We arrived this morning – dropping our anchor about 12 o'-clock – having sailed from New York on the Fulda at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 10th. For the first time on the Atlantic I was really ill – and for two days kept to my berth and room – the voyage seemed endless. We had pleasant weather, but a tremendous following sea – but the Fulda proved a very steady sea boat – she was clean – the service at table very poor – and on the last morning as I looked at my berth, I felt, whatever life might have before me, thankful that there was not another night there. The steamer was uncomfortably crowded, with the most unobjectionable lot of passengers I had ever seen. At our little table we had some pleasant Westchester Co. people with whom we made friends. After two or three days out, we discovered the 2d class deck, which was big and unencumbered, except with 3 of the most amusing parrots it has ever been my good fortune to meet. There were no second class passengers – so we had our chairs carried down there, and lived there the rest of the voyage, quite to ourselves. We came to the Hotel Royal where we stayed with Charlie and Nellie Wilson seven years ago – and are fairly comfortable. We start tomorrow on a pilgrimage to Madrid, to see its great pictures – and Theodore has asked a young man, a fellow passenger, whom he has talked to a good deal and become interested in, to go with us. We drove out to see some races this afternoon, as we will have one or two days here on our way back, to show Nettie the island.
+ We arrived this morning – dropping our anchor about 12 o'-clock – having sailed from New York on the Fulda at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 10th. For the first time on the Atlantic I was really ill – and for two days kept to my berth and room – the voyage seemed endless. We had pleasant weather, but a tremendous following sea – but the Fuldaproved a very steady sea boat – she was clean – the service at table very poor – and on the last morning as I looked at my berth, I felt, whatever life might have before me, thankful that there was not another night there. The steamer was uncomfortably crowded, with the most unobjectionable lot of passengers I had ever seen. At our little table we had some pleasant Westchester Co. people with whom we made friends. After two or three days out, we discovered the 2d class deck, which was big and unencumbered, except with 3 of the most amusing parrots it has ever been my good fortune to meet. There were no second class passengers – so we had our chairs carried down there, and lived there the rest of the voyage, quite to ourselves. We came to the Hotel Royal where we stayed with Charlie and Nellie Wilson seven years ago – and are fairly comfortable. We start tomorrow on a pilgrimage to Madrid, to see its great pictures – and Theodore has asked a young man, a fellow passenger, whom he has talked to a good deal and become interested in, to go with us. We drove out to see some races this afternoon, as we will have one or two days here on our way back, to show Nettie the island.
+
Granada.
- Nov. 26.
+ Nov. 29.
-
Granada. Nov. 29. We had a most uncomfortable ride to Seville the other night – arriving about 10 in the morning. Went to the Hotel de Madrid, and were shown to the very rooms we occupied 7 years ago, with Charlie and Nellie. After breakfast went to the Cathedral, where we were not allowed to put our heads in hardly – as the whole great structure was filled with scaffolding and mighty supports. Soon after we were last there, one of the great central piers toppled over one night – and the whole edifice on examination was found so unsettled by various earthquakes that a mighty restoration was necessary. In the afternoon a short visit to the almost uninteresting gallery, and to the Caradid hospital, and then to the Aleazar, and a last peep into the Cathedral in the gloom of the evening, brought us back to the hotel in time for tea – and we lamented, at least Theodore and I, that time and money had been wasted in Seville. A start the next morning at 10, and a long railway ride to Granada which we reached at 8:30 in the evening, very tired and a long ride up to this hotel in the Alhambra grounds. Today it has rained. I have stayed in doors. The hotel is almost empty – a stray American or two – and 2 pleasant English people. The former name Biete Suelos, which it carried when we were here before, has been changed into Hotel de Roma – it is much the same thing however – with a little freshening in the way of paint and paper – but far from luxurious – the table the best thing about it. Our rooms are small and dark and not cheerful.
+
We had a most uncomfortable ride to Seville the other night – arriving about 10 in the morning. Went to the Hotel de Madrid, and were shown to the very rooms we occupied 7 years ago, with Charlie and Nellie. After breakfast went to the Cathedral, where we were not allowed to put our heads in hardly – as the whole great structure was filled with scaffolding and mighty supports. Soon after we were last there, one of the great central piers toppled over one night – and the whole edifice on examination was found so unsettled by various earthquakes that a mighty restoration was necessary. In the afternoon a short visit to the almost uninteresting gallery, and to the Caradid hospitalCaridad hospital, and then to the AleazarAlcázar, and a last peep into the Cathedral in the gloom of the evening, brought us back to the hotel in time for tea – and we lamented, at least Theodore and I, that time and money had been wasted in Seville. A start the next morning at 10, and a long railway ride to Granada which we reached at 8:30 in the evening, very tired and a long ride up to this hotel in the Alhambra grounds. Today it has rained. I have stayed in doors. The hotel is almost empty – a stray American or two – and 2 pleasant English people. The former name Biete Suelos, which it carried when we were here before, has been changed into Hotel de Roma – it is much the same thing however – with a little freshening in the way of paint and paper – but far from luxurious – the table the best thing about it. Our rooms are small and dark and not cheerful.
- Cairo. ref="#Shepheards_Hotel">Shepheards Hotel.
+ Cairo. Shepheards Hotel.
Dec. 21st.
-
It seems a great stretch of time since I last wrote anything, and the days have been inexpressibly long and tiresome. The cold that I began to take in the chill Madrid gallery grew worse and worse, and I am still in its clutches. We stayed three days at Granada – and it rained more or less all the time – it was not cold, except in the house and in our dreary little sitting room, overhung by the weeping and dripping trees, with the perpetual sound of a little splashing fountain below, it was too gloomy to be brightened by the tiny stove, that only smoked and never burned – our bedrooms were very damp. We left for Gibraltar on Sunday Dec. On the 5 o'clock train, which made it necessary to be called at a quarter to 4, in order to dress, breakfast, and drive the long distance to the station. Theodore and Mr. Lapsley breakfasted down stairs – but Nettie and I took our wretched little meal of bad coffee, bad eggs and butter in our melancholy sitting room by the light of the lamp. It seemed quite in the middle of the night when we got into the omnibus and there was an air of flight or secret adventure in it. We had some time to wait in the draughty station – and then Nettie and I had a Berlina to ourselves, in consideration of my ailing throat, and the necessary amount of tobacco smoke Theodore and Lapsley had to manufacture. So we smuggled down in our corners, and went promptly to sleep. At 10 o'clock we reached Bobadilla, where we breakfasted and changed cars. As the day wore on the wind became very cold and violent – our speed was anywhere from 8-10 miles an hour. We arrived at Algemesi after dark in a pouring rain to learn that no boat had been running from Gibraltar because of the storm, for 3 days. We were plunged into instant despair, when we were accosted by a pleasant friendly voice in English which explained to us that its owner was the Gen. Sup. of the English R.R. – and he kindly invited us to his rooms near by until some place could be found for the night. The pleasant sitting room looked most cheerful – and he gave me a glass of wine and a biscuit – and we warmed and dried ourselves before getting into the curious little affair on wheels called a carriage – Mr. Johnson too, kindly sent one of his men, speaking both English and Spanish with us. The first hotel to which we went had only 2 rooms to give us. Then we went to another, where we found all the rooms we wanted – very clean and almost comfortable – and we were thankful to get a really good dinner, and go to bed. It was kept by an old man, with a large family of sons and daughters, who were the servants of the house. The next morning after breakfast we drove back to the station, uncertain whether the boat would come over from Gib. or if we would be obliged to go back for 2 stations on the R.R. and drive for 3 hours to Gib. Again Mr. Johnson came to our aid, and took us to his rooms, until we heard the boat was coming, where we sat for an hour – he and Theodore talking about building railways – and he showed us a huge book of photographs that he had taken of the road in its various phases – and told us of the special difficulties they encountered from Gib. to Cordova. Then we went out to the pier which extends some distance – and found that some of it was quite covered with water – the waves breaking from time to time over it. Our little steamer lay some distance out, bobbing up and down on the rough water, and there were 2 small boats to take us and our luggage out. So we waded in some places ankle deep in water, and then we plumped into the boat which was dripping with water, and lifting on the waves in a most unpleasant manner. However we finally reached our former rooms in the Royal Hotel in Gib., and Mr. Lapsley said goodbye at once and went off to the Werra in which he was going to Genoa. The rain poured hopelessly all that day, and all the next, while we waited for our P.&O. steamer which was signaled at 4 – when I was bundled into numerous wraps, with a shawl tied over my head, put into a carriage, and then into a small boat, and finally landed on the deck of the Oriental more dead than alive – I at once went to bed and sent for the ship's doctor – a very kind, dapper little man in his dinner dress, who told me to stay in bed, and gave me some nauseous drugs – and there I did stay for four days, with many a cockroach to keep me company – our rooms were very good – the boat was crowded – every berth full – but we all had our rooms to ourselves. We made Malta the evening of Friday jut at sunset and stopped some hour to coal – and arrived at Brindisi Sunday morning. English mail – 900 bags arrived at 10pm. But it rained most of the time and I could not be on deck. I was immensely bored by the whole voyage – Wednesday afternoon we sighted the Damietta light – and at 5 o'clock cat anchor at Port Said where we lay until midnight coaling again. What a scene from the Inferno it was, those black figures in the glare of the torches! We were all packed and ready to land as Ismailia early in the morning – were called at 4:30 – but it was after 6 before we got off in the tender. Our 3 nice English boys who sat at table with us were up to see us off – as well as the Doctor and with no regreats I looked my last at the Oriental as she steamed away to Suez. We had breakfat and a drive at Ismailia and took the train at 1 o'clock arriving here at 5:30. Found Mohammed waiting for us and gladly took possession of our pleasant rooms here. The next morning we drove over on the other ide of the river to inspect several dahabeahs and at last went to our old Herodotus – which we found in fine order – she having been entirely scraped and repainted outside and in. Our old Reis, Fooley, Hasan, and others of our old crew were on her – and gave us the heartiest welcome – and we felt at home there. We looked her carefully over, and decided to make a condition of our taking her that she should have new carpets – curtains etc. which Rostovitch's agent when we saw him acceded to at once – and we were allowed to choose them – and Nettie and I met the agent in the afternoon at Pasquale's, a large shop here – and drove them all out of their wit because of our impossible tastes. Never have I seen anything so hideous in the way of carpets and stuffs. We at last chose not what we liked, but what was least objectionable, and Theodore and Nettie report that they turn out very well. For after leaving Pasquale's we drove to Dr. Sandwith's office, who pounded me and stethoscoped me, and said I must go home and stay in the house until I got better. Since then, I have stayed in two rooms, and the week has been long, and I find it difficult to get rid of my cough. Our rooms are at the front of the hotel, and overlook the street and entrance and terrace, so that I can stare at the amusing and ever shifting panorama and I do stand and tare, until I am too tired to look longer. Fortunately our sitting room and my room that opens out of it, have both of them open grates, and we have kept fires burning every day. The weather is not very good – as Dr. Sandwith says "you must remember this is our rough winter weather". My room is really huge – with two lofty French windows – two single lace canopied beds –with their very necessary mosquito nets, two enormous wardrobes – equally large bureau, dressing table, washstand, lounge and square table in the middle of the room, even with four trunks in it, it remains spacious.
+
It seems a great stretch of time since I last wrote anything, and the days have been inexpressibly long and tiresome. The cold that I began to take in the chill Madrid gallery grew worse and worse, and I am still in its clutches. We stayed three days at Granada – and it rained more or less all the time – it was not cold, except in the house and in our dreary little sitting room, overhung by the weeping and dripping trees, with the perpetual sound of a little splashing fountain below, it was too gloomy to be brightened by the tiny stove, that only smoked and never burned – our bedrooms were very damp. We left for Gibraltar on Sunday Dec. On the 5 o'clock train, which made it necessary to be called at a quarter to 4, in order to dress, breakfast, and drive the long distance to the station. Theodore and Mr. Lapsley breakfasted down stairs – but Nettie and I took our wretched little meal of bad coffee, bad eggs and butter in our melancholy sitting room by the light of the lamp. It seemed quite in the middle of the night when we got into the omnibus and there was an air of flight or secret adventure in it. We had some time to wait in the draughty station – and then Nettie and I had a Berlina to ourselves, in consideration of my ailing throat, and the necessary amount of tobacco smoke Theodore and Mr. Lapsley had to manufacture. So we smuggled down in our corners, and went promptly to sleep. At 10 o'clock we reached Bobadilla, where we breakfasted and changed cars. As the day wore on the wind became very cold and violent – our speed was anywhere from 8-10 miles an hour. We arrived at Algemesi after dark in a pouring rain to learn that no boat had been running from Gibraltar because of the storm, for 3 days. We were plunged into instant despair, when we were accosted by a pleasant friendly voice in English which explained to us that its owner was the Gen. Sup. of the English R.R. – and he kindly invited us to his rooms near by until some place could be found for the night. The pleasant sitting room looked most cheerful – and he gave me a glass of wine and a biscuit – and we warmed and dried ourselves before getting into the curious little affair on wheels called a carriage – Mr. Johnson too, kindly sent one of his men, speaking both English and Spanish with us. The first hotel to which we went had only 2 rooms to give us. Then we went to another, where we found all the rooms we wanted – very clean and almost comfortable – and we were thankful to get a really good dinner, and go to bed. It was kept by an old man, with a large family of sons and daughters, who were the servants of the house. The next morning after breakfast we drove back to the station, uncertain whether the boat would come over from Gib. or if we would be obliged to go back for 2 stations on the R.R. and drive for 3 hours to Gib. Again Mr. Johnson came to our aid, and took us to his rooms, until we heard the boat was coming, where we sat for an hour – he and Theodore talking about building railways – and he showed us a huge book of photographs that he had taken of the road in its various phases – and told us of the special difficulties they encountered from Gib to Cordova. Then we went out to the pier which extends some distance – and found that some of it was quite covered with water – the waves breaking from time to time over it. Our little steamer lay some distance out, bobbing up and down on the rough water, and there were 2 small boats to take us and our luggage out. So we waded in some places ankle deep in water, and then we plumped into the boat which was dripping with water, and lifting on the waves in a most unpleasant manner. However we finally reached our former rooms in the Royal Hotel in Gib, and Mr. Lapsley said goodbye at once and went off to the Werra in which he was going to Genoa. The rain poured hopelessly all that day, and all the next, while we waited for our P.&O. steamer which was signaled at 4 – when I was bundled into numerous wraps, with a shawl tied over my head, put into a carriage, and then into a small boat, and finally landed on the deck of the Oriental more dead than alive – I at once went to bed and sent for the ship's doctor – a very kind, dapper little man in his dinner dress, who told me to stay in bed, and gave me some nauseous drugs – and there I did stay for four days, with many a cockroach to keep me company – our rooms were very good – the boat was crowded – every berth full – but we all had our rooms to ourselves. We made Malta the evening of Friday jut at sunset and stopped some hour to coal – and arrived at Brindisi Sunday morning. English mail – 900 bags arrived at 10pm. But it rained most of the time and I could not be on deck. I was immensely bored by the whole voyage – Wednesday afternoon we sighted the Damietta light – and at 5 o'clock cat anchor at Port Said where we lay until midnight coaling again. What a scene from the Inferno it was, those black figures in the glare of the torches! We were all packed and ready to land at Ismailia early in the morning – were called at 4:30 – but it was after 6 before we got off in the tender. Our 3 nice English boys who sat at table with us were up to see us off – as well as the Doctor and with no regreats I looked my last at the Oriental as she steamed away to Suez. We had breakfat and a drive at Ismailia and took the train at 1 o'clock arriving here at 5:30. Found Mohammed waiting for us and gladly took possession of our pleasant rooms here. The next morning we drove over on the other ide of the river to inspect several dahabeahs and at last went to our old Herodotus – which we found in fine order – she having been entirely scraped and repainted outside and in. Our old Reis, Fooley,Hasan, and others of our old crew were on her – and gave us the heartiest welcome – and we felt at home there. We looked her carefully over, and decided to make a condition of our taking her that she should have new carpets – curtains etc. which Rostovitch's agent when we saw him acceded to at once – and we were allowed to choose them – and Nettie and I met the agent in the afternoon at Pasquale's a large shop here – and drove them all out of their wit because of our impossible tastes. Never have I seen anything so hideous in the way of carpets and stuffs. We at last chose not what we liked, but what was least objectionable, and Theodore and Nettie report that they turn out very well. For after leaving Pasquale's we drove to Dr. Sandwith's office, who pounded me and stethoscoped me, and said I must go home and stay in the house until I got better. Since then, I have stayed in two rooms, and the week has been long, and I find it difficult to get rid of my cough. Our rooms are at the front of the hotel, and overlook the street and entrance and terrace, so that I can stare at the amusing and ever shifting panorama and I do stand and tare, until I am too tired to look longer. Fortunately our sitting room and my room that opens out of it, have both of them open grates, and we have kept fires burning every day. The weather is not very good – as Dr. Sandwith says "you must remember this is our rough winter weather". My room is really huge – with two lofty French windows – two single lace canopied beds –with their very necessary mosquito nets, two enormous wardrobes – equally large bureau, dressing table, washstand, lounge and square table in the middle of the room, even with four trunks in it, it remains spacious.
Wednesday, Dec. 26
-
We came on board the Herodotus on the 23d Sunday morning – a strong south wind had been blowing for days – but everything had been ready for us for some time. I was tired of the hotel and we hope the south wind would soon be discouraged. But on Monday it holding as strong as ever, we pulled about half a mile away along the bank – and the next day Xmas, we pulled over to Ghizeh, and lay opposite the Museum about in the place we lay for a week on coming down the river last time. Theodore and Nettie rode out on donkeys to visit the Museum – but I am still condemned to indoors because this south wind is so strong and so cold. Mr. Bronson and her daughter came over again to see us and have tea. Dr. Sandwith came to see me the first day on board, and brought two leaves and a fruit of the Pawpaw tree – from which the Papoid tablets are made, that Theodore relies on so entirely. It is an Indian tree, and he says the native claim that if touch meat is wrapped in its leaves, it will become tender, but if left too long, putrid, and that the leaves are used in India for cooking with food to make it digestible. The fruit is not unlike our Ohio Pawpaw tree – but the leaf entirely unlike. I must look into the matter when I get home. Have been very busy getting settled. The boat looks greatly improved – and we have such a lot of room. I have taken Howard's old room for my dressing room, and Nettie, Fielding's old room for her dressing room – and the stern room makes a charming sitting room. Our new cook proves a great success. There seems no end to the variety of his things – and we were amazed the first morning at breakfast to have the most delicious waffles sent in to us. We had a quiet little Xmas – giving the men the present we had brought for them. Our old Captain gabbles as fast as ever – most of our old men are with us again – and being without dragoman we are going to be brought in pleasanter and closer relations to them – we all like the feeling I think, of being without a boss.
+
We came on board the Herodotus on the 23d Sunday morning – a strong south wind had been blowing for days – but everything had been ready for us for some time. I was tired of the hotel and we hope the south wind would soon be discouraged. But on Monday it holding as strong as ever, we pulled about half a mile away along the bank – and the next day Xmas, we pulled over to Ghizeh, and lay opposite the Museum about in the place we lay for a week on coming down the river last time. Theodore and Nettie rode out on donkeys to visit the Museum– but I am still condemned to indoors because this south wind is so strong and so cold. Mrs. Bronson and her daughter came over again to see us and have tea. Dr. Sandwith came to see me the first day on board, and brought two leaves and a fruit of the Pawpaw tree – from which the Papoid tablets are made, that Theodore relies on so entirely. It is an Indian tree, and he says the native claim that if tough meat is wrapped in its leaves, it will become tender, but if left too long, putrid, and that the leaves are used in India for cooking with food to make it digestible. The fruit is not unlike our Ohio Pawpaw tree – but the leaf entirely unlike. I must look into the matter when I get home. Have been very busy getting settled. The boat looks greatly improved – and we have such a lot of room. I have taken Howard's old room for my dressing room, and Nettie, Fielding's old room for her dressing room – and the stern room makes a charming sitting room. Our new cook proves a great success. There seems no end to the variety of his things – and we were amazed the first morning at breakfast to have the most delicious waffles sent in to us. We had a quiet little Xmas – giving the men the present we had brought for them. Our old Captain gabbles as fast as ever – most of our old men are with us again – and being without dragoman we are going to be brought in pleasanter and closer relations to them – we all like the feeling I think, of being without a boss.
Sunday after Christmas. Dec. 30
-
The south wind has held the whole week – and I have felt most impatient – Theodore and Jones go into Cairo every day – there is always some last thing to be bought. We left our landing this afternoon and pulled along a little way opposite the town of Ghizeh – why I do not know.
+
The south wind has held the whole week – and I have felt most impatient – Theodore and Jones go into Cairo every day – there is always some last thing to be bought. We left our landing this afternoon and pulled along a little way opposite the town of Ghizeh – why I do not know.
