menu_book Chapter 9

CHAPTER VII. ASWAN TO WADIHALFA AND BACK TO CHIRO. PART II. After passing Esna, Serteza had a fearful quarrel with the captain and crew. He stormed like a trooper, whilst the captain behaved with quiet dignity. We could understand little, but heard the captain say something about Mustafa Aga.

Mustafa Aga, replied Sertesa scornfully. Violet said to the steersman, Esmue? What does it mean? He pulled off his turban and tarboosh, as if to say he would take even the clothes from us. Edith asked Certeza why we had not stopped at Esna for the sailors to bake their bread. He answered that his contract only specified for two bakings. But that's very cruel, said Edith.

The bread they baked six weeks ago is quite moldy. Besides, you had no business to tell them it was we who would not allow it. Why are the sailors so quiet? asked Violet. I never hear them speak to each other. Oh, miss, it's because they've nothing to talk about.

They can't speak about their homes, and they know of nothing else. Why do you use so many Italian words in speaking to them? asked Edith. Does Arabic resemble Italian? No, miss, but the Arab is a very poor language. So if there's a thing for which they haven't a word, they give it an Italian name.

The fact was that Certeza had prohibited the sailors from talking, and that he was not sufficiently acquainted with Arabic to speak it fluently. It is considered a very rich language. We witnessed a magnificent sunset. The western sky was a mass of bright crimson and pale yellow,

while in the east the river ran away into darkness, behind the gloomy hills of Thebes. The beautiful reflections of celestial colors in the water, the solemn stillness all around, and our little bark gliding softly down the rippling stream,

All showed how calm nature is when we are left to lonely communion with her. We reached Luxor at noon the next day. Certeza said at breakfast time, You would hear that the captain and I had a quarrel yesterday. He is angry because he has seen you giving back sheesh to the sailors, but none to him.

But we treat the captain like a gentleman, said Violet. We intend giving him something at the end. Yes, I told him so. I said, you'll be cured of your illness when we get to Cairo. Agnes thought it strange that the captain should have referred to Mustafa Aga about our Bakshish. We received an invitation from another party to witness some Bengal lights and fireworks amongst the ruins of Karnak.

We set off at six o'clock and had a delightful ride on donkeys in the clear moonlight, which is much more powerful in Egypt than elsewhere, owing to the dryness of the air. Certeza alarmed us twice by falling off his donkey, head foremost. Whilst we were yielding to the influence of the inexpressible charm thrown over us from above, we suddenly became aware that a row of broken sphinxes was looming darkly at us from either side, and soon after

we were passing under the gateway of a fearfully lofty pylon and amongst gigantic pillars, betwixt which the moonbeam streamed with bluish light. The rough stones not allowing of our passage here, we walked to another temple, and were at once lost in admiration as the gigantic columns towered around us like a perfect forest of stone. Some of the stones laid across the top are forty feet long, and look nothing in comparison with their massive supports. In one place a monster

column had fallen against its neighbor. The massive entablature hung suspended in a most peculiar position. We found a merry party of friendly Americans, seated round a tea carpet, spread on the ground, Giacomo, their dragoman, superintending the arrangements. We partook of a cup with them, with Mustafa Aga, and with the Sheikh Abdallah, while Arabs stood round as candlesticks, and then rose to witness the pyrotechnic displays.

Bengal lights and Roman candles were lit in the distant aditum, near the obelisks and amongst the pillars, and by their rosy light we were enabled to examine the deeply cut hieroglyphics two inches into the stone. Rockets fizzed up in serpent-like streams, much to the delight of the Arabs, and the profound astonishment of the numerous donkeys. The moon was, after all, the best firework,

and verified the statement of Violet's donkey-boy that Karnak is most magnificent by moonlight. The loquacious urchins taught us Arabic as we returned to Luxor. Next morning we crossed the river, and rode on donkeys to Thebes. In front of the bare hills, on which never yet a blade of grass grew, stretches a wide green plain, the principal ornaments of which are two colossal statues of Memnon.

