Travel Journal – June

June

An ordinary morning with little wind. I got up at 6:30
and had slept very well all night long. The ship had sailed through the night
until morning. At 7:05 the town of Jaffa came into view. Then half

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an hour out boats came out from the shore to the ship to take on some more passengers. Likewise,
lighters came to get the cargo and we heard that we would have to stay here all day.
The town of Jaffa lies by the sea and has elegant buildings like the houses of Beirut
but it is an abominable anchorage because the sea here is rough and our boat is flopping about like
a fish. We were never able to keep ourselves from throwing up and so too
all the passengers. Our heads were all spinning and our stomachs were quite upset.
The coast of Jaffa is well-known around here for its rough seas. Many vendors came from the city
with goods such as rings and rosaries and other curios made in Jerusalem and Jaffa.
We bought some things as mementos. At
11:00 they rang the breakfast bell and we went to eat at a private table in the salon.
The ship never ceased rocking and we were much troubled. My morale was low and I grew weak.
It came to mind how much better it is traveling by land than by sea. The ship
is quite large but light and has only a little cargo in it, yet it holds 3600 tons.
It is very long and narrow with about 100 cabins that are very nicely appointed.
In them are electric lights and bells, also electric, as well as other things.
Here I made friends with a man of American citizenship originally from Beirut
but he had emigrated from Beirut long ago. His name is George Saba
and he lives in New York. He is a very pleasant man. He was staying
with us at the hotel but neither of us dared speak to the other until now.
We were quite distressed by the rocking of the ship. Finally at 6:00 it whistled and set off from Jaffa,
this accursed place. However we encountered high winds and the ship rolled
even more. At 7:00 the dinner bell rang. I immediately went and ate
hastily with an upset stomach and then rushed off to sleep.

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A nice morning with a westerly wind. I got up at 5:00 but I did not
sleep all night because I was indisposed on account of the sea. I heard the ship
slow down and knew immediately that we were arriving at Port Sa'id. I put my head
out the window and saw the seaport, which came into view a half an hour out. The ships there were as abundant as
worms. I hurried to change my clothes and went up on deck. Then the ship entered the harbor. It was 5:20.
I saw a number of big ships in a line. Then after the ship stopped moving,
we hired a boat, one of the Cook Cook: A reference to Thomas Cook and Sons, an international travel company that started as a rail travel company in Britain, it expanded to give tours in Egypt by 1869. By the time Alexander had arrived in Cairo, the company offered worldwide tours and transit options within and beyond the Middle East. In addition to providing rail options and a fleet of luxury steamers within Egypt. The company also offered travel options to many other locations around the world. boats. We stowed our things and then went ashore
to the customs office. Here they searched us in case we had with us the slightest prohibited thing and they found nothing.
We had decided that we would visit our friend Monsieur Joseph Khoury Joseph Khoury: Formerly engaged to Josephine, the daughter of Alexander Richard Svoboda's older half sister. The two never married because Josephine passed away before the marriage. who, 10 years ago, was
the interpreter for the French Consul in Baghdad. He was engaged to Josephine Josephine: The daughter of Medula Sayegh Tessy. Medula was Alexander Richard Svoboda's half sister from this mother's (Eliza Marine) first marriage. , Aunt Medula's daughter, who
passed away before her marriage. So we asked about his house and they showed us where it was. We sent up our card fearing that
this might be a different Khoury. They then showed us up and none other than Joseph's mother herself came.
Then he arrived and received us with much joy and kissed us. We were truly amazed at how fate had allowed us to see him after
so long. Our idea was that we would go from here directly to Cairo, that is, on the train that
departs at 9:00. But Monsieur Khoury very much wanted us to stay here for the day so we agreed to this.
I left to tour Port Sa'id and found it a very beautiful and clean town. Its markets and buildings are entirely
like Europe. That is to say, all the buildings are four or five stories high and there is a large building, 9 stories high, made of iron.
It is across from the house of Monsieur Khoury. I can honestly say that the arrangement of Port Sa'id is better than
Beirut although it is small and extremely expensive. A person cannot live there on less than 15 francs
a day. All the shops and department stores are in the French style and nearly all the inhabitants of the town dress
in the French manner. The Egyptian police patrol every street, dressed very neatly and were on the lookout
for anyone who plays rough. My health up until now has been quite disrupted. My head is spinning
and I am incapable of doing anything. In the afternoon we had breakfast at Monsieur Khoury's

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and asked him to show us some of the hotels so we could find a place to spend the night. He took us to
a hotel where we rented two rooms. They asked 15 francs of us for dinner and bed. The bicycle is
abundant here and there are many, both men and women, who ride it in the streets.
After dinner Monsieur Khoury came to visit us and stayed for about two hours.
Today the morning is a little hot with a westerly wind. The weather
here is much different than in Damascus and Beirut. It is like days in Baghdad during this month.
That is to say, dry and hot. We drank tea at 7:30, got our things together, and went to
Monsieur Khoury's house to say goodbye and go to the railway to board the train
to Cairo. So we stayed just until 8:30. Then we bade his mother goodbye
and he generously offered to accompany us to the station. We went and got ourselves seats. We saw that this train
was much nicer than the one that goes from Damascus to Beirut. And by chance we came upon
an empty Wagon for us only and we were very pleased. At 9:00 sharp
the whistle blew and the bell rang for the departure. So we exchanged goodbyes with Monsieur Yousif Khoury
and the train left Port Sa'id taking the shore of the
Canal de Suez, always traveling along its banks. At 9:35
it halted. It was 14 kilometers from Port Sa'id to here. At 9:45 a ship in the canal,
named Abdul Qader Abdul Qader: The name of a ship. , passed us with pilgrims on board, one that had certainly come from Basrah
going to the Hajj. At 10:00 the train stopped and started again 3 minutes later. 10:50 al-Qantara Station, we departed at
11:00 / 11:45, al-Ferdan, we departed at 11:47. We arrived in al-Isma'iliyya
at 12:15 and got off the train. We had to wait for the train coming from
al-Suez to take us to Cairo. At 1:10 it arrived and we transferred.
We took another Wagon but not the same kind as the first and older.
Isma'iliyya is a small and rebuilt town. At 1:23 we set out
returning to al-Suez so that the train can take the Cairo track. This one

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was going fast, much swifter than the one we came on, to al-Isma'iliyah.
1:55 , Mahassana, we departed at 1:58 / 2:08, Qassasin, we departed at 2:10 / 2:25, Tel al-Kabir,
we departed at 2:30 / 2:45, Abu Hamad, we departed at 2:48 / 3:00, Abu Ahdhar, we departed at 3:01.
Here there is a large and well-designed cemetery Cemetary: In Abu Ahdhar, a cemetary commemorating the soldiers who died int he 1882 Battle of Tel el-Kebir in Egypt. with the graves of English and Egyptian soldiers
who were killed in the battle between England and Egypt Battle of Tel el-Kebir: An important battle in 1882 between the British military and the Egyptian army led by Ahmed Urabi near Tel el-Kebir, about 110 km northeast of Cairo. The British succeeded in maintaining control of the Suez Canal and other regional interests. and its allies. 3:10, Zaqaziq.
This town is quite large and resembles Baghdad in size. Here many passengers came
and 7 of them even entered the reserved Wagon. They were quite lacking in manners
and made jokes amongst themselves thinking we were Westerners. The lands here are very fertile and there are many
date palms and crops such as barley, wheat, cotton, rice and other things.
For the first time since Baghdad I saw water buffalos in this place. But
the entire area from Port Sa'id to here is very sandy with dust clouds and the train
is full of dust. The railway was swift and we traveled quite well.
I counted 15 telegraph poles passing in a single minute. We departed from
Zaqaziq at 3:25, with a large number of passengers from there. Zinkaloon, 3:35, we departed at 3:36
/ Joudida, 3:48, we departed at 3:50 / Minat al-Qamh, 3:55 we departed at 4:00 / Mayt Yazid,
4:05, we departed at 4:07. At 4:15 the train stopped and they said we must
move to another one because the track here is being leveled and the railway cannot pass directly.
So we had to carry our things and race to the second railway, jostled
left and right by the passengers. At last we reached the other train but with great difficulty and settled into
a compartment that holds 8 persons. We were obliged to wait for the transfer of the cargo from one
to the other. Finally at 5:10 the train departed. We arrived in Shablena at 5:20
and departed at 5:28 / 5:45, Benha, we departed at 6:00. The train was extremely swift,
traveling this speedily with us for the first time. It was making a full 21 poles per minute.
After a 15 minute run Cairo came into view. So it reduced its speed and began

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to travel slower.

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AT 6:35 WE ARRIVED at the Cairo station and caught sight of the towering buildings
and lovely edifices that eclipse both Beirut and Damascus. Here hotel owners gathered
about us abundant as worms and we sought out the best one, that is, the Hotel Metropole.
We hired a carriage and rode through pleasant
markets and beautiful streets that cheer the heart. As we continued on our way people
swarmed in the streets and the carriages teemed like fish. The policemen in the streets
are as neatly dressed as the English soldiers. We do not have time
just now to look at everything. So we came to the hotel entrance and bargained with them to pay one
English pound each day for the three of us. We entered and took two rooms. Everything is
unbearably expensive. In Port Sa'id it is much worse. There a porter will not carry anything
a distance of only three minutes without one franc and everyone else is the same. At the hotel we met
Madame Fara, that is, Regina, the daughter of Khowaja Habib Shiha Khwaja Habib Shiha: The brother of Francis Shiha; he fathered a girl named Regina. and her son Victor.
She was very pleased to see us when we reached her room. She could not believe that
we had really come and was quite astonished to see me. She asked about Baghdad, about her sister
Takohi among other things. We dined at 8:00 and then went up to sleep in our rooms
because we were truly devastated by exhaustion and the journey.
I got up at 6:30 in the morning. It was hot all night long
and the windows were open in the room. I slept very well this night
because I was so tired. After we drank tea I went with my
father to tour the markets. But what markets they are, like palaces!

