Tristram Charles S. Speedy's letter from the Fleischmann Hotel, Cairo (1897?)
This page is under construction and will be finished shortly
I wish to announce the discovery of an amazing old letter found recently in
New Zealand that relates to the hero Flashman!!!
My name is Allan Speedy and I am the great-great nephew of Captain Charles
Speedy who appears in the latest novel 'Flashman on
the March' by George MacDonald Fraser. Captain Speedy is described in that
adventure by Harry Flashman as ‘a prime specimen, and
an expert to boot’ of being a ‘hero’ and a ‘gentle giant’.
A few months ago I was going through a bag (normally used in New Zealand for
rubbish) filled with family memorabilia when to my surprise I found a bullet
box (lockable, without a key) that contained pages from an interesting letter.
This letter was written by my g-g-uncle. He signed this letter 'Felika' as was his title in 'Flashman
on the March' ('Fallaka’). The letter is written on
the letterhead of a hotel in Cairo 189_, presumably where Charles Speedy was
staying. To my amazement the name of the hotel (letterhead) is the 'Fleischmann
Hotel, Cairo'. I do not have all the pages of Charles Speedy's letter written
on the letterhead of the ‘Fleischmann Hotel’, but I have a lot. There is still
a chance of recovering the remainder of the letter.
I think this is a remarkable letter I have recovered as it is the only proven
physical connection between ‘Flashman’ (the legend)
and a real-life person ‘Fleischmann’s Hotel’.
I have not yet had the time to decipher Charles Speedy’s letter yet!!! I
have been working on producing the Memoirs of Captain Speedy's mother, Sarah
Speedy (A draft is available at www.speedy.co.nz
) so I haven't had time to transcribe Charles Speedy's letter from my uncle
Charley's handwriting.
I have scanned the pages that I have and offering to all those interested on
the WWW, the opportunity of being the *first in the world* to read and decipher
these rare writings of a Flashman-style hero! (I am
busy on other projects) Please email me your transcription here. Your name
will be recorded on this site!
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Thanks to: David (FSotUK) for help with pages 2 and 3 F. M. of Auckland for help with pages 8 and 9 Jutta Gardiner for help with pages 10 and 11 |
Click
on each image to go to a larger scan.
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is the
number of English miles. There was at first some moonlight, and as I could
not sleep, I sat at the window and looked at the two great huge pyramids
built by "Cheops" (Khufu in Egyptian) and 'Khafra'
respectively. The first named lived about 3,800 years before Christ and the
other about 40 years after. I am sending you the portrait of the latter from
a photo I took of his statue in the No 1. |
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museum here. The statue is of alabaster and wonderfully executed. I think it one of the most remarkable pieces of sculpture I ever saw. On the back of the statue is an inscription "The image of the golden Horus, Khufu['s] beautiful god, lord of diadems. Steaming on we pass Bedrashin where you can take either camel or donkey and go and visit the prostrate statue of Ramses the Great - 45 in height. It was discovered in 1820 almost buried in mud. |
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However in 1886 a sum of money was subscribed by people in Cairo to dig it out of its bed, where it had lain since Cambysis the Persian invader in B.C. 527 had overthrown it. It is of a fine hard limestone and probably was one of the statues that stood in front of the Temple of Ptah mentioned by Herodotus the historian the Throne name of this king Ra uses Mat Setep bu[t] Ra is clearly cut on x No 2 |
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waistbelt. In his hand is a roll with the word in
hieroglyphics, "Ramses beloved of Aneu".
By his knees are the figures of a prince, on one side, and princess on the
other. question was she the one who found Moses??? |
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Ali, who daily accompanied us in our walks abroad, carrying parcels L.C R, No.15 One day we drove to their camp, and took a number of shots of people, but unfortunately my instantaneous shutter went wrong, so that some of my views were no good. However we have no.17, a negress, probably a slave. Two of the Hadendoa tribe .. L 19. |
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One day we met our friend Hassan L.med with a little boy carrying his shield. As I had no large plate left I took him and the boy on a small plate, see poto No.20. Miss Fischer took a group, which I send as No 21 - Trissy's attendant being the middle one of the 3 who are standing. No.22 is a bad print of a shop where ..... |
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and Soudanese curiosities are sold. After a short stay we returned to Luxor, and I send you a few specimens of what is to be seen in the Temple at Karmark, a mile from our hotel. No. 23 is an indi.... print of the Great Hall. 24 Two of the statues. 25 is a view of the Osiris Pillars of Ramses III 26, another of the same. |
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No. 27, is a gate called Pylon, built by one of the successors of Alexander the Great named Plotemy Euergetes - (Ee you err get ease) Before leaving Luxor we made an excursion to Medinet Habu, where Ramses III, built a great temple. No 27 shows the front view - while 28 gives you an idea of the King as an osiris pillar. |
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After entering the great Pylon you are in a
square courtyard on the right of which is a row of these human figured
pillars which which you see in n° 29 – |
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enclosed in a glass case among the numerous statues was one
of Ramses the Great, sitting comfortably by the side of his God Harem Khuti (Khiti?), n°31. An
earlier King named Thothmes III liked to be
represented as a sphinx __?_n°31 But the gem of the collection is an
alabaster statue of an unknown Queen- n°32- Some say that she was Queen Hatasu |
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Or properly called Halshepsut, sister of Thothimes III – the latter hated his sister, and when he became king, he carefully erased her name, wherever he found it – see n°32- Now dear boy Adieu with best love from Tiny and myself (signed) Felika |
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