DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0101
DEPARTURE FROM CAIRO. 101
for the first time we took our coffee and supper in our
tent. The evening was clear and beautiful,- and our
tent accommodations proved more comfortable than I
had anticipated. We all enjoyed a very tolerable
night's rest. Within a few rods of us were three en-
campments of Bedoin Arabs.
The morning was the time for adjusting all the load-
ing for our journey through the desert. The sheik
was to receive twelve dollars for each camel we might
find necessary to convey us, our servants and bag-
gage, the distance we had contracted with him. The
Arabs endeavored to press as many camels on us as
possible, by loading all very lightly. We felt our-
selves obliged to contend some for our own interests,
and to remonstrate a little against this course. We
succeeded in lessening the number of camels one; but
for peace' sake thought it best to be rather indulgent
Finally, we agreed to take eleven camels under our
pay. At about nine in the morning we got under way.
Two Arabs, mounted on camels, joined us, making the
caravan thirteen in all. To me the scene was roman-
tic and grand. In my school-boy hours I had often
tried to picture to myself a caravan in the desert; but
little did I then think I should ever see one, much less
that I should ever travel in a desert of Africa.
From Cairo to Suez there are three tracks. We
chose the Southern one as the most- probable route
taken by the Israelites on their way from Egyptian
bondage. I now think this doubtful. In one hour
from our starting, every human habitation was out of
sight, and we were as completely surrounded by a
desert waste as if we had been traveling in it for days.
for the first time we took our coffee and supper in our
tent. The evening was clear and beautiful,- and our
tent accommodations proved more comfortable than I
had anticipated. We all enjoyed a very tolerable
night's rest. Within a few rods of us were three en-
campments of Bedoin Arabs.
The morning was the time for adjusting all the load-
ing for our journey through the desert. The sheik
was to receive twelve dollars for each camel we might
find necessary to convey us, our servants and bag-
gage, the distance we had contracted with him. The
Arabs endeavored to press as many camels on us as
possible, by loading all very lightly. We felt our-
selves obliged to contend some for our own interests,
and to remonstrate a little against this course. We
succeeded in lessening the number of camels one; but
for peace' sake thought it best to be rather indulgent
Finally, we agreed to take eleven camels under our
pay. At about nine in the morning we got under way.
Two Arabs, mounted on camels, joined us, making the
caravan thirteen in all. To me the scene was roman-
tic and grand. In my school-boy hours I had often
tried to picture to myself a caravan in the desert; but
little did I then think I should ever see one, much less
that I should ever travel in a desert of Africa.
From Cairo to Suez there are three tracks. We
chose the Southern one as the most- probable route
taken by the Israelites on their way from Egyptian
bondage. I now think this doubtful. In one hour
from our starting, every human habitation was out of
sight, and we were as completely surrounded by a
desert waste as if we had been traveling in it for days.