This quite takes my breath away, said Agnes. What must have been the grandeur of a city before which statues such as these stood? Bish, wish! shouted Sertesa, who wished us to ride slowly, as he was a very heavy burden for his donkey. Sug, sug! said we, and galloped off.

We had a two-hour's journey up a narrow valley, bordered with bare hills, to the tombs of the kings. The tomb discovered by Belzoni astonished us greatly. It is the burial place of Seti, father of Ramses II. In his reign, or that of his successor, Moses was born. Never before did we realize what a sublime courage must have been required to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

It was no paltry kingdom which the plagues humiliated. We went from one superb excavated hall to another, by very broken flights of stone steps, and, by the aid of lighted candles, examined the beautifully colored sculptures and hieroglyphics.

Serpents of immense length, with four feet, men with ducks' heads, the very thought of them puzzles my memory. We saw prisoners beheaded, captives with hands tied,

and men with Ethiopian, African, and Hebrew features. We saw the spot where Belzoni found the sarcophagus of pure alabaster, which Serteza said was now used as a bath by the Emperor of Russia, although Edith fancied it might be in the British Museum. They say he saw a light burning inside it,

which went out immediately on the admission of the air. Serteza told us that our guide's father had died under the stick at Sayut. He was witness in some case, and was required to confess what he didn't know. The sad expression of the poor man's eyes as Sertesa told us this, I shall never forget. If the Viceroy would only expend in educating his own subjects, what he does in entertaining

strangers, Egypt might yet be a great country, said Violet, and proper regulations might turn the banks of the Nile into the finest museum in the world, said Edith, instead of its spoils being the boast of European cities. But the Bible says Egypt shall be the basest of kingdoms, so I fear it will never rise. The sun was very hot as we rode back, and we twice appreciated the force of the text as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. We crossed the old bed of

the Nile, now dry. I will dry up thy rivers. In the afternoon we visited the temple of Luxor. Serteza said that the consul required him, for the purpose of settling some other people's disputes. But we did not see why their interests should always be preferred to ours. As we approached, Mustafa Aga came up and said, Serteza, I want you. I'll come in an hour, said Serteza. Our race was sitting in front of the consul's house,

so Edith fancied that it was his dispute with Sertesa that had to be settled, in place of Mr. Thompson's, or an American's, as was pretended. The Temple of Luxor was begun by Amenov III, and finished by Ramses II. Its gigantic pillars are half buried, half crowded with Arab hovels. Mustafa Aga's house is built amongst them, and M. Mariette's, then rented by Lady Duff Gordon,

is actually on top of a corner. In front of the temple, towards Karnak, are seen the tops of four gigantic colossi peeping out of the sand. Also the English obelisk, which was quite cleared for the benefit of the Pasha Ingles, as the Arabs term our prince, how much is here to repay the trouble of excavating. Sertesia spoke much against Mustafa Aga, probably to prevent our conversing with him. His house contains the only post office south of Minaya. The box containing the letters

is open for everyone's inspection, and sorely indeed were we tempted to help ourselves to newspapers addressed to another party. As Mustafa cannot read, letters for himself have been known to lie unopened for weeks. We had paid fourteen shillings for a single postage stamp at Aswan. Next day we again crossed the river, mounted our donkeys, and rode to the temple of Old Corna.

