Sketcher

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 September 1893, Page 4

Sketcher

MAORILAND TO BRITAIN. (By Auroea.) No. 10, Before I left New Zealand I had had strict injunctions from many friends not to go ashore at Port Said, but such is the perversity of human nature —and especially this human nature —that somehow or other I had a greater desire to place my foot on terra firma here than at any port. Our slow journey through the canal in the scorching sun had not quite finished us, though some of our number looked considerably the worse for wear. In spite of the fact that the heat in the upper deck cabins was up to 95 and 97 degrees, and the lower to a trifle more, yet we did not feel it so much as we did when we were “ crossing the line.” Whether it was that we had got acclimatised, or that the heat,, being dry instead of damp, was not so enervating, I don’t know, but certainly we all stood it remarkably well. Of course the “ Punkaos” and little “black nigger boys,” together with our own fans, were in constant requisition ; but by this time we had got so accustomed to using them, that my cabin companion came in one night and declared she found me fast asleep iilniy bunk gently waving. my fan to a.nd fro. I have not the slightest doubt but the statement was quite correct, for once stop fanning and you immediately begin to be in a state of “melt.”' Well, as I remarked before, in spite of all the injunctions, written and unwritten, which 1 ‘had carried with me to Port Said,;! felt that if others went ashore I mUst-gbjashore too. We oast anchor ih gojhout H ..o’clock in the evening, shortly after ■; dark, and the ; notice board was soon hoisted, intimating that our steamer would sail at II p.m. The question passed round the deck was, “Who is going ashore ?” Everyone wanted to go, but we all wished to see who else was going. A party of over twenty waft soon formed, of which I made one, and well armed •with walking-sticks and umbrellas we made our way into the small boats. Those left behind hurled all kinds of warnings after us, but utterly regardless we went on our way. We- had about sixteen gentlemen in .our party (and most of them big at that), so we felt that we could bid defiance to' half a hundred natives. The scene when we landed was.,, a little livelier than even .the brayest of us cared for ; w r e were quickly surrounded by “all sorts and conditions of men,” and though they didn’t venture to molest us, yet we felt that it would have been pleasanter . to have viewed them from a greater distance. The whole of the town ■was brilliantly lighted, and as most of the Ilduses, were decorated in front with huge'Chinese lanterns, the scene was very'noVel and pretty. We w r ended our 'way as rapidly as we could straight along what appeared to be the principal street of the town, and though we were all prepared for seeing things in a fairly upset condition, yet I don’t think think the ladies of the party quite, anticipated the rowdyism that seems to prewail there. Every six yards seemed to land us in the midst of a drunken brawl, and whether it was their strange way of gesticulating that made them look so ferocious, I don’t know, but certainly they all appeared to be iquarrelling. Some of us heartily wished (at the the time) that we had listened to the voices of oar friends, but by the time wc had got back to the boat nothing could /have persuaded us that we had not enjoyed ourselves. Music saloons seemed to abound on all sides, but all the dancing is done just outside the door of the houqe, and in the half dim light them - fantastic movements were very fascinating. Then there were the “ singing houses,” and most of these attracted quite a small crowd round them. The ragsic sounded oddly to our Eurbpean ' ears, but certainly it wa&- hot unmusical. Of the town itself I

caii hardly judge as it was nighttime, and therefore not favourable for sight-seeing, I should hardly think it was a very cleanly town, though, and I should certainly not advise ladies to go ashore there unless they happened to land in the daytime. Of course firearms are carried by many of the natives, and we were unfortunate enough to see a poor fellow shot down in the street. I cannot say what injury he sustained, as we hurried along as quickly as we could to get away from the crowd that speedily gathered round. We visited several of the shops, mostly in quest of cigars and cigarettes. Port Said cigarettes are especially famous, and especially cheap. Cigars about 5s fid a hundred, the very best, and cigarettes a trifle under 2s fid for the same number Unfortunately tobacco, &e., has a very high rate of duty upon it, so that what was bought was supposed to be for voyage use only, and yet it -was remarkable what immense quantities some gentlemen put by for that purpose. I questioned one gentleman closely, but he shook his head in a vague sort of way, and looked as though he would rather not pursue the subject.- Be that as it may, the looks of content on the faces of some of those men next day was a fitting subject for a poem. The Port Said natives are amongst some of the finest men that I have seen. Scarcely one of them seems to be under six feet, and they are perfect giants as far as strength goes. iNo where is the coaling done so cleanly and so expeditiously as at Port Said. The men work like “ ants,” without seeming’ to get in one another’s way, and without making much noise. At one minute to eleven exactly the bell rung, and by five minutes past we had cast anchor, and were steaming into the Mediterranean,