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All the stores are made bright with gilded signs and glass on the main doors, and
with passages like beautifully designed brides. First we went to Messrs.
Thos. Cook & Son to purchase tickets from one of them right then to Brindisi
and Napoli, as well as railway tickets from here to Alexandria.
So we came to the office which looked as if it was a city gate. The architecture was amazing and
the building seemed like a castle. We entered and inquired about the tickets. He immediately showed us the plan
of the ship that will sail from Alexandria on the 11th of this month to Brindisi.
It is called Sutleg. It holds nearly 5000 tons and is an extremely large ship.
He issued three second-class tickets for us to Brindisi for 16 and a quarter English
pounds and railway tickets from Brindisi to Napoli for about 6 pounds,
and also tickets from here to Alexandria for one and a half pounds for all, that is, all three of us.
He said that if we returned in an hour the tickets would be ready. So we left
and went to the bank, that is, the Banque Impl. Ottomane, to collect
a total of 60 pounds. This bank is also large with admirable architecture and
a fair number of clerks. They handed us the money and we left returning to Cook's
and found all the tickets ready. We took them and went to the Austrian Consulate
to ask if there were any letters from Baghdad addressed to us. We gave them
gave our cards and they looked but found nothing. Then it was necessary for us to return to the hotel because
it had turned 11:30. In Regina's room I ran across Monsieur
Auguste Tonietti, whom I had quite forgotten. When he left Baghdad
I was about 9 years old. He did not recognize me either. We were very pleased
to find someone who could help us here and so we arranged to meet him
in the afternoon, that is, at 4:00, and tour the town together. In the course of conversation
he told us that Effie Effie: Effie Svoboda was the daughter of Alexander Sandor Svoboda and wife of Ernest Boucherot. Born in Baghdad in 1852, she left the city in 1860, eventually settling in Cairo. She gave birth to many children, including a girl named Evelyn and sons Paul Louis and Alphonse. , my late Uncle Alexander's daughter is here but is

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out of town and that her husband has an Optician's shop in the city.
I prepared a few letters to Baghdad and Basrah after breakfast. Then Monsieur Auguste came at 4:00 and took us with him to
see Monsieur Boucherot, Effie's husband. He had no news of this
whatsoever and when my father surprised him the poor man was so amazed
that he cried out in a loud voice and hugged him as if in disbelief
and appeared very happy to see us. He is a pleasant man and he has a store where he sells
binoculars, engineering tools, and other things. After a half an hour we left
his place. He said that Effie would return tomorrow and that he would bring her to our hotel.
He also invited us to spend the day with him outside the city on Sunday. From there we went into
a wooded garden called al-Azbakiyah al-Azbeqiyya: To be completed. in the center of the district.
What a pleasant and agreeable garden it is, with every kind of tree in
the world purchased for exorbitant sums in order to bring them here. Beneath
the trees there are plenty of seats and benches and people are going to and fro.
In the middle there is a very large pond, I mean 200 meters long, with geese,
but a different kind of goose we had never seen before. It has a long neck and a beak
with a black appendage and is quite large. There is a raised circle next to the pool
where they play music, pleasant Western songs. In short this place
is the best of all the wooded gardens we have seen. In front of this garden,
in the passage, there is a large statue of Ibrahim Pasha riding his horse, made entirely
of bronze. We stayed until 7:30 and then returned. The streets
swarmed with people, Westerners with their women, as abundant as worms. It was a thousand times more
crowded than in the morning because everyone had just now finished work. The streets are lit
by electric lights, natural gas, and petrol. Streetcars go to and
fro and so too the bicycles. Here for the first time we saw the

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Tramway. It runs on electricity and they call it the Automobile.
This thing is truly astonishing. It moves by itself without being pulled by horses or having
fire in it. Returning to the hotel we said goodbye to Auguste and agreed that
tomorrow he would come to us so that we could go and see other places.
I got up in the morning and the weather was very hot. The night had been
very stuffy. After I had washed and changed Monsieur Auguste
arrived and we decided to visit a mosque well known for its architecture. They call it
al-Muqattam Mosque. So we set out from the hotel and boarded the Tramway Electric
to journey to the outskirts of the city in order to go up and see this mosque which is built tall
and on top of a mountain. We arrived and there were many barhama (acacia) trees in the streets.
Then we climbed up little by little and went all around this very large mosque.
The building is like the work of a mighty people. From here we see the whole town below us
and so too the pyramids become visible to us from here. Afterwards we wanted to enter the
mosque, that is to say, the prayer hall, so we were obliged to wear their slippers.
We wore them and entered into the prayer hall. We were astonished by its size and by what there was inside
of refined marble-work. Its width is 80 steps and its length is many times
that. It also has four domes on top, each one higher than the other, and all
have encircling balconies. A chandelier hangs in the middle suspended
on a boat chain because of its size, the kind they use to pull up anchors. They can light
1000 lamps on this chandelier and its circumference is possibly 10 meters. Then we exited
and gave them a few piasters as a tip. We then came to a very deep hole
called the Well of Joseph The Well of Joseph: According to Burckhardt (1812), the Well of Joseph (Ar. Jubb Yousif) was on the road between Damascus and Akka. Alexander must have visited a second well, known by the same name, a short distance from Cairo. , that is to say, where Joseph the Beautiful was thrown into the
well. Here too we gave them a few piasters and they opened the door for us. We went down into it

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because it is in the depths of the middle of this mountain. It is dark
so they brought us candles. I went down half-way with Auguste and we saw
a tomb in the wall and something like wheels for drawing water. We were at a depth of 200 meters and it was but
another 100 meters to the water. But we came back up because we were dying from exhaustion
and the heat that had killed us all day long. The sun was blazing hot like the days of the summer
in Baghdad. So we left this place quite amazed by its workmanship
and went back on the tramway to the hotel. It was 12:00 and we were
expecting Effie, daughter of the late Uncle Alexander, because her husband had told us that she
would come to our place at noon. Just when we sat down at the table for breakfast they told us that
guests had arrived to see us and we knew that it was Effie. She came right in and
continuously embraced us most affectionately. She was surprised at how she had encountered us and was extremely happy to see us.
So we had her sit down at the table with us and ordered a meal for her. Afterwards we went up with her to
our room and remained talking at length about Baghdad. She said that it has been 37 years since
she left Baghdad. Yet she recalled everything up to this very moment, even
the old songs. But the poor thing is very old and the hair on her head is growing
white. She was much taken by my mother and I showed her many photographs of Baghdad and especially
photographs of our family. She was overcome by wonder when she saw such changes as had happened
in the family. At 4:00 we took her with us and went to the market to buy a few
things. Then we went to her husband's shop and found her youngest son there. He is named
Paul and is 10 years old. Her elder daughter is married and has a
boy. We kept walking after leaving the store until we came to the railway station.
Then we said our goodbyes and she insisted that tomorrow we come and spend the day
at their house, in a place called al-Matariyah al-Matariyah: A small historical site located on the outskirts of Cairo of seeming importance to Christians. The site is home to a prominent obelisk, an ancient tree named after the Virgin Mary, and a Fresco of the Holy Family located in a local chapel(date unknown), and a small body of water colloquially called the “Jesus Well.” , outside of town at a distance of
a half hour's walk and 10 minutes by railway. We returned to the hotel at sunset.

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A stuffy and hot morning. I got up at 6:30 and changed my clothes.
Because today is Sunday we had arranged yesterday with Monsieur Auguste
that he would come to us at 8:00 and take us with him to church to hear mass.
From there we would go to the station and to Effie's house. Auguste came right at the set
time. We took him and went to a small church. We saw that all
the masses had finished and that another one would be held at 10:00. But that was very
late and the weather was getting hot. So we decided that it would be better to go to
the railway and get ourselves tickets to al-Matariyah. We hired a carriage and went to
the station. It was 9:15 and we got return tickets for 12 standard piasters
for the four of us. At 9:30 we boarded the train and it set out. We journeyed along, stopping every
10 minutes at a station, until we arrived at 10:00 in al-Matariyah. We got off
and went to Effie's place. The weather was getting hotter and hotter and the ground
was boiling hot because it is dry sand. We entered and they were happy
to welcome us. Auguste had gone to be with some of his friends. We went into a room
and shut all the doors and windows because the blazing heat was extremely
powerful. At noon it got to 112º Fahrenheit and I can say
that in Baghdad there is no heat like this. So an hour after noon we sat down
to breakfast at which time Effie's son Alphonse came, the one who works
at the railway. He is a youth of 21 years. The poor fellow was sick
from the heat. Finally at 4:15 we said our goodbyes and left to catch the train
that leaves at 4:30. The sun here was very hot and the weather
was dry, saam-like, and scorching. They used to say that Africa
is hot and yet we did not believe it. At 4:30 the train came and we boarded it.