It is of the time of Ramses II, and of very elegant architecture. A long ride brought us to the Rememseum, a temple palace of the same monarch. We were lost in admiration of its ostracized pillars, and above all of that trunk of a statue, the largest ever made by human hands, of red cyanide, which is said to have weighed 887 tons. The head is now the property of Lord Dufferin, and lies amongst other mutilated

fragments awaiting removal. The shoulders have each a row of hieroglyphics extending down either arm. The whole temple is of the golden age of Egyptian art. We next visited the great temple of Medinet Habu, the most perfect part of which is a great hall with four immense round pillars on two sides, and four ostradiated ones on the other two. It was once turned into a Christian church, the slim Greek pillars of which lie scattered about the center, forming a strange

contrast to the massive proportions of those supporting the original building. We were astonished at the cutting of the hieroglyphics about six inches deep into the stone. While Whilst riding back we passed the two colossi, and rested under the shadow of Memnon, thin vocal with little birds, whilst our donkeys enjoyed a few mouthfuls of sisi, as Certeza named a sweet green pea.

The speaking Memnon is of a solid block. Its companion was built. Both measure eighteen feet across the shoulders. Each arm is thirty-three feet long. We rose at five the next morning to visit the private tombs at Thebes.

We saw a splendid moon-set, the moon shining through fleecy clouds, like a Turkish beauty veiled in silver gauze. We clambered up the rocks to No. 15, where the coloring is still brilliant. In No. 16 the sculptures had been recently much defaced. They represent the king being ushered into the presence of Osiris, his final judgment,

His funeral, the boat containing his mummy, dancing women and whaling women in long procession. The floor was strewn with bits of mummies. And we had a fine view from the top of the hill. We had a glass of sherbet at Mustafa Agha's in the afternoon, and revisited the temple of Luxor.

Many an English nobleman might envy the portal of an Arab hovel we saw. Then we called on Mrs. Thompson. party were very indignant at Sertesa's treatment of us. Do you know, said one young lady, that we have a much more liberal table than you, although we pay less, and your boat is an old cargo boat that has no business to be used as a dahabi at all. That's why it's so full of rats.

Sertesa says our cook gets eight pounds a month. Nonsense! He only gets four pounds. He's an old barber. You know now why he wants to keep you from seeing anyone. We suspected it, said Violet. I'm very glad I did not agree to our anchoring over at Thebes. How ridiculous! Did Certeza propose that? Next morning we found ourselves opposite Karnak. What a confusion of broken obelisks, prostrate colossi, and disfigured statues are here. The sculptures on the aditum are particularly

exquisite. But whilst Agnes was admiring them, she had to prevent Pietro from carving his name over the finest hieroglyphics. I wish, said Edith, that Baidecker would visit the Nile. His minute observations might affect a revolution. And I, said Agnes, would like Murray to give us a plan of each temple, with a list of what the courts and sculptures are, located with appropriate signs to their proper places. I have no compass to tell what Wilkinson means by the

north-east corner, the south-west angle, and so forth. The Nile winds so much that one cannot calculate our direction by it. Our next halting-place was at Kenna, where the sailors baked their bread. At Dendera we searched in vain for the cartouche and portrait of Cleopatra. At Belliana we mounted donkeys for the purpose of visiting Abidus. Certeza had refused to use our beautiful little saddles,

and had charged us three pounds for the use of some old pieces of leather, which were always cracking and breaking. The one violet rode at Thebes had scarcely any girth. Bridles were totally unknown. They were sometimes manufactured by tying a rope round the animal's nose.

Whilst in Nubia we adopted the native plan of guiding it by laying a stick against the side of its head. They were accustomed to deposit their burdens on the ground when their master was not looking, and we experienced much discomfort from their attempts to treat us in the same way. But few donkeys could carry Sertesa. Four fell under him before we left Belliana. We were surrounded by a troop of donkeys and boys, pushing and screaming.

Edith got rid of them by promising a few piastres to the strongest-looking boy if he could manage to keep the others away. We crossed over fields of wheat nearly ripe, and beans, where we saw the Shadouf being worked at some distance from the river. Fierce dogs rushed out barking from every village as we passed.

The Temple of Abidus has been lately excavated by Monsieur Mariette. Its exquisite colored sculptures were in almost perfect preservation, and were more interesting and lifelike than anything we had yet seen. They are of the time of Seti and Ramses II and give a good idea of the simple and lofty conceptions of early Egyptian mythology.

