page37

Original Source Document
 * Frederick Douglass Diary - page 37 of 72**

wednesday febry 16.1887. Arrived at port said: The queerest of queer places the external to the suez canal- Air nations are here represented a place to study other. Our ship is just now covering to the wharf forty or fifty square feates have already surrounded the ships and there iurnates clamouring are like wild fowl of every possible note to the passengers to buy their oranges, lemons figs and other fruits. so on several seows loaded with coal to the water, edge to coal ourship for her further voyage. they are soon boarded by a perfect swarm of arab laborers snooked, hooded or fezed barefooted and bone legged to the knee, to bring in baskets on their head the coal on ship found heaveus. what a wild clamour what a confusion of tongues, are going at one and each endeavouring to know the voice of the other but the work goes focusly on and one is astronished at the strength cheerfulness and audunance of there safe children of the desert I saw among them several genune negroes and they seemed not a whit behind their fellow worksman either in noise or physical ability where our coal was in we moved on silently down the
 * Transcribed Text**