ng a fat Yankee (very like my Paris
friend) mounted, being like myself hopeless of any other means of
escape, I seized upon a bridle in hopes that I should then be left in
peace. But this was the signal for a more furious onset, for, seeing
that I would at length ride, each one was determined that he alone
should profit by the transaction, and a dozen animals were forced
suddenly upon me and a dozen hands tried to lift me upon their
respective beasts. But now my patience was exhausted, so, keeping firm
hold of the bridle I had first taken with one hand, I hit right and left
with the other, and calling upon my guide to do the same, we succeeded
in clearing a little space around us. Now then behold your friend
mounted upon a jackass in the streets of Alexandria, a boy behind
holding by his tail and whipping him up, Charles (who had been lost
sight of in the crowd) upon another, and my guide upon a third, and off
we go among a crowd of Jews and Greeks, Turks and Arabs, and veiled
women and yelling donkey-boys to see the city. We saw the bazaars and
the slave market, where I was again nearly pulled to pieces for
"backsheesh" (money), the mosques with their elegant minarets, and then
the Pasha's new palace, the interior of which is most gorgeous.

We have seen lots of Turkish soldiers walking in comfortable
irregularity; and, after feeling ourselves to be dreadful guys for two
hours, returned to the hotel whence we were to start for the canal
boats. You may think this account is exaggerated, but it is not; the
pertinacity, vigour and screams of the Alexandrian donkey-drivers no
description can do justice to....--Yours sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO HIS MOTHER

_Singapore, April 30, 1854_.

My dear Mother,--We arrived here safe on the 20th of this month, having
had very fine weather all the voyage. On shore I was obliged to go to a
hotel, which was very expensive, so I tried to get out into the country
as soon as I could, which, however, I did not manage in less than a
week, when I at last got permission to stay with a French Roman Catholic
missionary who lives about eight miles out of the town and close to the
jungle. The greater part of the inhabitants of Singapore are Chinese,
many of whom are very rich, and all the villages about are almost
entirely of Chinese, who cultivate pepper and gambir. Some of the
English merchants here have splendid country houses. I dined wi