Travel Journal – July

July

The morning is stuffy and cloudy, also very hot and humid.
I got up at and waited for Hanna Tabouni, but he did not come. We put all
our things in order and prepared to travel the day after tomorrow rather than tomorrow as we had planned. At
9:00 we went to Cook's and bought tickets from them to Lourdes and Paris, and from
Paris to Vienna. We paid nearly 700 francs for the three of us. We returned
at breakfast time and after lunch Razouk Rafi came to see me.
I left with him to tour around. We went toward the Port and saw ships thick like
a thicket. I returned in the afternoon. Khowaja Nassoury came and showed us
some of the things he wants to send to Baghdad. Then we left and went to
the man about the visiting cards. He said they would be finished tomorrow. So we returned at sunset.
I got up early in the morning. There is a still wind today with dark clouds and the heat
is worse than yesterday. At 9:00 we went to visit Nassoury at his office and commission him on
some business matters. I received letters in the post from Yousif Fahmi in Paris.
In response to my letter he informed me that he is in Paris and would be happy to see me.
I also received a letter from Razouk Majij in London saying much the same thing.
After we left Nassoury's place we walked to the Cannebi[e']re district.
Then we went to the Port and from there to the famous large church in Marseille which they call
the Cathedral. It is truly worth seeing because
it is of the most sublime construction, very long and very large. For 35 years they have been

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working on it and it has not been finished yet. There is nothing inside and no icons except, about 30 ...[illegible]
altars. I can say that it is as big as Saint Paul's Cathedral in Rome and even more spacious
but the construction and decorations are different. Yet it is a very large and grand church.
We returned to our place at noon. The heat was fierce and we grew increasingly tired. In the afternoon
my friends Hanna and Razouk came to see me. We went out and bought few little things. Then
we sent a parcel of dates to Effie, Uncle Alexander's daughter in Cairo, on
one of the Messagerie ships. We paid charges of two and a quarter francs. At 5:00 we returned and I found
Nassoury who had come to bid us farewell. So we exchanged goodbyes and he left. Then, we also exchanged goodbyes
with Hanna and Razouk and I escorted them to the the top of the Cannebi[e']re. But in Razouk's case
I might see him in Paris. He also decided to travel in four days to
Paris. So we finally decided on leaving early tomorrow morning by train to
Toulouse. We paid the hotel bill and exchanged goodbyes with them.

I awoke in the morning at . The weather is extremely unsettled. It rained heavily all night long with thunder and lightning, like on winter days,
and it continues to rain to this moment. After fastening our trunks and having tea we hired
a carriage to the station. We all went together and arrived at 5:30. We took a place on
the train and at 6:15 the train pulled out of the Marseille station. I
was sad to leave Marseille because it is a pleasant town and I liked it very much. We arrived
in Pas des Lanciers at 6:45, at 6:48 left 7:00 Rognac 7:03 to 7:10
Berre 7:13 -- = 7:27 St. Chamas 7:30 to 8:05
Mirama 7:45 L = 7:51 Entressen 7:53 L to 7:06
St. Martin de Crau 8:10 = 8:16 Raptale 8:17 to 8:25

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Arles here we changed trains and left at 8:35 .
After two minutes, we passed over the bridge
on the river Rhône 9:03 St. Gilles 9:05 left
Franquevaux 9:16 = 9:25 Callicion 9:27 -- 9:15
Aimargues 9:43 = 9:55 Lunerve 10:03 -- 9:40
St. Anvires 10:34 = 10:50 Montpelier 10:55 -- 10:32
Vic Mireval 11:18 = 11:30 Frontegnan 11:33 -- 11:16
Cette. This is a large town on the
sea & has nice pretty buildings & houses on
the mountain. We started from here
at 12:00 changing train
12:25 Agde 12:27 12:49 Beziers 12:53 1:18
Narbonne 1:24 1:50 Lizignan 1:53 2:07
Moux 2:08 2:21 Capendu 2:23 2:40
Carcasson 2:54 = 3:10 Alzone 3:11 4:15
Avignonet 4:16 here we had hard rain.
4:21 Villefranche de Lauragais left 4:23 4:34
Villenouvelle 4:35 = 4:45 Montlaur 4:45
@ 5:08 Toulouse
So we arrived at last. Without delay we immediately hired a carriage and went to a hotel called
Hotel de France Hotel de France on Lafayette street on Lafayette street. Afterwards
we went out to the street to look for P[e']re Exupierre Father Exupierre at the abbey.

