Now then behold your friend
mounted upon a jackass in the streets of Alexandria, a boy behind
holding by his tail and whipping him up, Charles (who had been lost
sight of in the crowd) upon another, and my guide upon a third, and off
we go among a crowd of Jews and Greeks, Turks and Arabs, and veiled
women and yelling donkey-boys to see the city. We saw the bazaars and
the slave market, where I was again nearly pulled to pieces for
"backsheesh" (money), the mosques with their elegant minarets, and then
the Pasha's new palace, the interior of which is most gorgeous.
We have seen lots of Turkish soldiers walking in comfortable
irregularity; and, after feeling ourselves to be dreadful guys for two
hours, returned to the hotel whence we were to start for the canal
boats. You may think this account is exaggerated, but it is not; the
pertinacity, vigour and screams of the Alexandrian donkey-drivers no
description can do justice to....--Yours sincerely,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
TO HIS MOTHER
_Singapore, April 30, 1854_.
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