them to
visit one more of that innumerable succession of temples. The remains,
however, grow more modern as one ascends from Cairo, and travellers who
have sated themselves at Gizeh and Sakara with the contemplation of the
very oldest buildings which the hands of man have constructed, become
impatient of temples which are hardly older than the Christian era.
Ruins which would be gazed upon with wonder and veneration in any other
country are hardly noticed in Egypt. The tourists viewed with languid
interest the half-Greek art of the Nubian bas-reliefs; they climbed the
hill of Korosko to see the sun rise over the savage Eastern desert; they
were moved to wonder by the great shrine of Abou-Simbel, where some old
race has hollowed out a mountain as if it were a cheese; and, finally,
upon the evening of the fourth day of their travels they arrived at Wady
Halfa, the frontier garrison town, some few hours after they were due,
on account of a small mishap in the engine-room. The next morning was
to be devoted to an expedition to the famous rock of Abousir, from which
a great view may be obtained of the second cataract. At eight-thirty,
as the passengers sat on deck after dinner, Mansoor, the dragoman, half
Copt, half Syrian, came forward, according to the nightly custom, to
announce the programme for the morrow.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said he, plunging boldly into the rapid but
broken stream of his English, "to-morrow you will remember not to forget
to rise when the gong strikes you for to compress the journey before
twelve o'clock. Having arrived at the place where the donkeys expect
us, we shall ride five miles over the desert, passing a temple of
Ammon-ra, which dates itself from the eighteenth dynasty, upon the way,
and so reach the celebrated pulpit rock of Abousir. The pulpit rock is
supposed to have been called so, because it is a rock like a pulpit.
When you have reached it you will know that you are on the very edge of
civilisation, and that very little more will take you into the country
of the Dervishes, which will be obvious to you at the top.
Having passed the summit, you will perceive the full extremity of the
second cataract, embracing wild natural beauties of the most dreadful
variety. Here all very famous people carve their names--and so you will
carve your names also." Mansoor waited expectantly for a titter, and
bowed to it when it arrived. "You will then return to Wady Halfa, and
there remain tw