Tuesday. Jan. 1. 1895
-
The wind came out light from the north yesterday morning, and we got away at last under sail. It grew quite strong during the day, and we sailed through the night until about 6 o'clock this morning – I heard the men all through the night – and about one o'clock we stuck on a sand bank – I then got up lighted a candle, and let it burn itself out, and finally went to sleep. We think we made about 50 miles. But this morning there is no wind – if any, from the south – however by tracking and polling we made one mile today. I have been up on deck two or three times – finding the sun and air delicious – we have 3 big basket hooded chairs, all lined and trimmed – that proved to be delightful things and serve equally well as a protection against sun and wind.
+
The wind came out light from the north yesterday morning, and we got away at last under sail. It grew quite strong during the day, and we sailed through the night until about 6 o'clock this morning – I heard the men all through the night – and about one o'clock we stuck on a sand bank – I then got up lighted a candle, and let it burn itself out, and finally went to sleep. We think we made about 50 miles. But this morning there is no wind – if any, from the south – however by tracking and polling we made one mile today. I have been up on deck two or three times – finding the sun and air delicious – we have 3 big basket hooded chairs, all lined and trimmed – that proved to be delightful things and serve equally well as a protection against sun and wind.
Wednesday. Jan. 2.
-
Tracked and polled against the wind until we reached Wasta – 56 miles from Cairo. The pyramid of Meydoum has been before us for 2 days - quite splendid – made 4 to 5 miles.
+
Tracked and polled against the wind until we reached Wasta – 56 miles from Cairo The pyramid of Meydoum has been before us for 2 days - quite splendid – made 4 to 5 miles.
Friday. Jan. 4.
-
We have tracked and pulled to an anchor, and polled for 2 days, and have had our sail out at times, and have thus made about 10 miles in 2 days – cold and not quite clear. Have only been on deck a few moments today. The night are now so perfect with the young moon, and these magnificent heavens – the stars so near and big and bright – it is entrancing – we pulled up at a wide low sand bank for the night – and it was really a hardship to have to stay indoors when there was such a mystical beauty and loveliness without.
+
We have tracked and pulled to an anchor, and polled for 2 days, and have had our sail out at times, and have thus made about 10 miles in 2 days – cold and not quite clear. Have only been on deck a few moments today. The night are now so perfect with the young moon, and these magnificent heavens – the stars so near and big and bright – it is entrancing – we pulled up at a wide low sand bank for the night – and it was really a hardship to have to stay indoors when there was such a mystical beauty and loveliness without.
Saturday. Jan. 5.
-
Nettie and I have just had a discussion as to whether this was or was not Saturday. It gives on such a strange, lost feeling to be uncertain as to the days, with no immediate authority to appeal to. We have had rather a cold day – with fitful winds – we have done a good deal of slow sailing - have passed Benisoef - and are now at 9:30pm within a short distance of Hibeh – we may have made about 10 miles. In the midst of a good turn of wind, we had to pull up at Benisoef, for a sailor who had been despatched early this morning to that town to buy some fruit and vegetables. It was rather vexatious – our nice big Moussa set off at once across the fields to look for the man and hurry him. Jones took his gun and disappeared. Then Nettie and I walked up and down the hard sand inhaling the delicious air, and staring across the fields to see Benisoef lying back some distance on a canal amongst its palms – a large, important town – then the sailor appeared with is well laden basket on his head; and as the wind blew strongly, a sailor was sent off in haste to look for Jones – Hasan to find Theodore – and Mohammed flew towards the town to find Moussa – and at last they all were hauled in and were off. The night is magically lovely.
+
Nettie and I have just had a discussion as to whether this was or was not Saturday. It gives on such a strange, lost feeling to be uncertain as to the days, with no immediate authority to appeal to. We have had rather a cold day – with fitful winds – we have done a good deal of slow sailing - have passed Benisoef - and are now at 9:30pm within a short distance of Hibeh – we may have made about 10 miles. In the midst of a good turn of wind, we had to pull up at Benisoef, for a sailor who had been despatched early this morning to that town to buy some fruit and vegetables. It was rather vexatious – our nice big Moussa set off at once across the fields to look for the man and hurry him. Jones took his gun and disappeared. Then Nettie and I walked up and down the hard sand inhaling the delicious air, and staring across the fields to see Benisoef lying back some distance on a canal amongst its palms – a large, important town – then the sailor appeared with is well laden basket on his head; and as the wind blew strongly, a sailor was sent off in haste to look for Jones – Hasan to find Theodore – and Mohammed flew towards the town to find Moussa – and at last they all were hauled in and were off. The night is magically lovely.
Sunday. Epiphany. Jan. 6.
-
Had about half an hour of good wind early this morning – then a dead calm for the rest of the day – the water reflecting everything like a mirror. The men tracked and made about 2 miles – then at one we tied up – where we will stay all night.
+
Had about half an hour of good wind early this morning – then a dead calm for the rest of the day – the water reflecting everything like a mirror. The men tracked and made about 2 miles – then at one we tied up – where we will stay all night.
Monday. Jan 7.
-
A dead calm with the exception of a few moments of fair wind this morning – made 4 miles by tracking – and are now lying at Fashen. Theodore and Nettie walked into the town and posted some letters.
+
A dead calm with the exception of a few moments of fair wind this morning – made 4 miles by tracking – and are now lying at Fashen. Theodore and Nettie walked into the town and posted some letters.
Tuesday. Jan. 8.
-
Occasional light winds and with polling and tracking made about 12 miles. Passed Haghagah.
+
Occasional light winds and with polling and tracking made about 12 miles. Passed Maghagah.
Wednesday. Jan. 9.
-
Good head wind until 11 o'clock am - the middle of the day very still and hot – light wind later – sailed until 8pm and made 18 miles. Stella near us for 4 days.
+
Good head wind until 11 o'clock am - the middle of the day very still and hot – light wind later – sailed until 8pm and made 18 miles. Stella near us for 4 days.
Thursday. Jan. 10.
-
It was very hot and calm this morning- under a light south wind we have made in the afternoon 2 miles – about 6 we tied up for the night, both awnings were spread – and every one settled down to stay for the night – but about 9, as Theodore and I had finished our game of cribbage, a strong north wind began. The Captain waited awhile to see if it had come to stay – then the awnings went down, and the stake came up, and we have been bounding along ever since – I do not think it will be a good night to sleep.
+
It was very hot and calm this morning- under a light south wind we have made in the afternoon 2 miles – about 6 we tied up for the night, both awnings were spread – and every one settled down to stay for the night – but about 9, as Theodore and I had finished our game of cribbage, a strong north wind began. The Captain waited awhile to see if it had come to stay – then the awnings went down, and the stake came up, and we have been bounding along ever since – I do not think it will be a good night to sleep.
Friday. Jan. 11.
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It wasn't a good night to sleep – what with the shifting of the sails, the orders – the running backwards and forwards on the deck above me, it was quite impossible – at 1 o'clock, I got up, lighted my candle and prowled into the saloon, and found some biscuit and a glass of port wine. We reached Minyeh at 2 o'clock. On our first journey up the Nile we reached Minyeh the 2d day – on our last the 7th day. We were obliged to stop as we had ordered our mail sent there, and some fresh butter from the Swiss Dairy at Cairo. Jones went off with old Moussa to the town, coming back with a big parcel of letters and papers. Then we got under way, and have been sailing ever since – though Theodore has given orders that we shall stop at 10 o'clock. We have passed Beni Hassan, Rodah, where we pulled up on the opposite side, and sent the felucca across to the town to get the ironing man for whom Theodore had written to Cairo for. They found him waiting, with the lot of fresh butter, which did not turn up at Minyeh this morning. He is a very likely looking fellow – and his name is Ibraim – we are so glad to have a new name. There are already so many Mohammeds and Hasans! While the rest were away at Rhodah, I sat down on the lower deck out of the wind for a few minutes – not having been out before – we had tied up unceremoniously at a poor fellahs garden – where onions, cucumbers and tomatoes were growing, carefully tended – he was a good looking fellow, who came forward in his long black robe, to protect his property as well as he could – we bought some tomatoes of him – and gave him a little money to pay for any damage we might have caused. They never protest against the "Howadji" in a dahabeah – and indeed the greatest damage is done by the troops of people who as soon as they see a dahabeah approach the land, leave all, and come to stare.
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It wasn't a good night to sleep – what with the shifting of the sails, the orders – the running backwards and forwards on the deck above me, it was quite impossible – at 1 o'clock, I got up, lighted my candle and prowled into the saloon, and found some biscuit and a glass of port wine. We reached Minyeh at 2 o'clock. On our first journey up the Nile we reached Minyeh the 2d day – on our last the 7th day. We were obliged to stop as we had ordered our mail sent there, and some fresh butter from the Swiss Dairy at Cairo. Jones went off with old Moussa to the town, coming back with a big parcel of letters and papers. Then we got under way, and have been sailing ever since – though Theodore has given orders that we shall stop at 10 o'clock. We have passed Beni Hassan Rodah, where we pulled up on the opposite side, and sent the felucca across to the town to get the ironing man for whom Theodore had written to Cairo for. They found him waiting, with the lot of fresh butter, which did not turn up at Minyeh this morning. He is a very likely looking fellow – and his name is Ibraim – we are so glad to have a new name. There are already so many Mohammeds and Hasans! While the rest were away at Rodah, I sat down on the lower deck out of the wind for a few minutes – not having been out before – we had tied up unceremoniously at a poor fellahs garden – where onions, cucumbers and tomatoes were growing, carefully tended – he was a good looking fellow, who came forward in his long black robe, to protect his property as well as he could – we bought some tomatoes of him – and gave him a little money to pay for any damage we might have caused. They never protest against the "Howadji" in a dahabeah – and indeed the greatest damage is done by the troops of people who as soon as they see a dahabeah approach the land, leave all, and come to stare.
Saturday. Jan. 12.
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We have made 2 or 3 miles – the day has been warm and still. On deck from 11 o'clock until 5 – such fragrant delicious air and such effects. The moon is so full – and the nights lately have had a wonderful beauty.
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We have made 2 or 3 miles – the day has been warm and still. On deck from 11 o'clock until 5 – such fragrant delicious air and such effects. The moon is so full – and the nights lately have had a wonderful beauty.
Jan. 13th. Sunday – first after Epiphany.
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A fair wind most of the day brought us about 8 o'clock this evening within two miles of Manfalout and we have calculated that we have made about 24 1/2 miles today. I have been on deck since 11 o'clock – that is until 5 o'clock – at which I came below – before the first chill of the evening comes. Theodore and Nettie stay above until it is time to dress for dinner. It is a real hardship to leave such beauty abroad – and this evening it was specially tantalizing – for the scene was as interesting. We came to the great Gebel Aboufeydah chain early in the day. It is the most difficult part of the river, and the most dangerous for the great cliffs come sheer down to the water, and the currents are strong, and the wind shifting. Just opposite the beginning of these cliffs, there is a long, low island dividing the river – the channel next to the rocks is shorter – but the other channel is the longer and safer. The Stella which has again caught up with us, chose the latter and our Reis the former. I had to come down during the most interesting time – and there was a great row on deck afterwards – the sails constantly shifted – the shouting of orders – the running and jumping about of the sailors. One would have thought again and again that we were going to instant destruction. The Stella came out best – as she did not feel in her channel the fluctuations of the wind as we did. We have however passed ahead of her a little way, and are both anchored in the broad stream, where it bends straight away from the cliffs towards Manfalout. These cliffs, so Mr. Chester, an Englishman who had been coming for 20 years to Egypt for his winters told me on our first voyage up, used to be the home of millions of birds – which were so tame that you could row along them and almost put your hand upon them in their nests – but that they were rapidly being driven away by the tourists and their guns. And I remember that on the first voyage Mohammed fired his gun, quite to my displeasure, into the air to test the echo, and frighten the birds and all up the great face of the cliffs, from countless holes and caves, they came out screaming, big and little. Yesterday, on the contrary, although we were so long getting past them, we only counted six birds! The Stella has 2 men on her, whose great pleasure consists in popping their guns at every thing – and I am daily so annoyed at the hateful creatures, murdering the delicious peace of the river, and trying to kill the few characteristic and interesting birds, that still have the courage to live on the Nile – that highway of tourists.
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A fair wind most of the day brought us about 8 o'clock this evening within 2 miles of Manfalout and we have calculated that we have made about 24 1/2 miles today. I have been on deck since 11 o'clock – that is until 5 o'clock – at which I came below – before the first chill of the evening comes. Theodore and Nettie stay above until it is time to dress for dinner. It is a real hardship to leave such beauty abroad – and this evening it was specially tantalizing – for the scene was as interesting. We came to the great Gebel Aboufeydah chain early in the day. It is the most difficult part of the river, and the most dangerous for the great cliffs come sheer down to the water, and the currents are strong, and the wind shifting. Just opposite the beginning of these cliffs, there is a long, low island dividing the river – the channel next to the rocks is shorter – but the other channel is the longer and safer. The Stella which has again caught up with us, chose the latter and our Reis the former. I had to come down during the most interesting time – and there was a great row on deck afterwards – the sails constantly shifted – the shouting of orders – the running and jumping about of the sailors. One would have thought again and again that we were going to instant destruction. The Stella came out best – as she did not feel in her channel the fluctuations of the wind as we did. We have however passed ahead of her a little way, and are both anchored in the broad stream, where it bends straight away from the cliffs towards Manfalout These cliffs, so Mr. Chester, an Englishman who had been coming for 20 years to Egypt for his winters told me on our first voyage up, used to be the home of millions of birds – which were so tame that you could row along them and almost put your hand upon them in their nests – but that they were rapidly being driven away by the tourists and their guns. And I remember that on the first voyage Mohammed fired his gun, quite to my displeasure, into the air to test the echo, and frighten the birds and all up the great face of the cliffs, from countless holes and caves, they came out screaming, big and little. Yesterday, on the contrary, although we were so long getting past them, we only counted six birds! The Stella has 2 men on her, whose great pleasure consists in popping their guns at every thing – and I am daily so annoyed at the hateful creatures, murdering the delicious peace of the river, and trying to kill the few characteristic and interesting birds, that still have the courage to live on the Nile – that highway of tourists.
Monday. Jan. 14.
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We are now lying at Assiout having made 28 miles. I was on deck much of the day. Sometime before noon, we saw as usual the minaret of Assiout – but as usual were a long time reaching the town – the river makes such great bends below – that the distance is deluding. The wind grew very strong in the afternoon – too strong to make one of the great turns and we touched at the bank to let Jones and Ibraim go into the town for the mail and some necessary things. Our people all said the town was near – but poor Jones found he had a walk of 6 miles or more before getting into Assiout. In the meantime we tracked and sailed and after dark, pulled up opposite the light of the town, and sent our felucca over for the man – and now we are deluged with papers – American and English – and we feel as if we must go through with them all.
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We are now lying at Assiout having made 28 miles. I was on deck much of the day. Sometime before noon, we saw as usual the minaret of Assiout – but as usual were a long time reaching the town – the river makes such great bends below – that the distance is deluding. The wind grew very strong in the afternoon – too strong to make one of the great turns and we touched at the bank to let Jones and Ibraim go into the town for the mail and some necessary things. Our people all said the town was near – but poor Jones found he had a walk of 6 miles or more before getting into Assiout. In the meantime we tracked and sailed and after dark, pulled up opposite the light of the town, and sent our felucca over for the man – and now we are deluged with papers – American and English – and we feel as if we must go through with them all.
Tuesday. Jan. 15.
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We started out betimes this morning sailing – it must have been soon after 7 – and have been rattling along in fair style – past lovely shores of splendid palms and the most luxuriant scent trees with their soft rounded outlines – the air has been fragrant with the blossoming crops – fefl and gulhan. But the wind has been too strong for me to be out – just after tea I wrapped myself in my big cloak, and went on deck and stayed about 10 minutes in the hooded chair – it was too tantalizing to have to come down. But downstairs is not half a bad place – with the shifting scenes on either shore – the sunny windows – all the space to myself – for Theodore and Nettie are always on deck – and I have dozens of pleasant things to do – we are still (10 P.M.) sailing – and Jones has just been in reporting that we are within 4 or 5 miles of Tahtah.
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We started out betimes this morning sailing – it must have been soon after 7 – and have been rattling along in fair style – past lovely shores of splendid palms and the most luxuriant scent trees with their soft rounded outlines – the air has been fragrant with the blossoming crops – fefl and gulhan. But the wind has been too strong for me to be out – just after tea I wrapped myself in my big cloak, and went on deck and stayed about 10 minutes in the hooded chair – it was too tantalizing to have to come down. But downstairs is not half a bad place – with the shifting scenes on either shore – the sunny windows – all the space to myself – for Theodore and Nettie are always on deck – and I have dozens of pleasant things to do – we are still (10 P.M.) sailing – and Jones has just been in reporting that we are within 4 or 5 miles of Tahtah.
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Jan. 16. Wednesday.
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We pulled up to Girgeh this evening about 7 o'clock – after an uninterrupted sail from Asiout yesterday morning. All night long we bowled along steadily – and I dreamily wondered as I have wakened through the night, how weary the Reis and all the crew must be. The wind, grew very rough toward morning, and about 5:30 we went bang upon a and bank with a great thump – and I did not sleep again – though we soon got off the sand, and careered along on our triumphant course. We passed Sohag at 9:30 – and Akmim half an hour after – where we saw Cooks big dahabeah the "Hathor" lying with her tug – she having passed us while we were lying at Ghizeh. The paper reported that "Lord and Lady Amherst de Hackney and their four daughters" – that they had taken this dahabeah and tug for 3 months and a camping equipage – and that they would make many excursions. They started soon after we passed them – but they could not catch us in the wind we had – we sailed a long distance close to the perpendicular cliffs, which come down quite to the water – and the setting sun made a wonderful rose color of the limestone – and shadows wonderfully blue. We have been going through much lovely country – palms – dom palms – scents and sycamores in richest profusion – and the country highly cultivated – it is one of the very richest provinces of Egypt. I have had to be down stairs all day, because of the wind.
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We pulled up to Girgeh this evening about 7 o'clock – after an uninterrupted sail from AsioutAssiout yesterday morning. All night long we bowled along steadily – and I dreamily wondered as I have wakened through the night, how weary the Reis and all the crew must be. The wind, grew very rough toward morning, and about 5:30 we went bang upon a and bank with a great thump – and I did not sleep again – though we soon got off the sand, and careered along on our triumphant course. We passed Sohag at 9:30 – and Akmim half an hour after – where we saw Cook's big dahabeah the "Hathor" lying with her tug – she having passed us while we were lying at Ghizeh. The paper reported that "Lord and Lady Amherst de Hackney and their four daughters" – that they had taken this dahabeah and tug for 3 months and a camping equipage – and that they would make many excursions. They started soon after we passed them – but they could not catch us in the wind we had – we sailed a long distance close to the perpendicular cliffs, which come down quite to the water – and the setting sun made a wonderful rose color of the limestone – and shadows wonderfully blue. We have been going through much lovely country – palms – dom palms – scents and sycamores in richest profusion – and the country highly cultivated – it is one of the very richest provinces of Egypt. I have had to be down stairs all day, because of the wind.
Girgeh.
Jan. 17. Thursday
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We have been lying here all day at the big low sand bank where we lay two years ago, opposite the town. We are here to have the sailors' bread baked – some people will not stop here – it is a dirty, uninteresting town – but the captains all prefer it to Balliana or Akmim, where are most interesting things to do. But our Reis lives here – and we have not the hard heart that can insist upon his stopping elsewhere, Theodore and Nettie have been twice over to the town to walk – but I have stayed at home – for a cold wind has been blowing from the north – a fine sailing wind – and even the deck enclosed with canvas was cold. All our fowls – the whole barnyard has been turned out on the sand – chickens – doves – geese – turkeys – ducks – rabbits and 3 little brown woolly sheep, that were bought today – and a big washing has been going on – and our fluttering clothes make a great show on their lines. Everybody very nearly deserted the boat today – and it was very quiet. My nice Mohammed who always went everywhere with me last year, and who is a brother in law of our Reis – heard on reaching here last night that his father died ten days ago – and there has been a great sorrow amongst them. We are interested in our daily readings in Kidds Social Evolution. For the first time a few nights ago, we saw the Zodiacal light – and since then it has been seen several times – we were a little nebulous about the affair – and got out our Astronomy – and read about the little that is known of it.
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We have been lying here all day at the big low sand bank where we lay two years ago, opposite the town. We are here to have the sailors' bread baked – some people will not stop here – it is a dirty, uninteresting town – but the captains all prefer it to Balliana or Akmim, where are most interesting things to do. But our Reis lives here – and we have not the hard heart that can insist upon his stopping elsewhere, Theodore and Nettie have been twice over to the town to walk – but I have stayed at home – for a cold wind has been blowing from the north – a fine sailing wind – and even the deck enclosed with canvas was cold. All our fowls – the whole barnyard has been turned out on the sand – chickens – doves – geese – turkeys – ducks – rabbits and 3 little brown woolly sheep, that were bought today – and a big washing has been going on – and our fluttering clothes make a great show on their lines. Everybody very nearly deserted the boat today – and it was very quiet. My nice Mohammed who always went everywhere with me last year, and who is a brother in law of our Reis – heard on reaching here last night that his father died ten days ago – and there has been a great sorrow amongst them. We are interested in our daily readings in Kidds'sSocial Evolution. For the first time a few nights ago, we saw the Zodiacal light – and since then it has been seen several times – we were a little nebulous about the affair – and got out our Astronomy – and read about the little that is known of it.
