CHAPTER XXIII. SUEZ-CAIRO. UR VERY first experience in Egypt was with the world-renowned donkeys and donkey-boys. On the perpendicular edge of the stone pier at Suez we met them in their strength, clamorous and persistent beyond belief as to which should get possession of our persons and baggage. A half-grown moon shed its light upon the scene, or I know not what we should have done. At last our baggage, consisting of two heavy valises and two large shawlstrap bundles, were loaded upon one little donkey, and each of us upon another. Our party, for the moment, consisted of H., myself, and eight others. H. and I got the best donkeys of the lot, or else we were the best riders. Away we dashed up the road on our twomile ride to the hotel, our boys on foot not only keeping up, but urging the donkeys on. These donkeyboys are the best-natured fellows in the world, and afford travelers, who are disposed to enjoy it, a great deal of amusement. Mine turned out to be a Nubian as black as if he had been created out of a fragment of the old Egyptian darkness; but they are generally Arabs. H. got one of the latter class, and soon learned that the name of his donkey was “The Earl of Salisbury." You ought to have heard him laugh. It put him almost beside himself-the thought that he was bestriding so distinguished a personage. As for mine, he was distinguished, not for patrician blood, but for the faithful and efficient discharge of his duties. We soon discovered that we were on a railroad embankment, projecting out into the edge of the gulf, with water on both sides of us. As we swept along at full pace, chatting and laughing over our first Egyptian experience, we were suddenly arrested by the cry, "Custom-house! Custom-house!" "Where is the Custom-house? There is no house here." "This man, sir, this man here, he is the custom-man; he want to see your baggage." By this time our baggage-mule was up. We put a bold front on, and told him he had nothing to do with our baggage-that we were travelers, with nothing but clothing. But he made as if he must examine and see if all was right. However, we peremptorily commanded our boy to drive on. He hesitated a moment, but obeyed us. By this time others of our party rode up, and I suppose the "custom-house" had his hands full with them. So we went careering on again, amusing ourselves with the wit of our donkey-boys, delivered in broken English. We learned afterward that one of our friends gave the faithful official a shilling, which seemed to quiet his conscience completely. We felt much at our ease, having, as we supposed, got by all our difficulties. We had reached the town, and were just turning into the street which led to the Suez Hotel, when we were arrested a second time "Custom-house, sir, custom-house." We promptly informed the distinguished Arab, who appeared in his long black cloak and red fez hat, that we had already passed one custom-house, and did not intend to be stopped again. "Yes," vociforated the donkey-boys, "de gentlemen already pass one custom-house "—and so we pushed ahead. We were soon riding along a narrow street, welllighted from the shops which opened full upon it. It was crowded with people who were out enjoying the festivities incident to the approaching birthday of the Prophet. We turned a corner into another narnower street, and still another. These streets were too narrow for two abreast, and I had got well ahead of all the rest, my Nubian all the while urging on his donkey. We soon turned suddenly into the narrowest of streets, with no lighted shops, and the walls rising up so as to exclude the moonlight. It was pitch dark. The little space around me was, so far as I could tell, of the exact color of my Nubian; but I have always had great faith in the fidelity of a well-treated darkey, and so I moved on without the least hesitation. I had been at the hotel gate but a moment when the Earl came up with his rider, all safe and sound, and immediately in his rear came the baggage, which had run the gauntlet of custom-houses without having contributed a cent to the revenues of the bankrupt Government, or to the stealages of the officials. We found excellent quarters and good fare at the Suez Hotel, and paid a good round price for it, and at 8 o'clock were off by rail for Cairo. In a few minutes we were fairly out into the Egyptian desert. On our left was the ridge just beyond which we supposed the track of the children of Israel lay when |