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There was not a single person on board because of the intensity of the heat. Auguste came as well. We arrived
in Cairo at 5:00 and decided to visit Yousif Serpos who arrived today from
Alexandria. When we were in Port Sa'id we wrote him a letter informing him of
our arrival here and they sent the letter there for him. Yesterday at sunset a telegram came from him telling us that tomorrow
he would be in Cairo. So we went with Auguste
to his residence and entered and went up to the third floor where we saw him. He was happy to see us and
his wife came too, who is quite young, perhaps
22 years old. He has two little boys aged two years and under. We left
their place after an hour. He invited us for dinner at his place tomorrow and we accepted. We had intended
to go and view the best place in Cairo which is al-Gizeh,
a large district on the other side of the Nile River. So we hired a carriage for 3 francs
and rode with Auguste over leveled roads bordered by plantings
of barhama, where people in carriages and on horseback and bicycles were abundant as worms,
swarming. Then we came upon the Nile River Bridge which is made of iron and stands
about 50 meters above the river. At its entrance there are two bridgeheads
with two lions, sculpted in steel, very large, and a truly
terrifying sight. We then crossed the bridge over the Nile and came to al-Gizeh, an extremely pleasant
place. It resembles a covered passage with barhama trees on both sides which
shade the center and carriages in abundance on two lanes, one lane going out
and the other coming back. And between them there are police on the lookout for anything the least bit
inappropriate. Here there is the best hotel to be found in Cairo. It is called
the Gazereh Palace Hotel Gazereh Palace Hotel: This was a luxury hotel located in central Zamalek. Jointly managed by the French Gezirah Land Company and the Egyptian Hotels Company, the building was converted to a hotel during the late 19th century (only a few years before Alexander’s visit); it had previously been a palace of Khedive Ismail. The hotel was famed for its luxury, and it was a popular location with European tourists. and it is truly a sight to see.
People who have seen it say that its like is not to be found in Europe because it is as large
as the largest palace. In it are more than 300 rooms, an electricity

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generating facility, and huge theatres. In front the ground is planted with all
kinds of flowers. Every 10 cubits there are statues and electric lights
fill it inside and out. In short it is very elegant. Then we returned from this
place which is also used in the winter for betting on the horses
at 7:30.
I awoke at 6:30 in the morning. The weather was still stuffy.
It seems that these are the hottest days here. After drinking tea Monsieur Auguste came to take us
and we hired a carriage and went to see the sisters of Yousif Serpos Yousif Saryos: A resident of Alexandria who had two children and two sisters, Mariam and Touza, who had recently lost her husband. , that is,
Mariam and Touza, whose residence is a half an hour from here. On our way we went into
the place of a dressmaker who is sewing a coat for my mother. Here I saw something worth
mentioning, something wondrous and rare. This dressmaker has a son some 35 years old.
I saw with my own eyes that he was blind, since the age of twenty, and yet he has learned to play
the piano. This poor fellow was inspired by Allah and so long as he has been blind he has been giving piano lessons
to many people. Beyond that he composes music and writes the notes down in
notebooks and teaches them to students despite being blind to the ultimate degree. This is something
that amazed me and will never happen again. We arrived at the house of the
Serpos daughters and went up to their place. They greeted us dressed in black for both
their sister and Touza's husband, Iskander Nassour. Parson Boutros Abed came here too, the one who
was the director of the Chaldean school in Baghdad six years ago. The poor fellow has lost much
weight and is now in charge of the church that was sponsored by Antony's wife
who lives at the same building with Yousif Serpos
but on the floor below. Then after leaving Mariam and Touza's home,
Parson Boutros went with us to have a look at the church that

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belongs to Antoine Abdul-Mesih's wife. We entered and found it pleasant. It was not
very large and as yet unfinished. They are still painting but the interior is lovely and
holds only about 500 people. Up to now she has spent 7000 pounds on it.
We returned to the hotel at 12:00 and had breakfast. Afterwards at 5:00 Auguste came
and took us to visit Antony's wife Helene. She received us
in the diwan. She is old and deaf, about 65 years of age. Since we had decided that
we would dine at Yousif's place we said our goodbyes and went up to the floor above. There
we were seated in the diwan and Yousif and his wife entered later. Yousif entertained
us to the best of his ability. Then we decided that after dinner we would go and take the air in
the surroundings of Cairo. Yousif's wife is young, 20 years old, and she plays the piano quite well.
She played a number of pieces for us, especially some melodies that I used to hear in
Baghdad. Then I thought of the homeland and wished I were there. We sat down to dine at 9:30 and
the table was quite lovely. We finished at 11:00 and then took two carriages
to the bridge district that they call kopri Kopri district: Possibly a reference to the area around Gezira Bridge. Constructed in 1872, the bridge linked the East Nile and the island of Zamalek. The bridge has since been demolished, and today the Qasr-e-Nile bridge serves the purpose that the Gezira Bridge once served. . But how pleasant the view is there
on the roads with trees on both sides and electric and gas lights
on both lanes. There is something especially beautiful at the bridgehead where the rays of light cast
a charming and even glow. We returned at 12:00 to the hotel and said farewell to
Yousif and his wife. We arranged with them that tomorrow we would go to the Palace of Antiquities Palace of Antiquities: Cairo’s Museum of Antiquities, which held most relics from Egypt’s ancient past. It was moved to Giza in 1891 following a flood that damaged the previous location. Soon after Alexander’s visit, the goods in the museum were moved once more. ,
that is to say, the Musée. Today I sent a number of letters to Baghdad, that is, to Johnny
Kasperkhan, Nassoury, Jamil, and to Rapha'il. I also sent Johnny the regulations
I obtained from the president of the university in Beirut.
I got up in the morning and changed my clothes. The weather was still
very stuffy. After we drank tea at 8:00 the Khowajas,
Auguste, and Yousif, came to take us to the exhibit of Egyptian antiquities.

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So at 8:30 we hired a carriage and rode toward the bridge. We crossed and took a street called
al-Giza. It is completely shaded by barhama trees on both sides, which cast a shadow
over the middle. Here the breeze was blowing pleasantly and the zephyr was cheering to the heart.
Half an hour later we arrived at the Palace of Antiquities in Giza, which they call Le Musée.
It consists of a huge orchard with a
very large saray in the middle which was previously the residence of the former khedive
Isma'il Pasha. Now it has been made into an exhibit which houses all the Egyptian finds
discovered in these lands. Because today is Tuesday admission is free to all visitors.
Then we reached the gate and the palace came into view. It is a most excellent thing for its sublime architecture
and decorative workmanship. We entered and they asked us for the canes and umbrellas
because they feared that something inside might be broken. We entered the first room and saw
the embalmed bodies that are the Momies d'Egypte. They are desiccated but
in the state in which they died, except for being desiccated and black. All their jewelry and clothes
are here as are the shrouds. They are very ancient, no less
than 3000 years old. Finally we went into room after room in this
huge, pleasant palace, all decorated and dazzling and far better
than the finest houses of Damascus, which astonished us. So here we saw
all that they had discovered of this ancient people. Their clothes, idols, rings
and gold work, coffins, furniture, tools, mirrors, books, jewelry,
articles of war, beads and their inscriptions on linen or tree leaves, and so on, and
other artifacts that bewilder the mind and confound one's wits.
This palace contains nearly 90 rooms all filled
with such artifacts which are a sight to see and which open one's eyes
to ancient things. Here all these objects are stored in covered boxes

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of glass and crystal to prevent their being touched. We also saw their ships, boats, oars,
and so on. Actually we kept on touring until 11:00 and had still not finished. We were extremely tired
from being on our feet and so we went downstairs after we had looked at everything, got into the carriage, and returned to our place
quite thoughtful and impressed by this pleasant visit. In the afternoon
Khowaja Yousif and his wife came to visit us. At sunset we went to enjoy the fresh air
in the Azbakiyah Garden.
Today I woke up in the morning, that is to say, at 5:00 because we had decided to go and see
the extraordinary pyramids. The morning was pleasant and not too hot. Monsieur Auguste
came to us and at 10 minutes past 6 we got into a carriage and rode toward
the bridge in order to take the road which will lead us to the pyramids. So we crossed and went between
the barhama trees on both sides and among long, straight roadways.
The sun was casting shadows and a very nice morning breeze blew. At last we arrived at
7:45 at the pyramids which are truly one of the wonders of the world.
A hotel called Mena's House Mena House Hotel: A hotel near Cairo and the Giza Pyramids. The site was converted into a hotel after its 1885 acquisition by an English family. The hotel began to stay open year-round around 1890; this marked a shift from other hotels, which typically closed during the summer. The hotel was incredibly luxurious, as it included tennis courts, high-end chefs, and the first hotel swimming pool in Cairo. is nearby
which is extremely pleasant and well-decorated. But before we arrived at the pyramids
a crowd of people wanting to act as our guides gathered around us. They were rushing toward the carriage and quarreling
amongst themselves. We rebuffed them and did not want any of them but they did not make way
and were truly quite annoying. We told them that we wanted none of them at all yet they did not give up
but, this time, went and brought their camels and riding animals. So we left them behind, like dogs, and went
toward the first of the pyramids which from afar appeared a small thing to us. These
pyramids are built of great blocks of marble laid one on top of the other and
are a sight to see. The height of these pyramids is 470 feet.
They suppose that the kings of the ancients when they ascended to the throne
had deep tombs made for them at a depth of 400 feet. Above them they constructed

Page 088

these huge mountains, that are the pyramids, because they believed that their souls
after death would return on the Day of the Last Judgment to take on their bodies and live deathless
for all eternity. Before dying one must direct that after he dies
they lay up his body in the tightest possible place so that it receive no breath of wind
or air and for that reason too they embalmed them. This could possibly be true.
After viewing the first pyramid we went toward the Sphinx,
which here they call Abul-Hawl. We were amazed by its size and massive workmanship.
We observed as much as our strength allowed because the heat was very strong and the ground
was not easy to walk on because it was sandy, hot, and rose and fell.
So we descended and took to the carriage. It was 9:30 and we went back to where
we had come from. Thus we arrived at the hotel at 10:50 and paid the carriage fare of 35 standard
piasters. After breakfast Effie and her son, Alphonse, arrived
and stayed until 6:00. Then they left the hotel giving us their word that they would return
tomorrow afternoon to say our goodbyes. At sunset we took Auguste and went to
al-Azbakiyah to listen to the music for an hour. Then we returned to our place.
I got up at 7:00. The morning was like yesterday. After
we drank tea we went all together to the bath which is 10
minutes from here in order to bathe. We paid 6 standard piasters each. Truly
this bath was very pleasing. It is made in the European style and women and men can
go there because it is entirely divided into rooms and pools in the European style.
We returned after an hour. This is our last day here in Cairo and tomorrow
we will take the train to Alexandria. So today we have nothing
to do. We breakfasted and asked the hotel owner to present
us with the bill. I really loved Cairo very much

Page 089

and am sad to leave it. I will certainly see no better. In the afternoon
Monsieur Auguste visited. We took him and went about bidding farewell to Egypt.
When we returned at sunset we found Effie's daughter Eveline at our place
with her husband and son. Her husband's name is Georges Kahil and truly
both of them are young, the girl probably 18 years old and the husband possibly
only 20. We were quite happy to see them and they us. They left after a half an hour
and we said our goodbyes. They told us that Effie directed them to give us her greetings since
she did not have time to come into town.