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They said that he is no longer in Toulouse and that he left some time ago
because the French had expelled all the Capuchin and Carmelite fathers Capuchin and Carmelite fathers: [french expulsion of them from Toulouse] An order of friars in the Roman Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites. A Roman Catholic religious order founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, Israel.
from Toulouse for some reason. Finally we returned to the Restaurent, ate dinner,
and went back to the hotel. Toulouse is a very pleasant and delightful town. Across from
our hotel is the municipal garden or Jardin Publique
and it is very nice too. It resembles the Azbakiyah garden in Egypt. Its streets and markets
are exactly like Marseille, but there are not as many people and it is not as big as Marseille. The weather
is extremely miserable with lots of rain. We heard that most of the lands of western France
were damaged by the rain of the past 3 days, that is, since the beginning of July.
Many rivers flooded Flooded rivers in Western France inundating the land, and many a lightning bolt had killed
people or so the newspapers reported. The weather here is wet and cold, just like
winter, and there is a big difference between here and Marseille.

I got up early, that is at in the morning. The weather is still rainy with black clouds and very wet. At we hired a carriage with our things and went to the
train station after paying the hotel bill of 7 francs a night.
We arrived at the station and waited until 9:00. Then we boarded the train and it set out at 9:30.
9:45 Portet St. Simon, L= 9:46 / 10:10 Carbonine, left 10:13 /
10:26 Casere, L= 10:27 / 10:33 Bousseux, left 10:38 /
11:05 St. Godens, left 11:08 / 11:23 Mont Jean, L= 11:43
/12:17 Capveru, L= 12:20 / 12:32 Tournay, -,,- 12:35 /
1:05 Tarbes.
We had to get off the train here and into a horse-drawn carriage to go to
the next station which was a half an hour away because in all of the places

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we passed the rivers had flooded and destroyed the planted fields. However since yesterday
the floods have started to diminish. Here in Tarbes the train passes over a large bridge.
It had broken and collapsed the day before yesterday and that
happened just one minute after a train had crossed over. So for that reason
we came to a station at the entrance to the next town and again took
the train directly to Lourdes.
We set out from Tarbes at 1:30 and arrived
at the Lourdes station at 2:00 and did not stop at all. By chance
while on board we ran into a man named J. Soubiroux, a resident of
Lourdes and the owner of the largest hotel to be found in Lourdes, although there are 40 hotels there.
This hotel which has 230 rooms is next to the Grotte, so we bargained
with him for 9 francs each per day with food and drink. Immediately after
leaving we took a carriage and rode to this hotel, the like of which we had never seen,
it being so large and extraordinarily well laid out. It was a palace
like the palaces of the kings. We entered and took two rooms on the street.
The hotel is called de la Chapelle Hotel de la Chapelle . The streets here are full of
shops selling holy relics like creches, rosaries, icons,
and the like as well as other things. Lourdes winds about and surrounding it are
the Pyrenees mountains which separate Spain from France. Because of this
the weather is so cold as if they were wet winter days. From Toulouse up to
here all the lands were lovely and the mountains were very green and cheered the heart.
So we arrived at the hotel, ordered breakfast, and ate. Afterwards we went to our journey's destination,
the Grotte, where the Virgin Mary appeared.
It is a 15 minute walk from here. Thus we came to the church