Friday. Jan. 18th.
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We left Girgeh about 12 o'clock – having taken on a great stock of bread – enough to last until we reach Girgeh again, the Reis says – made Balliana about 7 o'clock – and the wind having been very light all day – two dahabeahs – the "Mimi" English – and the "Columbia" with the American flag. The former is a new private dahabeah, belonging to an Englishman, very attractive in appearance – and what arouses my interest in her is that she has a stove pipe! And I wonder whether they have a stove arranged or an open fire. This boat, and the very pretty new one belonging to a Pole, which lay next us at Cairo – have aroused Theodore's ardor about building one. He always talks of building one going up the Nile – but coming down, there is very little said about it. This afternoon just as we had landed the men for tracking, I saw them looking at something in the water floating by us, and Nettie and I took up our glasses to see what it was – and to our horror discovered it was the body of a woman. It was a dreadfully gruesome spectacle!
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We left Girgeh about 12 o'clock – having taken on a great stock of bread – enough to last until we reach Girgeh again, the Reis says – made Balliana about 7 o'clock – and the wind having been very light all day – two dahabeahs – the "Mimi" English – and the "Columbia" with the American flag. The former is a new private dahabeah, belonging to an Englishman, very attractive in appearance – and what arouses my interest in her is that she has a stove pipe! And I wonder whether they have a stove arranged or an open fire. This boat, and the very pretty new one belonging to a Pole, which lay next us at Cairo – have aroused Theodore's ardor about building one. He always talks of building one going up the Nile – but coming down, there is very little said about it. This afternoon just as we had landed the men for tracking, I saw them looking at something in the water floating by us, and Nettie and I took up our glasses to see what it was – and to our horror discovered it was the body of a woman. It was a dreadfully gruesome spectacle!
Saturday. Jan. 19th.
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Got away from Balliana early – deciding that as the day was so hot, we would not attempt the long ride out to Abydos. Columbia near us all day. Stayed on deck most of the time. Are lying about half way between Balliana and Farshoot, having made 8-10 miles.
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Got away from Balliana early – deciding that as the day was so hot, we would not attempt the long ride out to Abydos. Columbia near us all day. Stayed on deck most of the time. Are lying about half way between Balliana and Farshoot, having made 8-10 miles.
2nd Sunday after Epiphany. Jan. 20.
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We are lying tonight at Dishneh, where we pulled up for the night in a strong and fitful wind – having made about 29 miles. Have passed Farshoot – Hou – and Kar el-Sayd. The river makes great bends between Girgeh and Keneh – and its direction is almost directly E and W. This morning instead of having the sun in my room while I was dressing as I always have – I found that apparently it was rising in the west, and I was left in the cold. At 7:30 Jones always brings the lighted lamp into my room, and puts it on the floor – in a little while he brings me a fragrant cup of tea – then the hot water comes along- then the outside shutters are opened – the sun pours in – and I am ready to get up! I intended to have done a great deal of writing today – but it was so charming on deck, I could not come below – such fragrant air, full of the perfume of the blossoming crops – such lights, such shadows on the utterly desert mountains – such splendid palms and groves of scent trees – lubbeks – tamarasks – the song of the shadoof is abroad in the land – and today we have passed several musically creaking sakkiehs. At one time very near us on a low sand bank, were 10 large pelicans – the biggest I had ever seen – they waited until we were quite up to them, then spread their wings, and sailed away on the water. Fortunately Theodore and Jones were both below, or the gun would have been out. The Mimi has been ahead of us all day – but this afternoon we came up to her hopelessly stuck upon a sand bank – and there we left her. But she can much outsail us.
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We are lying tonight at Dishneh, where we pulled up for the night in a strong and fitful wind – having made about 29 miles. Have passed Farshoot – Hou – and Kar el-Sayd. The river makes great bends between Girgeh and Keneh – and its direction is almost directly E and W. This morning instead of having the sun in my room while I was dressing as I always have – I found that apparently it was rising in the west, and I was left in the cold. At 7:30 Jones always brings the lighted lamp into my room, and puts it on the floor – in a little while he brings me a fragrant cup of tea – then the hot water comes along- then the outside shutters are opened – the sun pours in – and I am ready to get up! I intended to have done a great deal of writing today – but it was so charming on deck, I could not come below – such fragrant air, full of the perfume of the blossoming crops – such lights, such shadows on the utterly desert mountains – such splendid palms and groves of scent trees – lubbeks – tamarasks – the song of the shadoof is abroad in the land – and today we have passed several musically creaking sakkiehs. At one time very near us on a low sand bank, were 10 large pelicans – the biggest I had ever seen – they waited until we were quite up to them, then spread their wings, and sailed away on the water. Fortunately Theodore and Jones were both below, or the gun would have been out. The Mimi has been ahead of us all day – but this afternoon we came up to her hopelessly stuck upon a sand bank – and there we left her. But she can much outsail us.
Monday. Jan. 21.
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Started out this morning at 7:30 with a good wind – which held until about 11 – when it failed so much that as we drew near Keneh, we debated whether or not we would go ashore and find our antiquity dealer of whom Theodore bought two or three very good things last year. But we decided not to stop – and the wind increasing we made the turn below Keneh in fine style, the river her turning quite sharply to the South once more. We careered along in a beautiful manner – the wind so high as to make the sailing exciting – and almost dangerous. I stayed below. We passed Coptos – then Kus – and about 5 Nagada – and are now about 6 miles from Luxor.
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Started out this morning at 7:30 with a good wind – which held until about 11 – when it failed so much that as we drew near Keneh, we debated whether or not we would go ashore and find our antiquity dealer of whom Theodore bought two or three very good things last year. But we decided not to stop – and the wind increasing we made the turn below Keneh in fine style, the river her turning quite sharply to the South once more. We careered along in a beautiful manner – the wind so high as to make the sailing exciting – and almost dangerous. I stayed below. We passed Coptos – then Kus – and about 5 Nagada – and are now about 6 miles from Luxor.
Tuesday. Jan. 31.
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A very quiet and uneventful week at Luxor. I tried to ride over to Karnak the first afternoon – and spent the morning of the 2d day in Luxor, principally at Mohammed Mohasib's – and in the afternoon went over to the races – and between them all, grew so tired and added so much to my cold – that I have stayed on the boat every day since – except Sunday – when Nettie and I went over to the little English chapel for service. We found 4 dahabeahs at Luxor – and they were arriving from down the river during the week. I believe we left 11 lying there. Two days before we came away, we pulled across the river to below the German's new castle. There has been no wind for days – we intended getting away yesterday – but there was not a breath – so when after breakfast this morning a fair little wind sprang up, Theodore gave orders to start, but it soon failed – and we had to take to tracking. We had all our awnings up – and it was entirely charming on deck – so quiet – the whole earth wrapped in a white soft shroud of intense heat. We have had quite an unpleasant and very exciting experience this afternoon. The men were tracking and we were slowly slipping past a high bank near the village of ed-Debayeh about 2 miles from Erment. Theodore was absorbed in a chess puzzle in the saloon – and I had got into my wrapper and was preparing for a good rest – when I heard loud voices and talking above – and so much stir that Theodore called up to Nettie who is always on deck to know what the trouble was – but he did not wait for an answer but seized a stout stick, called out to me as he passed my room that there was trouble on shore, and he was going to see what it was. Then Nettie called to me to come quickly – and I hustled into my dress and rushed up on deck, just in time to see Jones disappearing over the high bank with his gun, and two of our sailors armed with poles, assisting our old Abbocatto over the bank in a most unceremonious fashion. The bank was too high and steep for Nettie and me to climb, even with assistance – besides there was no one left on the boat but the 2 cooks – nor could we see over the bank – but we heard a tremendous hubbub, shrieking and shouting and two report of the gun – and then I feared serious trouble. Then arrived my Mahommed and Ali, with a man in custody, whom they were kicking and beating furiously, and whom they flung over the bank – he came headlong – and Ali slid down after him and resumed his infuriated beating of him – my calling and cries were not heeded, and as Hasan appeared at the top with another man, whom he knocked over the bank and plunged after, beating him unmercifully, I flew down the companionway to Selim, the cook, and told him to tell Hassan and Ali, that I would not suffer such conduct – that if the men were guilty the sheik of the village would punish them, but they should not beat them. Then the men were brought on board as prisoners, and I told Selim to protect them from violence until we knew what the trouble was. A moment after the uproar grew nearer, and swarming over the bank came our people, followed by a crowd of women and children, but no men. These women began shrieking more wildly than ever when they saw our two prisoners – they threw dust over their heads, and danced about like wild savages. Order was given to cast off at once, and a favorable breeze having sprung up, we were able to get out of that troublesome neighborhood. They all followed along the bank, making all the noise they could and they must have sent some of their people on two mile to a landing near Erment, as when we drew up there, we found two gens d'armes waiting for us. In the meantime when our men came back to the boat, it was found that the Captain had a cruel cut on his head, which was bleeding profusely, and Moussa looked as if he had been nearly slaughtered – he head cut open in two places, looking very bad. Ibraim also had a bad cut on his arm. They were all in a perfect rage – and it was all that Nettie and I and Jones could do, to keep them quiet enough to wash and dress their wound. When we had landed and the officers had come on board we had a solemn hearing, except when the excitement of the old Reis broke out. A huge audience on the bank – the broken heads were exhibited, and a man came on the lower deck from the crowd, to show a broken head of his own. Our dignified Selim was summoned from his kitchen, and acted as interpreter and then Theodore called for our second captain – our favorite Reis Fuli to give his account – which he did in so calm, and perfect a manner, that it was a sight to see, in that crowd of angry savages. Reis Mohammed wanted to go back to Luxor, as the officers suggested, to enter his complain – but Theodore announced very decidedly that he had already had trouble and detention enough – and that he would wait no longer. I must say the manner of the officers was excellent – until they took possession of the prisoners – whom they hustled about in a very undignified way, but not severe – their turbans being torn from their heads, and unwound and used as fetters. One of them was quite an old man with a long wound or gash in his leg. I felt tempted to tell Jones to go and dress it – but I'm afraid our crew would almost have mobbed him – that being an act of grace to an enemy, far from their comprehension. Finally we got away, and let it all behind us – and then we began to hear the different incidents of the affair = the only one being that Theodore told of our old, and almost decrepid Abbecatto – a painfully timid man, in all his daily manifestations, who had hurried to the scene of conflict with the hatchet in his hand – which Theodore saw him using (the hammer side) on the back of one of the prisoners, as he was being led to the boat by our men. Theodore unceremoniously took the hatchet from him, and ordered him back to the boat, feeling that if the old man stopped and thought, he might use the other end of it. Theodore says that when he reached the village, the Reis and Moussa were standing bleeding but surrounded by the sellers, and at some distance from them, the village people were facing them. Moussa had gone to help the Reis, who had been worsted in a struggle with some of them – Jones and his gun, which he fired occasionally into the air, held the village people at bay, or no doubt our men would have fared badly. Everyone was so excited at first, and so concerned to see our men wounded, that they could not take a dispassionate view of it – and both Theodore and Nettie thought me severe, when I said from the first that I thought we were to blame. Our coleric old Reis, instead of entering a complaint with the Sheik of the village, got into a temper with some of the people – and no one knows who struck the first blow, the mischievous children and boys who threw the mud, of course fell as it so often does in this world, on the innocent. The two prisoner, maltreated as they were, were not offenders so far as we could learn. It was very comical to reflect, that every able bodied man, headed by the Reis, made off to the Reis, made off to the fray, leaving the beat, and we two unprotected women to the care of the 2 cooks! It hardly answers to our idea of discipline on a ship! We came to Erment and will stay all night – making 9 miles.
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A very quiet and uneventful week at Luxor. I tried to ride over to Karnak the first afternoon – and spent the morning of the 2d day in Luxor, principally at Mohammed MohasibMohammed Mohassib's – and in the afternoon went over to the races – and between them all, grew so tired and added so much to my cold – that I have stayed on the boat every day since – except Sunday – when Nettie and I went over to the little English chapel for service. We found 4 dahabeahs at Luxor – and they were arriving from down the river during the week. I believe we left 11 lying there. Two days before we came away, we pulled across the river to below the German's new castle . There has been no wind for days – we intended getting away yesterday – but there was not a breath – so when after breakfast this morning a fair little wind sprang up, Theodore gave orders to start, but it soon failed – and we had to take to tracking. We had all our awnings up – and it was entirely charming on deck – so quiet – the whole earth wrapped in a white soft shroud of intense heat. We have had quite an unpleasant and very exciting experience this afternoon. The men were tracking and we were slowly slipping past a high bank near the village of ed-Debayeh about 2 miles from Erment. Theodore was absorbed in a chess puzzle in the saloon – and I had got into my wrapper and was preparing for a good rest – when I heard loud voices and talking above – and so much stir that Theodore called up to Nettie who is always on deck to know what the trouble was – but he did not wait for an answer but seized a stout stick, called out to me as he passed my room that there was trouble on shore, and he was going to see what it was. Then Nettie called to me to come quickly – and I hustled into my dress and rushed up on deck, just in time to see Jones disappearing over the high bank with his gun, and two of our sailors armed with poles, assisting our old AbbocattoAbbecatto over the bank in a most unceremonious fashion. The bank was too high and steep for Nettie and me to climb, even with assistance – besides there was no one left on the boat but the 2 cooks – nor could we see over the bank – but we heard a tremendous hubbub, shrieking and shouting and two report of the gun – and then I feared serious trouble. Then arrived my Mahommed and Ali, with a man in custody, whom they were kicking and beating furiously, and whom they flung over the bank – he came headlong – and Ali slid down after him and resumed his infuriated beating of him – my calling and cries were not heeded, and as HasanHassan appeared at the top with another man, whom he knocked over the bank and plunged after, beating him unmercifully, I flew down the companionway to Selim, the cook, and told him to tell Hassan and Ali, that I would not suffer such conduct – that if the men were guilty the sheik of the village would punish them, but they should not beat them. Then the men were brought on board as prisoners, and I told Selim to protect them from violence until we knew what the trouble was. A moment after the uproar grew nearer, and swarming over the bank came our people, followed by a crowd of women and children, but no men. These women began shrieking more wildly than ever when they saw our two prisoners – they threw dust over their heads, and danced about like wild savages. Order was given to cast off at once, and a favorable breeze having sprung up, we were able to get out of that troublesome neighborhood. They all followed along the bank, making all the noise they could and they must have sent some of their people on two milemiles to a landing near Erment, as when we drew up there, we found two gens d'armes waiting for us. In the meantime when our men came back to the boat, it was found that the Captain had a cruel cut on his head, which was bleeding profusely, and Moussa looked as if he had been nearly slaughtered – he head cut open in two places, looking very bad. Ibraim also had a bad cut on his arm. They were all in a perfect rage – and it was all that Nettie and I and Jones could do, to keep them quiet enough to wash and dress their wound. When we had landed and the officers had come on board we had a solemn hearing, except when the excitement of the old Reis broke out. A huge audience on the bank – the broken heads were exhibited, and a man came on the lower deck from the crowd, to show a broken head of his own. Our dignified Selim was summoned from his kitchen, and acted as interpreter and then Theodore called for our second captain – our favorite Reis Fuli to give his account – which he did in so calm, and perfect a manner, that it was a sight to see, in that crowd of angry savages. Reis Mohammed wanted to go back to Luxor, as the officers suggested, to enter his complain – but Theodore announced very decidedly that he had already had trouble and detention enough – and that he would wait no longer. I must say the manner of the officers was excellent – until they took possession of the prisoners – whom they hustled about in a very undignified way, but not severe – their turbans being torn from their heads, and unwound and used as fetters. One of them was quite an old man with a long wound or gash in his leg. I felt tempted to tell Jones to go and dress it – but I'm afraid our crew would almost have mobbed him – that being an act of grace to an enemy, far from their comprehension. Finally we got away, and let it all behind us – and then we began to hear the different incidents of the affair = the only one being that Theodore told of our old, and almost decrepid Abbecatto – a painfully timid man, in all his daily manifestations, who had hurried to the scene of conflict with the hatchet in his hand – which Theodore saw him using (the hammer side) on the back of one of the prisoners, as he was being led to the boat by our men. Theodore unceremoniously took the hatchet from him, and ordered him back to the boat, feeling that if the old man stopped and thought, he might use the other end of it. Theodore says that when he reached the village, the Reis and Moussa were standing bleeding but surrounded by the sellers, and at some distance from them, the village people were facing them. Moussa had gone to help the Reis, who had been worsted in a struggle with some of them – Jones and his gun, which he fired occasionally into the air, held the village people at bay, or no doubt our men would have fared badly. Everyone was so excited at first, and so concerned to see our men wounded, that they could not take a dispassionate view of it – and both Theodore and Nettie thought me severe, when I said from the first that I thought we were to blame. Our coleric old Reis, instead of entering a complaint with the Sheik of the village, got into a temper with some of the people – and no one knows who struck the first blow, the mischievous children and boys who threw the mud, of course fell as it so often does in this world, on the innocent. The two prisonerprisoners, maltreated as they were, were not offenders so far as we could learn. It was very comical to reflect, that every able bodied man, headed by the Reis, made off to the fray, leaving the beat, and we two unprotected women to the care of the 2 cooks! It hardly answers to our idea of discipline on a ship! We came to Erment and will stay all night – making 9 miles.
Friday. Feb. 1st.
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We have had a very good day – making 40 miles – passed Esneh about 5 o'clock. The Columbia which has been quite in advance of us from Luxor, landed at Esneh, and the Mansourah, which passed us yesterday during the fracas, still holds her own, ahead of us. We met her people in the garden at Erment, where everybody goes to buy fruit and vegetables. We are lying 2 or 3 miles from El Kab this evening.
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We have had a very good day – making 40 miles – passed Esneh about 5 o'clock. The Columbia which has been quite in advance of us from Luxor, landed at Esneh, and the Mansourah, which passed us yesterday during the fracas, still holds her own, ahead of us. We met her people in the garden at Erment, where everybody goes to buy fruit and vegetables. We are lying 2 or 3 miles from El Kab this evening.
Saturday. Feb. 2d.
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A splendid run of today – 60 miles – steady, fine sailing all the time. Pased El Kab – Edfou – Silsilis just at sunset – so that we were able to see the grottos as we sailed by – such an interesting point of the river – the rocks coming down to the narrowed river – the either side. We have been steadily gaining on the Mansourah all day – until the race became very exciting as we draw near Kom Ombo – by a clever move, our old Reis cleverly took advantage of a manouvre on their part, and passed them, and soon we lost sight of them in the night. The moon is now radiant. We have passed Kom Ombo, and are lying about 3 miles above.
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A splendid run of today – 60 miles – steady, fine sailing all the time. PasedPassed El Kab – Edfou – Silsilis just at sunset – so that we were able to see the grottos as we sailed by – such an interesting point of the river – the rocks coming down to the narrowed river – the either side. We have been steadily gaining on the Mansourah all day – until the race became very exciting as we draw near Kom Ombo – by a clever move, our old Reis cleverly took advantage of a manouvre on their part, and passed them, and soon we lost sight of them in the night. The moon is now radiant. We have passed Kom Ombo, and are lying about 3 miles above.
Sunday. Feb. 3.
Assouan.
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We dragged through the whole day, arriving at Assouan when it was almost too dark to see that beautiful approach, a number of dahabeahs here – we are a little in advance of our former position at Elephantine. The Isis is just opposite – and Theodore and Nettie have gone over to her, to see if her people are going up in their steamer to Wady Halfa, as they expected to do tomorrow, when we saw them last. Such a radiant night.
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We dragged through the whole day, arriving at Assouan when it was almost too dark to see that beautiful approach, a number of dahabeahs here – we are a little in advance of our former position at Elephantine. The Isis is just opposite – and Theodore and Nettie have gone over to her, to see if her people are going up in their steamer to Wady Halfa, as they expected to do tomorrow, when we saw them last. Such a radiant night.
Sunday-Septuagesima. Feb. 10th.
