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Trip in 1897 to Egypt and Holy Land.

Left Paris Tuesday January 12th 1897 [[strikethrough]] passed through [[/strikethrough]] on way to Marseille at [[strikethrough]] don to [[/strikethrough]] Valerie, stopped at Hotel Croix d'Or took [[strikethrough]] ed [[/strikethrough]] a stroll found little of interest except a picturesque bridge, and an old chateau standing on a Hill, went to Avignon, saw the Palace of the Popes which was then a barracks, containing 2000 soldiers, saw the landscape at sunset from the Tower which is over 80 meter high, the door of the church is 4th century. left [[strikethrough]] at [[/strikethrough]] Marseille, at 4 30 by boat next morning saw the snow clad mountain of Corsica, passed Sardinia to the night, arrived at Hotel des Voyageurs [[note: put what?]], Cairo January 19th festered by loafers, left on trip with donkeys to the Mosque of Sultan Nascur to Mosque Ryalyel, then on to Citadel built in 1166 AD and from there to the beautiful Mosque of Mohammad Ali, saw the Well of Joseph; where tradition says Joseph was put by his brother (most unlikely) there are an enormous number of Mosques, and it is next to impossible to visit them all

I saw the return of Egyptian soldiers from the Jordan campaign, enormous crowds were there to meet them, many weeping with joy, others hung back for their dear ones would never return

Saw the Pyramids for the first time, they did not impress me. I had seen them so often in pictures, and photographs, was interested in the merchant life, the wealthy travel preceded by Joshua wearing richly embroidered cloths, there are numerous in white with red [[?]], have footed withal, and holding a long stick.

The Sultan father was out driving with neat beautiful black horses

Paid for a donkey all day cost me 3 1/2 [[?]] including back shield left for Jerusalem, sorting at Port Said, landed at Jaffer beautiful beneath scudding clouds, and emerald blue skies [[strikethrough]] reflected [[/strikethrough]]


crowd, all come to a halt before a wall with a little black doorway about three feet high. They point to this entrance, their laughing and jabbering well intermixed with a demand for "backsheesh." You have arrived.

A smiling Arab, with small tapers and a large stout stick, comes forth. The stick is whirled in the air, the crowd disperses (not disappears)—you are saved. They will soon reassemble upon your return to daylight. The plain fact is, you are simply passed along, each one "letting" (getting) as much "blood" (piasters) as is possible, the last man to meet you having always the strongest claim. The fact that he has rendered you no service is of absolutely no importance—you are a Christian, a legitimate victim.

If you give little, he tells you how miserably small the amount is, not worth taking, but he holds to it, nevertheless; if much, he immediately sends others, "post haste," who are more persistent than the first, because you have proved that you can be "bled—" that the amount warrants all the energy he can put into his effort.

The tomb is reached by a descent of twenty or more slippery, worn, and, of course, dirty steps.

The Moslems regard Lazarus as a saint, and have erected a mosque over the place of his burial. Christians are, of course, forbidden to enter this mosque, and thus the steps (made in the 16th century) down which we have entered, are accounted for. In fact, there is now, I believe, no entrance from the mosque. The stairway leads to a small, square, ante-chamber. Turn to your left through a doorway, and you are in the tomb proper, which is made to hold three or four bodies. On the East side is possibly the original entrance, now walled up. The tomb is high enough to stand upright in, and is cut in the solid rock and lined with masonry. It is large enough to hold quite a company.

As to its identity with the historic tomb of Sacred Writ, opinion is divided. We have accounts of its being visited in the Twelfth century. That it is a very an-

Transcription Notes:
unsure about note drawn connecting to circled 'Hotel des Voyageurs'