My Pilgrimage to Palestine.

Otago Witness, Issue 1296, 30 September 1876, Page 4

My Pilgrimage to Palestine.

By Ebv. Dr. Copland, Dunedin.

No. XXI.

ALEXANDRIA TO JAFFA.

One of the first features which arrests tho attention of the stranger when he wanders through the streets of Alexandria, ia the variety of features and dress in the people he meets. In the more modern parts of the city, where the principal business is transacted, we meet a goodly sprinkling of the Saxon race, clad in light summer dress, of the ordinary European style, and mingling with them we observe Arabs of the poorer classes, in their light serge tunics and coloured turbans, as well as Egyptians and Syrians, Greeks, Turks, Hindoos, and Parsees, all wearing their peculiar picturesque costumes, so that we might here, more readily than anywhere else, see at a glance representatives of all the kingdoms of the world. In the narrow, crowded parts of the city, the population is more distinctly Egyptian. The occupants of the small, pigeon - hole - like bazaars, squatted on the floor, in the midst of their multifarious wares, at times dozing over their pipe, or reading the Koran, ov dreaming of customers who are to enrich them with some stroke of good fortune ; or at other times excited to the highest pitch in trying to bring some close-listed purchaser to terms, present the peculiar features that have been inherited from the ancient Pharaohs, while women moving through the crowd, and scrutinizing the attractive wares around them as they pass, have their countenances closely concealed from the vulgar eye by thick veils, fastened to their foreheads, leaving only •apertures for their peering eyes, and are covered from head to foot with long cloaks. When the stranger attempts to speak with any whom he meets, either to ask his way, or to make a purchase in a shop, he finds the variety of languages as great as that of dress. He might imagine he had found a modern example of the ancient Babel. He addresses a person in English, and may be answered in French; or, if he has assayed French, he may find that it is not understood, and is answered in Italian, or Arabic. The vernacular which is spoken by the natives, and indeed prevails also throughout Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Assyria, and other countries, is Arabic. The business language, however, is Italian, and is the most serviceable for a stranger to have at command while travelling in the countries round the Levant. In most of the large hotels frequented by Europeans, French and English, as well as Italian, are generally understood. I travelled with an Englishman who resides in Alexandria, and he told me that hia children could speak fluently five or six languages, and write two or three of them. The sign-boards in the city present a polyglott character. Among them may be seen the designations of tha shopkeepers in Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, French, and English. At the corners of the streets, moneychangers are sitting behind small tables, covered with great heaps of coins of all countries. The Egyptian money consists nominally of piasters and paras — the piaster being worth about twopence halfpenny of our money, and being equal to forty paras. The coin which you may receive at any of the small bazaars where you may make a purchase is so dirty and worn out, that you must just trust that the merchant, who knows more about it than you can do, has given you the correct amount. In most cases, he has probably rewarded himself liberally for his care in counting it out.

There are three separate departments in the post office — English, French, and Egyptian, so that the British subject has the opportunity of making inquiries about letters and mails to a clerk who can afford reliable and satisfactory information.

As in business and language, so in religion, this city presents strange confusion. This ia specially noticeable in regard to the day of weekly rest — the Mohametans observing Friday, the Jews Saturday, and the Christians Sunday. The result of this complex arrangement is by no means favourable to the efforts of the Christian missionaries, who have long laboured in the city to extend cheir faith. I spent a Sabbath here, and attended the Presbyiterian service in the Scotch Church of wfc&ch the Rev Dr Yule is minister. He fia oaie of the few consular chaplains belonging to the Church of Scotland, who are maintained in foreign seaports by the British Government. The church is a tasteful building of stone, and the number of the audinee {between 80 and 100 people) showed that a considered colony of Scotchmen must be resident here. The service was conducted by a stranger — the Rev Mr Chaitoitis. who is settled, I think, at Corfu. Dr Yule conducts a service for seafaring men every Sabbath evening. I attended ako a service in Arabic, conducted by one of the American Presbyterian missionaries — the Rev Mr Ewing — who has perfect command of the language, and spoke with much fluency. The congregation, numbering about forty, listened with interest and attention. A portion of the church was separated from the rest by a curtain, for the accommodation of women, Who are not allowed to mingle in society with men. Ther,e were none, however, present, except two or three who were connected with the mission. The success of the mission has not been so great here as in Upper Egypt, yet I feel certain that a great work is