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We have had a very hot, unsatisfactory week. The thermometer has ranged from 80-86 in the shade. At one time the dahabeahs numbered 12 – of which I am glad to say we were always first or second – but the little sand beach along the island of Elephantine is very small – and grew to be very smelly. Now that so many dahabeahs go up the river this landing place should be under police supervision. There were so many steamers too, on the Asouan side, and the river is so narrow here, that they seem very intrusive – and the new Cook boats are so big and noisy – with their brilliant electric lights – they are a positive offence – and the cataract boats are now so many – and their crews so noisy – there was no peace – they were rowing up and down, until 12 o'clock at night – singing, and hip-hip hurrahing – with their "tink you tink yous" and "very good, very goods". I grew pretty tired of them – I went once out to Philae – having an extra train all to myself – costing but $10. Jones, Mohammed and Ibraim, and the lunch went with me, and Theodore and Nettie went over early on donkeys. It was almost one o'clock before I got there – I found it crowded with tourists. Pharaoh's Bed was filled with tables and all the Cookites lunching at them. So we had ours far off in one of the colonnades – almost exactly in the pot from which Mr. Newman's picture that Theodore has was painted. As we were making our way over there, I saw little Yema coming and I said to Theodore, "don't ay anything, I want to see if he knows me". He looked at me a moment, and then threw out both hands with an exclamation that was quite tragic, and with a cry of joy rushed forward to see me. Very little grown – the same sweet, appealing little fellow – he stuck closely by me all the time. Then we asked for "Dendowi" and he was shortly produced – looking more like a small, brown reproduction of Queen Victoria than ever – and with the same imperturbable dignity – Philae seemed more lovely to me and interesting than ever – I suppose because its doom seems to have been pronounced. We could see on the walls of Pharaoh's Bed – coloured wafers at a certain level – showing where the inundation water would reach, if the dam is built. I did not see the Newman – as I did not feel equal to climbing down to their dahabeah – and I wanted so much to talk to her about Yemma – Theodore saw them for a few moments in the temple – but with many people about them – Yemma told me Mrs. Newman had given him everything he had on – and proceeded to show me each article – first beginning with his turban, which we had already remarked, as being very large and impressive. This he took off his head and unwound, showing a pair of drawers, which he put on, after discreetly turning his back. We came home in one of the Cataract boats – the crew particularly picturesque with their turbans and flashing white teeth. The descent of the cataract too, seemed more exciting than ever. We passed the little island, against whose black rocks we came to grief, when we tried to get up the cataract last year with the Herodotus. And we have felt much aggrieved to see a dahabeah coming in after her descent – and to see the pretty little Polish boat pass us one morning, with banners flying and guns firing, on her way to the ascent. I have been once over to the town and the bazaar – and for a short sail one evening before dinner – all the rest of the time I have stayed on the boat – not daring to venture out in the heat of the day – or in the cool of the evening. I always think one of the pleasantest things to do at Assouan is to walk on the island of Elephantine – but I could not do this because of the heat. It is so densely clothed with palms and other trees that in this heat it harboured millions of mosquitos, which were quite annoying. The night with the full moon have been quite beautiful – and all of the time we have the music of the same old croaking sakkish in our ears. The Scott-Elliots are expected down from Wady Half tomorrow – but we shall not wait for them, but start early for Kom Ombos – quite glad to get away from Assouan.
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We have had a very hot, unsatisfactory week. The thermometer has ranged from 80-86 in the shade. At one time the dahabeahs numbered 12 – of which I am glad to say we were always first or second – but the little sand beach along the island of Elephantine is very small – and grew to be very smelly. Now that so many dahabeahs go up the river this landing place should be under police supervision. There were so many steamers too, on the AsouanAssouan side, and the river is so narrow here, that they seem very intrusive – and the new Cook boats are so big and noisy – with their brilliant electric lights – they are a positive offence – and the cataract boats are now so many – and their crews so noisy – there was no peace – they were rowing up and down, until 12 o'clock at night – singing, and hip-hip hurrahing – with their "tink you tink yous" and "very good, very goods". I grew pretty tired of them – I went once out to Philae – having an extra train all to myself – costing but $10. Jones, Mohammed and Ibraim, and the lunch went with me, and Theodore and Nettie went over early on donkeys. It was almost one o'clock before I got there – I found it crowded with tourists. Pharaoh's Bed was filled with tables and all the Cookites lunching at them. So we had ours far off in one of the colonnades – almost exactly in the pot from which Mr. Newman's picture that Theodore has was painted. As we were making our way over there, I saw little YemaYemma coming and I said to Theodore, "don't aysay anything, I want to see if he knows me". He looked at me a moment, and then threw out both hands with an exclamation that was quite tragic, and with a cry of joy rushed forward to see me. Very little grown – the same sweet, appealing little fellow – he stuck closely by me all the time. Then we asked for "Dendowi" and he was shortly produced – looking more like a small, brown reproduction of Queen Victoria than ever – and with the same imperturbable dignity – Philae seemed more lovely to me and interesting than ever – I suppose because its doom seems to have been pronounced. We could see on the walls of Pharaoh's Bed – coloured wafers at a certain level – showing where the inundation water would reach, if the dam is built. I did not see the NewmanNewmans – as I did not feel equal to climbing down to their dahabeah – and I wanted so much to talk to her about Yemma – Theodore saw them for a few moments in the temple – but with many people about them – Yemma told me Mrs. Newman had given him everything he had on – and proceeded to show me each article – first beginning with his turban, which we had already remarked, as being very large and impressive. This he took off his head and unwound, showing a pair of drawers, which he put on, after discreetly turning his back. We came home in one of the Cataract boats – the crew particularly picturesque with their turbans and flashing white teeth. The descent of the cataract too, seemed more exciting than ever. We passed the little island, against whose black rocks we came to grief, when we tried to get up the cataract last year with the Herodotus. And we have felt much aggrieved to see a dahabeah coming in after her descent – and to see the pretty little Polish boat pass us one morning, with banners flying and guns firing, on her way to the ascent. I have been once over to the town and the bazaar – and for a short sail one evening before dinner – all the rest of the time I have stayed on the boat – not daring to venture out in the heat of the day – or in the cool of the evening. I always think one of the pleasantest things to do at Assouan is to walk on the island of Elephantine – but I could not do this because of the heat. It is so densely clothed with palms and other trees that in this heat it harboured millions of mosquitos, which were quite annoying. The night with the full moon have been quite beautiful – and all of the time we have the music of the same old croaking sakkish in our ears. The Scott-Elliots are expected down from Wady HalfWady Halfa tomorrow – but we shall not wait for them, but start early for Kom OmbosKom Ombo – quite glad to get away from Assouan.
Monday. Feb. 11.
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Jones went over quite early this morning for the last mail, and then we made ready to start – all the fowls were caught and cooped – stakes brought in – ropes slipped. The Zunt-el-Nil came up yesterday close behind us, ready to slip into our place when we left, and we saw our old Reis Achmed of the Nubia, who is now Captain of the Zunt-el-Nil so nice and dignified – we dropped down the river, stopped here and there to put off some friends of the Captains or one of the crew.
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Jones went over quite early this morning for the last mail, and then we made ready to start – all the fowls were caught and cooped – stakes brought in – ropes slipped. The Zunt-el-Nil came up yesterday close behind us, ready to slip into our place when we left, and we saw our old Reis Achmed of the Nubia, who is now Captain of the Zunt-el-Nil so nice and dignified – we dropped down the river, stopped here and there to put off some friends of the Captains or one of the crew.
Feb. 12th.
Kom Ombo
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In my haste the evening of the 12th at Kom Ombo I forgot the day before – when we made 18 miles only. We made our 8 miles to Kom Ombo by half past 3 o'clock, almost to our surprise we found ourselves at Kom Ombo and the Columbia lying there. We waited until 5 o'clock, until the heat had abated a little, and then went up. I had never seen this temple before, except in passing. Two years ago, it was cleaned and excavated by Mr. de Morgan – too much cleaned, many people think. It is certainly very swept and garnished and is most comfortable to get about in for that reason – and no clamorous natives about. It is so imposing up on its height, and has some characteristic features. The evening light was delicious – and the views from that height – Theodore and Nettie went up again this evening to see the moonlight effects. The Columbia has gone and 2 Cook steamers are here – but everything is very quiet, and the peace and pure air delicious after the noise and smells of Assouan.
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In my haste the evening of the 12th at Kom Ombo I forgot the day before – when we made 18 miles only. We made our 8 miles to Kom Ombo by half past 3 o'clock, almost to our surprise we found ourselves at Kom Ombo and the Columbia lying there. We waited until 5 o'clock, until the heat had abated a little, and then went up. I had never seen this temple before, except in passing. Two years ago, it was cleaned and excavated by Mr. de Morgan – too much cleaned, many people think. It is certainly very swept and garnished and is most comfortable to get about in for that reason – and no clamorous natives about. It is so imposing up on its height, and has some characteristic features. The evening light was delicious – and the views from that height – Theodore and Nettie went up again this evening to see the moonlight effects. The Columbia has gone and 2 Cook steamers are here – but everything is very quiet, and the peace and pure air delicious after the noise and smells of Assouan.
Wednesday. Feb. 13.
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We are lying at Silsilis tonight, having made 15 miles. We were too late to see much of the grottoes tonight. Nettie intends getting up early tomorrow to see the quarries on the other side of the river. I think them one of the most impressive sights of the Nile. This morning, directly after breakfast we went up to the temple again, I took my camera, and made some views. The Isis came up last evening – and is lying tonight close by us. They have all been over to see us and Dr. Ware spent the evening with us.
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We are lying at Silsilis tonight, having made 15 miles. We were too late to see much of the grottoes tonight. Nettie intends getting up early tomorrow to see the quarries on the other side of the river. I think them one of the most impressive sights of the Nile. This morning, directly after breakfast we went up to the temple again, I took my camera, and made some views. The Isis came up last evening – and is lying tonight close by us. They have all been over to see us and Dr. Ware spent the evening with us.
Thursday. Feb. 14.
Edfou
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We have had an intensely hot day – hotter than yesterday – and perfectly calm (thermometer on deck in shade 86°) – so that we dropped down easily to Edfou – starting at 8:30 this morning, and reaching Edfou at 4 o'clock, making 26 miles. We waited awhile, as it was too much to go out into the fiery furnace of the afternoon. The Isis was before us, as she started earlier than we did – and we found them all at the temple having tea, which they had taken with them. Miss Scott-Elliot vigorously photographing with her elaborate machine – and her sisters sketching. It was deliciously cool and interesting in that noble temple. The town I horridly dirty – and I have never seen such a crowd of besieging natives. The gens d'armes kept no sort of peace – and an ophthalmic hospital might have been filled with the blind beggars.
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We have had an intensely hot day – hotter than yesterday – and perfectly calm (thermometer on deck in shade 86°) – so that we dropped down easily to Edfou – starting at 8:30 this morning, and reaching Edfou at 4 o'clock, making 26 miles. We waited awhile, as it was too much to go out into the fiery furnace of the afternoon. The Isis was before us, as she started earlier than we did – and we found them all at the temple having tea, which they had taken with them. Miss Scott-Elliot vigorously photographing with her elaborate machine – and her sisters sketching. It was deliciously cool and interesting in that noble temple. The town I horridly dirty – and I have never seen such a crowd of besieging natives. The gens d'armes kept no sort of peace – and an ophthalmic hospital might have been filled with the blind beggars.
Friday. Feb. 15.
El Kab
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In spite of a very strong north head wind, we made this place at 5 o'clock in the afternoon – but were obliged to tie up on the opposite side of the river, because of the wind – it has been banging and knocking us about in the most pronounced manner I have ever known on the river. The Isis was close behind us – and most of her people, as well at Theodore and Nettie, crossed in the felucca to the little new house at the El Kab landing, which we had noticed on our way up, and which we were sure was occupied by Mr. Tylor, or Mr. Somers-Clarke. They found the latter there, busy with his excavations – and wearing the native dress. We will go over tomorrow early, and make him a visit, and see the temple that he discovered, and is now excavating. The north wind still raging – but much cooler.
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In spite of a very strong north head wind, we made this place at 5 o'clock in the afternoon – but were obliged to tie up on the opposite side of the river, because of the wind – it has been banging and knocking us about in the most pronounced manner I have ever known on the river. The Isis was close behind us – and most of her people, as well at Theodore and Nettie, crossed in the felucca to the little new house at the El Kab landing, which we had noticed on our way up, and which we were sure was occupied by Mr. Tylor, or Mr. Somers-Clarke. They found the latter there, busy with his excavations – and wearing the native dress. We will go over tomorrow early, and make him a visit, and see the temple that he discovered, and is now excavating. The north wind still raging – but much cooler.
Saturday. Feb. 16th.
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We pulled across the river early this morning and directly after breakfast went up to see Mr. Somers-Clarke, whom we found with his workmen, busy at his excavations. He is beginning to lay bare the remains of a temple within the great inclosing walls of the ancient fortress. Thee walls are built of mud bricks, and are of extraordinary thickness, - 37 ft. wide, and of course are very ruinous – as the ancient city is supposed to have existed under the Old Empire. Mr. Somers-Clarke discovered the site of the temple, which was not known, and has made several trenches, which reveal certain limits, and the two entrance portals – and the lines of walls. It would seem to be in a great mix – that is newer buildings had been placed on the site of older ones – and the old materials used for the new. Thus cartouches of Thotmes II and III – with the good bas relief work and painting of that period, are found with the much poorer work of much more recent periods. Fragments of columns – and bases of painting and carved columns were seen – and ruined and mutilated statues. The infiltration of Nile water, with its decomposing salts has made the stones almost into powder, and the work has to be very carefully and slowly done. He had 12 workmen. He afterwards took us to his house, where he showed us the plans of the temple so far as he had been able to trace them. It was most interesting. He had had a mud house built in which he lives, and indeed it is still building – that is quite a large vaulted room, which is to serve as dining and living room is being completed. He has one room for himself, another for his colleague, and a little court with kitchen and room for his 2 men. His own room had merely plastered walls, and a sand floor spread upon a base of finely broken potsherds which form an excellent drainage – and as he wear the native dress, with no stockings, and the big red native shoes, which he kicks off as soon as he enters his house, and the sand is pleasant enough – then when he wants a new carpet as he said, the sand is all swept out, and fresh sand is brought in. His bed, working table, shelves for books etc. were rather primitive, but he said he found it comfortable. It was quite a revelation to see him in the native dress – he used always to be so fastidiously dressed in white flannels and gaiters. He always wears glasses, which now look so incongruous. He wears the complete dress – tarboosh, turban, white vest and blue cotton dress. He finds it most comfortable he says – and the only tolerable thing for his work, that it all goes into the wash tub every day. The dust that excavating makes would be greatly trying to an European dress. We were greatly entertained with him, his work and manner of living. He walked down to the dahabeah with us and sat awhile. All the men were amazed to see him. We got off by 11 o'clock, and reached Esneh just at dark – making the 17-1/2 miles – though there was almost no wind. The Isis preceeded us, making a very early start from El Kab, and getting the benefit of the good south wind that blew during the early morning. Dr. Ware came over this evening – they will have their bread early, and will start for Luxor at 6 o'clock in the morning, while we must wait all day tomorrow here for our baking.
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We pulled across the river early this morning and directly after breakfast went up to see Mr. Somers-Clarke, whom we found with his workmen, busy at his excavations. He is beginning to lay bare the remains of a temple within the great inclosing walls of the ancient fortress. Thee walls are built of mud bricks, and are of extraordinary thickness, - 37 ft. wide, and of course are very ruinous – as the ancient city is supposed to have existed under the Old Empire. Mr. Somers-Clarke discovered the site of the temple, which was not known, and has made several trenches, which reveal certain limits, and the two entrance portals – and the lines of walls. It would seem to be in a great mix – that is newer buildings had been placed on the site of older ones – and the old materials used for the new. Thus cartouches of Thotmes II and III – with the good bas relief work and painting of that period, are found with the much poorer work of much more recent periods. Fragments of columns – and bases of painting and carved columns were seen – and ruined and mutilated statues. The infiltration of Nile water, with its decomposing salts has made the stones almost into powder, and the work has to be very carefully and slowly done. He had 12 workmen. He afterwards took us to his house, where he showed us the plans of the temple so far as he had been able to trace them. It was most interesting. He had had a mud house built in which he lives, and indeed it is still building – that is quite a large vaulted room, which is to serve as dining and living room is being completed. He has one room for himself, another for his colleague, and a little court with kitchen and room for his 2 men. His own room had merely plastered walls, and a sand floor spread upon a base of finely broken potsherds which form an excellent drainage – and as he wear the native dress, with no stockings, and the big red native shoes, which he kicks off as soon as he enters his house, and the sand is pleasant enough – then when he wants a new carpet as he said, the sand is all swept out, and fresh sand is brought in. His bed, working table, shelves for books etc. were rather primitive, but he said he found it comfortable. It was quite a revelation to see him in the native dress – he used always to be so fastidiously dressed in white flannels and gaiters. He always wears glasses, which now look so incongruous. He wears the complete dress – tarboosh, turban, white vest and blue cotton dress. He finds it most comfortable he says – and the only tolerable thing for his work, that it all goes into the wash tub every day. The dust that excavating makes would be greatly trying to ana European dress. We were greatly entertained with him, his work and manner of living. He walked down to the dahabeah with us and sat awhile. All the men were amazed to see him. We got off by 11 o'clock, and reached Esneh just at dark – making the 17-1/2 miles – though there was almost no wind. The Isis preceeded us, making a very early start from El Kab, and getting the benefit of the good south wind that blew during the early morning. Dr. Ware came over this evening – they will have their bread early, and will start for Luxor at 6 o'clock in the morning, while we must wait all day tomorrow here for our baking.
Sexagesima Sunday. Feb. 17.
Esneh
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It has been excessively hot all day – and I have not been off the boat – not feeling well. Theodore and Nettie walked to the Temple this morning, and this afternoon had some donkeys and rode into the country – falling with some boys whom we met here before – and went with Alexander to his house for some coffee – which visit they found quite interesting. The house large, and modern – and well furnished. All the principal people in Esneh are Copts. The men of the family all came in to talk to them – and were immensely dignified, well dressed men – all having just been to church. The Egyptian part of Esneh is indescribably dirty and horrid, like a great gray wasp's nest – and not half as clean.
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It has been excessively hot all day – and I have not been off the boat – not feeling well. Theodore and Nettie walked to the Temple this morning, and this afternoon had some donkeys and rode into the country – falling with some boys whom we met here before – and went with Alexander to his house for some coffee – which visit they found quite interesting. The house large, and modern – and well furnished. All the principal people in Esneh are Copts. The men of the family all came in to talk to them – and were immensely dignified, well dressed men – all having just been to church. The Egyptian part of Esneh is indescribably dirty and horrid, like a great gray wasp's nest – and not half as clean.
Monday Feb. 18.
Luxor
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Our bread was very late arriving this morning, and as a fine south wind was blowing, we grew very impatient to get off, which we did not do until half past nine. We had both sails up, and made such splendid progress, that we stayed on deck all the time in spite of the heat. The thermometer at the hottest part of the day, was at 86°. We were amazed to see the chimneys of Erment, and at 3:30 we were tied to the bank above the Castle – the Isis being just around the corner on the other side. We are lying at a very pretty bank – full of the blossoming hummis, a kind of pea – with trees at the top – and a lovely view of the broad river with the yellow desert and the mountains of the Tombs of the Kings – and all that great ancient Necropolis. The Ammon Ra, Cooks dahabeah, with the English people with the daughter ill with typhoid fever, which we left here, is now moored on the opposite side of the river, with quarantine flags on either side of her. She has now 2 cases of it, and below her is a French dahabeah, also in quarantine with a case of typhoid. We congratulated ourselves that we lie so far above them. Theodore was talking to Dr. Ware this evening about them. We were having tea on deck when Miss Wallace who had been taking a row, came to see us – looking so much better.
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Our bread was very late arriving this morning, and as a fine south wind was blowing, we grew very impatient to get off, which we did not do until half past nine. We had both sails up, and made such splendid progress, that we stayed on deck all the time in spite of the heat. The thermometer at the hottest part of the day, was at 86°. We were amazed to see the chimneys of Erment, and at 3:30 we were tied to the bank above the Castle – the Isis being just around the corner on the other side. We are lying at a very pretty bank – full of the blossoming hummis, a kind of pea – with trees at the top – and a lovely view of the broad river with the yellow desert and the mountains of the Tombs of the Kings – and all that great ancient Necropolis. The Ammon Ra, Cooks dahabeah, with the English people with the daughter ill with typhoid fever, which we left here, is now moored on the opposite side of the river, with quarantine flags on either side of her. She has now 2 cases of it, and below her is a French dahabeah, also in quarantine with a case of typhoid. We congratulated ourselves that we lie so far above them. Theodore was talking to Dr. Ware this evening about them. We were having tea on deck when Miss Wallace who had been taking a row, came to see us – looking so much better.
Tuesday. Feb. 19.
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So hot today I only went for a little walk on the top of the bank – but very glad to reach home again. Miss Wallace and Mr. and Mrs. Scott-Elliot came to dine with us this evening – we had a charming dinner for them. They think our boat vastly superior to theirs.
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So hot today I only went for a little walk on the top of the bank – but very glad to reach home again. Miss Wallace and Mr. and Mrs. Scott-Elliot came to dine with us this evening – we had a charming dinner for them. They think our boat vastly superior to theirs.
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Wednesday. Feb. 20.
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I had a most delightful donkey ride this morning with Theodore out to Karnac, where we did not stop, and along a high embankment near the desert, and a long route home through the delicious green, green fields, the barley just in head. Never was air so pure and fragrant. The wide valley here at Luxor is highly cultivated, and almost park like in effect. It was a great treat to me – and the first real donkey ride I have had. Theodore met the Uncle of the typhoid English young lady this morning. He was seated near Theodore at table when we were at Cairo, and Theodore found him very nice. He says that the 3 cases of fever are supposed to have been caught on the Messageries steamer, on which they all came over. But as they subsequently all stayed at the Continental in Cairo, it is not easy to attach suspicion to the right quarter.
