DEPARTURE FROM ALEXANDRIA.

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The Doctor told them it had been twice ascended in the present century once by an enterprising woman, and once by a party of sailors. In each case a kite was flown so that it came against the top of the pillar, then the string was used to draw up a cord, the cord drew up a rope, and the rope drew up a ladder. The ascent is easy enough when the ladder is properly secured, but it trembles so much that a steady head and strong hand are requisite to insure safety.

After seeing the pillar the three visitors wandered through the bazaars, which repeated, on a small scale, the sights of the bazaars of Cairo. They spent an hour or more in the great square in the centre of the city, where there are several rows of shade-trees and some bronze statues, and they visited two or three private gar

dens, which were very pretty, and contained rare varieties of plants. They went to the celebrated "Pharos," which is one of the earliest light-houses ever known to mariners, and was built by Ptolemy Philadelphus at enormous expense. It is said to have been a square building of white marble in several stories, each smaller than the one below it. A winding road led to the top, and, according to history, Cleopatra once drove a pair of horses to the summit, and then drove them down again. The name of the "Pharos" is perpetuated in the French word for light-house

POMPEY'S PILLAR.

(phare), but very little of the ancient structure exists to-day. It is still maintained as a light-house, and is a welcome sight to ships seeking the harbor of Alexandria.

At an early hour the next morning a procession left the door of the hotel and proceeded in the direction of the harbor. It was composed as follows:

Frank Bassett and Fred Bronson mounted on donkeys, and attended by the drivers of the little beasts.

Doctor Bronson similarly mounted and escorted.

A servant from the hotel superintending the transportation of the baggage of the trio on the backs of a couple of Arab porters.

A miscellaneous array of beggars, peddlers, and their kindred, shouting for backsheesh.

There were at least twenty individuals in the party, not counting the donkeys; but a good many of the beggars dropped off after a few dozen yards. Their places were taken by others, so that there was no material loss of numbers on arrival at the landing, where the baggage was placed in a boat, after a gift of a couple of francs to a customs official, to save it from inspection. From the shore to the boat was a short journey, and any possible monotony was prevented by the boatmen. They had made a bargain to carry our three friends on board the steamer for five francs; about half-way they stopped rowing and demanded ten francs, which were refused.

Then the fellows turned, and threatened to row to the shore again, but the Doctor prevented this performance by proposing to hand them over

to the police. They did not proceed until he rose to his feet and shouted for the police-boat, and then they concluded it was best to do as they had agreed. The boatmen of Alexandria are worse than those of any other port of the Mediterranean, and it is a disgrace to the Egyptian Government that they are allowed to continue their practices.

And now behold our friends safely on board the French steamer. The smoke pours from her funnels, the anchor is lifted, the engine throbs, the screw revolves, churning the water into foam-the entrance of the harbor is passed, the shore fades from sight, and Egypt is left behind. Bon voyage!

FROM EGYPT TO THE HOLY LAND.

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CHAPTER XXI.

VOYAGE FROM EGYPT TO PALESTINE.-JOURNEY FROM JAFFA TO RAMLEH.

THE HE steamer stopped a few hours at Port Said, the northern terminus of the Suez Canal, and the second morning after her departure from Alexandria she dropped anchor in front of Jaffa. The time at sea between Alexandria and Jaffa is from twenty to thirty hours, according to the speed of the steamer and the state of the weather. There are three companies-one carrying the French flag, one the Austrian, and one the Russian-each making a fortnightly service from Alexandria; and there are several irregular lines, so that a traveller may be reasonably sure of being able to go from Egypt to the Holy Land every four or five days. The French steamers are the best, the Austrian the next in order, and the Russian and the irregular steamers the worst of all.

The steamer that carried our friends anchored about a mile from land, and the Doctor explained to the youths that there is no harbor at Jaffa which a ship can enter. In a calm sea, or when the wind blows from the north or east, passengers may land or embark with safety; but if a westerly or southerly wind is blowing a landing is impossible. In winter the prevailing wind is from the west, and many a traveller who takes his ticket for Jaffa in that season has the vexation of being carried past the port, for the simple reason that he cannot be put on shore.

