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Travel Diary of Mrs. R.P. Eaton: Europe, Egypt, and Palestine, ca. 1857
	of camels, swinging along their burdens of human or other freight. Many and marvelously little donkeys were tripping along, under big bundles, much larger themselves, of men and women, and goat skins of water filled plumply our even to the nose and toes, each looking in shape like the animal itself. Now we passed a majestic and solemn Turk in full and flowing dress, and now an almost naked Nubian; then a group of women, carrying heavy burdens on their heads, their faces closely veiled, except their eyes, though their legs were bare: and then, perhaps a singular locking figure astride a donkey, which, in a nearer view, proves to be a Turkish female, in a white veil, but almost completely enveloped in enormous folds of black silk. A succession of these new and strange features of life excited and absorbed our attention until we reached our hotel. These appearances were truly Oriental. Donkeys are a great “institution” in Egypt. Few find them anywhere. But they are surely larger than a good-sized sheep; and a man six feet high and weighing nearly two hundred, is somewhat reluctant at first to ride such a puny beats. He feels as though it might be proper for him to carry the donkey most of the time – his superior bulk, also, and his feet nearly touching the ground give him a sort of ridiculous appearance. But he soon gets over all this, and is quite surprised at the strength and nimbleness of the donkey, which trots or gallops away with him at an easy and sapid rate. We were so delighted with this kind of riding, that we kept it up for several hours in gleeful excitement. Each donkey is in charge of an Arab boy or man, who runs after yow, often urging on the donkey, and whipping him unmercifully. No matter how fast a far yow go, the donkey boy will keep along, ready to show the way, and take charge of the animal when you stop. Our first excursion was to Cleopatra’s Needle, a fine obelisk of red granite, seventy-feet high, and nearly eighty-feet square at its base, and covered with hieroglyphics. It firmly stood
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