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I had a most delightful donkey ride this morning with Theodore out to Karnac, where we did not stop, and along a high embankment near the desert, and a long route home through the delicious green, green fields, the barley just in head. Never was air so pure and fragrant. The wide valley here at Luxor is highly cultivated, and almost park like in effect. It was a great treat to me – and the first real donkey ride I have had. Theodore met the Uncle of the typhoid English young lady this morning. He was seated near Theodore at table when we were at Cairo, and Theodore found him very nice. He says that the 3 cases of fever are supposed to have been caught on the Messageries steamer, on which they all came over. But as they subsequently all stayed at the Continental in Cairo, it is not easy to attach suspicion to the right quarter.
Thursday. Feb. 21.
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At home all the morning. At 2:30 we crossed in the felucca to the other side for a visit to Der el Bahari, which I have not seen since the great excavations of the past two years. It was a rather hot ride and hard one for me. We found the Isis people already on the spot - photographing and sketching – of all the interesting places at this point of the river –this most appeals to the imagination. The unique position – the baldness of the conception of a mortuary chapel (for it is now considered to be one, rather than a temple, just as the so called temple of Goornah – the Ramesseum – and Medinet Habou, are mortuary temples of the kings who built them). M. Naville under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fun, has accomplished marvelous things – and still has an army of work people digging at the lower terraces, and at the accumulated rubbish of centuries that lies beneath the temple. A long colonnade resting against the cliff has been laid bare – and the northern and southern colonnades at right angles to this, with accompanying chapels and rooms, with brilliant paintings and carvings – though these do not compare with the fineness and beauty of the decorations of the terrace above built by Queen Hatshepshu – with it beautiful realistic carvings which tell so plainly the story of the expedition to the land of Punt. M. Naville himself, who has built himself a house near came and kindly told us much of it. A large portion of the encumbering and defacing Coptic remains have been taken away, and some stone forming a part of the Story of Punt have been found in the mass of debris, and restored to their places. The colonnaded ruins now form a picturesque sight resting against the bold yellow cliffs. Before long the terraces and approaches will all be laid bare, and the ruin will form a spectacle to delight and interest the world. It was quite dark as we came home in the felucca – only a line of crimson yellow in the western sky, reflected in the water, and above it brilliant and soft, Venus, casting a line of rippling silver across the water.
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At home all the morning. At 2:30 we crossed in the felucca to the other side for a visit to Der el Bahari, which I have not seen since the great excavations of the past two years. It was a rather hot ride and hard one for me. We found the Isis people already on the spot - photographing and sketching – of all the interesting places at this point of the river –this most appeals to the imagination. The unique position – the baldness of the conception of a mortuary chapel (for it is now considered to be one, rather than a temple, just as the so called temple of Goornah – the Ramesseum – and Medinet Habou, are mortuary temples of the kings who built them). M. Naville under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fun, has accomplished marvelous things – and still has an army of work people digging at the lower terraces, and at the accumulated rubbish of centuries that lies beneath the temple. A long colonnade resting against the cliff has been laid bare – and the northern and southern colonnades at right angles to this, with accompanying chapels and rooms, with brilliant paintings and carvings – though these do not compare with the fineness and beauty of the decorations of the terrace above built by Queen Hatshepshu – with it beautiful realistic carvings which tell so plainly the story of the expedition to the land of Punt. M. Naville himself, who has built himself a house near came and kindly told us much of it. A large portion of the encumbering and defacing Coptic remains have been taken away, and some stone forming a part of the Story of Punt have been found in the mass of debris, and restored to their places. The colonnaded ruins now form a picturesque sight resting against the bold yellow cliffs. Before long the terraces and approaches will all be laid bare, and the ruin will form a spectacle to delight and interest the world. It was quite dark as we came home in the felucca – only a line of crimson yellow in the western sky, reflected in the water, and above it brilliant and soft, Venus, casting a line of rippling silver across the water.
Saturday. Feb. 23d.
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Home all day yesterday – quite used up with my expedition of yesterday. The Misses Scott-Elliot came to breakfast with Dr. Ware – and after Nettie went for the whole day at Karnac – Theodore and I took Dr. Ware for an inspection of that certain crossing of the island to the Tombs of the Kings, and afterwards met Miss and Mr. Scott-Elliot and her brother and visited the Luxor temple – there are now no workman there – all excavation having been stopped until the mosque and another part of the town can be bought and taken down. It is tantalizing to see a beautiful colossal face looking out from the accumulation of ages, under one of the houses. Afterwards I went into the Luxor hotel grounds, and came across Theodore, Dr. Ware and Mr. Scott-Elliot all partaking of lemonade in the big bar room, and I was at once asked to join them, which I did, finding the lemonade uncommonly nasty, and reminding me of that we used to have in our childish feasts, the delight of which was that we made it ourselves. After tea in the afternoon, Theodore and I went for a ride over the richly cultivated plains back of Luxor. I had a new donkey – having declined my hard little beast I have been riding and he proved delightful – his name was I was told at first California, shortly it changed to Ohio, and at last proved to be Gazelle. Such an entrancing ride along the high banks raised like huge interesting walls about the country – bordering the deep canals most of them now quite dry – mile upon miles of barley and wheat field just coming into full head – and in the light of the declining sun, forming a light green shimmering sheen on every side – interested by villages under their pale and scent trees – the blue smoke of their evening fires in a level line above them – flocks and herds in the fields – laborers going home from their work – and the air fresh and fragrant after the hot day. In some places where we went along the little paths through the fields, the barley was higher than my donkey – and as we came home along the river bank, the crimson yellow inset line and the brilliant Venus – and all reflected in the darkening river. I am quite sure I should tire very much of living in such an unchanging climate. Nothing but the exigencies of ill health could make me contented with an unfailing cloudless sky – unreasonable as it sounds. Yet we can be truly thankful this winter for it, when all the civilized world of Europe and America is fast bound in ice and cold. The severity of the storm we read of in our paper and letters is quite appalling – while one thermometer during the day on deck in the shade ranges from 80 to 88 – though the night are cold – night before last after a very hot day, it was 45 at 7 o'clock in the morning. The radiation is so very rapid under this absolutely cloudless sky.
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Home all day yesterday – quite used up with my expedition of yesterday. The Misses Scott-Elliot came to breakfast with Dr. Ware – and after Nettie went for the whole day at Karnac – Theodore and I took Dr. Ware for an inspection of that certain crossing of the island to the Tombs of the Kings, and afterwards met Miss and Mr. Scott-Elliot and her brother and visited the Luxor temple – there are now no workman there – all excavation having been stopped until the mosque and another part of the town can be bought and taken down. It is tantalizing to see a beautiful colossal face looking out from the accumulation of ages, under one of the houses. Afterwards I went into the Luxor hotel grounds, and came across Theodore, Dr. Ware and Mr. Scott-Elliot all partaking of lemonade in the big bar room, and I was at once asked to join them, which I did, finding the lemonade uncommonly nasty, and reminding me of that we used to have in our childish feasts, the delight of which was that we made it ourselves. After tea in the afternoon, Theodore and I went for a ride over the richly cultivated plains back of Luxor. I had a new donkey – having declined my hard little beast I have been riding and he proved delightful – his name was I was told at first California, shortly it changed to Ohio, and at last proved to be Gazelle. Such an entrancing ride along the high banks raised like huge interesting walls about the country – bordering the deep canals most of them now quite dry – mile upon miles of barley and wheat field just coming into full head – and in the light of the declining sun, forming a light green shimmering sheen on every side – interested by villages under their pale and scent trees – the blue smoke of their evening fires in a level line above them – flocks and herds in the fields – laborers going home from their work – and the air fresh and fragrant after the hot day. In some places where we went along the little paths through the fields, the barley was higher than my donkey – and as we came home along the river bank, the crimson yellow inset line and the brilliant Venus – and all reflected in the darkening river. I am quite sure I should tire very much of living in such an unchanging climate. Nothing but the exigencies of ill health could make me contented with an unfailing cloudless sky – unreasonable as it sounds. Yet we can be truly thankful this winter for it, when all the civilized world of Europe and America is fast bound in ice and cold. The severity of the storm we read of in our paper and letters is quite appalling – while one thermometer during the day on deck in the shade ranges from 80 to 88 – though the night are cold – night before last after a very hot day, it was 45 at 7 o'clock in the morning. The radiation is so very rapid under this absolutely cloudless sky.
Sunday-Qunquagesima. Feb. 24.
Luxor
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A very hot day. The rest crossed the river at Medinet Habou this morning – returning to lunch, - then again in the afternoon to Der el Bahari – I did not feel up to either of these excursions – but went down to Karnac at 4 o'clock in the felucca, with one, where our donkeys had been sent, and spent an hour and a half there, riding home around the town the long way – which was very pleasant.
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A very hot day. The rest crossed the river at Medinet Habou this morning – returning to lunch, - then again in the afternoon to Der el Bahari– I did not feel up to either of these excursions – but went down to Karnac at 4 o'clock in the felucca, with one, where our donkeys had been sent, and spent an hour and a half there, riding home around the town the long way – which was very pleasant.
Monday. Feb. 25.
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I rode into the town this morning, while Theodore, Nettie and Dr. Ware walked to Mohammed Mohassibs – where we spent an hour or two talking to the old man and looking at his things. Theodore bought two or three pretty things – Mohassib presented us all with parting souvenirs – and we said a prolonged and quite an affectionate goodbye. Before we started on our walk this morning we had the two little arab sisters, who when we were in Luxor on our way up, moored at the gezireh on the other side of the river, used to come every day with their father, who looked after our fowls and sheep. They were such pretty children, with the most impossible garments in rags hanging about them – the older one with a bad cough. I used to watch the younger one, who was a perfect beauty of roundness and grace, as she played with the wind and in the water, with the grace and natural abandonment of a young animal – and I told Selim to tell the father to go over to Luxor and buy each of them a dress and a pair of drawer, and I would pay for them. So the day after they came immensely proud and grateful to show their new clothes – a dark blue cotton dress, with an undergarment, and a thin beflowered blue cloth veil – in all of which they were not half so picturesque but much more comfortable. After we had been in Luxor this time four or five days, they discovered us, and appeared – their new clothes very much toned down by dirt and use. I gave the older child a flannel under shirt of mine, that was so shrunken I could not wear it, and she immediately retired into the depths of the wheat field at the top of the bank, and put it on, in all this unbearable heat – and although she never had worn anything so thick and warm, she persisted in keeping it on. We had them on deck – to their great delight – and gave them some oranges and sweets to carry away with them – the older girl was remarkably pretty – with perfect teeth, and the sweetest smile and her delight in everything she saw, was touching. She patted the rugs on which she sat, gazing about and saying softly to herself quies-quies (pretty). Then we made them stand in the sun and photographed them - and we had my Mohammed and Hassan move the big hooded chair into the sun, and she sat by me in it, and Nettie photographed us – altogether they had a beautiful spree – and when we came back from town, and word was given to start, and they saw preparations made, they came on deck to say goodbye, the older girl could not restrain her tears – and I felt quite broken myself, and almost wanted to carry her away with me – she was not more than 8. We got away at 1 o'clock, very glad to be moving in all that heat – the Isis came on directly behind us – the afternoon was calm, or with a flutter of South wind – and we easily made 24 miles before pulling up for the night.
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I rode into the town this morning, while Theodore, Nettie and Dr. Ware walked to Mohammed Mohassibs – where we spent an hour or two talking to the old man and looking at his things. Theodore bought two or three pretty things – Mohassib presented us all with parting souvenirs – and we said a prolonged and quite an affectionate goodbye. Before we started on our walk this morning we had the two little arab sisters, who when we were in Luxor on our way up, moored at the gezireh on the other side of the river, used to come every day with their father, who looked after our fowls and sheep. They were such pretty children, with the most impossible garments in rags hanging about them – the older one with a bad cough. I used to watch the younger one, who was a perfect beauty of roundness and grace, as she played with the wind and in the water, with the grace and natural abandonment of a young animal – and I told Selim to tell the father to go over to Luxor and buy each of them a dress and a pair of drawer, and I would pay for them. So the day after they came immensely proud and grateful to show their new clothes – a dark blue cotton dress, with an undergarment, and a thin beflowered blue cloth veil – in all of which they were not half so picturesque but much more comfortable. After we had been in Luxor this time four or five days, they discovered us, and appeared – their new clothes very much toned down by dirt and use. I gave the older child a flannel under shirt of mine, that was so shrunken I could not wear it, and she immediately retired into the depths of the wheat field at the top of the bank, and put it on, in all this unbearable heat – and although she never had worn anything so thick and warm, she persisted in keeping it on. We had them on deck – to their great delight – and gave them some oranges and sweets to carry away with them – the older girl was remarkably pretty – with perfect teeth, and the sweetest smile and her delight in everything she saw, was touching. She patted the rugs on which she sat, gazing about and saying softly to herself quies-quies (pretty). Then we made them stand in the sun and photographed them - and we had my Mohammed and Hassan move the big hooded chair into the sun, and she sat by me in it, and Nettie photographed us – altogether they had a beautiful spree – and when we came back from town, and word was given to start, and they saw preparations made, they came on deck to say goodbye, the older girl could not restrain her tears – and I felt quite broken myself, and almost wanted to carry her away with me – she was not more than 8. We got away at 1 o'clock, very glad to be moving in all that heat – the Isis came on directly behind us – the afternoon was calm, or with a flutter of South wind – and we easily made 24 miles before pulling up for the night.
Tuesday. Feb. 26.
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With a light south wind this morning we started at 6 o'clock and made 20 miles to Keneh by 10 o'clock. We stopped at the Keneh landing and Theodore and Nettie rode into the town on a vain quest for interesting antiquities – while Jones and Selim went for provisions. Then we pulled over to Denderah where the Isis was, and everybody went except myself to see the temple. The heat was too great for me – and I never find that temple very interesting. We went off, leaving the Isis, at 6 o'clock – but only made a short distance as the wind was against us.
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With a light south wind this morning we started at 6 o'clock and made 20 miles to Keneh by 10 o'clock. We stopped at the Keneh landing and Theodore and Nettie rode into the town on a vain quest for interesting antiquities – while Jones and Selim went for provisions. Then we pulled over to Denderah where the Isis was, and everybody went except myself to see the temple. The heat was too great for me – and I never find that temple very interesting. We went off, leaving the Isis, at 6 o'clock – but only made a short distance as the wind was against us.
Wednesday. Feb. 27.
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Started in a dead calm at 7 am and have made 42 miles – passing Dishneh, Kaar as Said, Karshout, and are now lying about 4 miles below Farshout – the Isis behind us. Very hot all day – it has been impossible to do anything. Thermometer in shade on deck has been up to 94 – the night very warm and still – the little new moon, and Venus perfectly reflected in the glassy water. We find the only way to keep tolerably comfortable is to close the windows in the morning early, as soon as the servants have finished cleaning, shutters, blinds and all – and possibly the canvass over them – and I am pleased to find how cool the boat can be kept – but the heat is very trying – and I almost feel as if I were again living in Ohio, during the summer.
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Started in a dead calm at 7 am and have made 42 miles – passing Dishneh, Kaar as Said, Karshout, and are now lying about 4 miles below Farshout – the Isis behind us. Very hot all day – it has been impossible to do anything. Thermometer in shade on deck has been up to 94 – the night very warm and still – the little new moon, and Venus perfectly reflected in the glassy water. We find the only way to keep tolerably comfortable is to close the windows in the morning early, as soon as the servants have finished cleaning, shutters, blinds and all – and possibly the canvass over them – and I am pleased to find how cool the boat can be kept – but the heat is very trying – and I almost feel as if I were again living in Ohio, during the summer.
Feb. 28. Thursday.
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Started at 8:30 this morning – very hot and still – and made Balliana at 1 o'clock – 14 miles. Too late to attempt Abydos. The Isis people are waiting until tomorrow too, for the expedition. But we are feeling a little doubtful tonight about it – as the heat has been extreme – 99 on deck this afternoon, under the awning – Theodore and Nettie walked down to the Isis – but I preferred the clean quiet deck – at 6 o'clock the thermometer was still at 80 – and Theodore has wisely announced that unless a cool north wind blows in the morning, he will start down. I shall be sorry not to see that beautiful Temple – and to miss that ride through the pleasant country – but it is a long one – 9 miles out.
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Started at 8:30 this morning – very hot and still – and made Balliana at 1 o'clock – 14 miles. Too late to attempt Abydos. The Isis people are waiting until tomorrow too, for the expedition. But we are feeling a little doubtful tonight about it – as the heat has been extreme – 99 on deck this afternoon, under the awning – Theodore and Nettie walked down to the Isis – but I preferred the clean quiet deck – at 6 o'clock the thermometer was still at 80 – and Theodore has wisely announced that unless a cool north wind blows in the morning, he will start down. I shall be sorry not to see that beautiful Temple – and to miss that ride through the pleasant country – but it is a long one – 9 miles out.
March 1st. Friday.
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The morning dawned hot and still – and Abydos was impossible. So we started at 8:30 as we passed the Isis, Mr. Scott-Elliot called out to Theodore that all their party excepting his wife and himself had made a very early start for Abydos – and would spend the day there – returning as late as possible. The day has been insufferably hot – thermometer was 99 on deck at 3pm – afterwards a very refreshing little wind from the north came to our relief – and we made Menshieh at 6 o'clock – and tied up at a clean sand bank opposite the town, and went for a little walk. Made today 20 miles. Ramadan began a few days ago –and the first day was strictly kept by both our Captains, and one or two of our crew. Old Salim, the cook, of course keeps it, being a Mohammedan of the strictest sect. Our coleric old Rais Mohammed, with his childish nature, was the picture of woe during the day – and unusually irascible with the sailors – and gradually as the day wore on, he accumulated at a little corner at the head of the gang way where he always stands or sits, two dishes with covers, containing food – a batch of some kind of a pickle of which they are enormously fond, a pile of dried dates, and his cigarette case – he hovered over these from time to time, and finally sat flat down upon the deck, tumbled his tobacco into his lap, and began making cigarettes. He was such a funny picture of the commanding officer of a vessel, with his bare feet sticking out from his robe. Finally the sun went down – and they had something to eat, and a smoke, and things were more serene. It is really hard on the working people – a day with nothing to eat or to smoke from sunset to sunrise. My donkey boy in Luxor was bewailing one day that Ramadan began the next day – he said "no eat – no smoke – no cigarettes – no water – no everything". Their habit too of eating enormously after the fast of the day – and keeping awake to eat most of the night, upsets them sadly – and makes one wish to try and reason with them. Our people, however, are not hurting themselves – and the fast was given up after the second day.
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The morning dawned hot and still – and Abydos was impossible. So we started at 8:30 as we passed the Isis Mr. Scott-Elliot called out to Theodore that all their party excepting his wife and himself had made a very early start for Abydos – and would spend the day there – returning as late as possible. The day has been insufferably hot – thermometer was 99 on deck at 3pm – afterwards a very refreshing little wind from the north came to our relief – and we made Menshieh at 6 o'clock – and tied up at a clean sand bank opposite the town, and went for a little walk. Made today 20 miles. Ramadan began a few days ago – and the first day was strictly kept by both our Captains, and one or two of our crew. Old Salim, the cook, of course keeps it, being a Mohammedan of the strictest sect. Our coleric old Rais Mohammed, with his childish nature, was the picture of woe during the day – and unusually irascible with the sailors – and gradually as the day wore on, he accumulated at a little corner at the head of the gang way where he always stands or sits, two dishes with covers, containing food – a batch of some kind of a pickle of which they are enormously fond, a pile of dried dates, and his cigarette case – he hovered over these from time to time, and finally sat flat down upon the deck, tumbled his tobacco into his lap, and began making cigarettes. He was such a funny picture of the commanding officer of a vessel, with his bare feet sticking out from his robe. Finally the sun went down – and they had something to eat, and a smoke, and things were more serene. It is really hard on the working people – a day with nothing to eat or to smoke from sunset to sunrise. My donkey boy in Luxor was bewailing one day that Ramadan began the next day – he said "no eat – no smoke – no cigarettes – no water – no everything". Their habit too of eating enormously after the fast of the day – and keeping awake to eat most of the night, upsets them sadly – and makes one wish to try and reason with them. Our people, however, are not hurting themselves – and the fast was given up after the second day.
Saturday. March 2.
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A cool, light north wind was blowing this morning. Started at 7 and made Akmim at noon – where we stopped, and sent into town on a vain search for the antiquity dealer of last year – he was not to be found however. We tried rowing for awhile but the north wind was too strong – and sunset found us anchored in the stream just below the town – then the wind falling a little, our Rais ventured again, but we got into a very difficult place – and finally put up the sail and sailed up the river for half a mile, and anchored to a sand bank.
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A cool, light north wind was blowing this morning. Started at 7 and made Akmim at noon – where we stopped, and sent into town on a vain search for the antiquity dealer of last year – he was not to be found however. We tried rowing for awhile but the north wind was too strong – and sunset found us anchored in the stream just below the town – then the wind falling a little, our Rais ventured again, but we got into a very difficult place – and finally put up the sail and sailed up the river for half a mile, and anchored to a sand bank.
