104 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



and at the station at least a dozen men claimed 

 to have rendered us some sort of assistance. The 



Back- train was about forty minutes late in 



sheesh. starting, and the last thing which we 

 were urged to purchase was a bottle of no doubt 

 terrible whisky. The boy who ofitered it grinned 

 affably, showing the whitest teeth, and said, 

 ** Whisky, good-make fight ! " Having no desire 

 to be affected that way, we did not purchase, but 

 gave him a cigarette. 



If I were to give my own first impression (for 

 what it is worth) of Egypt, when once one is clear 

 of such nuisances as just described, it is the perfect 

 colouring of the whole picture. No one except a 

 European looks really commonplace, and in the 

 infinite variety of costumes and colours there is 

 not one single garish effect — I suppose the sun 

 takes care of that — but the result is none the less 

 picturesque on that account. 



It is not for me to describe in any detail how 

 we meandered along on a narrow-gauge line from 

 Port Said to Ismailia, taking due note of the canal 

 as we went, and the arid waste of water on the 

 right-hand side ; nor need I say much about the 

 renewed turmoil at Ismailia, where a change is 

 More back- ^lade, and where once more our baggage 



sheesh ! ^g^g seized by endless men — Cook's men, 

 Shepheard's men, Gaze's men, and others. Under 