---

I GOT UP IN THE morning at 6:00 because we have to prepare our things to travel by
the train that leaves at 9:30. So after drinking tea we arranged all our things.
At 8:00 Auguste arrived and Regina Madame Fara came down from
upstairs. A half an hour later we hired two carriages and bade goodbye to
Regina. We paid the hotel charges, which amounted to nearly 8 English
pounds, boarded the carriages, and rode to the railway station.
As soon as we arrived we got our tickets and took a place
in second class. They charge for the trunks here also. When, like this, we
came from Port Sa'id they took 10 francs for the two trunks. Then
Yousif Serpos, his wife and children, and Parson Boutros came
to bid us goodbye. At 9:30 the train whistled and we bade everyone goodbye,

Page 090

and especially Auguste was very upset by our parting, as were we.
He was our companion in Egypt, with us the whole time, and he never stinted in doing anything for us.
So we left Egypt behind. The train pulled out of the Station heading
toward Alexandria. I was truly quite sad to leave Cairo
for it is a city worth remembering and seeing and it is superior to all the places that
we have seen before. We departed at 9:30 / at 10:10 Benha, departed at 10:15 /
at 10:52 Tanta, departed at 11:05 / at 11:15 Kafr el-Zayyat, departed at 11:16 /
at 11:55 Damanhour, departed at 12:00 / at 12:40 Sidi-Gaber, departed at 12:45.
At 1:00 in the afternoon we arrived in Alexandria. Since I have
a friend here with whom I have kept up a correspondence for three years on the subject of stamps,
I had written him a letter from Cairo some days ago. I told him that I had arrived
here and would see him soon. He replied saying that he was quite pleased and would wait for me
at the station on the day of my arrival. When the train arrived at the station here I met
my friend. His name is S. E. Couddésu and he was very happy to see me. So immediately
we hired a carriage and loaded our trunks. We made up our minds before anything else to go and take
the cabin on the ship Sutlej Sutleg [Thomas and Cook ship] , which is one of the T. & C ships.
Then we rode through the streets of Alexandria and I was impressed by this construction
which is far superior to Cairo. We boarded the ship and took the cabin.
Couddésu was with us. After we left our trunks we returned by carriage
to have a better look at the town. So we toured its markets and locales. I saw
that it resembles Cairo to some extent. Although there are neither trees by the roads
nor big gardens its streets are paved with marble. Then we went to the post office to inquire if
there are letters for us from Baghdad. We did not find a thing and wondered
how it is that our family has not written anything to us by now. The last letter we received was in

Page 091

Beirut. It has been a long time and we have had no news at all from them. We returned to the ship at 3:00
because it will sail at 4:00. Then I gave my friend the stamps, a few
foreign stamps and others numbering about 50. He bade me goodbye and left. I also gave him a letter Antoine
Guilietti wrote to his Aunt here as a kind of recommendation and I begged of him to tell
Messieurs Bavastro et Sakakini that I deeply regretted not having seen them
in person. At 4:00 sharp the ship sailed from the Port
where there are about 100 ships, among them the ship Turkistan that came
from Basrah and will also sail immediately to Marseille. Truly
the port of Alexandria is excellent, pleasant and very large.
So we left the port and are now at sea. Our ship is extremely large and can transport nearly
5000 tons. Thank God it has a cargo and does not rock like the one we came on
from Beirut to Port Sa'id. It travels quite pleasantly
and does not upset us in the slightest. Here we made friends with a French man
named Monsieur Chartraine and his wife. He works at the railroad
in Cairo and is a good person. There are only 30 passengers with us, in both first and second
class. One thing is not good here and that is the food. It is quite insufficient. They serve
no more than two simple dishes. After supper which was at sunset 6:30,
I went up onto the deck of the ship. The moon was in its tenth day and cast
a lovely light onto this vast and violent sea. The weather was very cold here
and there was a great difference between here and Cairo. The clouds resembled winter days.
This morning the sea is fearsome and upsetting but not
so much and there are signs of its getting worse. I am quite afraid of it because
it pains me. The ship is very big and there is not much cargo.
We approached the shores of Greece just after noon. The wind blew

Page 092

hard and the ship tossed and turned more. I began to toss and turn inside also
and my health changed. In the afternoon we passed islands, the Ionian Islands, in the distance.
The ship never ceased rocking more and more, and I likewise, until sunset when I came to sit
at the table. My stomach turned and I went down to the cabin without eating
a morsel. I was feeling much worse and my insides turned all the more. I threw myself
on the bed and began to vomit unceasingly.
That night turned out to be the hardest night of my entire life.
Until now I had never suffered such agony which I continue to suffer
to this very moment. Left like a fish on the bed, from the tossing
of the accursed ship, I threw up nearly 15 times during the night and have been throwing up
like that until now. The sea is quite agitated and I feel my head
is being uprooted. They advised me that I should go up on deck but
it was even more miserable and until sunset I suffered the torments of martyrs.
This is the first time I have felt anything of this sort. May God help anyone in whose head
such a thing happens. I was in the same state until night, growing extremely weak and without
enough power in me to walk. I feared that this night would be like the previous one
so we sent for the physician and he gave me a sleeping draught. However, God be praised, the sea
became less agitated.
Tonight I slept well though reeling from fatigue
and lack of food. From the day before yesterday until now I have eaten nothing
at all. Since we will arrive today in Brindisi I had to prepare my things for leaving
the ship and the accursed sea which I had begun to hate like the devil.
I longed for travel by land which is a thousand times better. After I drank

Page 093

a little tea I changed my clothes and arranged my things. I was devastated
by utter weakness and did not have the strength to take a step. At 7:00
the accursed ship began to toss and turn again and the sea grew more agitated. There is no power
and no strength save in God the Sublime and Mighty! Then I, in all my weakness, started
to get sick again. Truly if it were not that Brindisi is two hours from here
I would inevitably have died! Then I sat down at table and the ship
tossed and turned and finally went back and forth. This was because we had neared
the shores of Italy, that is to say, Brindisi. At 8:30 the ship entered the port
and settled somewhat. Then at 9:10 it proceeded to the shore or the Quai.
They lowered the gangway and we disembarked from the ship. I am happy at being separated from
the sea but distressed because of my utterly low spirits. What good health
I had gathered along the way I lost in a single day and night. Brindisi
resembles Port Sa'id a bit but all its people are Italians.
The town is not large but arranged like in Europe. We had hoped that
after our arrival we would leave here immediately but when we asked about the train
that goes to Naples they said that it had left 5 minutes ago.
There is another to Foggia, or half way to Naples,
which is due to leave at 1:10 in the afternoon. So we had to wait until
then. At 1:00 the train appeared so we took our things and went
to reserve a place in second class. Here in Italy there is a charge
by weight for travelers' trunks. They took 17 francs for our two trunks
as the fee direct to Naples. At 1:15 we traveled from Brindisi
by rail, then to stay overnight at a small town called Foggia

Page 094

because the direct road to Naples from here is very long and takes more than 15 hours.
Thus we arrived at 1:33 in S. Vito D'Otranto, left at 1:35 = 2:05 Carovigno, left 2:08 =

03

.

2:27 Ostouni, left 2:40 = 2:55 Cisternino, left 3:00 = 3:15 Fazano,

04

.

left 3:25 = 3:42 Monopoli, left 3:50 = 4:07 Polignanio, left 4:10 =

05

.

4:30 Mola, left 4:33 = 4:45 Noicattaro, left 4:57 = 5:15 Bori,

06

.

left 5:30. These three latter stations are very large & their

07

.

towns are also big. 5:50 New station, left 6:05 = 6:11 Molfetta,

08

.

left 6:15 = 6:30 Biceglia, left 6:33 = 6:42 , left 7:.. =

09

.

7:20 Barletta, left 7:28 = 7:44 Ofantino, left 7:46 = From

10

.