Sunday. March 3. First Sunday in Lent.
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A cold north wind blowing all day – most refreshing – it grew so strong that we made only 3 miles – stopping all day at Sohag.
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A cold north wind blowing all day – most refreshing – it grew so strong that we made only 3 miles – stopping all day at Sohag.
Monday. March 4.
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We have made a splendid run of 64 miles today – and are now lying about 4 miles from Assiout – have passed Tahtah – Gaou and Aboutig. The morning was exquisite – I went on deck immediately after breakfast – and was there most of the day. Nothing could be more lovely than that morning effects – the cliffs a pink yellow, with heliotrope shadows sleeping in their hollows. – the water, silverly pink, reflecting every object.
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We have made a splendid run of 64 miles today – and are now lying about 4 miles from Assiout – have passed Tahtah – Gaou and Aboutig. The morning was exquisite – I went on deck immediately after breakfast – and was there most of the day. Nothing could be more lovely than that morning effects – the cliffs a pink yellow, with heliotrope shadows sleeping in their hollows. – the water, silverly pink, reflecting every object.
Tuesday. March 5.
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We were at Assiout early – and landed for our mail, and some provisions. Met all the Isis people in the bazaar – nothing seemed nice in Assiout today – but the smell of orange blossoms as we passed the big garden – and we were glad to be back on the boat again. We are at Manfalout – and have made 26 miles. The day intensely hot – 84 in the saloon early this afternoon – I went out so early, that I did not superintend the closing of the windows – the only effective way of keeping the boat cool.
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We were at Assiout early - and landed for our mail, and some provisions. Met all the Isis people in the bazaar - nothing seemed nice in Assiout today - but the smell of orange blossoms as we passed the big garden - and we were glad to be back on the boat again. We are at Manfalout - and have made 26 miles. The day intensely hot - 84 in the saloon early this afternoon - I went out so early, that I did not superintend the closing of the windows - the only effective way of keeping the boat cool.
Wednesday. March 6.
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We are still lying at Manfalout – but have moved across the river, and are anchored near a sandy beach. We found the bank at which we lay last night, very muddy – the Nile having lately left it – and the rank smell that came from it most disagreeable, and I am sure unhealthy. We have a lovely air tonight, the north wind which has been blowing a gale all day, and prevented our moving, has moderated, and is very sweet, soft and fresh. All the Isis people over here this morning. It has seemed a long day – so hot – and under the necessity of lying quietly by.
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We are still lying at Manfalout - but have moved across the river, and are anchored near a sandy beach. We found the bank at which we lay last night, very muddy - the Nile having lately left it - and the rank smell that came from it most disagreeable, and I am sure unhealthy. We have a lovely air tonight, the north wind which has been blowing a gale all day, and prevented our moving, has moderated, and is very sweet, soft and fresh. All the Isis people over here this morning. It has seemed a long day - so hot - and under the necessity of lying quietly by.
Thursday. March 7.
-
A north wind all day – but we have managed to make 25 miles – passing the big Aboufoydah chain. We overtook the Isis early in the day – and were also in company with the London, a dahabeah whose people had left her at Girgeh – and she was making her way down to Cairo – closed and shrouded in her canvass coverings. Late this afternoon as we sat on deck, she being very close to us, we heard shouts proceeding from a working boat that was coming up the river – and some excited talk between the two crews – on the working boat was a dragoman, with servant, who (as we learned) called out to the Rais of the London, that he was wanted by a gentleman to go to Assouan, that he would arrive by train tomorrow, and that he (the Dragoman) had orders to engage her for two months. They at once put up their oars – and unfurled their sails – and made for the shore, where the Dragoman was landing. It was such a sudden and unexpected change for the men – and they were so delighted with another engagement of 2 months – for at this time of the year they are generally falling out of work. There were many congratulations called out to them from our boat. This morning as the Postal Steamer Hatasou passed us quite close, we saw Mr. Lapsley who was waving to us, and staring at us through his glasses. We are within two or three miles of Haji Kandeel – the station for Tel el-Amarna – which we intend visiting tomorrow.
+
A north wind all day - but we have managed to make 25 miles - passing the big Aboufoydah chain. We overtook the Isis early in the day - and were also in company with the London, a dahabeah whose people had left her at Girgeh - and she was making her way down to Cairo - closed and shrouded in her canvass coverings. Late this afternoon as we sat on deck, she being very close to us, we heard shouts proceeding from a working boat that was coming up the river - and some excited talk between the two crews - on the working boat was a dragoman, with servant, who (as we learned) called out to the Rais of the London, that he was wanted by a gentleman to go to Assouan, that he would arrive by train tomorrow, and that he (the Dragoman) had orders to engage her for two months. They at once put up their oars - and unfurled their sails - and made for the shore, where the Dragoman was landing. It was such a sudden and unexpected change for the men - and they were so delighted with another engagement of 2 months - for at this time of the year they are generally falling out of work. There were many congratulations called out to them from our boat. This morning as the Postal Steamer Hatasou passed us quite close, we saw Mr. Lapsley who was waving to us, and staring at us through his glasses. We are within two or three miles of Haji Kandeel - the station for Tel el-Amarna - which we intend visiting tomorrow.
-
+ s
Friday. March 8th.
- A heavy north wind blowing all the morning. In the afternoon floating and rowing we reached Haji Kandeel about 4 o'clock. A very noisy unpromising crowd of natives gathered on the shore – and such a vociferation went on, I was forced to come below, to get away from them. Theodore and Nettie walked about on shore. The Isis having come up with us this evening, Dr. Ware came over, and we all had a game of domino whist. We are all to go to the Tel el Amarna tombs tomorrow.
+ A heavy north wind blowing all the morning. In the afternoon floating and rowing we reached Haji Kandeel about 4 o'clock. A very noisy unpromising crowd of natives gathered on the shore - and such a vociferation went on, I was forced to come below, to get away from them. Theodore and Nettie walked about on shore. The Isis having come up with us this evening, Dr. Ware came over, and we all had a game of domino whist. We are all to go to the Tel el Amarna tombs tomorrow.
Saturday. March 9th.
-
The day dawned very gray and cold – high wind – having taken cold a day or two ago, I wisely decided to stay in the boat. A still more noisy, rude and vociferous crowd, with their donkeys about the boat, and the choice of the latter was not difficult, when all were so poor and jaded. They came back about 11 o'clock having seen part of the grottoes or tomb – and very tired of their poor donkeys. The guides did not know anything about the grottoes – and instead of going to the North, which are the best, and seeing the tomb of Amenophis IV or Khuenaten, they had only gone to the south – and missed the rest. Nettie's donkey fell with her, and gave her quite a shock. We came away from that noisy shore at once, but the north wind was so strong, that after struggling against it for half an hour, we took refuge at the end of a sand bank, opposite and a little way blow, the Isis, and anchored strongly – the water rushing in real waves past us – and the sand flying furiously and her we are for the night I suppose – as, although there is a full moon – there is little prospect of the wind dying out.
+
The day dawned very gray and cold - high wind - having taken cold a day or two ago, I wisely decided to stay in the boat. A still more noisy, rude and vociferous crowd, with their donkeys about the boat, and the choice of the latter was not difficult, when all were so poor and jaded. They came back about 11 o'clock having seen part of the grottoes or tomb - and very tired of their poor donkeys. The guides did not know anything about the grottoes - and instead of going to the North, which are the best, and seeing the tomb of Amenophis IV or Khuenaten, they had only gone to the south - and missed the rest. Nettie's donkey fell with her, and gave her quite a shock. We came away from that noisy shore at once, but the north wind was so strong, that after struggling against it for half an hour, we took refuge at the end of a sand bank, opposite and a little way blow, the Isis, and anchored strongly - the water rushing in real waves past us - and the sand flying furiously and her we are for the night I suppose - as, although there is a full moon - there is little prospect of the wind dying out.
2nd Sunday in Lent. March 10.
-
A great gale has prevailed all day – we have not stirred from our moorings – except as we are battered about by the wind. We rowed until 3 o'clock am last night – and our men are having a good rest today. My cold very bad – indoors all day. Dr. Ware came over to lunch – 20 miles.
+
A great gale has prevailed all day - we have not stirred from our moorings - except as we are battered about by the wind. We rowed until 3 o'clock am last night - and our men are having a good rest today. My cold very bad - indoors all day. Dr. Ware came over to lunch - 20 miles.
Monday. March 11th.
-
We started at 6 o'clock this morning, and in spite of a north wind, we reached Beni Hasan at 10 o'clock. The morning was very gray, the first gray day of the winter – and so cool that I did not venture out to the tombs with Theodore and Nettie. We were off at one o'clock and reached Minieh at 10 P.M. making 25 -1/2 miles.
+
We started at 6 o'clock this morning, and in spite of a north wind, we reached Beni Hasan at 10 o'clock. The morning was very gray, the first gray day of the winter - and so cool that I did not venture out to the tombs with Theodore and Nettie. We were off at one o'clock and reached Minieh at 10 P.M. making 25 -1/2 miles.
Tuesday. March 12.
-
The north wind not quite so strong today. Jones went into the town immediately after breakfast and got our mail – then we were off – and brought up about 3 o'clock within 5 miles of Abou Girgeh. The moon rose tonight about 8 – splendid and big with a yellow light that was really reflected on the sky about her. We have made 30 miles.
+
The north wind not quite so strong today. Jones went into the town immediately after breakfast and got our mail - then we were off - and brought up about 3 o'clock within 5 miles of Abou Girgeh. The moon rose tonight about 8 - splendid and big with a yellow light that was really reflected on the sky about her. We have made 30 miles.
+
Wednesday. March 13.
-
We have made a fine run of 43 miles today – and are now at Bibeh – and about half way between Feshu and Beni Soef. The day beautiful and calm and warm. I was a great deal on deck. The night a repetition of last night – full, resplendent moon – and very calm.
+
We have made a fine run of 43 miles today - and are now at Bibeh - and about half way between Feshu and Beni Soef. The day beautiful and calm and warm. I was a great deal on deck. The night a repetition of last night - full, resplendent moon - and very calm.
Thursday. March 14.
-
The day has been very hot – I was on deck in the morning until the north wind grew too strong – have passed Benisoef and Wasta, and made 38 miles – and have pulled up at Rikkeh. The splendid Meydoum pyramid has been in sight all the afternoon. The wind is raging tonight. The Isis just ahead of us.
+
The day has been very hot - I was on deck in the morning until the north wind grew too strong - have passed Benisoef and Wasta, and made 38 miles - and have pulled up at Rikkeh. The splendid Meydoum pyramid has been in sight all the afternoon. The wind is raging tonight. The Isis just ahead of us.
Friday. March 15.
-
We haven't stirred today – as the north wind is still howling and knocking us about. I couldn't sleep last night because of the racket – and when about 2 o'clock on or our cables parted at the stern and we swung about in the stream, rolling from side to side as if we were at sea, I was almost alarmed. There was a great row about it. Miss Wallace and Dr. Ware came to lunch – and we are able to go over and dine with them this evening.
+
We haven't stirred today - as the north wind is still howling and knocking us about. I couldn't sleep last night because of the racket - and when about 2 o'clock on or our cables parted at the stern and we swung about in the stream, rolling from side to side as if we were at sea, I was almost alarmed. There was a great row about it. Miss Wallace and Dr. Ware came to lunch - and we are able to go over and dine with them this evening.
Saturday. March 16.
-
We have just pulled up to the bank at Bedraheya – after a wearing row from 6 o'clock, until 8:30 tonight. Our poor men are very tired – but as cheerful as possible. We have made 34 miles – in the face of a strong north wind that has not abated for one minute.
+
We have just pulled up to the bank at Bedraheya - after a wearing row from 6 o'clock, until 8:30 tonight. Our poor men are very tired - but as cheerful as possible. We have made 34 miles - in the face of a strong north wind that has not abated for one minute.
Sunday. March 17. 3d Sunday in Lent.
-
The Isis appeared early this morning – landing just in front of us – and we all started for Sakkarah soon after breakfast – I however only getting as far as Memphis – where the temple lie, that we saw excavated last time we were here. The wind was very strong – and increased with the day – blinding clouds of dust and sand. The rest arrived at 4 o'clock – complaining much of the wind and dust. We cannot of course get away while this wind holds.
+
The Isis appeared early this morning - landing just in front of us - and we all started for Sakkarah soon after breakfast - I however only getting as far as Memphis - where the temple lie, that we saw excavated last time we were here. The wind was very strong - and increased with the day - blinding clouds of dust and sand. The rest arrived at 4 o'clock - complaining much of the wind and dust. We cannot of course get away while this wind holds.
Monday. March 18.
-
Still lying at Bedrasheyn tossed about by the wind. The Isis people, whose lease has expired today, telegraphed to Cook for a tug and went off triumphantly just at dusk.
+
Still lying at Bedrasheyn tossed about by the wind. The Isis people, whose lease has expired today, telegraphed to Cook for a tug and went off triumphantly just at dusk.
Ghizeh. March 19.
-
To our great joy the wind fell last night suddenly about 12 o'clock. We were off at once, and our men easily made the 12 miles here by 3 o'clock – and when we got up we found ourselves just behind the Isis – who it seems only got in two hours before us, the tug having broken down when they had made about 5 miles. They left the boat immediately after breakfast, and went out ot the Mena House where they will stay sometime – and the Isis at once turned out into the stream and made for the Cook landing at Cairo looking very deserted to us. Theodore went into Cairo this morning on his donkey – to see about our rooms at Shepheards – and to get our mail. Nettie and I went over to the Museum –and I saw for the first time the wonderfully interesting and beautiful things found within the past few months at Dahshour. The exquisite jewelry – the wooden statue, of King Hor, and his sentry box in which the statue was enclosed – the sarcophagi – and the extraordinary group of soldiers – in 2 groups – of 40 each – the figures about a foot high – and executed in the most life like manner – one company of Egyptians, and the other of Soudanese – it is extraordinary work for the 12th Dynasty. As we were coming out of the Museum, we saw Mary Parsons, whom Theodore had hoped to see at Shepheards. Theodore brought a great bunch of letters and papers – and after lunch we all went again over to the Museum.
+
To our great joy the wind fell last night suddenly about 12 o'clock. We were off at once, and our men easily made the 12 miles here by 3 o'clock - and when we got up we found ourselves just behind the Isis - who it seems only got in two hours before us, the tug having broken down when they had made about 5 miles. They left the boat immediately after breakfast, and went out to the Mena House where they will stay sometime - and the Isis at once turned out into the stream and made for the Cook landing at Cairo looking very deserted to us. Theodore went into Cairo this morning on his donkey - to see about our rooms at Shepheards - and to get our mail. Nettie and I went over to the Museum - and I saw for the first time the wonderfully interesting and beautiful things found within the past few months at Dahshour. The exquisite jewelry - the wooden statue, of King Hor, and his sentry box in which the statue was enclosed - the sarcophagi - and the extraordinary group of soldiers - in 2 groups - of 40 each - the figures about a foot high - and executed in the most life like manner - one company of Egyptians, and the other of Soudanese - it is extraordinary work for the 12th Dynasty. As we were coming out of the Museum, we saw Mary Parsons, whom Theodore had hoped to see at Shepheards. Theodore brought a great bunch of letters and papers - and after lunch we all went again over to the Museum.
Wednesday, March 20.
-
Mary Parsons and Mis Crane appeared quite early this morning – and were quite interested in going over the dahabeah. When they had gone, we stared out to the Pyramids, Theodore and Nettie on their donkeys – and I in the bid landau with Mahommed on the box – we were just in time for lunch with the Isis people – and afterwards Theodore and Nettie went over to the Pyramids – while I sat on the terrace and waited = and was bored, and devoured with flies – and the day was very blustering and like a March day at home – so that driving back I had the top of the carriage raised, and wrapped myself in my big cloak. Mary Parsons came to dine and pass the night, and she is much delighted with our life on board. Our men gave one of their best concerts and did some dancing, and we sat on deck, enclosed by the awnings with the lanterns lighted, until we were forced to go below by the chill night air. Tomorrow begins the unpleasant work of dismantling – settling with the men and leaving the boat – which in spite of my great joy and satisfaction in finishing this Nile journey, still has an element of sadness in it – for after all, this Herodotus has been our home for 2 winters.
+
Mary Parsons and Miss Crane appeared quite early this morning - and were quite interested in going over the dahabeah. When they had gone, we stared out to the Pyramids, Theodore and Nettie on their donkeys - and I in the big landau with Mahommed on the box - we were just in time for lunch with the Isis people - and afterwards Theodore and Nettie went over to the Pyramids - while I sat on the terrace and waited = and was bored, and devoured with flies - and the day was very blustering and like a March day at home - so that driving back I had the top of the carriage raised, and wrapped myself in my big cloak. Mary Parsons came to dine and pass the night, and she is much delighted with our life on board. Our men gave one of their best concerts and did some dancing, and we sat on deck, enclosed by the awnings with the lanterns lighted, until we were forced to go below by the chill night air. Tomorrow begins the unpleasant work of dismantling - settling with the men and leaving the boat - which in spite of my great joy and satisfaction in finishing this Nile journey, still has an element of sadness in it - for after all, this Herodotus has been our home for 2 winters.
Thursday. March 21st.
- Cairo. ref="#Shepheards_Hotel">Shepheards Hotel.
+ Cairo. Shepheards Hotel.
-
We came across the river and down to Cairo directly after breakfast. Theodore took Mary ashore, and goes to the bazaar with her and Miss Crane – and Nettie and I, with Jones, pitched into the business of packing – our pretty adornments and personal things were soon hauled down from the walls, and when Theodore came back to lunch he found a dismantled boat, and stumbled everywhere over trunks and boxes. After lunch, I sat down to write references for such of the men that we give them to, that is the Captains, 2 indoor men and cook – and Theodore began piling up various little heaps of gold, intended for baksheesh for every body. The first Captain, Reis Mohammed got six pounds – our favorite Reis Fuls, 2 – Capt. Got 4 pounds – the cook Salim 10 pounds – and each sailor 1 pound. This baksheesh business is always an uncertain affair – depending entirely on the generosity of the person who hires the dahabeah – and has nothing whatever to do with the regular wages of the men. There is always great expectancy on their part, and very often no doubt, great disappointment. About 4 o'clock, all these affairs having been wound up, we bade a warm farewell to all, and departed for Shepheards – where we are now most comfortably installed in the same apartment we had in December. But what an age ago that seems!
+
We came across the river and down to Cairo directly after breakfast. Theodore took Mary Parsons ashore, and goes to the bazaar with her and Miss Crane - and Nettie and I, with Jones, pitched into the business of packing - our pretty adornments and personal things were soon hauled down from the walls, and when Theodore came back to lunch he found a dismantled boat, and stumbled everywhere over trunks and boxes. After lunch, I sat down to write references for such of the men that we give them to, that is the Captains, 2 indoor men and cook - and Theodore began piling up various little heaps of gold, intended for baksheesh for every body. The first Captain, Reis Mohammed got six pounds - our favorite Reis FulsFuli, 2 - Capt. Got 4 pounds - the cook Salim 10 pounds - and each sailor 1 pound. This baksheesh business is always an uncertain affair - depending entirely on the generosity of the person who hires the dahabeah - and has nothing whatever to do with the regular wages of the men. There is always great expectancy on their part, and very often no doubt, great disappointment. About 4 o'clock, all these affairs having been wound up, we bade a warm farewell to all, and departed for Shepheards - where we are now most comfortably installed in the same apartment we had in December. But what an age ago that seems!
@@ -469,39 +470,40 @@
Alexandria.
March 28.
-
Although we should have sailed this morning at 10 o'clock, we are still tied strongly to the dock, with the wind blowing a furious gale, and making it impossible to put to sea. We left Cairo yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock – and spent last night at the Khedivial Hotel. We had six days in Cairo, which we used to the best advantage we could. I went over to the Bazaar once – and once again to the Museum, where I saw the 9 wonderful statues of one of the Usertesens, found at Lisht, and the beautiful statue in basalt of Osiris, found at Medinet Habou. One afternoon Theodore and I drove to the Gezireh Hotel which I had not seen, and called on the Isis people. It is quite magnificent – there can be no other quite so splendid – as it was the favorite palace of the old Ismail Pacha, who was buried the other day in Cairo. On this palace he lavished millions – and I can well believe it. The extensive grounds are very beautiful and highly cultivated. We walked around to the Casino, and had tea on the terrace, where there was a gay throng of every nationality. The air was full of the fragrance of orange blossoms. I had one other little drive one afternoon, but that was all, as the wind blew violently every day, and the dust was omnipresent. Mary Parsons and the three ladies she was travelling with (among them Miss Gifford, aunt of Edie Gifford of Milwaukie, and a very sweet attractive woman) were at Shepheards, and on their way to Syria. Mary was so unwell, and unfit for uncertain Syrian travel, that it was thought best she should join our party and return home with us – which to our great pleasure she did. We used to spend hours at the carpet bazaar of Madjar's next the hotel – a most curious, delightful and original little old goose it has ever been my pleasure to meet. Theodore bought some lovely things of him, and the bargaining between the two, used to be a thing to hear. Much of our time was spent in the effort to arrange a method of studying English for our 2 faithful Mahommedan boys, Mahomet and Hassan – and an arrangement was finally made with the head of the American Mission School, to provide them with a private tutor for one hour each day, a shilling an hour – for, as they know nothing of study or application it would be impossible for them to go into a school – and we want and they are very anxious to learn to speak English – as it improves their chances as sailors, and for everything. Theodore arranged to give them a pound a month for their living expenses – and they were to get a little room somewhere and live in it. We bought them some new clothes – gave them 2 table sand chairs we had had on the dahabeah, a big straw mat for the floor, and a big red thick blanket – towels – candles and candle-stick. Yossen our young Arab Copy friend, who is in business in Cairo is to have a friendly eye over them – and Mr. Bachelor the Manager of Shepheards received the money from Theodore, with exact written directions, and kindly offered to give it to the boy on their monthly application – so that we left them in very good shape. Dr. Ware came to luncheon on our last day, and all the Isis people to tea the afternoon before. Mahomet and Hassan were with us most of the time, and at the station we found Abbecatio and old Selim – and the last thing we saw as the train moved off, was our 2 poor boys looking bereft and distressed. We are rather pleased with the look of this boat – but have always avoided this line, it was a necessity however, as we could not get into any other boat sailing about this time.
