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[Page 18]
of coal from their baskets & a head Sherang stands at the top of the plank & as soon as a native leaves a gap between himself & the next one ahead, the Sherang belts into him with a big rope like a Cat 'o' nine tails. In fact he gives them plenty of it, just to keep in good practice, when there are no spaces. This is the fastest coaling place in the world. Sometimes the natives tip their baskets of coal over the side, if they are not watched, & then the others "drag" for it & sell it. I went ashore at 7.30 a.m. to order stores etc & got to the Ship Chandlers at 8. Went into his Office & he ordered "coffee royal" & a native brought it in & then stood over us with a big fan to keep us cool & to keep the flies off. Went down to a Hotel & had breakfast & then the native took me around wherever I wanted to go. Port Said is very quiet, you see hardly anything but Egyptians, Donkeys & wheelbarrows. There are no gutters in the roads, the footpaths & roads being level, nearly in every street. There are no Rickshaws & the people seem much more independent than the Cingalese & etc at Colombo.
Saw two English ladies at the Hotel where I had breakfast & was very nearly going to say "Good Morning" to them to see what it sounded like to hear a lady's voice again. Its over six weeks now. Left Pt Said 4 p.m. passing the Statue of DeLissa the Engineer who built the canal & who later committed