me his queen, the same who found Moses as an infant
floating in the Nile.

[Illustration: RAMSES II., WHEN YOUNG.]

Their bodies--yes, even their features--were well preserved. They lie in
coffins of wood, which show skilled workmanship, the corners being
carefully dovetailed together. Even their shrouds and ornaments of
flowers and herbs show plainly that the style of dressing the dead among
the Egyptians four thousand years ago was very much the same as it is
now with us.

[Illustration: RAMSES II.]

When I stood among the ruins of Pompeii or of the tower Sarnath, the
home of Buddha, I thought nothing could be more wonderful and
awe-inspiring than those hoary monuments; but here lay before my eyes
the very man who for many years was a friend and protector of Moses,
with his wonderful, commanding features and eagle nose, his long dark
hair, which lay in thick folds under his neck. The arms, rings, jewels
and other ornaments worn by those kings and their queens, formed part of
this wonderful collection, and, by their skillful workmanship, showed
the high degree of civilization of the ancient Egyptians.

The following day I took the train for Alexandria. The railroad follows
the river Nile in its general course. The valley is densely populated,
and wretched mud houses and villages appear in every direction. The
cholera had now broken out in its most deadly form, and we saw many dead
and dying at the stations. The steamer Tanjore lay ready to sail for
Europe, and I was soon comfortably quartered in one of its spacious
cabins.

[Illustration: NILE BOAT.]

On Sunday, June 3d, a beautiful Italian day, as we were rapidly steaming
north through the Adriatic sea, we could see the coast of Greece to the
right and that of Italy to the left. We arrived at Brindisi the same
afternoon, and at Venice two days later. Surely the beauties of nature
and of art that meet the eve in this lovely city seem to be the climax
of everything beautiful on earth, and, quietly gliding forward during
many hours through numerous canals in a half-dreamy, half-waking
condition, with two silent gondoliers at the oars, I could scarcely
realize whether this was a beautiful dream, an illusion, or reality.

[Illustration: RIALTO BRIDGE IN VENICE.]

The next morning, accompanied by an interpreter, I walked through St.
Mark's square, carefully studying its many wonderful attractions, its
splendid shops, the clock, the thousands of tame doves, the be