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which they call the Basilica. Then we went down into the Grotte Grotto:The Massabielle grotto is a place of Catholic pilgrimage in Lourdes, France (1858). , the place where
the Virgin Mary appeared. The place is truly humble. On the mountain where
the Virgin stood, I saw that there were many walking sticks of those who were cured
miraculously of their illness and there were benches to sit on as well. Before we came we bought
three candles and we gave them to someone to light inside the mountain where there were hundreds of burning candles
and wreaths as well. We had also brought with us two
tins each large enough to hold two bottles. I filled them and drank of the flowing water,
that is, of the Spring of Miracles Spring of Miracle:The water which flows from the Grotte in Lourdes, France. The water is not considered holy water, but ordinary water taken from a sacred spring.s . After we all had prayed before the Virgin Mary
we returned to the hotel. The Grotte is only a short distance from here and many
of the pilgrims swarm in the streets. Most of them are Spaniards. The hotel is
very good but extremely expensive. The meals are very tasty and well served.
I got up at 7:00 after having slept very well because of
exhaustion and lack of rest. The weather is somewhat better than before and the air is clear.
After we drank tea and changed clothes we went again to the Grotte and prayed
to Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, to keep us safe on this journey of ours. Here, across from
the site of the Apparition, there is a river as large as the Diyalah river called the Gave.
Two days ago it rose a lot and flooded the pilgrimage site. Today they are cleaning up
the water and dirt that had been carried down. The inhabitants of these environs say that they do not
remember seeing such a rise in the river. Upon returning to our hotel we bought
a number of things like icons and chrèches and other trinkets from the hotel shop,
which had about 5,000 liras worth of holy mementos. We asked them to wrap
the things and send them to Marseille addressed to Nassoury who would send them to Basrah
with our trunk. Then I bought several pictures as souvenirs of Lourdes and sent

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about 30 by post, each a photograph of Lourdes and other things, to all of the family
and friends in Baghdad. I made them into a large packet and sent them in care of Nassoury
Bahoshy who would distribute them. We decided that we would travel from here tomorrow morning by train
to Paris via Bordeaux. Lourdes is a very pleasant town and I
loved it so much because it lies among the green mountains and is delightful and not very large.
In the afternoon we stayed at the hotel because there was nowhere else to go except
the Grotte. After we dined we went for the third time to the grotto
to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary. This would be our final pilgrimage to her here. So we arrived
at the site and saw a great throng of people with candles in their hands. They were climbing
the hill singing hymns of praise in a procession and then returning by the other side. They were
more than a thousand singing praises in full voice. It was truly very pious,
especially at night. Then they all knelt facing the church and prayed
to the Virgin Mary to save them from the flood and keep France safe.
I can honestly say that I shuddered with fervor when I saw such a scene of
devotion. We remained there for an hour and then returned to the hotel and bade farewell
to this place which it is a pity to leave.


I got up in the morning and found the weather very clear but
there was a bit of a chill. After we drank tea and changed, we paid the hotel
bill which amounted to 58 francs for just two days. This is truly
the most expensive hotel we have seen. Then we got in the carriage and rode

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to the station to take the train to Bordeaux. At 8:00 the train moved off with us and we left
Lourdes. The church and the Grotto were still visible at a distance.
8:13 Saint Pé, L 8:15 / 8:20 Montant-Bétharam , L 8:22 /

04

.

8:25 Dufan , L 8:26 / 8:40 Bodrex , L 8:42 /

05

.

8:47 Assat , L 8:00 / 8:55 Pau ,L 9:05 /
We continuously followed the banks of the River Gave amid pleasant green places.

07

.

9:23 Danguin, L 9:25 / 9:40 Lacq, L 9:43 /

08

.

9:58 Orthez, L 10:00 / 10:28 Puyoo .
Here we were obliged to get off the train and change after half an hour sitting
in the station to another one. We moved off at 11:15. The train we are in is very long
with no less than 45 Wagons of which 30 are loaded with goods.
11:38 Misson Habase, L 11:40 / 11:52 Mimbaste, L 11:.. /

13

.

12:10 Daz. Here we also got off and changed to another train. We moved off at 12:25 /

14

.

12:45 Laluque, L 12:46/ 1:11 Morseux, L 1:22 /

15

.

1:40 Solferino, L 1:42 / 2:02 Ychoux, L 2:05 /

16

.