Fortunately for our friends the sea was perfectly calm when they came to anchor, and there was no hinderance to their going on shore. The steamer was quickly surrounded by boats, and a bargain was made with one of them for transportation to land. The strong arms of the Arab boatmen sent the little craft spinning over the water; the oars rose and fell together as the men kept time by a song that was a trifle monotonous to the ears of Frank and Fred. But never mind its monotony; it carried the travellers from ship to shore, and every moment the walls of Jaffa became more and more distinct through its measured cadence.

They seemed to be heading for some jagged rocks that jutted a little distance from the line of the shore. The sharp eyes of the boys dis

covered an opening in the rocks, and when the boat was within a few yards of it the men paused in obedience to a signal from the steersman. Then, watching the rise and fall of the waves, they dashed forward at the proper moment through the opening ten or twelve feet wide, and were borne into the smooth water of the little harbor. There is a wider entrance farther to the north, but it is rendered dangerous by several sunken rocks, and the narrow one is generally used by the boatmen.

"This harbor is mentioned several times in Scripture," said Doctor Bronson, while the boatmen were waiting the proper moment to enter.

"It was here that Hiram, King of Tyre, sent ships laden with wood from Lebanon for the use of King Solomon in building his temple at Jerusalem, and some of the apostles, when they went out to preach the gospel through the world, sailed away from Jaffa or Joppa, as it was then called. According to tradition, the prophet Jonah sailed from Joppa just before he was swallowed by the whale. And there is another tradition that Andromeda was chained to the rocks at the entrance of the harbor, in order that a sea-monster might devour her. The correctness of this latter tradition was maintained until the sixteenth century by the exhibition of the chains and rings by which she was held."

Doctor Bronson saved himself a wrangle with the boatmen by putting his party in the care of the commissionnaire of the hotel where he was going, and asking him to arrange everything. This plan is advisable for all travellers arriving at Jaffa, and they are also recommended to pay no attention to the dragomen that crowd around them on the ship, and

THE CONTRACT WITH THE DRAGOMAN.

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desire to make contracts for accompanying the strangers to Jerusalem. Wait till you get on shore, and don't make a bargain in a hurry.

The commissionnaire attended to the baggage of the party, paid the customary fees to the boatmen and the offcials of the Custom-house, and then escorted the strangers to the Jerusalem Hotel, which is, or was at that time, the best hotel in the place. It is a short distance out of the town, and in the German colony; its proprietor, a German, was the vice-consul of the United States of America, and his official position enabled him to be of service to travellers from beyond the Atlantic. Through his recommendation our friends were joined by three other Americans who wished to make the tour of the Holy Land, and the rate for a party of six would be less for each person than if it consisted of half that number, or even four or five.

Negotiations were begun immediately. Several contractors wished to be engaged, and the choice fell on a Syrian named Ali Solomon, or Solyman, who was strongly recommended both by the consul and by those who had previously employed him. After considerable bargaining the following terms were agreed upon:

sous

The contractor, or dragoman, was to provide all requisites for the journey. There were to be three double tents-one for every two per- servants, beds, food, English saddles, horses for riding and carrying the baggage. He was to engage sufficient escort when needed, and pay all fees and backsheesh of every kind, except when the party visited churches, convents, and the like. Whenever the party stopped in hotels or convents, instead of remaining in camp, he was to pay for their food and lodging. The horses were to be sound and kind, and if any of them became disabled the dragoman was to provide proper substitutes free of extra charge. The party could go where it pleased, change its route as often as it liked, select its own day for leaving any city or town, and, if the contract was closed anywhere but in Jaffa, the dragoman was to have a fair allowance for the return journey. In case of dispute, the matter could be referred to the American or any other consul at the most convenient point.

While on the road the food should consist of coffee or tea in the morning, with eggs and bread-and-butter; luncheon at noon, of chicken