Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891. Excerpt:... LETTERS FROM PALESTINE Jaffa (jof-pa): April 4. We left Ismailia early yesterday, coming by a Bort of omnibus-boat down to Port Said, where we were put on board the Austrian Lloyd steamer. The Suez Canal is generally in a very deep cutting, between high sandbanks, that one thinks must be for ever slipping in and choking the waterway. It is not very interesting, as one sees so little of the country on either side, though the shipping is always something to be on the look-out for; quite nine-tenths of it is English, indeed it was an event to see a ship of any other nationality. Amongst our fellow-passengers down the Canal was Prince Eudolph of Hapsburg, who is travelling incog, through the East. The Austrian Lloyd steamer was small by comparison with the P. and 0. we had been in. L. and I had a good fore-berth cabin to ourselves, and H. had a very comfortable cabin to himself. The night was rough, and we rocked and rolled a good deal, so were not sorry when we anchored off Jaffa this morning, and determined to land as soon as possible lest any evil consequences should arise. But the landing! Each moment the sea waxed rougher, and L. with her sprained knee became a serious anxiety, for the small boat that was to take us on shore was so lively she could only be brought alongside the ship at intervals, and was carried yards away again by the next wave. One poor young German lady was dropped into the sea between the vessel and the boat, but we were more fortunate. The captain lent us two sailors to carry L., and she was tossed to those in the boat quite comfortably. Your uncle could not deliver himself up so unconditionally, and though he had to submit to being projected from the vessel he could not help struggling more or less with his arms and legs in mid air...