2:17 Lugos, L 2:19 /2:45 Lamothe, L 2:55 /

17

.

3:30 Bessac, L 3:22 / 3:47 Bordeaux
Finally we arrived at Bordeaux. We immediately hired a carriage and went to look for a hotel. We found
one that is agreeable and small. They gave us two rooms with dinner and tea for 16.50 francs.
It is called the Hotel des Indes et de la Marine and is located in the rue ...[blank]
After we washed and changed our clothes, because the railroad is very dirty and soils everything,
we went out to tour Bordeaux. I found it a truly large town, much
bigger than Marseille but not as pleasant. Afterwards

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we went to visit the famous church here called the Basilique de St. André Basilique de St. Andre:A Roman Catholic cathedral located in Bordeaux, France. It was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096. .
The church is worth seeing on account of its size and beauty. Its interior is very
spacious. There are 12 thrones Thrones: By "thrones" [t'ronir],he seems to be indicating the altars of the various side chapels that circle the main central area, which he calls the "middle throne". circling it and facing a main space. Each
one is as big as our Latin Church in Baghdad! The middle throne is large
and I counted 1,300 seats in front of it. Other than this, there were Orgue,
two of them, in it, one for the big throne measuring more than 40 cubits in height
and the second for the smaller thrones. We left to look for
Mamère Exupérie head of the Sisters of Compassion.
Finally we met with her at 4 rue Monteugant and she greeted us with complete hospitality.
She offered us Bordeaux wine and poured it for us. Then she mentioned mère Thérèse
and Sister Adele in Baghdad and asked after them. She then told us the way to
Father Pierre's cousin, Madame De Calvindu. She said that she is here in Bordeaux
and living at 13 rue Hugury. So we said our goodbyes to her and left and went to
look for Father Pierre's cousin. Finally we found the street and came to number 13.
They told us that there was no one by that name here and so we returned to the hotel without
seeing her. We decided to travel tomorrow directly to Paris.
I got up at and the weather was slightly cold. We prepared
our belongings for the journey, paid the hotel bill, hired a carriage, and went
to the gare or the station. We arrived there and took places on
the train and then at 8:05 we set out from Bordeaux.
8:37 Libourne-- = 8:39 = 8:56 Contras, left 8:58 =

22

.

9:16 Laroche Challet, left 9:18 = 9:30 Chalais, left 9:33 = 9:50 Montenoreu, left 9:52 = 10:22 Angoulain 10:45 =

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11:13 Luxé 11:15 left = 11:30 Ruffec 11:33 =

02

.

12:07 Couhé Vérace , left 12:08 -,,- = 12:32 Poitiers 12:39 =

03

.

1:06 Chatelerant 1:08 -,,- = 2:01 St. Pierre des Corps 2:03 =

04

.

2:54 Blois 2:58 -,,- = 3: 42 Aubrais , left 4:10,

05

.

train going fastest than every time, 30 poles in 1 minute

06

.

5:08 Etamps 5:10 -,,- = 5:35 Britigny 5:37 =

07

.

6:07 arrived after all to the gare D'Orleans

08

.

of Paris.

---

So at 6:07 we arrived in Paris, which may be unique
in all the world. We left the station and hired a carriage after getting our trunks from
the gare de Lyon. We rode through wide avenues with
green trees on both sides, people abundant as sand, and shops adorned
as if they were brides. Finally after much touring we found a place in
4 Impasse Mazagrau Avenue, next to Boulevard Bonnenouvelle,
in a small hotel called the Family Hotel, and we took two rooms
for 8 francs per day without meals. After we had washed and changed
it was almost 8:00 so we went out to eat in a Restaurent close
to our place. We then arranged to take our meals with them daily for 4 and three quarters francs
each. After we finished dinner we went to tour these streets
which are like paradise on earth. We were amazed at seeing new things