Brindisi to here, we were going alongside the sea but

11

.

now tooked the desert. = 8:15 Cirgnola, left 8:20 = 8:45 Ortonova,

12

.

left 8:47 = arrived @ 9:10 Foggia .
We arrived here after sunset, darkness had set in but there is electric
and gas light in the streets. We got off the train, took a carriage, and went with someone
to a place where we could sleep. So we arrived there and the place did not look good. Yet we took a room
and ordered food. I have not stopped being weak and am not feeling well. After we had dinner
we went to bed. This place is called Albergo di Villa di Napoli.
We got up in the morning at 5:00 because the train leaves
for Naples at 6:15. We rushed to prepare ourselves and paid
the 7 francs that we owed. After we drank some milk
we went to the station and boarded the train that goes directly to Naples
without all the stops. Its name is Expresse.
From Foggia at 6:15 = 6:52. Bovino left 7:20 =

Page 095

7:37 Savignano left 7:40 = 7:50 Pianerottola L 7:57 =

02

.

Passed a long tunnel for 6 minutes = 8:00 Ariano L 8:03 =

03

.

8:20 Montegalvo, left 8:23 = 8:40 Apice-Argengelo L 8:42 =

04

.

8:49 Ponte-Valentino L 8:50 = 8:55 Benevento L 9:05 =

05

.

9:23 Casalduni Ponte L 9:25 = 9:35 Solopaga L 9:37 =

06

.

9:42 Terese Cereto L 9:45 = 9:56 Frasso-Dugenta L 9:58 =

07

.

Here, we passed under a bridge of 3 stages.

08

Naples

= 10:13 Madoloni L 10:15 = 10:25 Caserta L 10:35 =

09

.

10:52 Aversa L 10:55 = 11:00 Fratemajoregroma L 11:03 =

10

.

11:08 Afragola L 11:10 = Arrived Naples 11:15.
Thus, we neared the famous Naples little by little. From Foggia to
here we were traveling through pleasant green mountains with extremely beautiful scenery.
After we arrived at the station we hired a carriage, took our belongings, and went
to rent ourselves a room in a hotel called the Pension Suisse.
But it is small and dirty and we bargained to pay 18 francs a day. Because
I have a friend here with whom I correspond on the subject of stamps, I wrote a letter to him from
Brindisi so that he would come to the station and meet me. But upon my arrival
I did not see him and I suppose my letter did not reach him. After we finished breakfast
we went to look at the town which is as pleasant as ever
could be. It has buildings and parks such as we have not seen before
and likewise its palaces and theatres. It is on the sea and its location
is lovely. There are many people here, some 600,000 souls. Especially these
days when Sultan Humberto and his son and his daughter-in-law

Page 096

are in residence, the whole town, the markets, and palaces are adorned with flowers
and other things. It is true that Naples is a paradise. After we toured the city
I wanted to go and look for my friend because we are here by ourselves and do not know
anybody. So we tried and with great difficulty found his place in a long street called
Via Chiaja, number 20. I went up to his room and rang the bell.
A woman came out and told me that he was not at home but at his office, and would return
at 8:00, after sunset. So I wrote him a note telling him that I had arrived
in Naples and wished to see him. I also gave him my address and begged him
to come to my place as soon as possible. Then the woman immediately brought me a note
that my friend Monsieur D'Ovidio wrote saying that he did not
know when I would honor Naples and that only my letter from Cairo had reached him.
In his note he also asked me to give him my address. I was truly pleased
by this and forgave him for not coming to the station because my letter did not reach him
from Brindisi. So we returned from the street to our hotel to await
Monsieur D'Ovidio's arrival. We had not been there an hour when someone knocked at
the door of the room. I opened it and there was D'Ovidio himself. I greeted
him and he me and I introduced him to my parents. He was very happy that we had come and apologized
for being late, saying that his wife had just now sent him both my note and letter which I sent
from Brindisi that arrived with us on the same train.
After a long talk he presented himself to us as a true friend and said
that he was ready to be of service to us in everything we desire here and that he would go eat dinner
and afterwards return to take us for an evening tour of the enjoyable sites in Naples.
We dined and afterwards Monsieur D'Ovidio came and we left to wander about in

Page 097

the superb sights of Naples. The people swarmed like worms and the carriages were coming and going.
We passed whatever there was to look at. First we went first to the Teatro St. Carlo
and then to the Galleria and the Palais Royal. Then we went to the seaside
across from Mt. Vesuve which was erupting and we could see
fire covering the mountain. I really do not know what to say about Naples
and all its entertainments. Two hours later we returned to the hotel.
June 16th The morning is pleasant and the weather here is good. The weather is not at all
hot. Yesterday we arranged with Monsieur D'Ovidio that he would come and get us at 10:00
and we would go to tour Naples in a coach. At 9:00 he sent me a letter by
one of his clerks expressing his regret but that he is extremely busy and it is impossible for him to accompany
us now but he sent his clerk and his carriage. So we entered
the carriage and went to the vicinity of famous and great places. We began to climb, little
by little, up into the mountains where the entire city came into view. What a beautiful sight it was,
on the sea and Mt. Vesuvius among other things, and those palaces hanging in
the middle of the green mountains. We toured around the town and then descended and went to my friend's office.
It was then 1:30 and he promised to meet there so he could take us
to the Port, board a jolly boat and go to sea.
He was not ready when we arrived but after 10 minutes he came
and apologized for being unable to accompany us in the morning. Then we went to the seashore,
boarded a boat and went out to sea. How pleasant was the view of
the town from the sea. Then the sea grew rough and the jolly boat began
to toss and turn. I remembered my time on the ship and my stomach grew

Page 098

upset. I asked him to take us back to shore because the wind at sea pains me.
We went back after an hour. Here in the harbor there are two Ports,
one for the navy and the other for trade, and it has a Phare that is
a lighthouse on the sea. Anchored in the naval harbor were two Italian warships.
One of them, named the Sardaigna, has 7 funnels and is extremely large.
At sunset we returned to our place having decided that we would go after
dinner to the Theatre, that is, to the Opera called San Carlo.
We bought the tickets for two francs each. Before we returned to the hotel my friend
took us to walk by the sea. On one side is a big garden and the sea
is on the other. The most pleasant of all places in Naples are here. The carriages
and people were passing like the sands of the sea and they say that in the entire world
one will not find as pleasant a sight as this place. Finally we returned and so too
did Monsieur D'Ovidio return home. It was decided that we would wait for him at the theater door,
that is, at 9:00. We returned at 8:30 to the theater. We waited for him until
arrived. We entered and took our seats. I was fascinated by this entryway and such a beautiful scene.
The performance began and there were about 1000 persons in the audience. They were
performing the drama according to the ordering of the Orchestra. The music was
playing and accompanied their singing. The scene was truly quite humbling.
They performed a ballet afterward, which captured the gaze of all those present,
and they applauded them as a sort of expression of gratitude. The drama did not end until an hour
past midnight. Then we left the theater and exchanged goodbyes with my friend. He said
that tomorrow he would come to say goodbye before my departure. The train
leaves at 8:15 in the morning.

Page 099

We got up in the morning and the weather was fine with a westerly wind. We drank
tea hastily and afterwards arranged our things and paid the hotel bill.
We then hired a carriage, went to the station, and took our seats. I was
sad having not seen Monsieur D'Ovidio again. It is possible he had forgotten
to come. The train set out from Naples at 8:20, heading
toward Rome. I am sorry to be parted from this utterly lovely town.
8:44 Cancello, L 8:45 = 8:59 Caserta, L 9:01 =

08

.

9:08 S. Maria, L 9:09 = 9:15 Capua, L 9:17 =

09

.

9:34 Saparanise, L 9:35 = 9:49 Teano, L 9:51 =

10

.

10:03 Canianolla, L 10:05 = 10:40 Cassino , L 10 :43 =

11

.

11:04 Roccasecca, left 11:05 = 11:16 Ceprano, L 11:21 =

12

.

11:42 Ceccano , L 11:43 = 11:53 Frosinone, L 11:57 =

13

.

12:29 Segni, left 12:34 = 1:15 Ciocupino, left 1 :16. =

---

From here the famous Rome appeared to us at a distance. The first thing that came into view
was the precious dome of Saint Peter's Cathedral. We arrived at the station at 1:30 and after
we hired a carriage and loaded our belongings we rode through the markets and streets to find
a hotel. Today is a major holy day, Corpus Christi Day, and all the shops are
closed and one finds only a few open. The people are also very scarce in the streets.
Finally we looked at two hotels and found one that is small and nice but for lodging only,

Page 100

for 7 francs a day. It is called the Hotel d'Orient and is in the Piazza
Pole, number 8. The hotel overlooks a large square and a square to one side,
called Piazza Colona. After we took two rooms and left our things
we went out to eat at a Restaurent. After eating we returned to
our lodgings. In the afternoon we went to the residence of the head of the Carmelite Fathers to ask if
he had a letter addressed to us from Baghdad. He said he had nothing
and if any letter comes he will send it to us. He is a very pleasant man and placed himself
at our disposal for anything we might need here. So we asked him only if he might send
a guide with us when we visit the Vatican. He said that tomorrow he would send a priest from
his parish church to accompany us there. Then we thanked him for his kindness and left. Since
I have a letter of recommendation from the son of Ossany Boutros in Baghdad, to his brother
here, Gabriel in the Propaganda Propaganda: Branch of the Catholic Church entrusted with expanding Catholicism and of managing Church affairs in non-Catholic countries. This branch of the Church operated in non-Catholic Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and elsewhere. A few years after Alexander’s travels, it expanded its operations under the direction of Pope Pious X. , I wished to see him. So we went to
the Propaganda and saw some Chaldean and Syriac priests at the door.
Then by chance as the scholars were leaving for the break I saw Mikha'il, the son of
Nazo a resident of Baghdad, and greeted him. I was quite pleased to see a son of
our homeland. Speaking of Gabriel Ossany, they told me that he is busy at the moment
but he will have time tomorrow afternoon. So I gave the letter to Mikha'il
for delivery. We returned at sunset to the hotel and afterwards went
to dine at the Restaurent in the Piazza Colona.
Here we listened to the Italian military band play music. There was a huge crowd
of people coming and going in this square which is as large
as two thousand cubits in length and width. At 9:30 we returned to our lodgings.

