The Adventure continues....
Having sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar
and across a very rough Mediterranean Sea, the SS Norman finally reached
Port Said on November 24th.
Nov 24th, Monday
Port Said
After two more days of villainous weather we reached the above at 6.0
this morning, and to our disgust found it in pouring rain. P.S. in rain!!
is the world quite mad and here we are going through the Suez Canal sitting
muffed up in fur coats and rugs!!
P.S. proved as interesting to me as it did 26 years ago when I came out
in the Egypt as a girl! little did I think then that the next time I came
it would be with two grown daughters and the man who I could see from
my table in whose hotel we lunched but whom I hardly knew. Well we went
first to the P.O. and the telegraph office from where I sent a cable to
Pink and then proceeded to Simon Artz who now looks almost like Woolworth!
and where we bought the usual Turkish Delight, Nougat and cigarettes.
The place itself looked little altered from when I saw it last, its quaint
ramshackle houses, its sinister byways and the same crowd of pestilent
natives who follow one and dog ones footsteps pressing upon one beads
and amber cigarette holders, shawls and other messes.
We left again at noon and for a few minutes the sun feebly struggled out
but we had not been going long before the rain again poured down and really
the Suez Canal in rain looked comic.
Nov 25th
I awoke early this morning to find that we were tied up in Suez harbour
too far out to see anything much of the houses. Today the ship's sports
began, the usual competition in which we all took part but alas beyond
a second in potato race by Noots the family didn't distinguish themselves.
I managed to get into the final for egg and spoon and then dropped the
egg, also the finals of the whistling race with Mr King but the tune he
had for me though I knew it as well as my own name I couldn't own to it
and so lost (Dolly Gray).
Nov 26th
It is beginning to warm up now and so I am rising early in order to escape
from the cabin. We have on board a party of "Bright Young People",
some real and some would be's, one terrible girl who clads herself in
nothing, gives out that she is 20 and is followed by a train of admiring
sprigs!
Nov 27th
Port Sudan
We reached the above this morning and stood out for sometime before we
could berth. Then drawing in a rumour went round that owing to a case
of chickenpox or to the unrest all through the Sudan following on the
murder of the Sirdar, we should not be allowed to land. Great relief therefore
when at about tea time we were informed of the contrary so after dinner
we made up a party and went across the ferry to the Hotel.
(In 1922 Britain had approved Egypt's declaration
of independence, leaving some uncertainty about the position of Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan. However, the 1923 Egyptian constitution made no claim to Egyptian
sovereignty over Sudan. Subsequent negotiations in London between the
British and the new Egyptian government foundered on the Sudan question.
Nationalists who were inflamed by the failure of the talks rioted in Egypt
and Sudan, where a minority supported union with Egypt. In November 1924,
Sir Lee Stack, governor general of Sudan and sirdar, was assassinated
in Cairo. Britain ordered all Egyptian troops, civil servants, and public
employees withdrawn from Sudan.)
Nov 28th
Well on account of the trouble in Cairo we've been fortunate enough to
see the arrival of the Dorsets on their way to Khartoum and later the
Egyptian troops from K who are being "invited" to clear out
and proceed to Alexandria. There's been a fearful row over Sir Lee Stack's
assassination, the British Government have demanded a fine of half a million
and the evacuation of the Gippy troops, this latter was at first refused
but apparently though a ticklish job all is proceeding to plan.
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