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which our eyes had never before beheld. We returned after an hour struck by wonderment at this city.
I was unable to rouse myself from sleep until 7:30 because of extreme
tiredness. After we changed I wrote a letter to my friend Yousif Fahmi who is here.
I informed him of my arrival here and my sincere wish to see him and gave him my address.
Then I went to get a haircut at the place of a person who has a big shop with nearly 20 people waiting
to serve. Then I left and came back to the hotel. At 10:00 we all went out, hired a carriage,
and went to look for our friend Ibrahim Hajo. We knew that he lived at
59 rue des St. Pères. So we went to the door and asked for him and he came because he was living here.
We were very pleased to see him especially since we are strangers here. After we chatted with him at length
he said that we must come and stay with him at the hotel where he lives. He showed us two rooms,
and the place was much better than the one [we are] in. So we decided that we would go with him and after breakfast
bring our things to this new hotel. Its name is Hôtel du Pas de Calais
at 59 rue des St. Pères. In the afternoon we went bringing all of our belongings
and paid 10.50 francs for our lodging. After we came to our new place
and settled in we went out with Ibrahim to see a place called
Les Invalides Les Invalides: National Residence of the Invalids, a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments relating to the military history of France, and known as the burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte. , a church where Napoleon the First is buried.
The Tour Eiffel was visible wherever we went. Thus we arrived
after a lot of walking to this lovely place and saw all the canons
that Napoleon captured in front of the door. The dome of the church is all of real gold.
We went in through the entryway and I saw this amazing site. In
the middle is a sunken circle with Napoleon buried in the center. Over him is a huge stone,
the like of which is not ever to be found, and around it are all the banners he acquired in
battle. Afterwards we saw many graves such as those of his brothers and the generals who were

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with him in the wars. In front of the grave there is a tall cross between four marble pillars which
are unique in all the world. Then we left this place and went to
the Magasin de bon Marché Magasin de bon Marche: " The good market" in French, is one of the best known department store in Paris, France. , a department store where they sell everything
a person craves or desires. Oh, what a place. When we entered it seemed
we were in a city because it is all one passage in which there are nearly 10,000
souls swarming as abundant as worms and its size is indescribable. There are altogether 6,000 people
selling and 100 taking money. It is made up of ten floors and truly
one could easily go astray inside and become lost. After we bought some things we left
and hired a carriage and went out to a place for a promenade called the Bois de Boulogne Bois de Boulogne: A park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. .
Here is the true paradise. It surpasses all cities. So I do not know what to say
about this place which is an earthly paradise. People in carriages are coming and going
among these trees, thick and green, which cheer the hearts of the sorrowful. After we had toured
around for nearly two hours we returned to the hotel and left a second time to have dinner. We all went to eat
in a Restaurent and afterwards we left to tour and walk about in this heaven for Paris
is unique in East and West and has no peer ever. We went towards the place,
unique in Paris, that is the Opéra square and saw this unique Théatre Paris Opera: The primary opera company of Paris, it was founded in 1669.
and what the hands of man had wrought. This is the Opera famous
the world over. Then we went into a coffee house and listened to guitar playing. We returned to our place
at 11:00 and slept.
The morning is clear with a pleasant western wind. At 7:00
we drank tea. At 9:00 we left with Khowaja Ibrahim and went to a department store named
the Magasin du Petit St. Thomas Magasin du Petit St.Thomas: A novelty shop that was based on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Italian priest. . Here there are all sorts of silk goods and fabrics.
Workers are demolishing the large store so the goods are selling cheap. We bought many