The male figures are colored red, the female pale yellow. The latter are clothed in a very narrow white garment. Isis and Hathor are depicted as presenting the crown to a king. There is here a list of the early sovereigns, very interesting to historians. When we left Abidas the sky was very dark, and a few drops

of rain fell. Soon we could not see our path, and we reached the boat with difficulty after an hour's walk over the deep sand. Shortly after leaving Minea, we saw two men swimming in the water like monkeys. They came below our cabin windows, shouting, Anna Christian, Yahawagi, Anna Christian, Yahawagi. We bestowed a few piastras on them. What was our surprise to learn that these swimming beggars were the monks of a Coptic

convent which crowns a hill overlooking the river. It is called Gabel-e-Tayir, and is said to have been the residence of the Virgin Mary while she was in Egypt. Here the birds of the country are supposed to assemble once a year, and leave one of their number as sentinel, while they fly into the interior. For the next few days the Sirocco blew the sand in all directions. We anchored one night close to a cargo boat filled with slave boys who had been entrapped in the Sudan, and

were on their way to be sold in Cairo. Serteza was asked if he wished to buy one. These slavers seldom anchor close to other boats. But when it is growing dark, they occasionally stop near a sandbank to let the slaves have a run. Certeza said that when they got to Cairo, they would be put into carriages and driven about to different merchants. This is done to appear as if they were some harem, as the slave trade is now illegal. We visited the remains of Memphis. We drove through

a well-cultivated country to the colossus of Ramses II. It is thirty-four feet long and lies on the ground with one side of the face downwards so that the lips literally bite the dust. We then wandered over shapeless ruins until we reached the pyramid of Abosir. This pyramid is built of stones, and from its base we had a good view of the desert. Egypt, south of the delta, is a vast expanse of dreary sand, with one broad green strip running through it from north to south.

This strip is in some parts only a few miles broad, and in Nubia its breadth is next to nothing. At length we reached an opening and entered a long underground passage like a vast catacomb. This was the Apsis Cemetery. At the entrance is an immense porphyry sarcophagus, which seems to have been suddenly stopped on its way to the interior. Another monster sarcophagus blocks the passage a little further on.

It had apparently been too large to pass the entrance of the next passage. But how was it brought in? All through the catacomb on either side are immense niches, ones covered with marble, and in each niche is the porphyry sarcophagus,

about twenty-four feet long, twelve broad, and twelve high, being eight feet for the box and four for the lid. Such was the last abode of a sacred bull. We next visited the Serapium, a small white temple lately excavated by Monsieur Mariette, where the sculptures are of exquisite workmanship. They are not on such a grand scale as those of Abidus, but are more illustrative of working life. You see men ploughing and gathering corn, building boats and rowing them, women with

water jugs on their heads, men cutting off the legs of living oxen, carrying the said legs on their shoulders, milking cows, beating donkeys, and so forth and so on. We had lunch under the only part which boasts the roof. Just as we had finished it, Sertesa came in and said in a hurried manner. There are strangers, Mr. R. He looked very angry because Violet did not at once rise from her carpet. She quietly took another orange, peeled it slowly, and said, Agnes,

when you have finished looking at those sculptures, I am ready to go. Agnes continued her occupation for another half hour. Certeza looked savage, but Mr. R. never disturbed us. We rowed back to our boat under a broiling sun. We rose early next day to visit the pyramids, but were offered such wretched donkeys that Edith declared it would be a sin to ride on them, and we gave orders to proceed at once to Balak. There had been a discussion the previous evening in regard to

a tambourine which we had purchased for the sailors. Edith had remarked that it was kept in Sertesa's cabin, and that Ahmed, his favorite sailor, whom he called his second waiter, "'handed it round for each sailor to play by turns. "'She suspected that Sertesa meant to keep it to himself. "'Sertesa,' said Agnes during dinner,

"'which of the sailors is to keep the tambourine?' "'They all play on it, miss.' "'I know that. "'But it can't be cut into pieces and divided amongst them. "'You should give it to the man who has held the sail.'

