1907-12-02 Emma B Andrews Volume 15

Bedreschein - Dec. 2d. 1907 This little record of travel should have begun a month ago - as we sailed from New York just a month ago - the 2d of Nov. on the Freiderick (sic) der Grosse. We had a rough unpleasant passage - there was no day on which I could have written with comfort. It was the worst passage I ever made. On some days, the best thing was to stay in bed - and that was a difficult thing to do. A friend of ours was thrown from his berth, and dislocated his shoulder - several accidents occurred - sprains etc. Reached Naples finally the morning of the 15th. Dr. Baldwin of Rome, and Mrs. Peck of Milwaukie, were on the boat, and added much to the pleasure of the voyage - coming when possible to my sitting room for tea. We knew that Nettie and Carrie would be waiting for us at Naples, and we hoped to have at least a night and day with Nettie at the Grand Hotel. But we were so belated that we had only time to drive to the hotel and get them, and drive back to the dock - and that was so disappointing. David Costantini was there also - and Mrs. Baldwin who had come from Rome to meet her husband - the voyage across the Mediterranean was as charming as the other was horrid. We arrived at Alexandria at 8 o’clock on Monday the 18th, stopped at the New Khedivial Hotel long enough to have a lunch put up for us, then paid a visit to the Museum (our first) though it is hardly worth a visit, and were off for Cairo at noon - and found our old rooms ready for us, and were eating dinner on the evening of the 16th day from N.Y. A very good record. We got away from Cairo today - having settled ourselves on the Beduin the 1st. We tried to get through the bridge yesterday - but there was such a crowd of gyassas at the draw, that we waited for most of them, dreading the dangers of that shouting, reckless, unmanageable crowd - but the Bridge time was up before they had all passed, and the draw was shut in our faces. We tied up at the Kasr el Nil barracks, and waited for today. We were so near when the draw was opened at 1 o’clock that we started as soon as the down boats had got through - but there was a good wind, and the reckless gyassas in spite of orders and shrieks of the bridge officers crowded upon us in full sail - and it was a very nasty twenty minutes we had - such noise, such frantic efforts. One of them crashed her bow into us, fortunately broke her bow sprit, and left her anchor embedded in the landing stage, or she would have ripped our side open. She did break one of the window frames, but luckily spared the glass, knocked much of our nice new paint off us etc. One of our men took out the window frame, and we left him in Cairo, to take it to the carpenters and painters. He rejoined us at Tourah by rail and says the carpenters and painters will reach Bedreshein tomorrow at 8 o’clock. As Theo and Carrie are to make a visit to Sakkarah we will not be detained.
We saw Capt. Trefusis and his sweet sister Evelyn who is out with him this winter. They lunched with us several times, and she came in to stay one night (they are staying at Helouan) and go with Carrie early the next morning to see the ceremony of the Kishwa. He is now in a large business at Cairo. We also made the acquaintance of Lord Denbigh’s eldest son, Viscount Fielding. He is in the Coldstream Guards, who have lately been sent out here. He is a nice young fellow simple and natural. Mrs. Peck of Milwaukie was at Shepheards most of the time we were there, and we saw much of her. Cairo, and the whole of Egypt is now in serious financial straits, following the absurd speculative craze of the last 2 years. Prices are incredibly high.