EGYPT.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Manuscript journal of a Thomas Cook holiday in Cairo. An animated account of an Essex family's winter getaway in Egypt, comprising lively descriptions of Cairo's many sights and sounds, humorous observations, and a detailed record of their itinerary. The writer, Arthur George Aldous (1867-1942; his signature appears on the first page), pursued a career with the civil service in North Borneo, before retiring to Dedham in Essex. He was accompanied to Egypt by his wife, Alice Maud Mackenzie Young (1870-1944), and their daughter, Elizabeth (1906-1964), whom he calls "A and B."Embarking the P&O vessel SS Narkunda, they reached Port Said shortly after Christmas, their time onboard recorded in enjoyable detail. "Cook's people deserved full marks for the way they saw us through customs (nothing examined!)... Port Said seems to have grow quite a lot, and, on the surface at least, to be somewhat more respectable than of yor" (28 December). They reached Cairo the same day, and 20 pages of the journal describe their time in the city up to their departure on 7 January 1928, during which period no day was uneventful. A trip to the bazaar gave his daughter the chance to buy a "Turkish harem lady's costume" (29 December), and in each shop they were plied with Persian tea. They took day excursions to Memphis and to see statues of Ramesses and other historic sites ("The Sphinx rather disappointed us" - 31 December), and a highlight was a trip to the Egyptian Museum to see the recently installe

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