No. 473.
Mr. Beardsley to Mr. Fish.
Cairo, April 3, 1873. (Rec’d May 6.)
Sir: I have the honor to report the arrival at Alexandria, on the morning of the 17th ultimo, of the United States frigate Wabash, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral James Alden and commanded by Captain William G. Temple.
In the afternoon of the same day the Wachusett, Captain Fillebrown commanding, arrived.
On the 18th and 19th, the admiral and his staff paid and received the usual visits of courtesy at Alexandria, and on the 21st they came to Cairo.
[Page 1130]On the 22d, I had the honor to present the admiral and his staff to His Highness the Khedive, who received them most cordially, and expressed great pleasure at seeing them in Egypt. In the afternoon of the same day an official visit was made to the hereditary prince at his palace at Kubba, several miles out of the city. The prince returned the admiral’s visit on Monday, the 24th.
His Highness the Khedive, having heard that the admiral wished to visit the Suez Canal, placed a special train at his disposal and offered him a steamer for the canal. As the local train to Suez is very slow and tedious, the admiral accepted the special train, but declined the steamer, the canal company having already offered him one of their own boats for the passage of the canal. Leaving Cairo Tuesday morning, the 25th instant, the admiral reached Suez about noon the same day. Leaving Suez early Wednesday morning on the company’s steamer, he reached Port Said in the evening, where the Wachusett was waiting for him, and on which he immediately embarked for Jaffa, reaching that place the next morning.
The Wachusett, returning from Jaffa, arrived off Alexandria Tuesday evening, the 1st instant, and, in attempting to enter the harbor, ran ashore. During the night, however, she got off with but little damage, as I understand, and is now in the dry-dock repairing.
A sudden illness prevented me going to Alexandria last week and will keep me here this week, and I cannot well give more particulars concerning this accident to the Wachusett until I go down.
The Wabash, with the admiral on board, sailed from Alexandria yesterday morning, the 2d instant, at 9 o’clock, for Athens.
The Wabash was the object of universal admiration during her stay at Alexandria, and was visited by many hundreds of citizens of that city, all of whom are enthusiastic in their admiration of the ship and loud in their praises of the universal courtesy of Captain Temple and his officers.
I am, &c.,