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silk fabrics and things for 287 francs. Because of the size of the place we were not able to return to the hotel
before noon. After breakfast we left and went to this department store again
and asked them to package the things and send them to our place. Then we went back to the hotel and they brought us the things
we had bought. After we rested for a while we returned again to tour around and went
to a department store which is larger than any found either in Paris or anywhere else.
Its name is the Grand Magasin du Louvre Grand Magasin du Louvre: A department store in Paris, France, founded in 1855, three years after the Le Bon Marche. and it surpasses
the Bon Marché store. First, it is higher and wider and here one finds all
the products of the world. Because of the abundance of people the crowding and especially the costliness, we could not buy
anything. After an hour of walking we left and went to the environs of the
Louvre palace, which amazes one with its architecture and large size.
Then we went to the area of the Palais Royale. This distinguished place
is filled all along its length and breadth with shops in which are jewelry, gold crafts
and diamonds. There are about 100 shops and other things, and in short, one
becomes confused about what to desire and what to buy. Then the weather here turned bad, the clouds grew
thick, and it started to rain more and more. We rushed to get back to the hotel.
After dinner we left and sat in a coffee house. Then we went touring in a carriage and returned
to our place. All the streets and markets of Paris are being decorated
because is on the 14th. It will be a very big celebration.
The morning is pleasant with an easterly wind. After we got up from
sleeping we changed and at 9:00 we went out with Monsieur Ibrahim and went to
someone who sells books. We instructed him to purchase for us a number of books that we need and then
we returned to wander around in other places. We went to shops and bought
different kinds of things. Afterwards we entered a Restaurent and ate.

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We went a second time to tour the markets and shops and then returned to our first hotel.
We asked if letters had come for us because when we left we had instructed the landlady
that if anything came for us she should send it to our new place. She told us that
three letters had arrived for us and she had sent them to our place. So at sunset we
ate dinner at the Restaurent Gazal, which is quite fine.
It cost 1 and a half francs for lunch and two francs for dinner. The food there is very good
and better than all the others and is located across from the Louvre.
After dinner we rushed off and went to a theatre named the Chatelet Chatelet theatre: A theatre and opera house, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. .
We paid 8 francs admission fee and it was truly quite pleasant. There were
about 1,000 in attendance.
The story, entitled Michel Strogoff Michel Strogoff [play]: The play was based of a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876, it was adapted into a play in 1880. , was partly comical and the rest done by the Orchestre.
At 12:00 we exited and came back to our residence and found our letters waiting.
Several letters from Baghdad had arrived for me. Everyone is doing well except they informed us of the death
of Aunt Susanne Sayegh among other things.
I got up late, that is at 8:00, and the weather
was good and clear. Since today is Sunday we went with Ibrahim to hear mass
in the large church found in Paris which they named Notre Dame.
We arrived there half an hour later and saw that it was truly a large and spacious church
and well worth seeing. We heard high mass and then left and went
to see the Baghdad Commandant's sons who came here a month ago.
We found them at home and then left and went to have breakfast somewhere. We found
the Restaurent Duval in which only girls work as waiters, but
it is very expensive. After breakfast we went to the River Seine

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and took one of the boats which are on the river and went down to the site of the Eiffel Tower. We paid
3 piasters each, then disembarked and walked over the bridge across from the tower. What
a view it is, this soaring tower dominating the sky, which appears from afar
as if it were a small minaret. Then we took the Asenseur and paid
fifty centimes per person. We went up to the first level and were amazed by this pleasant view.
Here on top there is a theater, shops selling the souvenirs of the tower,
and a place to eat, among other things. After we stayed on top for about an hour we returned and came down
by the stairs. I counted 285 stairs to the bottom from the first level. Here we met
a Jew who is a resident of Baghdad and Basrah. His name is Haroun Baer. He calls himself
Henri and he has been in Paris for 12 years. He is about 22 years old and is the brother in law
of Farha, the wife of Yaqoub Levi. After we came down Ibrahim and I went to
his brother Henri's school. We arrived there and got him and brought him
with us because today is Sunday and they do not have any classes. Thus we came to a vast site
in which is the Trocadéro Palace, or the Exhibition of 1889 Exhibition of 1889: Referring to the World's Fair held in Paris, France from May 6 to October 31, 1889. . In it are
every kind and shape of pavilions on earth. After it turned
6:00 we went back to the eating place and after that returned to our place in the hotel.
The morning is pleasant and cheery. The weather is like
spring. After we drank tea and changed we went out with Ibrahim and went to buy
flower seeds and other things. We returned to the hotel close to noon. Afterwards
at 1:00 Razouk Rafi, whom I had left in Marseille, came in the door of the room.
He arrived here yesterday and I was truly happy when I saw him. At 1:30
I went with Ibrahim, mother, and Razouk to Razouk's brother Henri's school
because the students were putting on a play for the headmaster's celebration.