+
Although we should have sailed this morning at 10 o'clock, we are still tied strongly to the dock, with the wind blowing a furious gale, and making it impossible to put to sea. We left Cairo yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock - and spent last night at the Khedivial Hotel. We had six days in Cairo which we used to the best advantage we could. I went over to the Bazaar once - and once again to the Museum, where I saw the 9 wonderful statues of one of the Usertesens, found at Lisht, and the beautiful statue in basalt of Osiris, found at Medinet Habou. One afternoon Theodore and I drove to the Gezireh Hotel which I had not seen, and called on the Isis people. It is quite magnificent - there can be no other quite so splendid - as it was the favorite palace of the old Ismail Pacha, who was buried the other day in Cairo. On this palace he lavished millions - and I can well believe it. The extensive grounds are very beautiful and highly cultivated. We walked around to the Casino, and had tea on the terrace, where there was a gay throng of every nationality. The air was full of the fragrance of orange blossoms. I had one other little drive one afternoon, but that was all, as the wind blew violently every day, and the dust was omnipresent. Mary Parsons and the three ladies she was travelling with (among them Miss Gifford, aunt of Edie Gifford of Milwaukie, and a very sweet attractive woman) were at Shepheards and on their way to Syria. Mary was so unwell, and unfit for uncertain Syrian travel, that it was thought best she should join our party and return home with us - which to our great pleasure she did. We used to spend hours at the carpet bazaar of Madjar's next the hotel - a most curious, delightful and original little old goose it has ever been my pleasure to meet. Theodore bought some lovely things of him, and the bargaining between the two, used to be a thing to hear. Much of our time was spent in the effort to arrange a method of studying English for our 2 faithful Mahommedan boys, Mahomet and Hassan - and an arrangement was finally made with the head of the American Mission School, to provide them with a private tutor for one hour each day, a shilling an hour - for, as they know nothing of study or application it would be impossible for them to go into a school - and we want and they are very anxious to learn to speak English - as it improves their chances as sailors, and for everything. Theodore arranged to give them a pound a month for their living expenses - and they were to get a little room somewhere and live in it. We bought them some new clothes - gave them 2 tables and chairs we had had on the dahabeah, a big straw mat for the floor, and a big red thick blanket - towels - candles and candle-stick. Yessen our young Arab Copy friend, who is in business in Cairo is to have a friendly eye over them - and Mr. Bachelor the Manager of Shepheards received the money from Theodore, with exact written directions, and kindly offered to give it to the boy on their monthly application = so that we left them in very good shape. Dr. Ware came to luncheon on our last day, and all the Isis people to tea the afternoon before. Mahomet and Hassan were with us most of the time, and at the station we found Abbecatto and old Selim - and the last thing we saw as the train moved off, was our 2 poor boys looking bereft and distressed. We are rather pleased with the look of this boat - but have always avoided this line, it was a necessity however, as we could not get into any other boat sailing about this time.
- ref="#Hotel_Royal_Grande_Bretagne">Hotel, Grand Bretagne.
+ Hotel, Grand Bretagne.
Florence.
April 7th. Palm Sunday.
-
We have passed many an uncomfortable hour since I last made an entry in this journal. We got off from Alexandria the morning after but soon after sailing lost one of the sailors overboard, who fortunately was able to swim and get onto a buoy – a small boat with 6 men was sent out to him in the heavy sea, and was capsized, and had it not been for 2 pilot boats in the neighborhood, who went to their assistance, all the 7 could have been lost. It was more than 3 hours before we got them on board, during which time we lay at anchor, tossing and rolling. The Singapore proved to be very slow, very dirty – badly officered – bad food – and a noisy lot of Germans and Italians – and I thought the days and particularly, the nights would never end. On the first of April we arrived at Messina, where we stayed 12 hours. We went ashore and drove about the rather uninteresting Italian town – the dust and wind being the principal factors. The next morning we were at Naples, where the boat was to stay 40 hours – and we delightfully made preparations to spend the day and night on shore. We drove to the Grand Hotel, which we found overflowing with people – and were obliged to go up to the Wet End where we got very pleasant rooms. But the weather was cold, wind high, and a thick atmosphere – and Vesuvius quite invisible. I was not well during the night, and the next morning when Jone appeared from the Singapore, saying she would not leave until sometime in the night, and would take 24 hours to Leghorn, where we had expected to leave her, we held solemn council and decided to go directly by rail to Florence. So Jones was sent back to the boat to pack and bring away our trunks, and Theodore went off to secure a compartment in the night train to Rome, and the Dr. was sent for to see me and say if I was fit to start, and the upshot of the whole thing was, that we had a very comfortable night on the train arriving in Rome at 6:30am. We drove to the Quirinal Hotel o short a distance off, and had a good wash, followed by a delicious breakfast in the restaurant, and were off to Florence at 8:30 – reaching there at 2:30. The town is very, very full – and we had some difficulty about the number of our rooms – but are not quite pleasantly settled. Yesterday morning Theodore, Mary and I went to the Uffizzi – Nettie not being well enough to go with us. Dr. Baldwin and Mr. Berenson came to tea yesterday in the afternoon – and directly after lunch today Theodore, Mary and I drove to Fiesole, and out over the Mts. Theodore went off by himself this morning to the Pitti – Mary to church – and I stayed home with Nettie, who though better is still weak – but there is now no danger of any fever, as we feared at first there might be. The Quincy Shaws of Boston, with Mrs. Louis Agassiz are in this hotel, and Miss Shaw and Mrs. Agassiz came to tea yesterday afternoon. We met the Bronsons yesterday driving – and Mrs. B. called today.
+
We have passed many an uncomfortable hour since I last made an entry in this journal. We got off from Alexandria the morning after but soon after sailing lost one of the sailors overboard, who fortunately was able to swim and get onto a buoy - a small boat with 6 men was sent out to him in the heavy sea, and was capsized, and had it not been for 2 pilot boats in the neighborhood, who went to their assistance, all the 7 could have been lost. It was more than 3 hours before we got them on board, during which time we lay at anchor, tossing and rolling. The SS Singapore proved to be very slow, very dirty - badly officered - bad food - and a noisy lot of Germans and Italians - and I thought the days and particularly, the nights would never end. On the first of April we arrived at Messina, where we stayed 12 hours. We went ashore and drove about the rather uninteresting Italian town - the dust and wind being the principal factors. The next morning we were at Naples, where the boat was to stay 40 hours - and we delightfully made preparations to spend the day and night on shore. We drove to the Grand Hotel, which we found overflowing with people - and were obliged to go up to the Wet End where we got very pleasant rooms. But the weather was cold, wind high, and a thick atmosphere - and Vesuvius quite invisible. I was not well during the night, and the next morning when Jones appeared from the SS Singapore, saying she would not leave until sometime in the night, and would take 24 hours to Leghorn, where we had expected to leave her, we held solemn council and decided to go directly by rail to Florence. So Jones was sent back to the boat to pack and bring away our trunks, and Theodore went off to secure a compartment in the night train to Rome, and the Dr. was sent for to see me and say if I was fit to start, and the upshot of the whole thing was, that we had a very comfortable night on the train arriving in Rome at 6:30am. We drove to the Quirinal Hotel so short a distance off, and had a good wash, followed by a delicious breakfast in the restaurant, and were off to Florence at 8:30 - reaching there at 2:30. The town is very, very full - and we had some difficulty about the number of our rooms - but are not quite pleasantly settled. Yesterday morning Theodore, Mary and I went to the Uffizzi - Nettie not being well enough to go with us. Dr. Baldwin and Mr. Berenson came to tea yesterday in the afternoon - and directly after lunch today Theodore, Mary and I drove to Fiesole, and out over the Mts. Theodore went off by himself this morning to the Pitti palace - Mary to church - and I stayed home with Nettie, who though better is still weak - but there is now no danger of any fever, as we feared at first there might be. The Quincy Shaws of Boston, with Mrs. Louis Agassiz are in this hotel, and Miss Shaw and Mrs. Agassiz came to tea yesterday afternoon. We met the Bronsons yesterday driving - and Mrs. B. called today.
+
Wednesday. April 10.
-
We are all ready to leave this delicious Florence tomorrow – though we do it very unwillingly – but our time is short, and beautiful and interesting things so crowd upon one here, that choice is difficult. We have arranged a little driving tour with Mr. Berenson who will go with us – and will start tomorrow for Sienna. The Dr. thinks Nettie can now safely venture. We have had some delicious drives and walks – and visits to galleries and churches. Among the things I had never before seen were the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the chapel of the Riccardi palace – which I knew and admired greatly from my photographs of them – that the dark, irregularly shaped little chapel was a surprising disappointment to me – though the frescoes were not. One afternoon Mr. Berenson took us to see the new Boticelli which has lately been discovered in the Pitti palace. It seems that an old gentleman who knew all about pictures, went one day to call on the Duke of Aosta in his apartment at the Pitti and being left to cool his heels sometime in the antechamber, noticed high up in a dark corner a picture which he thought in the Botticelli style and knowing that a certain painting of his known once to have existed was now lost, he went to the director of the Museum and told him what he had seen. The result was that the picture was removed to one of the private rooms of the Uffizzi –and the world has found a new art treasure – though it was not the picture that had been searched for so long – and no one at the present time knew that Botticelli had painted such a picture as this. It is a picture of a woman charmingly painted in Botticelli's best manner, standing by a centaur. Mr. Berenson has written a pamphlet on the subject, which I hope soon to see. It is not yet exhibited to the public, and we saw it only through Mr. Berenson. We took Mrs. Fearing with us – and she went with us to some of the galleries. There are so many Americans in Florence at the moment. The Dan Fearings are at the Hotel de la Ville, near us. Today Nettie went out in the morning for a drive, and then again in the afternoon to San Miniato, and went into the church for a few minutes. This morning I went to Palotti's with Theodore, where we met the Thatcher Adams and Mrs. Bronson. Theodore bought some lovely old Venetian brocade, and four charming cushions of green Genoa velvet.
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We are all ready to leave this delicious Florence tomorrow - though we do it very unwillingly - but our time is short, and beautiful and interesting things so crowd upon one here, that choice is difficult. We have arranged a little driving tour with Mr. Berenson who will go with us - and will start tomorrow for Sienna. The Dr. thinks Nettie can now safely venture. We have had some delicious drives and walks - and visits to galleries and churches. Among the things I had never before seen were the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the chapel of the Riccardipalace - which I knew and admired greatly from my photographs of them - that the dark, irregularly shaped little chapel was a surprising disappointment to me - though the frescoes were not. One afternoon Mr. Berenson took us to see the new Boticelli which has lately been discovered in the Pitti palace. It seems that an old gentleman who knew all about pictures, went one day to call on the Duke of Aosta in his apartment at the Pitti and being left to cool his heels sometime in the antechamber, noticed high up in a dark corner a picture which he thought in the Botticelli style and knowing that a certain painting of his known once to have existed was now lost, he went to the director of the Museum and told him what he had seen. The result was that the picture was removed to one of the private rooms of the Uffizzi - and the world has found a new art treasure - though it was not the picture that had been searched for so long - and no one at the present time knew that Botticelli had painted such a picture as this. It is a picture of a woman charmingly painted in Botticelli's best manner, standing by a centaur. Mr. Berenson has written a pamphlet on the subject, which I hope soon to see. It is not yet exhibited to the public, and we saw it only through Mr. Berenson. We took Mrs. Fearing with us - and she went with us to some of the galleries. There are so many Americans in Florence at the moment. The Dan Fearings are at the Hotel de la Ville, near us. Today Nettie went out in the morning for a drive, and then again in the afternoon to San Miniato, and went into the church for a few minutes. This morning I went to Palotti's with Theodore, where we met the Thatcher Adams and Mrs. Bronson. Theodore bought some lovely old Venetian brocade, and four charming cushions of green Genoa velvet.
Saturday, April 13.
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We left Florence on Thursday morning soon after breakfast in two landaus – sending Jones with the heavy luggage by train – and stopping two hours during the middle of the day for rest and lunch – reached Sienna by 6:30 – the distance being 40 miles. It was an enchanting drive – the day was perfect – the roads likewise – leading over the hills and down the hills, and along the valleys – the country very hilly, with strange abrupt little hills, almost every one crowned with a walled town, or a convent, or a fortress. Olive orcharcs and vineyards everywhere, violets and anemones and periwinkles blooming along the banks and roadsides. We went clattering through the narrow, tony street of one little town after another – and with our jingling bells and creaking whips – and as it was Holy Thursday all the people were out in their best attire, and having a holiday. I had never posted through Italy before – and we were enchanted with the mode of travel – and I was not one bit tired on reaching Sienna – which is very effective on the crest of its 3 hills as it were, with its campaniles and tower, and great encircling wall. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Royal de Seinne, was an old palace and stands high above the valley with beautiful views, and our lofty rooms open on to a stone parapet overlooking the neighborhood to the wet – Nettie is again not well – and I have been staying at home with her all day – she got too tired I fear the other day on her drive here. Yesterday we sallied out early under Berenson's leadership, and walked about the town, visiting the Palazzo Publico, the great town hall, built in the latter part of the 11th century. Close to it rises the slender campanile called Del Mangia – it stands in the square now called Vittorio Emanuele, and used to be the Piazza del Campo – it is strangely semicircular in form, and rising like an amphitheatre. Dante, in his Purgatorio speaks of this piazza. The interior is very interesting – with frescoes of the Siennese masters – a large one of the Virgin and child, with a canopy borne by saints, and opposite an equestrian portrait of a martial figure of Fogliani de Ricci – by Simone Martini. In the Sala dei Nova, are frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted in 1337-39 – much injured by dampness, but most quaint and interesting. Then we went to the Duomo, which was begun in the early part of the 13th century. It is built in courses of white and black marble, which at first give a very bizarre effect – but the infinite variety of detail, and the richness of the marbles make the interior very interesting. The pavement too is remarkably rich in graffiti – though much of it is covered with boards and cannot be seen.
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We left Florence on Thursday morning soon after breakfast in two landaus - sending Jones with the heavy luggage by train - and stopping two hours during the middle of the day for rest and lunch - reached Sienna by 6:30 - the distance being 40 miles. It was an enchanting drive- the day was perfect - the roads likewise - leading over the hills and down the hills, and along the valleys - the country very hilly, with strange abrupt little hills, almost every one crowned with a walled town, or a convent, or a fortress. Olive orcharcs and vineyards everywhere, violets and anemones and periwinkles blooming along the banks and roadsides. We went clattering through the narrow, tony street of one little town after another - and with our jingling bells and creaking whips - and as it was Holy Thursday all the people were out in their best attire, and having a holiday. I had never posted through Italy before - and we were enchanted with the mode of travel - and I was not one bit tired on reaching Sienna - which is very effective on the crest of its 3 hills as it were, with its campaniles and tower, and great encircling wall. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Royal de Seinne, was an old palace and stands high above the valley with beautiful views, and our lofty rooms open on to a stone parapet overlooking the neighborhood to the wet - Nettie is again not well - and I have been staying at home with her all day - she got too tired I fear the other day on her drive here. Yesterday we sallied out early under Berenson's leadership, and walked about the town, visiting the Palazzo Publico, the great town hall, built in the latter part of the 11th century. Close to it rises the slender campanile called Del Mangia - it stands in the square now called Vittorio Emanuele, and used to be the Piazza del Campo - it is strangely semicircular in form, and rising like an amphitheatre. Dante, in his Purgatorio speaks of this piazza. The interior is very interesting - with frescoes of the Siennese masters - a large one of the Virgin and child, with a canopy borne by saints, and opposite an equestrian portrait of a martial figure of Fogliani de Ricci - by Simone Martini. In the Sala dei Nova, are frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted in 1337-39 - much injured by dampness, but most quaint and interesting. Then we went to the Duomo, which was begun in the early part of the 13th century. It is built in courses of white and black marble, which at first give a very bizarre effect - but the infinite variety of detail, and the richness of the marbles make the interior very interesting. The pavement too is remarkably rich in graffiti - though much of it is covered with boards and cannot be seen.
Easter, April 14.
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We spent most of the morning at the Duomo, listening to a high mass – music not very good, but the whole scene was impressive. When we all became quite frozen we came away. It has been raining a little all day – and I have been indoors all the afternoon. At sunset last evening, Theodore, Mary and I walked to the fortress as it is called, or the "Lizza" a beautiful promenade with fine trees and shrubberies up the side of a former fortress built by Charles V, - giving charming views from its height over plain and mountains.
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We spent most of the morning at the Duomo, listening to a high mass - music not very good, but the whole scene was impressive. When we all became quite frozen we came away. It has been raining a little all day - and I have been indoors all the afternoon. At sunset last evening, Theodore, Mary and I walked to the fortress as it is called, or the "Lizza" a beautiful promenade with fine trees and shrubberies up the side of a former fortress built by Charles V, - giving charming views from its height over plain and mountains.
Easter Monday, April 15.
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The rain of yesterday has given place to a cloudy cold day – and putting on our warmest wraps we went after breakfast to the Baptistry of the Duomo, which I called S. Giovanni, and forms a kind of crypt – though the front is open to the small piazza of S. Giovanni. There is here the most wonderful marble font, with splendid bronze reliefs by Ghiberti and J. della Quercia, and Donatello. There are 2 especially beautiful bronzes by Donatello at the corners of the reliefs – figures of Hope and Faith – the lines so grand – the pose so dignified and natural – and 3 delicious little bronze cherubs, quite perfect – the beautiful marble work is by della Quercia. Then we went to the Opera del Duomo, over the way and saw many wondrous things. Quite the most wonderful were the paintings of Duccio di Buoninsegna an early Sienese painter of the 13th century. I have never before seen any of his works – and in the novelty of the surprise I am almost ready to declare they are the mot beautiful things I have ever seen – certainly I have never seen more exquisite, sweet, religious entiment. A large Madonna with child and saints, and 26 little pictures illustrating the life of Christ. Afterwards we went into the Duomo, where was a large congregation and a monk preaching in the most energetic manner. We walked about and then went into the small and rich capel of S. Giovanni – an admirable Renaissance work – with a statue of John the Baptist in bronze by Donatello – a font by Jacopo della Quercia – and small frescoes by Pintoricchio and Baldassare Peruzzi – illustrative of the life of the Baptist. Then into the Library of the Duomo – a magnificent vaulted room, with enormous frescoes by Pintoricchio – rather crude in colouring but fine in treatment and perspective – with a superb collection of old Missals, some of them with exquisite miniatures by Liberali da Verona. Then across the street to the hospital of S. Maria della Scala – just after we had entered the handsome entrance hall a large company of the brothers of the Misericordia came in bearning a bier like stretcher with a sick person on it – and as they formed in line and waited, they made quite a scene in their long black robes and cowls. The hospital looked very clean – and in the church was a beautiful organ with artistic brass work by Peruzzi.
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The rain of yesterday has given place to a cloudy cold day - and putting on our warmest wraps we went after breakfast to the Baptistry of the Duomo, which I called S. Giovanni, and forms a kind of crypt - though the front is open to the small piazza of S. Giovanni. There is here the most wonderful marble font, with splendid bronze reliefs by Ghiberti and J. della Quercia, and Donatello. There are 2 especially beautiful bronzes by Donatello at the corners of the reliefs - figures of Hope and Faith - the lines so grand - the pose so dignified and natural - and 3 delicious little bronze cherubs, quite perfect - the beautiful marble work is by della Quercia. Then we went to the Opera del Duomo, over the way and saw many wondrous things. Quite the most wonderful were the paintings of Duccio di Buoninsegna an early Sienese painter of the 13th century. I have never before seen any of his works - and in the novelty of the surprise I am almost ready to declare they are the mot beautiful things I have ever seen - certainly I have never seen more exquisite, sweet, religious entiment. A large Madonna with child and saints, and 26 little pictures illustrating the life of Christ. Afterwards we went into the Duomo, where was a large congregation and a monk preaching in the most energetic manner. We walked about and then went into the small and rich chapel of S. Giovanni - an admirable Renaissance work - with a statue of John the Baptist in bronze by Donatello - a font by Jacopo della Quercia - and small frescoes by Pintoricchio and Baldassare Peruzzi - illustrative of the life of the Baptist. Then into the Library of the Duomo - a magnificent vaulted room, with enormous frescoes by Pintoricchio - rather crude in colouring but fine in treatment and perspective - with a superb collection of old Missals, some of them with exquisite miniatures by Liberali da Verona. Then across the street to the hospital of S. Maria della Scala - just after we had entered the handsome entrance hall a large company of the brothers of the Misericordia came in bearning a bier like stretcher with a sick person on it - and as they formed in line and waited, they made quite a scene in their long black robes and cowls. The hospital looked very clean - and in the church was a beautiful organ with artistic brass work by Peruzzi.