being accomplished, which will by and bye manifest more clearly its fruits. I was much interested in the mission school, conducted, under the auspices of the American missionaries, by Miss Campbell, assisted by some native teachers. The pupils numbered about 200. Their orderly, respectful, and intelligent appearance would be most creditable to any school. The teaching is, of course, conducted in Arabic, and Bible instruction form 3 a part of the daily work. At the opening of the school, they sang a hymn, accompanied by the harmonium ; then the Rev Mr Ewing offered up prayer, in which the pupils joined, repeating it clause by clause after him. Then followed a Bible lesson, which was read by the pupils. Questions upon it were put, which were readily and intelligently answered. Thereafter I addressed a few words to them, which Mr Ewing interpreted into Arabic, and they manifested much interest in seeing strangers from this Antipodean region. The boys for the most part wore the Fez and Egyptian dress, and the appearance of the school was picturesque. Its influence on the population is certain to tell most beneficially. From Alexandria there are three lines of passenger steamers regularly trading to the ports of the Levant — Russian, German, andFrench — and asteamer belonging to each of them usually leaves every week. We left in one of the Russian steamers, which happened to be most suitable for us, to go to Jaffa. The channel which vesselt take in going out and coming in is very intricate, as I had occasion to notice, having passed through it on three separate occasions. At some parts, the water was so shallow as to leave little space between the bottom of the vessel and the ground. The water was remarkably clear, as we saw the shingle beach beneath us as we passed along. In ancient times, the entrance to the harbour was indicated by the famous lighthouse of Pharos, which was reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. Although it has long since disappeared, full descriptions of it have been recorded 3 It wa3 built on an islet seven furlong 3 from the shore, which was connected with it by means of a causeway. The lighthouse consisted of a large square tower of white marble, and on the top of it fires were kept burning, so that it might serve as a mark for the guidance of sailors. It was built by the son of Dexiphanes, who constructed the mole. It was begun in the reign of Ptolemy Soter, the King of Egypt, and finished in the last year of the reign of his son and successor, Ptolemy Philadelphus. The cost of the building has been variously estimated at from £150,000 to £250,000 sterling. Ptolemy, like many other monarchs ,who constructed great public works, desired thereby to commemorate his own fame as well as to accomplish the purpose for which the work was designed, and gave orders to the architect to place an inscription on the lighthouse to the following effect : — " King Ptolemy to the gods and saviours, for the benefit of sailors." The architect, however, had also a similar concern for himself, and outwitted the King by cutting an inscription on the solid marble in which he substituted his own nameforthatof the King, and then covering it over with cement or mortar, and cutting in it the inscription which the King I ordered. In process of time, as he expected, the mortar wore off, and with it the name of the King, leaving for the admiration of posterity the following inscription :—": — " Sostratus the Cuidian, the ! son of Dexiphanes, to the gods and saviours, for the benefit of sailors." The foundation of this edifice may still be seen on a calm day below the water. Instead of it there now stands a lighthouse, erected in the year 1842, which rises to a height of 180 feet above the level of the sea and gives out a light which is visible in clear weather at a distance of 20 miles.

We left Alexandria in the afternoon, and next morning found ourselves inside the newly constructed harbour of Port Said, which forms the northern entrance of the Suez Canal. It is 140 miles west from Alexandria. The vessel does not leave till the afternoon, so that it may arrive at the next port in daylight. We had thus ample time to see all that was of interest in the place and, we availed ourselves fully of the opportunity. The town, which contains about ten thousand inhabitants, bears evidence of its recent origin, having risen into importance, we might say existence, through the formation of the canal. To assist in maintaining a clear deep channel from the canal to the sea, two very long moles have been formed, which extend more than a mile in length and approach each other at the end next the sea. The opening left between them ia less than half a mile, or half the width of the harbour at the end next the canal. They are formed of huge blocks of artificial stone or concrete, each weighing about 20 tons. They are made in moulds of oblong shape, and are allowed to dry aud harden for three months before they are launched into their place. Tha entrance is marked by a lighthouse in the form of a tower 180 feet high, which is lighted by the electric light, and casts its grateful gleam across many a mile of ocean.

A large number of steam dredges are used to prevent the filling up of the channel, which is apt to occur, and these, along with building operations which are in progress, as well as the regular work of the canal and the traffic which is .created by the vessels passing through, have caused a large amount. of business to.be done in this newly-formed town. There is little -to -be seen in it, 1 except what may be ROticed in almost WW new township of

aimilar extent. ' The streets are regularly laid off at right angles to each other, and they are well occupied with houses which resemble ordinary European dwellings, except in the roofs, which are all flat. In a number of the shops curiosities were displayed for sale, consisting of coral, shells, and articles of native manufacture of all kinds. These are conveniently and cheaply purchased here by the merchants from the natives of the surrounding districts and from sailors who have come from the ports of the Levant, or from the Red Sea and the countries beyond. There is also, I need hardly say, a sufficient number of shops for the supply of drinks to thirsty foreigners. 'The heavy charges made for vessels passing through the canal have no doubt prevented many from availing themselves of its advantages, who would do so if the tariff were reduced. The rate charged is ten francs a ton, so that a large vessel of 2500 tons would be charged £1000. Yet the great saving of expense and time thereby effected amply compensates the owners for the outlay. The traffic has steadily increased, it is likely to grow to much greater dimensions. We left Port Said in the afternoon and took a straight course for Jaffa. Our company of passengers was not very large, but ib was sufficiently varied in respect to nationality and language. The captain, who was a Russian, did not understand English, but spoke a little French. There were two German artists, who were going to make a tour through Palestine, with whom I became acquainted here, and afterwards met frequently, but they could speak neither Russian nor English. Our polyglott company managed, with the help of the steward, who was waiting at the table, to get along without inconvenience. The style of dinner was somewhat different from what I observed in any of the steamers on which I sailed. After we were seated at table, and before commencing dinner, the steward carried round to each passenger some sort of spirit, to serve as a kind of whet to the appetite. There were also one or two dishes of preservedfood, strongly seasoned with pepper or vinegar, which were evidently designed to assist the same end. Thereafter the ordinary courses were entered upon, and full justice done to them by most. The table napkins were also new t© me, being made of thin paper of a tough description, so that they served the purpose admirably, and being renewed daily, the necessity of washing was avoided. In general, the arrangements both as to food and sleeping accommodation were good, al-' though there was room for greater attention being paid to tidiness and cleanliness in the sleeping cabins. There was not much encouragement afforded to Englishmen or others who might wish to indulge freely in their favourite beverage of bitter beer, for the ordinary quart bottle was charged four shillings. ' A passenger who had ordered it expressed surprise at such a charge — being double the usual rate in the hotels in the East, and he was told that the owners did not wish to sell it. In most cases I believe this method of prohibition will be efficacious. We reached our destination early in the morning, and hurried up with eager curiosity to obtain our first near view of the Holy Land. (To be continued.)