"'When we arrived at Bulac, "'Violet ascended to the upper deck to distribute the backsheesh. That ceremony being finished. Now, Serteza, bring me the tambourine, said Agnes. Serteza directed Ahmed to produce an immense drum. No, Serteza, you know that isn't it. Is this what you mean? asked Serteza, while Ahmed held up a broken gula,

whose mouth was covered with parchment. No, I want the tambourine. What do you call it in Italian? I never heard the word tambourine before. The thing with jingling bells all round it. After the production of several trifles, the tambourine made its appearance, and Agnes presented it to the best sailor, who seemed much delighted with his acquisition.

We were two days before our time, but were delighted to escape out of the boat. Serteza was very anxious that we should proceed straight to the railway station and not go to Shepard's. Our poor sailors were very sorry to part from us. The race had just lost his thirteenth and only living child, and though our expressions of sympathy were mute, they were nonetheless real. They all stood round our carriage and gazed with sad eyes as we drove off.

The active manager of shepherds was much amazed when Certeza said, You must give these ladies your best rooms, or else they won't stay. They're very particular. That is strange, said Mr. G. I had these ladies here three months ago, and did not find them so troublesome.

How pleased we were to see European faces again, and to converse without being overheard, above all the delight of being free. We profited by Sertesa's absence, while he was arranging for the conveyance of his boxes, to call on some friends in the Azbeca. I know a cure for a bad dragoman, said a lady.

An American gentleman discovered it. He found he had engaged a great rascal, so at the next town he called on the governor and told him of the dragoman's conduct. What do you think he deserves? he asked. Why the stick? replied the governor.

I think he deserves fifty sticks. So the dragoman was condemned to receive this punishment. When he had received twenty-five, the gentleman said, Now that will do. You sign me a receipt that he has got twenty-five, but deserves fifty,

and whenever I take it into my head, I can stop at the nearest town and give him the remainder. The dragoman proved to be the best on the Nile that season. I didn't know you could do that to a dragoman, said Violet. Some of our friends had their mutinous sailors whipped at thieves. But I fear Sertesa is not amenable to such summary law,

being a British subject. We went straight from their house to the consulate, meeting Sertesa on the road. The consul was not at home, but we arranged for an interview with him on Monday. We were agreeably surprised at the table-dote to meet with the stewards and other friends, who we imagined might then have been on their way to America. How did you get on with Sir Teza? was the first question. Oh, worse than ever. We have been to the consulate.

The other dragomans and captains all say that your captain was very angry at having to stay at Edfu. He had some pride in his boat, and would have liked to see it first up the cataract. Next day it was a great pleasure to attend the American Mission Church. We arranged with one of the missionaries to have a Bible sent to the governor of Aswan. On Monday we called on the council, who advised us by all means to break our contract with

Sertesa for Syria, as it would be very dangerous to travel there with a man in whom we had no confidence. we had written out the principal grounds of our complaint, which were as follows, that Certeza failed to fulfill his contract because, one, it was not a first-class Dahabi he provided, two, it was not clean and orderly, being infested with rats, three, that the upper

deck was only washed once during the voyage, and the lower deck seldom, four, that he detained us at Edfu on false pretenses, whereby we were detained twelve days from going up the cataract. The consul promised to send for Certeza and give him a scolding. On Wednesday we had a visit from one of the agents of the consulate. He said that Certeza brought a great deal of evidence in his own defense. He acknowledged that the boat was second class, and the race testified the same

on oath, but Certeza thought it was good enough for ladies, and argued that we accepted it by sailing in it. The captain also swore that not only the decks, but the windows were washed every morning, and that he had asked and received permission to say his prayers at Edfu. The statement about the decks we can certify to be an untruth, said Violet, and as for that about the prayers, I am sure the captain must have received a bribe before he made it.