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So we showed up there. There were many people, some 5,000. It finished at 5:00 and we returned
to our residence. After dinner, we decided to go to the Opéra
and hear the performance of . We went at 8:30 and only with great difficulty were we able
to find seats because the people were many and the whole theater was packed
with about 8,000 persons or more. Finally we were able to find ourselves seats for twenty
francs. Truly the acting was quite fine, especially when Samson
lost his strength, when the hair on his head was sheared and he grasped the pillars and pulled them down
inside the temple and all the soldiers and people were killed by the temple's fall. Honestly
I have never seen such a fine drama in my life. We stayed until 12:00,
and when it finished we returned to our lodgings. We were impressed by such a
marvelous thing and then we slept the night until morning.
I got up in the morning and the weather was pleasant with sunshine.
At 9:00 Gregor's brother came to visit us, the one who works on the SS Majidieh with the paddle wheel Engine: Alexander writes "jargh" in Arabic but most likely intends the Persian/Ottoman "charkh" which means "wheel, machine, engine" and probably refers to working in the engine room. .
His name is Gabriel and he has been here for 5 years studying medicine. He says that after two months
he is going to Baghdad with certification that he is a physician. At 10:00 we all went
to Le Bon Marché department store and afterwards went to another store and bought a number of things.
At noon we went to have breakfast at Restaurant Gazal,
next to the Louvre. It is very expensive, 2 francs per person. After breakfast we entered
the famous Louvre and visited each part. We saw
several antiquities from Babylon, Niniveh, and other places. This gallery is truly worth
seeing. We also viewed the gallery of brush paintings and they are exquisite things.
At 4:00 we all left with Ibrahim and his brother Andreus and returned to our lodgings.
At 6:00 we returned again by omnibus to the dining place and ate.

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After dinner my parents returned to the lodgings, and I, with Ibrahim and Andreus,
went to a place called Musée Grévin Musee Grevin: A waxwork museum in Paris located on the Grands Boulevards. and paid 7 francs
to see beeswax representations of people. I saw
things that astonished me. One can see a full-sized
Tsar of Russia and all kinds of people, soldiers, and sultans made
of wax and dressed in purple outfits, seeming as if they were alive. One cannot
tell for sure that they are artificial things. In addition there are others, like
ministers and crowds, an amazing thing, indescribable except if one sees it with his own
eyes. Then we saw Cinématograph in color, I mean,
pictures that move and speak and make everything as if it were real life. At
12:00 we returned to our lodgings. I had been stunned by this spectacle.
There were 12 girls from Vienna playing the guitar and it was a fine
thing.
I stayed up late last night and got up at
8:30. The weather was pleasant and cool. Today is Republic Day Republic Day: This is referring to Bastille Day or French National Day celebrated on 14th July each year. or
Fête de la République and the streets of Paris, and its palaces as well as
all the shops, are decorated like brides with flags, electric lights and flowers
as if it were paradise. We went out in the morning and bought trunks to pack
all of the things purchased here. Then we packed everything and they were ready
for us to send on to Marseille to be forwarded to Basrah on the Asfar's ships.
At 12:00 we went to have breakfast at Gazal's and afterwards went to a shop where people make
things out of hair. We saw some things made of human hair
like chains, pictures, flowers, and trees which are amazing. How

