this cure for
theft does not seem to have answered, for the villagers still have the
character of a love of pilfering.

We sat up rather late last night, helping each other with our journal
for your amusement. Just as we were putting by our pens and paper we
were startled by seeing a bright light. Mohammed appeared and told us
that a dahabieh was on fire, and that English travellers were on board.
We hurried on deck. The dahabieh was a mass of fire. Pillars of smoke
rose from it, and large tongues of flame darted from them and seemed to
lick down into the fire whatever came into their way. There was a great
buzz of voices on the shore, and the wild light cast a lurid glare on
the figures which were hurrying to and fro. A European figure rushed on
shore with something in his arms, then darted back and was lost in the
smoke. We did not wait to see more, but went on shore instantly.

There was no possibility of saving the dahabieh. But every one on board
was safe, and we brought the travellers to our dahabieh, where they are
now.

They prove to be Mr. and Miss Roper, father and daughter, a European
servant, and a negress girl, whom they call Rahaba. I never heard such
an outpouring of fervent thanksgiving as Mr. Roper offered up to God as
soon as they were all safely on board our boat. It reminded us of the
history of Jacob wrestling with the angel, "I will not let thee go
except thou bless me."

Rahaba has a sad expression of face, but her eyes brighten when Miss
Roper speaks to her.

Mr. and Miss Roper only arrived at Beni-Hassan that evening. There
seemed little chance of their being able to get on to Cairo, so we asked
them to be our guests and to return over their old ground with us.

We left Beni-Hassan the next morning, and saw crocodiles that day for
the first time. They were on a sandbank basking in the sun. One was very
large, the two others smaller. A salute from our guns was fired at them,
which made the smaller crocodiles rush into the water in a great hurry,
but the larger one treated us with cool contempt.

The first sight of Manfaloot was charming. A sudden bend of the river
brought us full in view of its minarets, which rise from a group of
mingled buildings and palm-trees.

[Illustration: HEAD OF CROCODILE.]

We have not landed since we left Beni-Hassan. Miss Roper has been making
a sketch of our reis and the crew. Rahaba looks on her sketch-book and
colour-box as some kind of magic possession