Very likely, said Mr. Blank, but Sertesa has very high certificates and demands compensation if you do not go to Syria with him. He says he has refused many offers from other parties on your account. I don't believe he has, said Edith. If anyone made him an offer on the Nile, we should have heard of it. But if you go to law with him, what chance have you? You have no witnesses, for all three are interested parties. He can get his son, who was on the boat with you,

and all the Arab sailors can be bribed by him to swear what he likes. I should not like to go to law, said Violet. But we would rather agree to a compromise, said Edith, and go to Syria with him, we shall be willing to abide by the consul's decision. We did not then know that our boat had leaked from the time we left Cairo, and that one of the sailors was often engaged in pumping. Nor did we know that the accusation

about the deck-washing threw blame on the captain, and therefore made him take Certeza's side. He was not then paid by Certeza, and thus it was against his interest to testify against him. Next day we received a note from the consul saying that he would advise us to pay a sum of money to Certeza by way of an amicable compromise, but certainly not of compensation. Our seat at the table-toed had been changed, at Certeza's instigation, from the first day, because Agnes had informed one of Giacomo's party that our boat was a very bad one,

and that Certeza had chosen it. She had also stated her objections to couriers pretty freely, without noticing that Giacomo was waiting behind her chair. It was rather amusing to hear the remarks of some Americans near us. Do you see Sertesa's son, the one whom the guidebook recommends? Oh, is that he? Do you think we can get tense at Jerusalem? I have been asking Sertesa's advice, and he says we can. He also recommends such a one as a dragoman.

Had you a good dragoman on the Nile? asked a gentleman of Agnes. The sound of the word dragoman, brought Giacomo at once behind the gentleman's chair. A very capable one, answered Agnes. We were anxious to have the matter settled quickly, as the comson winds were blowing, and we wished to be out of Egypt. So next day we went to the consulate. The consul said he quite believed our statement, and wished he could have made better terms, but that he

found Certeza a very difficult man to deal with. He sent for Certeza. Now, Certeza, you know it's a very large sum you're asking. Yes, but if I don't get it, I'll employ a lawyer and pretend the half. If I don't get that, I'll go before a court and pretend the whole. I'm very sorry about this, because I never had a more agreeable party. The ladies were so kind and generous that it was a pleasure to serve them. But I know what it is. It's another party that put it into their heads,

because they want to join them and go to Syria cheaper. Certeza, are you not ashamed of yourself? said Violet. Miss Violet, let me speak for you, said the consul. And these ladies know, said Certeza, that after they'd engaged me, I got a telegram from somebody else. I can bring a courier who saw me get it. But we did not read the telegram, said Violet. And besides, Sertesa, said Edith, much to Agnes's

horror, you know you've told us so many lies that we can't believe a word you say now. Thank you, miss. But perhaps you'll mention some of the lies I've told. Edith was puzzled. The story of our having been warned about the wreck of a boat in the cataract, which had lain there for years, but which Sertesa said had perished the previous week,

quite escaped her recollection. You know you had a frightful quarrel with the sailors at Thebes, said Violet. Perhaps you will tell us what it was about? It was about the awning, answered Sertesa, and began to explain something to the consul in Arabic.

I told the ladies it was about their backsheesh, just to keep them quiet. We learned afterwards that the quarrel related to Sertesa's own payments to the crew. The consul at Thebes had decided it in their favor. I hope, said Sertesa, that these ladies will not get half the service that I intended to have given them in Syria, but they must give me a character.

I've my characters perfect for the last thirty years. "'throwing them on the table. "'And my son's called Sertesa as well, and I must have it. "'Do you intend giving him a character?' asked the consul. "'No,' said Violet.