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can human beings be capable of making this? We had some hair with us and gave it to them to make into
a chain. Then we hired a carriage and went to the Arc de Triomphe
to see the Republic Day Revue Republic Day Revue . Here we saw
people standing, many as the sands of the sea, and the streets and everywhere were
packed with heads. We heard the sound of music and saw the private military
of Monsieur Faure coming from downtown, almost 300 wearing uniforms.
But what uniforms! They seemed to be shining like gold and were riding
such fine horses. In the middle of this troop we saw the carriage of Monsieur Faure.
He was sitting in it with the Grand General and behind his carriage were all of the ministers
and notables of the country like the marshal and army officers. Finally they passed in front of us.
Monsieur Faure, with his hat in his hand, was waving to the people with a smile and
a happy face. When they passed and had to go to the end of the Bois de Boulogne
where the Revue would take place. We followed the crowd and came to
the Champs Ėlysés to which all the army
would return and Monsieur Faure and his entourage, following the ...[illegible] The word here appears to be "ta'luum" for which we cannot find an attested definition. It might mean "troop of banners" but we cannot be at all certain. . Here
we found troop upon troop of people. Some were standing and others sitting
on chairs and there were police officers every five feet to prevent any
mishap. After much touring around we found a place and rented four seats
for 5 francs. Then we sat awaiting the return of the Revue.
It was so crowded with people and carriages that there was no room left for anyone
to enter this magnificent city of Paris. At 4:00 we caught sight of the General
charging up on his horse, parting the carriages and people, and giving orders to the police.
So all of the carriages pulled back and they were millions and thousands. Then we heard the sound

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of music coming and Monsieur Faure appeared in the carriage with all his entourage behind. All
the soldiers and columns passed in front of me, from cavalry and lancers, infantry
and artillery, to others. When everything came to an end we got on the omnibus
and went to the Gare St. Lazare. We bought 3 tickets for us to go to
London the day after tomorrow via New Haven. We paid
53 francs each for a round trip. After that we walked on and went into a place
to eat on the Boulevard Haussman. After dinner we toured around
and saw the activities they are preparing for tonight's big celebration.
Then it was 9:00 and we finally found a place on a bridge called
the Pont de Change Pont de Change: A bridge over the Seine River in Paris. . It looked out over the whole city and all
the fireworks and everything else would lie before us. Then they began to light up the city with electric
lights. How lovely is this delightful view when one sees the palaces,
houses, buildings, and statues all adorned with stars. At 10:00
they began the fireworks. That was very enjoyable and I saw things I had never before seen.
After 11:00 we made our way through the crowds who had spread out on the bridge and left
to return to our lodgings. However it was impossible for anyone to pass through them
and we were obliged to walk in a line, one after the other. I cannot describe
in writing the people who were out in the streets. The passages were full
to the utmost with women and girls, boys and men. In every nook they were playing
music and in the streets they were dancing. On this night Paris was
the definition of heaven on earth and a paradise. In short we arrived excited
at the hotel much impressed by these things
so worthy of recalling.

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The morning is sunny and pleasant and the weather is temperate. We went with Ibrahim
and his brother in a carriage to see the woman who had done our hair. We got it from her and she had done it
well. We paid her 16 francs and afterwards drove to an amazing Paris cemetery
where we arrived an hour later. It is called Père la chaise and it is truly very
fine. In it there are thousands of graves made of excellent porphyry interspersed with statues
and flowers and worth seeing. After an hour we returned by omnibus to
the eating place. After noon we returned to the hotel, got the two trunks,
and went to ship them to Marseille to Nassoury Sayegh. From there we went on foot
to the Palais de Luxemburg. The palace was locked but the orchard
was open. How joyous and heart cheering a place this is. It is extremely large and contains flowers,
birds, and sparrows of all kinds. After sunset we went back to the hotel.
The morning is clear. We got up at 6:00 because today
we will travel to London. We tied up the things and took
only one trunk and two suitcases with us. The rest remained with Ibrahim.
We hired a carriage and, after paying the hotel bill which came to 102 francs
we went directly with Ibrahim to the Gare St. Lazare. We sent a telegraph
to Razouk Gergis in London and said, "We will be with you this evening in
London Tower Station." Then we took a place on the train. Many passengers
going to London, most of them English, were with us. At 10:00 the train
set out for Dieppe. It stopped at 12:00 for 5 minutes at Rouen.
At 1:15 we arrived in the Dieppe station which is on the sea. The boat
was ready to take us across to England. So we transferred into it. It was called the Seine The Seine .
Here we presented our tickets from Paris to here. At 1:45 it set off.