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April 18. Thursday
Grand Hotel.
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We made rather an early start on Tuesday morning by rail, and arrived a Chiusi at 1:30 where we stopped for an hour, and had an excellent lunch at the station. We found two carriages waiting for us which had been sent over by Mme. Beccafumi – and had an enchanting drive here which we reached at 7 o'clock. For an hour or two before reaching Perugia, our way lay around and by Lake Thrasymene, giving most charming views, and grew more beautiful as we reached this wonderful old town, lying so almost unapproachably on it mountain height – as we climbed backwards and forwards up to its great walls and fortresses, the sun was going down beyond the mountains above the great Umbrian plain and the cloud scenery was quite wonderful. Our hotel is very good – and our appartments quite palatial. The house stands on one of the highest parts of the town, commanding a widely magnificent view – with the picturesque town lying about and below us – what a scenery of roofs – campaniles – gardens and winding, climbing roads – with the wide plain far below – and range after range of mountain enclosing it – some of their peaks white with snow. Yesterday morning we went for a walk about the town – then to the Cathedral which is poor and uninteresting, but in the sacristy of which is a large painting by Luca Signorelli – very lovely in tone and colour – with admirable figures. Then to the old Chamber of Commerce, where the walls are quite covered with paintings and decorations by Perugino – and the stalls and seats and panels are most beautifully carved and inlaid by Antonio Mercalello – the designs being quite exquisite. Then we climbed flight after flight of stone steps until we came to the top of the Palazzo Publico, where is the gallery of paintings – principally of the Umbrian school. Strange, quaint things most of them were – gathered in from churches and monasteries. In spite of their archaicisms many of them truly charming in sentiment and colouring – especially the "Adoration of the Magi" and the Madonna with angels playing on instruments by Benedetto Bonfigli – whose works I have never before seen – nor any of Giovanni Boccati da Camerino, who has a most delightful "Madonna col Bambine e Molti Angelic he cantano a altri Santi" – the choir of angels surround the Madonna' throne in a semicircle leaning over a parapet – their golden heads and pink cheeks most charming, singing with all their might so that one almost hears their voice – little angels on either side the throne, one playing a harp – and the other dear a mandolin – above all a canopy of flowering trees. Now have I ever seen or heard of Fiorenzo di Lorenzo whose four panels illustrating the miracles of S. Bernadino are delightful in colour, action and sentiment – evidently painted from life in the streets and squares of Perugia. There was an Annunciation by Piero della Francesca, forming the upper part of a panel containing four saints, done evidently by other hands – figures in the Annunciation beautiful with fine architectural perspective. After coming out these deadly cold galleries, the bright sun was quite blinding – and to put some warmth into us, we walked through the streets down to the old and picturesque Roman Gate, on it massive Etrucan foundations, now called the Areo di Augusto, with the inscription Augusta Perusia on it. I have long had a fine photograph of it. By the time we had climbed the stony street and reached our hotel I was almost dead with fatigue. Today the morning dawned dark and threatening, and it has gone on from bad to worse. We have all stayed indoors writing and grumbling. Among other letters Theodore wrote was one to Everard Fielding, which was taken out with others late into the hall and laid on the porters desk. Soon afterwards Basil Fielding came along, and seeing the letter addressed to his brother, went to the register to see who was likely to have written it – and seeing our names, sent in his card. We were delighted to see the pleasant boy again, and persuaded him and his friend, a priest, Father Forbes, to have lunch with us – and after a jolly lunch, and visit, they went out with Berenson to see some sights. They had come from Assisi this morning, and went back this afternoon – they are spending their Easter vacation at Assisi – and as we intend driving over there tomorrow (only 8 miles) we have arranged to meet and lunch together. Basil is still at the Scotch college in Rome – and as rampant a young churchman as ever – we have been promoted today to a very charming apartment just vacated by the Dowager Duchess of Bedford – my room is at the corner, overlooking the great Umbrian plain, with the grand sweep of the Appenines – and I seem to be hanging in mid air.
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We made rather an early start on Tuesday morning by rail, and arrived at Chiusi at 1:30 where we stopped for an hour, and had an excellent lunch at the station. We found two carriages waiting for us which had been sent over by Mme. Beccafumi - and had an enchanting drive here which we reached at 7 o'clock. For an hour or two before reaching Perugia, our way lay around and by Lake Thrasymene giving most charming views, and grew more beautiful as we reached this wonderful old town, lying so almost unapproachably on it mountain height - as we climbed backwards and forwards up to its great walls and fortresses, the sun was going down beyond the mountains above the great Umbrian plain and the cloud scenery was quite wonderful. Our hotel is very good - and our appartments quite palatial. The house stands on one of the highest parts of the town, commanding a widely magnificent view - with the picturesque town lying about and below us - what a scenery of roofs - campaniles - gardens and winding, climbing roads - with the wide plain far below - and range after range of mountain enclosing it - some of their peaks white with snow. Yesterday morning we went for a walk about the town - then to the Cathedral which is poor and uninteresting, but in the sacristy of which is a large painting by Luca Signorelli - very lovely in tone and colour - with admirable figures. Then to the old Chamber of Commerce, where the walls are quite covered with paintings and decorations by Perugino - and the stalls and seats and panels are most beautifully carved and inlaid by Antonio Mercalello - the designs being quite exquisite. Then we climbed flight after flight of stone steps until we came to the top of the Palazzo Publico, where is the gallery of paintings - principally of the Umbrian school. Strange, quaint things most of them were - gathered in from churches and monasteries. In spite of their archaicisms many of them truly charming in sentiment and colouring - especially the "Adoration of the Magi" and the Madonna with angels playing on instruments by Benedetto Bonfigli - whose works I have never before seen - nor any of Giovanni Boccati da Camerino, who has a most delightful "Madonna col Bambino e Molti Angelic che cantano a altri Santi" - the choir of angels surround the Madonna's throne in a semicircle leaning over a parapet - their golden heads and pink cheeks most charming, singing with all their might so that one almost hears their voice - little angels on either side the throne, one playing a harp - and the other dear a mandolin - above all a canopy of flowering trees. Now have I ever seen or heard of Fiorenzo di Lorenzo whose four panels illustrating the miracles of S. Bernadino are delightful in colour, action and sentiment - evidently painted from life in the streets and squares of Perugia. There was an Annunciation by Piero della Francesca, forming the upper part of a panel containing four saints, done evidently by other hands - figures in the Annunciation beautiful with fine architectural perspective. After coming out these deadly cold galleries, the bright sun was quite blinding - and to put some warmth into us, we walked through the streets down to the old and picturesque Roman Gate, on it massive Etruscan foundations, now called the Arco di Augusto, with the inscription Augusta Perusia on it. I have long had a fine photograph of it. By the time we had climbed the stony street and reached our hotel I was almost dead with fatigue. Today the morning dawned dark and threatening, and it has gone on from bad to worse. We have all stayed indoors writing and grumbling. Among other letters Theodore wrote was one to Everard Fielding, which was taken out with others late into the hall and laid on the porters desk. Soon afterwards Basil Fielding came along, and seeing the letter addressed to his brother, went to the register to see who was likely to have written it - and seeing our names, sent in his card. We were delighted to see the pleasant boy again, and persuaded him and his friend, a priest, Father Forbes, to have lunch with us - and after a jolly lunch, and visit, they went out with Berenson to see some sights. They had come from Assisi this morning, and went back this afternoon - they are spending their Easter vacation at Assisi - and as we intend driving over there tomorrow (only 8 miles) we have arranged to meet and lunch together. Basil is still at the Scotch college in Rome - and as rampant a young churchman as ever - we have been promoted today to a very charming apartment just vacated by the Dowager Duchess of Bedford-my room is at the corner, overlooking the great Umbrian plain, with the grand sweep of the Appenines - and I seem to be hanging in mid air.
Saturday, April 20.
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Yesterday the rain poured almost continuously – only clearing for awhile in the afternoon when we took Nettie, who has not been able to do any sight seeing here, to the Sacristy of the Duomo, to see Signorelli's beautiful Madonna, Child and Saints. The light was more favorable than on the other day – and we sat a long time in the quiet sacristy looking at it. What harmonious color! Then we went to del Cambio, and then Theodore got into the little carriage with Nettie and me, and we went to the charming church of S. Pietro di Casimenci, with no interesting pictures, but wonderful woodwork and intarsi – and an altogether interesting old basilica of the year 1000. Last night it rained as the femme de chamber expressed it "terriblement" - and all this morning the clouds hung about the valley and trailed along the mountain sides. But we ordered luncheon early, and determined to drive to Assisi – but at the last moment my courage failed, and then Nettie's, and so we stayed at home, and were busy all the afternoon at one window or another watching the wonderful cloud effects, and the great marshaling of light and shade across the plain. The carriage came back about 7 o'clock with our poor people chilled and tired – for the weather has changed and it is cold. We are all ready for our start for Bologne tomorrow morning.
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Yesterday the rain poured almost continuously - only clearing for awhile in the afternoon when we took Nettie, who has not been able to do any sight seeing here, to the Sacristy of the Duomo, to see Signorelli's beautiful Madonna, Child and Saints. The light was more favorable than on the other day - and we sat a long time in the quiet sacristy looking at it. What harmonious color! Then we went to del Cambio, and then Theodore got into the little carriage with Nettie and me, and we went to the charming church of S. Pietro di Casimenci , with no interesting pictures, but wonderful woodwork and intarsi - and an altogether interesting old basilica of the year 1000. Last night it rained as the femme de chamber expressed it "terriblement" - and all this morning the clouds hung about the valley and trailed along the mountain sides. But we ordered luncheon early, and determined to drive to Assisi - but at the last moment my courage failed, and then Nettie's, and so we stayed at home, and were busy all the afternoon at one window or another watching the wonderful cloud effects, and the great marshaling of light and shade across the plain. The carriage came back about 7 o'clock with our poor people chilled and tired - for the weather has changed and it is cold. We are all ready for our start for Bologne tomorrow morning.
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Milan.
April 23.
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We left Perugia Sunday morning – the weather having cleared perfectly, giving us perfect views – changed cars at Tarantalo – and got an excellent compartment to ourelves quite through to Bologne – the views as we crowned the Appenines on that bright day were fine – went to the Hotel Brun, where we stayed 9 years ago, and had the same apartment – grand but very gloomy. The next morning we went to the Belli Arti and saw some lovely Francias – Timeoteo Vitete "Magdalen", Raphael's St. Cecilia – a lovely Madonna by Cima. We spent most of the morning there, and then went to the Museo Civica, where we spent a rather unsatisfactory hour. In the afternoon we drove up to S. Michele in Bosco – a rather interesting and handsome church of the Olivetans – the monastery now changed into an Orthopedic Hospital with a beautiful view. On our way home Mr. Berenson took us to the San Vitale church to show us a beautiful Francia – an altar piece – two angels with a lovely landscape. We hould have left Bologna at 6 o'clock – but on reaching the station heard that our train was 40 minutes late – but the waiting was very amusing – for a number of church dignitaries were waiting for an incoming train which was to bring an eminence of Cardinal Archbishop, with numerous clerical belongings to attend an important meeting. He proved an amiable looking old man – and was most respectfully greeted by the crowd. We were late getting here – and were disappointed not to get our old rooms – the hotel is crowded – and so are the trains with tourists coming north – by the time our luggage arrived and we had our supper, it was not far from one o'clock. This morning we started out soon after breakfast for the Poldi Pezzoli, and spent an hour or more – then to the Ambrosiana – and home by one o'clock tired indeed. In the afternoon Theodore and Berenson went to a private gallery to see some pictures, and then Berenson, Nettie and I got into a little open cab, and drove to S. Lorenzo, the eldest church in Milan – with remains of Roman buildings about it – and in the street near it are 16 Corinithian columns, which remain from an ancient colonnade. Then to S. Maria preso S. Celso where I went the last time – and we stopped for a few moments at the magnificent Opidale Maggiore – which is so vast that there are 9 courts in it.
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We left Perugia Sunday morning - the weather having cleared perfectly, giving us perfect views - changed cars at TarantaloTerontola - and got an excellent compartment to ourselves quite through to Bologne - the views as we crowned the Appenines on that bright day were fine - went to the Hotel Brun, where we stayed 9 years ago, and had the same apartment - grand but very gloomy. The next morning we went to the Belli Arti and saw some lovely Francias - Timeoteo Vitete "Magdalen", Raphael's St. Cecilia - a lovely Madonna by Cima. We spent most of the morning there, and then went to the Museo Civico, where we spent a rather unsatisfactory hour. In the afternoon we drove up to S. Michele in Bosco - a rather interesting and handsome church of the Olivetans - the monastery now changed into an Orthopedic Hospital with a beautiful view. On our way home Mr. Berenson took us to the San Vitale church to show us a beautiful Francia - an altar piece - two angels with a lovely landscape. We should have left Bologneat 6 o'clock - but on reaching the station heard that our train was 40 minutes late - but the waiting was very amusing - for a number of church dignitaries were waiting for an incoming train which was to bring an eminence of Cardinal Archbishop, with numerous clerical belongings to attend an important meeting. He proved an amiable looking old man - and was most respectfully greeted by the crowd. We were late getting here - and were disappointed not to get our old rooms - the hotel is crowded - and so are the trains with tourists coming north - by the time our luggage arrived and we had our supper, it was not far from one o'clock. This morning we started out soon after breakfast for the Poldi Pezzoli, and spent an hour or more - then to the Ambrosiana and home by one o'clock tired indeed. In the afternoon Theodore and Berenson went to a private gallery to see some pictures, and then Berenson, Nettie and I got into a little open cab, and drove to S. Lorenzo, the eldest church in Milan - with remains of Roman buildings about it - and in the street near it are 16 Corinithian columns, which remain from an ancient colonnade. Then to S. Maria preso S. Celso where I went the last time - and we stopped for a few moments at the magnificent Opidale Maggiore - which is so vast that there are 9 courts in it.
Milan.
Friday, April 26.
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Wednesday was a gloomy day – and I was too wretched to leave the house. We went to Bergamo at 4 o'clock p.m. – arriving there at 5:30 – went to the Hotel d'Italia – and were decently comfortable – after we had ordered 3 big fires made in our rooms. We must have had all the god rooms of the principal floor – and the last entry in the visitors' book was Nov. 24, '94. My room was a big ghostly thing, which with a big fire became almost cheerful – and the curtains over my bed were presided over by a big holden goose. We all crowded into a big landau the next morning and drove to the church of S. Bartolomeo – where is a splendid fascinating altar picture of Lotto's – a Madonna and ten saints – Mr. Berenson ordered down all the altar decorations so that we might better see the picture – and we stayed in the deadly cold little church, until we were petrified, looking at the delicious picture. In Berenson's recent book on Lotto, which we have not yet seen, he reproduces the principal Lottos – so that I won't try any description of those lovely pictures myself, but will better refresh my memory in the future by reading his descriptions. Then we went to the S. Spirito church – and saw another great altar piece by Lotto, the Madonna with four saints with angels in a glory above. Then to the church of S. Bernardino with another altar piece of Madonna and saints – quite the most beautiful of all. Then we drove to the upper town and visited S. Maria Maggiore with the adjoining chapel of "Collogni", most richly decorated – and the Cathedral, with superb tapestries, and wonderful serena and woodwork in the choir from Lotto's designs. It rained quite hard by the time we drove back to the lower town. Mr. Berenson had arranged with his friend Signor Pichinelli, one of the directors of the Museum, and who is the owner of many good pictures, not only to show them to us, but to take us to the palace of the Moroni family , and to show us two or three other places – so that soon after lunch we again packed ourselves into the carriage or rather into 2, and drove to the Maison Pichinelli, a most charming house with superb grounds in good order. We were received most hospitably and talked our little French and Italian as best we could – and then Signor P. went with us to the Moroni palace, a magnificent house in the highest part of the old town – where in a splendid loftly room we saw two of the most splendid Moroni's – which have never been photographed. One of a young man in a lovely harmony of red – and the other a most distinguished middle aged man in black against a gray background – the pose, character, colour, quite perfect. While we were looking at these, the Countess Loroni arrived, a charming little person, who did the honours of her house most graciously – and took us from one pretty room to another, filled with pictures and bric-a-brac. After that we went to the Roucardi palace, a gloomy magnificent house – with interesting family pictures – then to the Baglioni house – still more gloomy, and damp – but with an excellent collection of pictures etc. – an especially beautiful Cariani, and some Guardis – the rain poured all the afternoon and evening. This morning we went to the famous Bergamo Gallery – a small gallery – but of exquisite quality – what treasures – and what a pleasure! The morning was beautifully clear and for the first time we saw the wide view from the upper town – we took a drive around the castle and were home in time for a hurried lunch, and off for the station, where we had to say a reluctant goodbye to Berenson, who had to go to Venice to join Mrs. Jack Gardiner for a day or two. We got back to Milan at 2:30 and Nettie, Mary and I drove from the station to the Brera, where Theodore afterwards joined us – and afterwards he and I went to the private house where he had seen two little Dutch pictures for sale, and after having another look at them decided to telegraph Berenson to buy them for him. We are all ready for our journey to Lucerne tomorrow. 1894 – 1895 1
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Wednesday was a gloomy day - and I was too wretched to leave the house. We went to Bergamo at 4 o'clock p.m. - arriving there at 5:30 - went to the Hotel d'Italia - and were decently comfortable - after we had ordered 3 big fires made in our rooms. We must have had all the good rooms of the principal floor - and the last entry in the visitors' book was Nov. 24, '94. My room was a big ghostly thing, which with a big fire became almost cheerful - and the curtains over my bed were presided over by a big holden goose. We all crowded into a big landau the next morning and drove to the church of S. Bartolomeo - where is a splendid fascinating altar picture of Lotto's - a Madonna and ten saints - Mr. Berenson ordered down all the altar decorations so that we might better see the picture - and we stayed in the deadly cold little church, until we were petrified, looking at the delicious picture. In Berenson's recent book on Lotto, which we have not yet seen, he reproduces the principal Lottos - so that I won't try any description of those lovely pictures myself, but will better refresh my memory in the future by reading his descriptions. Then we went to the S. Spirito church - and saw another great altar piece by Lotto, the Madonna with four saints with angels in a glory above. Then to the church of S. Bernardino with another altar piece of Madonna and saints - quite the most beautiful of all. Then we drove to the upper town and visited S. Maria Maggiore with the adjoining chapel of "Collogni", most richly decorated - and the Cathedral, with superb tapestries, and wonderful serena and woodwork in the choir from Lotto's designs. It rained quite hard by the time we drove back to the lower town. Mr. Berenson had arranged with his friend Signor Pichinelli, one of the directors of the Museum, and who is the owner of many good pictures, not only to show them to us, but to take us to the palace of the Moronifamily, and to show us two or three other places - so that soon after lunch we again packed ourselves into the carriage or rather into 2, and drove to the Maison Pichinelli, a most charming house with superb grounds in good order. We were received most hospitably and talked our little French and Italian as best we could - and then Signor P. went with us to the Moroni palace, a magnificent house in the highest part of the old town - where in a splendid loftly room we saw two of the most splendid Moroni's - which have never been photographed. One of a young man in a lovely harmony of red - and the other a most distinguished middle aged man in black against a gray background - the pose, character, colour, quite perfect. While we were looking at these, the Countess Loroni arrived, a charming little person, who did the honours of her house most graciously - and took us from one pretty room to another, filled with pictures and bric-a-brac. After that we went to the Roucardi palace, a gloomy magnificent house - with interesting family pictures - then to the Baglioni house - still more gloomy, and damp - but with an excellent collection of pictures etc. - an especially beautiful Cariani , and some Guardis - the rain poured all the afternoon and evening. This morning we went to the famous Bergamo Gallery - a small gallery - but of exquisite quality - what treasures - and what a pleasure! The morning was beautifully clear and for the first time we saw the wide view from the upper town - we took a drive around the castle and were home in time for a hurried lunch, and off for the station, where we had to say a reluctant goodbye to Berenson, who had to go to Venice to join Mrs. Jack Gardiner for a day or two. We got back to Milan at 2:30 and Nettie, Mary and I drove from the station to the Brera, where Theodore afterwards joined us - and afterwards he and I went to the private house where he had seen two little Dutch pictures for sale, and after having another look at them decided to telegraph Berenson to buy them for him. We are all ready for our journey to Lucerne tomorrow. 1894 - 1895 1