lons and were always built in Egyptian
temples. On festival days they were decorated with flags on tall staves
and made very gay.

Then we go out again into the main street amid all the life of the
place, and see men cantering past on gaily caparisoned donkeys; we note
dancing, capering, gleeful children, guides in gorgeous gowns, shopmen
of some mixed nationality from the Mediterranean, who run out of their
shops and entreat you to come in. "Only look round, no paying, not
wanting you buy," they lie. "Look and be pleased; there is no charge
just only to look."

We stop at last and buy two fly-whisks with short bamboo handles and
long silvery horsehair tails; of course they do look very smart, but we
do not buy them just for that, but because they are useful.

As we have found already, nothing less than physical force suffices to
remove an Egyptian fly, who sticketh closer than his English brother. No
shake or puff will induce him to stir an eyelid, and yet he is quick on
the wing and you rarely get him, sleepy as he appears! He doesn't buzz,
and there generally appears to be only one of him, but if, by the aid of
a fly-whisk, you get rid of him, another takes his place immediately!

[Illustration: THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS.]

CHAPTER VII

THE CITY OF KINGS

I think this is the gayest scene I have ever looked upon in my life. See
those mahogany-coloured boatmen in their brilliant scarlet and white
striped jerseys and blue petticoats, grinning so as to show all their
milk-white teeth. The boats are apple-green and scarlet, and they are
reflected in the clear still water, and the dragoman, who marshals all
the party into them, is a very splendid person indeed, in a long
overcoat of turquoise blue cloth as soft and fine as a glove, with a
striped gown of yellow Egyptian silk underneath.

We are off with a party of Cook's tourists to explore the Tombs of the
Kings on the other side of the river It is a pretty stiff day's work, so
we are up early, and it is only half-past eight now. As we near the
other side of the river we see an excited group of donkey-boys who have
brought their animals over earlier, and now stand expectant, looking
like a fringe of blue beads.

[Illustration: THE FAT LADY ON HER DONKEY.]

"Lily best donkey--Lily name for Americans, Merry Widow for
Engleesh----"

"Come, lady, with me, Sammy best donkey in Egypt, verry good, Sammy my
donkey, best donkey----"

"Kitchener, lady, best don