Page 101

I got up in the morning and the weather was cloudy and a bit rainy. After we drank tea
we changed our clothes and I went with my father to the Dominican Fathers because
we have letters of recommendation to them from His Grace the Papal Legate in Mosul.
We finally found their residence which was in the Piazza Tretone. We entered
and presented our card to a door-keeper priest and he returned and said that the Father General
is engaged and is not accepting anyone. We were truly annoyed very much by
this and understood that there had been a mistake. So we said to him, here is a letter to him from the Papal Legate, give it to him.
And here is another to the Père Procureur,
give that to him too with our greetings. He then said, "You had best wait until I return
for an answer." He came back 10 minutes later and said, "If you please," took us and we went
to the great monastery to the Père Procureur whose name is
Père Cronier. He received us with a hearty welcome for he had received
news of our coming. Then after a long talk he said, "It is possible that I can go
with you to the Superior," because we came to ask the Superior for a letter
of recommendation to Vienna. So we went to the Superior General, whose name is Père Bodin Père Bodin .
He came and received us appearing to be very much a man of fine character.
He apologized for having been busy and we had a long talk with him about Turkey. Afterwards
we begged a letter of recommendation from him to Vienna and he immediately wrote one and gave it to us.
Likewise he wrote another to the Head of the Vatican asking
him to show us around all the places of the Vatican. We had decided that
tomorrow we would go in the morning because it will be open from 8:00 to 1:00 in the afternoon.
Then we thanked him for his kindness and we returned to our residence. A few minutes later, there came to us

Page 102

a Carmelite priest sent by the head priest at whose place we had been yesterday
and we arranged with him that he would come tomorrow at 8:00 and take us to the Vatican
and show us around everything. But after breakfast we went
to see Saint Peter's Basilica, famed in all the world
and the like of which is not found in all the inhabited lands. So we hired a carriage.
We came to its square at 1:00 in the afternoon. We were stunned when we saw
the courtyard outside the Basilica which is larger than the Piazza Colona
by 5 times. It is also encircled by pillars in 4 rows, like this. On
the right and left there are two fountains than which there is none more magnificent.
We approached the door of the church and entered into the middle of the Basilica. We were amazed by
what we saw of refined marble work and by the size of the church, which is 500 paces in length
and 200 in width. It also has a dome which exceeds 500 feet in height. In truth
they are right when they say that this basilica has no peer in all the world. This is the truth
and it is impossible to elucidate in writing what is in it. This is the best of all
the sights we have seen from Baghdad to here. Inside the church there are
about 25 thrones and the graves of all the Popes and statues of human figures. It is something that
astounds one. It also has 6 very large doors and is constructed entirely of porphyry,
excellent and polished. In short, whatever I say will be too little said about this Basilica that has become famous
in all the lands of the earth. After we looked around for about two hours and a half, we returned to
our place wondering at the works of mankind. I wrote a number of letters to Baghdad,
that is to Nassoury, Jamil, Johnny Pahlawan, Father Philips, Mr. Demello and Rozario,
our servant Mansour, and Albert Asfar. I also wrote a postcard to my friend Hana Tabouni
in Marseilles informing him that I will be with him in only a few days and then sent them all by post.

Page 103

The morning is cloudy. Last night I was out of sorts and a little feverish.
This was possibly from total fatigue. At 8:00 the priest came who
it had been decided would accompany us on the visit to the Vatican. But first we took him and went to see
Cardinal Jerome Cardinal Jerome who 5 years ago was Head of the Carmelite Priests Carmelite Priests: 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. .
His residence is not far from our hotel. So we arrived there and the Father went in to get us
permission to see him. Then we entered the house which was large and ascended to the room
of the Cardinal's private secretary. They told us that Cardinal Jerome was busy at the moment and that 10 minutes later
he would greet us. After he finished we went in to him. He received us cheerfully and we sat
in the diwan. He is a person with very good manners. After the conversation we arose
and left his place. The Cardinal's private secretary named ...[illegible] asked us about Father Anastas Marini Father Anastas Marini
and sent him his regards. Then we left the Cardinal's residence and took the Omnibus to
the Vatican square. We arrived there at 9:15 and my health continued to
decline. Thus we arrived at the gate of the Vatican where there are some of the Papal Guards
who protect the Pope without wages. Then we went up about 100 wide steps
and here got tickets to visit the whole Vatican. As for the Vatican
they say that it is the largest of all the palaces in the whole world. It was
founded by the Popes Symmachus and Tiberius Popes Symmachus and Tiberius: Pope Symmachus (498-514CE) built two episcopal residences in the Vatican, one on either side of the basilica, to be used for brief stays. in
1473 and has 22 courtyards and 11,000 huge rooms decorated with
refined gilding and paintings, famous for color and unique in all the world
for their perfection because they were done by the brush of Raphael Angelo, the premier painter of
all the ages who spent his entire life working on the Vatican. The first place
we saw was the Sixtine (Sistine Chapel) where the Pope celebrates mass on

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holidays. It is 40 meters long and contains very famous paintings, among them a unique picture
which is behind the throne and is as large as the entire wall. It is of the Last Judgment and the finest thing
that ever was. And all the walls and ceilings have pictures on them of all kinds. After leaving
the chapel there was the room of Rapl Angelo Rapl. Angelo: Possible reference to Rafael (Sanzio da Urbino), famous painter active in the 16th century. He has a series of namesake rooms in the Vatican, which are noted for their large frescoes. Noted for such works as The School of Athens and the Baptism of Constantine. and then we came to the Galleries of Paintings
which was founded in the time of Pope Pius VII. In it are some paintings which are priceless
forever and incomparable. As for the Galleries of Paintings The Galleries of Paintings: [in the Sistine Chapel] Established in 1815 by Pius VII, although officially begun under his predecessor Pius VI in 1799. Contains a number of paintings by well-known artists, including Da Vinci and Caravaggio. During the time of Alexander’s travels, the paintings were contained in the Borgia Apartments. , in it are some 50 rooms filled
with the finest brush paintings to be found on earth. In one room I saw a large picture,
nearly 30 meters long, a gift of the Sultan of Austria Sultan of Austria: Alexander may be referring erroneously to a painting by Jan Matejko, entitled John III Sobieski at Vienna. Matejko painted this scene in the mid-19th century in Poland, not under Ottoman rule. The painting is very large; Alexander’s size estimates may have been an exaggeration. It is contained in the “Sobieski” room of the Vatican galleries. http://www.galenfrysinger.com/vatican_city.htm to the Pope. It depicts
the Siege of Vienna by the Turks and is, in short, a most excellent thing. After we finished
with this place we went up to the Gallery of Antiquities, or the Meseum,
which is unique in the world for the ancient Roman antiques it contains, like
idols, animals and other things that astound a person. There are some 100 rooms full
of these sorts of things. Here I saw the Pope's Confessor and the Pope's Private Secretary
passing by on the loggia. On all the loggias there are guards dressed in official uniforms stationed
to keep watch. It was 11:30 and, thus far, we have not seen but half of the Vatican quarter.
I am feeling quite poorly and became extremely tired from walking without ever stopping.
Finally we came up to the top floor. From here Rome is visible to him, with all its churches and houses.
This place is the private residence of the Pope so we obtained permission and visited his diwan and the place
where he sits at times when the Sultans and Princes come to visit him. It is a most excellent diwan
and a sight to be seen. There are two things left that we have not yet seen and these are the Gallery of Books
and the Gallery of Treasures. For that purpose special permission was necessary
from the Director General. As for the Gallery of Books, it contains more than 100,000 volumes

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in all tongues on earth and the Gallery of Treasures contains all the tiaras
in addition to the Stone of ...[illegible] Stone of [illegible] . Then we went down from the Vatican and it was 12:00, the time when
they close the doors. So we took the Omnibus, went directly to the Restaurent,
and had breakfast. I am quite feverish and so we returned to the hotel where I was seized by a raging fever
which continued to rise until nighttime.
Today is Sunday and a pleasant morning with sun. This
night I was suffering quite a bit from the high fever that was with me
until morning when it dropped somewhat. However I had grown very weak and could not
get out of bed. Only at sunset did I change my clothes
and go to eat in the Restaurent.
I got up in the morning and the weather was fine. We decided to visit
the Collosseum or the very ancient Amphiteatre that the Romans
were using as a theatre. In it they released wild beasts to attack people
while the populace looked on. So at 8:30 we hired a carriage and went toward these ancient constructions
outside the city. They were built in 72 A.D. during the time of Vespasian.
The Collosseum consists of 3 stories of arches and every story
has 80 arches in it, each story with a different style. The first is Doric,
the second Jonic (Ionic), and the third Corinthian. In this Collosseum
over a period of 100 years 500 wild animals were killed. It is 157 feet high,
278 feet long, and 177 feet wide, and in it could be seated more than
100,000 people. Truly this place is a wondrous thing
and one of the most ancient constructions. We left the Collosseum

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and came to other ancient remains. This is called the Arch of Constantine,
a great arch of stone inscribed from top to bottom and adorned
with ancient images. They also call it the Arch of Triomph
and it is one of the finest remains of Rome. It was built in 315 A.D. and
many more ancient remains are next to it, the creations of the earliest
Romans. To this very moment they have been left as they were and are well looked after. We returned
two hours later to the hotel. At 1:00 in the afternoon I wished to go
once more to the Propoganda to see Mikhail Nazo and especially Gabriel Ossany and
whom I had not yet seen. So we all went there and asked for him. They came right away and were
very pleased to meet with people from their homeland. Then they promised us to get permission
from the Principal so they could come with us tomorrow to visit the famous Basilica of Saint Paul,
the same as the Basilica of Saint Peter. They also told us that it is now the Feast of Saint Ignatius
and that there is a church here dedicated to him. Today it is decorated and we must see it.
So we left their place and I promised them I would return in two hours to see if
they had gotten the permission. Otherwise we would travel to Marseille tomorrow.
After we returned to the hotel, we went to visit the Church of Saint Ignatius and saw that it was full crowded
of people. The Orgue was playing, the people were glorifying God, there was a great tumult, and it was quite
lovely. It is half as large as the Basilica of Saint Peter and contained some
3000 souls and yet there was much space. After we toured everything
we left and wanted to visit the Pantheon which is the mausoleum of King Victor Emmanuel,
the Sultan of Italy, but we found the door closed and admissions closed.
However from the outside the place appeared very large and lofty.
At 4:30 I went to Mikhail and Gabriel. They told me that the Principal gave them
permission and they will meet us at the hotel tomorrow at 10:00.