"'I would rather go before a court than tell an untruth. "'Leave the room, Sertesa.' "'The consul kindly agreed to settle our account, "'subtracting some superfluous items which had lately been added to it. "'Sertesa disappeared from the veranda,

and from cairo for several days we were pursued by other dragomans who were like so many birds after the same fish it was rather amusing to hear some of their arguments "'I'm a native of Syria, madam,' said one shabby-looking fellow. "'I want to go home, and if you'll take me, I'll be like a brother to a sister.' "'And I'm a Turk,' said another. "'Whatever you do when you go to Syria, don't take a Christian.'

At length, with the consul's approval, we decided on engaging a copt named Armanos. He had given entire satisfaction to an American party on the Nile. He had a little hesitation in his manner, which placed him somewhat at a disadvantage whilst being engaged. But when tried, he proved himself quite equal to his duties. He had a kind and conciliating manner to inferiors, which created a much pleasanter feeling towards his employers than Sir Teys'a's bullying.

We gave him a day's trial whilst visiting the pyramids. We drove across the river by a bridge of boats and along a carriage road recently constructed for the Prince of Wales benefit. We were assisted to the door of the Great Pyramid, but did not enter, as a young lady had told us of the rough treatment she experienced in so doing. The glare from the white sand was very trying, and it was much too hot for us to think of climbing. An Arab raced up and down in seven minutes. He fell from the top and was killed a week later.

we paid our respects to the huge negro-featured sphinx of which only the head is uncovered one cannot therefore judge of the effect of this gigantic monument but some idea of its proportions may be formed from the statement of pliny that its length was one hundred forty-three feet and the circumference round the forehead was a hundred and one feet all cut out of the natural rock and worked smooth the body is that of a lion and has i believe been several times uncovered near it a temple has been recently cleared it is built of huge porphyry blocks without inscriptions our contract with armanos was much the same as that usually made by travelers it contained a stipulation for an abundant supply of water and also stated that if we were detained for a day for no reason of our own, such a day was not to be charged for. Armanos' terms were less than certezas, but the provision he made was on a scale

ten times more liberal. I am very sorry, said Giacomo to Armanos, that these ladies have engaged you. I wish they had taken a bad dragoman, and then they would have regretted my father. I wonder, remarked Edith, that someone acquainted with this country does not set up an office in Cairo to assist travellers and make arrangements for them. I'm sure everyone would willingly pay ten percent as a commission to honest men, rather than be at the mercy of these rogues.

The said office could grant certificates to such dragomans as conducted themselves well, and withdraw them in case of misbehavior. How much invalids and their friends must suffer, from these perpetual worries. Indeed, said Violet, I think doctors should be very careful how they send invalids on the Nile. How many sad cases have we seen of consumptive patients wasting away, far from medical advice, and dying among these greedy Arabs? Surely when the hand of death

appears plainly on anyone, it is the grossest cruelty to send him to a country like this, for a benefit which in many cases is only imaginary. It is only such as have a tendency to consumption, but in whom the disease is not yet developed, who are likely to be the better for a Nile voyage. The variable winds and the want of comfort are very trying to delicate people. Violet was right. Many whom we knew at Cairo now sleep in the little cemetery of Beirut,

whilst the remains of others have been borne by sorrowing friends across the wide Atlantic. The dry soil of Egypt had been vainly watered with prayerful tears for their recovery. In Alexandria we met Mr. Carl. Have you seen anything more of Mr. and Mrs. Horn? we asked. They paid me a visit before they left Egypt.

You should hear the miserable account they gave of Jerusalem. But everything turns out bad wherever they go. Should you meet with the Greek doctor, said Violet, perhaps you will kindly tell him that our visit to Egypt, in place of shaking our faith in the scriptural history of the Israelites,

has only deepened within us the impression of its reality. And I hope you will not think, said Edith, that a gentleman could have managed better with Sertesa. We met with nothing disagreeable until we put ourselves under male protection, and we have been told that gentlemen have fared worse at his hands than we did.

Dragomans are generally very clever rogues. As a young lady said the other day, We just call them dragons. It's shorter. End of chapter 7