued up the river and finally reached the first cataract where we remained two days. The obstruction to navigation