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This morning is pleasant with a westerly wind. Today my health is much improved.
At 9:30 after we had changed our clothes, Mikhail and Gabriel came to our place. We talked
at length about Baghdad. I showed them photographs of some people and they gave us theirs and
other things. An hour later they left promising to come at 4:30 in the afternoon
to accompany us to the Basilica of St. Paul. So at 4:30 they kept their word
and came to us. They brought Father Samuel Jamil, the Chaldean who
has been here for some time and knows Father Yousif Taweel who is in Beirut.
Then we left together and we went by the Tramway to the Basilica of St. Paul.
We arrived there half an hour later and went in. We were truly quite amazed by
its size, the varieties of marble inside, and the Mosaïque images,
something bewildering. This craft appears to be quite well known in Rome
because they make with it large, masterful and very pleasant images. So inside
this famous basilica which is second only to the Basilica of St. Peter
there are countless marble works. But what kind of marble is this that is comparable to
gold? To the right of the entrance is a pulpit made of green marble
and they told me that this is the equivalent of yellow gold. On the left hand
many pillars extend to the interior or to the doorway, that is to say, about 180
pillars of excellent porphyry, tall and shining from a single block.
Likewise on the side walls and above the area surrounding the pillars, one finds pictures
of all those who had become Popes wholly done in Mosaïque work. In the middle
of the basilica one finds the Tomb of Saint Paul, but his body only, because
they claim that his head when it was cut off was buried elsewhere. For that reason

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there is another church that bears the name of Saint Paul, but much smaller than this one.
The Basilica of St. Paul is considered one of the most perfect basilicas in the world and second only to the Basilica
of St. Peter which has no peer in all the world. This basilica,
the Basilica of St. Paul, had been greatly damaged by a fire Fire: [in St.Paul's Basillica] Reference to Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, built over the grave of St. Paul in the 4th century CE. The referenced fire occurred in 1823 and damaged significant portions of the church. The church was re-consecrated in 1855. 27 years ago.
The entire roof collapsed and most of the fine images were destroyed. From that time
to this the basilica has been undergoing rebuilding and also some of the buildings outside it
are still in renovations. We finished looking around,
and went outside with the other people there. On one side there is an area for refreshing oneself.
They sell wine and other things so we sat there for about a half an hour
and afterwards took the Tramway and returned to town. The basilica is
outside the town two miles away. It is ...[blank] feet in length
and its width is likewise ...[blank] feet. On our way to the hotel we entered
another church, which is called The Church of Jésus. It is also very pleasantly
decorated. It contains a wondrous picture and the Tomb of Saint Ignatius.
Then we returned to the hotel at sunset and exchanged goodbyes with Mikhail, Gabriel, and
Father Jamil. We must leave tomorrow. I am truly very grateful
for all the kindness they have shown me.

---

I was up at 6:00. It is a pleasant morning with a little of chill. After
I dressed and drank tea I arranged my things and bound them up in preparation
for the journey. At 7:30 we left the Hotel d'Orient and paid their bill of 42 francs.

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We hired a carriage, stowed our things, and drove to the train station.
After we arrived we freighted our two trunks directly to Marseille and paid the bill of
28 francs. We boarded the Express train that goes swiftly and without
delay. So at 8:00 sharp, we left the Rome station.
9:25 Civatavecchia, left 9:30 / 9:46 Corvetto, left 9:47 =
10:40 Orbettelo, left 10:55 = 11:25 Grosetto , left 11:32 =
12:25 Campiglia , left 12:30 = 1:05 Cecena,left 1:16 =
1:52 Celle salvetti , left 1:55 / 2:15 Pisa a big town,
left 2:30 = 2:44 Vareggio, left 2:47 = 3:05 Pietrasanta, left 3:07/
3:20 Massa , left 3:21 = 3:26 Spetzia , left 3:28 =
3:40 Sarzana ,left 3:45 = 3:53 Vezzano, left 3:55 =
4:40 Levanto, ... 4:43 here we passed several
tunnels for 2 hours we were going each 1 second
under a long tunnel of 5 & 10 minutes I counted
about 50 & always alongside the sea.
4:58 Sestri Levanto, left 5:00 / 5:25 Chiavari, left 5:30.
At 6:37 we arrived at the Genoa station and went into the town. We saw
some 20 of the hotels' private carriages awaiting the passengers and so we took the carriage
of the Hotel de Genéve and rode to the hotel. We arrived and took
two rooms. I was feeling very weak from exhaustion. Before sunset we went to
a church across from the hotel, named Annunziata, that is, the Church of the Annunciation Church of the Annunciation: Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, is a Catholic cathedral (1520) located in Genoa, Italy. .
I was truly amazed by the work inside the church. The ceilings all had pictures
and gilding with frames matching the style of the building, astonishing. The church is also large and quite nice.

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Then we returned to the hotel and ate dinner. Afterwards we slept.
We arose at 7:00 and after washing and drinking tea came down
and paid the hotel bill, that is, 12 francs. The meal they had served
yesterday was not good at all and very costly. Genoa is quite a large town,
as large as Naples. It is pleasant and organized like Rome. It has electric carriages
and other things. After we finished at the hotel we took the carriage and went to
the station to travel to Nice. We arrived at the station at 8:30.
The train does not depart until 9:20 so we sat and waited in the station.
At 9:00 we boarded the train and at 9:20 it pulled out of the station leaving Genoa at 9:30
9:30 Sanpierd, left 9:32 = 9:44 Corniliagno, left 9:45/
9:59 Pegli, left 10:01 = 10:09 Voltri, left 10:10 =
10:27 Arenzano,left 10:30 = 10:40 Cogoletto, left 10:41 =
10:59 Gella, left 11:00 = 11:06 Albisolla, left 11:07 =
11:15 Savona, left 11:25 = 11:38 Berjeggi, left 11:39 =
11:50 Noli, left 11:51 = 11:59 Varigotti, left 12:00 =
12:05 Finalemarina, left 12:10 = 12:14 Bergo ,left 12:15 =
12:20 Pietrligure, left 12:21 = 12:27 Lòno, left 12:30 =
12:45 Albenga, left 12:47 = 1:00 Alassio, left 1:03 =
1:16 Andora, left 1:17 = 1:28 Cervo, left 1:29 =
1:37 Onuglia, left 1:39 = 1:50 Porto Morizo, left 1:53 =
2:03 San Lorenzo, left 2:20 = 2:20 Taggia, left 2:30 =
2:32 San Remo, left 2:35 = 2:55 Bordighesa, left 2:59 =

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Then at 3:10 we arrived at Vintmiglia (Ventimiglia). We got off the train here because
this is where Italy ends and the French borders begin. There are customs here too.
So we took our things and went through customs. After the inspection we took them and went
to a French railway car that goes directly to Paris, passing through Marseille.
We found it more suitable that we go from here directly to Marseille and not stop
in Nice. So we boarded the train. Here the
time is different and one hour less than in Italy. So we set back
our watches to an hour less and the train departed with us from Vintmiglia
at 3:05 French time.
3:17 Mentone, left 3:19 = here, I have two people with whom I correspond.
3:58 Mont Carlo, left 4:02 = 4:06 Monaco, left 4:07 =
4:23 Beaulieu,left 4:25 = 4:29 Villefranche, left 4:30 =
4:34 Nice Niqueur, left 4:35 = 4:37 Nice .
Since there is an eating place here we stopped for a long time and we bought dinner
to eat in the carriage. At 5:03 the train left.
5:25 Antibes, left 5:28/ 5:45 Cannes, left 5:50 =
This extremely beautiful area is well known all over the world. It lays on the seaside
surrounded by many trees and houses. Even kings come
here to enjoy the fresh air, and especially to Nice because of its very fine weather.
6:33 St. Raphail,left 6:37 = 6:42 Fréjus,left 6:44 =
7:12 Les Arcs, left 7:38 = 8:55 Hyres, left 8:57 =
9:07 Toulon, left 9:22 = 11:49 Marseille.

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Our arrival by train at this pleasant town was at 11:47 after sunset.
We got off the train and hired a carriage straight away. Then we rode among streets lined
with excellent buildings. All the going and coming in the markets had somewhat
lessened as midnight neared. Then we came to the hotel where
we had written to have our friend here, Nassoury Sayegh, to make arrangements for us. We knocked at the door
and the hotel owner opened it and admitted us. He immediately gave us rooms. The
name of this hotel is Rubi at No.103 Rue Paradis. After we entered
and put things in order we went to sleep. It was 12:00.
I got up in the morning and the weather was fine but getting hot with a
westerly wind. After we dressed, at 9:30 I went with my father to look
for Monsieur Nassoury Sayegh. We went to 29 rue St. Jacques
for we knew from earlier that he is there. Then we knocked and they told us that
he is at the office and that this place is only where he lives, but he works at 27 rue
des Princes. So we went there and found him. We were pleased to see him and he us. I had not
met him before. He gave us several letters addressed to me from Baghdad and the homeland. From the Baghdad
letters I learned of the death of Monsieur Vasilaki, thanks to Yaqoub Shamani
and of other things beside, but we have not heard anything from our family
since Beirut. We left Nassoury's office
at 10:00. He promised to come visit us in the afternoon. Today I looked
for my friend Hanna Tabouni here but I did not know the way

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to his place on 23 Boulevard des Dames. In the afternoon Nassoury came to see us
and near sunset we spent some time touring around with him. Nassoury is alone
in town because his wife and son have gone out of town for a change of air to
a place half an hour away. I found out from
Nassoury how to go and see Hanna Tabouni at his place. I learned that
I would take the tram so I took the tram on which was written
Joliette and Castillan right away, paying 10 centimes for it. After
15 minutes I arrived at the street. I got off and looked for the number.
I found it and went up to his place and knocked at the door. An elderly woman came
and told me that he was not there and had gone out. So I wrote him a card and told
him that we arrived yesterday evening, that I would love to see him, and he should come after
dinner to such and such hotel in such and such street and number. Then I took
the tram back to rue St. Jacques. I arrived at
the hotel. I waited for Hanna until he returned at 7:30. I was quite pleased
when I saw him and remembered our friends, family, and Baghdad. I stayed with him
for about an hour and then we went out together at 9:00 and toured the streets. We went
to the Cannebière, an area very distinguished and pleasant. People were
bustling about as abundant as worms. I said goodbye to him here and told him to come to me tomorrow morning.
He is employed at a commercial shipping company for 100 francs a month.
I returned to the hotel by myself on the tram at 10:30 .
Stuffy weather. After I woke up, the weather is quite warm, my friend
Hanna Tabouni came to see me. He stayed until just about 7:30 and promised us that he would return tomorrow

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so we could go and hear mass at church. Tomorrow is Sunday. At
9:30 we went to Khowaja Nassoury's place. I settled an account I had with him
and took the remaining money, 242 francs. We returned to our residence
and afterwards, the three of us went to the bath which is not far from us and is called Bains Paradis Bains Paradis .
We bathed and paid 3 francs. Yesterday Hanna told me that
Razouk Rafi, our friend in Baghdad, had come to Marseille on the ship Turkistan Turkistan: [ship]
4 days ago and he promised to send him to see me in the afternoon. At the hotel
we found the trunk that we had shipped from Baghdad before coming
here. It contains some provisions like dates and arak and other things. After breakfast
we opened it and I found my book of stamps too, that is to say, the album I shipped
here. Then in the afternoon Razouk Rafi arrived and I was extremely happy to see him.
He had recently arrived from Basrah on the ship Turkistan, which docked 5 days ago
and will continue on to London. So I took Razouk Rafi and we walked the passages and environs of
the lovely Marseille. Marseille truly delighted me very much. It is the most recent town I
have found so pleasant and it has a very highly regarded port. At sunset
we returned and I found Monsieur Sayegh at our hotel. He proposed that tomorrow, Sunday, we will go
and have breakfast at his place. He is not in town having gone to spend the summer in the country, that is
in Montredon. He gave us the address of his house. After
dinner we went out to the area around Cannebière Cannebière . We were astonished to see
so many people and such liveliness in the street. This is the best of all the streets one finds
in these districts. We returned an hour later to
our hotel.

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I got up early in the morning in order to wait for Hanna Tabouni and Razouk
so we could go hear mass in an excellent church on the mountain. Its name is
Notre Dame de la Garde Notre Dame de la Garde . The weather is quite sultry and about to become hot and there is no wind.
Then at 7:15 they arrived and a half hour later we went to a place
where we could go up the mountain. There is an Assensessenur here in which they go up.
We all took seats and paid 40 centimes for each person. We ascended in this
fine machine which consists of a car moving along the wall to the top
of the mountain. When we reached the top the car drew level with the walkway and we got out.
The weather was very hot. First we came to a spot below
the church where there was a place with some pictures and holy relics. On the left there was
a statue of Jesus dying. Afterwards we climbed up to the church. The
mass was just beginning and so we listened. The church is not very big
but it is lofty and has a very large statue on top of the dome. They say
that in the crown people enter and the eyes of the statue are binoculars
that look from a distance on the ships coming in and those in danger because
the church is on the sea. All Marseille is visible below and the view
is extremely beautiful. There were many people on top, about 400 or 500. Some of them brought their breakfast with them
to eat it there. After we looked at everything we went down on the pathway and not
by the descending car. We were truly quite tired because the descent is difficult from such
a height. We reached the bottom and walked back to the hotel amid lovely trees.
This was on the Boulevard N. Dame. We returned to our lodgings
at 10:30 and waited a half an hour. Then we went to the Rue de Rome

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to take the Omnibus to Nassoury's place. We took the bus
to Montredon where Nassoury is. We arrived after half an
hour and paid 35 centimes each. Nassoury greeted us at the door of his house
and we entered his small but pleasantly situated house by the sea
with a very fresh breeze. We also saw his wife and son and at noon broke our fast.
At 3:00 we returned by the omnibus to the hotel. Nassoury's wife is very quiet
and sensible and about 35 years old. At the door of the hotel we saw Hanna and Razouk
waiting for us in order to go to the animal garden, or
the Jardin Zoologique Jardin Zoologique . So we went to the Rue Cannebière and took the
Tramway to Longchamps. We arrived and found
this road was very pleasant with trees on both sides. We reached the zoological
garden and before everything else went into the picture gallery which is also
nice. We then climbed to a high place among flowers and greenery
before we went down to the garden which was full of people.
Music was playing in the middle and because today is Sunday all those who
enter do so for free. We looked around at the different animals. We saw
various kinds of birds, ducks, geese, and camels, and different kinds of mountain sheep, and
white, black and grizzly bears, and zebras, elephants, lions and monkeys
and other things that are certainly worth seeing. We continued to wander around for about two hours
and at sunset took a carriage and returned to our place.
The morning is pleasant with a westerly wind. After we finished
getting dressed, that is at 9:00, Monsieur Tiers arrived. He is Nassoury's broker, who

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works at his office, a man of about 40 years. He had agreed to take us around
the shops to buy a number of things. So we went with him to the largest shops
and bought some clothes and other necessities. We returned in the afternoon to our place.
At 3:30 I went to Nassoury's and wrote him a bill of exchange from my mother to Baghdad
in the amount of 1,000 francs. He said that in half an hour he would come and bring it with him. Then I went
out to look around the shops for silk yarn for knitting to send to
Rosa my maternal uncle's daughter. I found in one shop and bought a large quantity, some
200 grams. They made it into two parcels for me to send by post and I took them to
the Central post office, or the main post office. All the clerks
are young 18 to 20 year old girls. I asked of them to post the parcels
for me but they refused saying the parcels were too large. They said it would better if I made them into
three parcels. So I was obliged to return to the shop to ask them to divide the two parcels into three for me
and this they did. I returned to our residence and found that Nassoury had come and taken my parents
to tour around. I tried to follow but did not find them. I passed one of the booksellers
and bought two books, one about teaching dancing and the other poetry. I had them made
into one parcel in order to send them by post tomorrow, one to Johnny Pahlawan and the other
to Nassoury Bahoshy. I returned at sunset to our residence.
I got up in the morning and the weather was somewhat hot. At 9:00
Monsieur Tiers came again to get us. We went to someone who prints visiting
cards and asked for some hundreds. Then we continued to a large department store
called the Magasin Général. Here they sell everything that a person
desires of clothes, accessories and other things that boggle the mind. We bought

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many things and returned to our lodgings before noon. We then began to arrange the items
to send to Baghdad. At 2:30 Hanna Tabouni came to see me
and we left to tour the markets. We came to a place where they show
moving pictures. They call this the Cinamétographe (Ct[`e]nematograph) and admission is 50
centimes. It is truly a wondrous and amazing thing that a person can see
people walking and talking as if completely natural. Half an hour later
we left and I returned to our lodging. I found Nassoury at our place and after he left we took
mother and went out a second time and likewise bought few things. We returned
at sunset. Nassoury invited us to break our fast at his place at noon tomorrow and
very much insisted that we come. So we accepted.
The morning is unpleasant. The weather is extremely stuffy with clouds and it is very hot.
After we awoke we put our things in the trunks
and arranged everything because we will have to travel the day after tomorrow.
We stayed here a long time. At 11:00 Nassoury brought
letters from Baghdad. I mean from my paternal uncle Henry and Johnny and from my maternal uncle Antone.
We were very pleased for news from our homeland. They wrote that they are all in good health.
The heat where they are is very strong. The Syriac Archbishop Syriac Archbishop: [in Mosul] had traveled to Mosul
where he would oversee his mission. Likewise Father Yousif Jarji had gone too and other
things beside. After we read the letters we went with Nassoury to the
train station to go to Montredon, where Nassoury stays. The weather
was extremely unsettling with a strong, dry wind, and the sand blinded us until
we arrived. His wife greeted us with a hearty welcome and after breakfast

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his mother-in-law arrived too. At 3:00 we said our goodbyes and returned to town.
When we returned to our lodgings we found that our work was not yet finished. So we will leave the day after
tomorrow. After dinner we went to the Cannebière district and returned after an hour.