DISCOMFORT OF A NILE VOYAGE.

151

Let us remark here that the worst annoyance of the Nile voyage is the number of flies that you have to fight; they are one of the plagues of Egypt' now, as they were in the time of Moses, and there is no way of being rid of them.

"Mr. W told us that when the wind was light the flies covered the boat and greatly annoyed them; but they had curtains for the saloon and the small rooms, and could protect their faces by means of nets

H

A KANGIA.

drawn around their hats. The crew, at such times, wrapped their burnonses around their heads, or sat with switches in their hands to keep away the pests. Either mode of getting rid of the annoyance was un

comfortable; it was stifling hot with the head covered, and it required continual exertion to make the switch effective.

"Our new acquaintance called attention to a freight-boat that lay just beyond his dahabeeah, and to the general resemblance between the two. 'That boat,' said he, 'is called a kangia, and is sometimes used for travelling purposes by the natives, and by tourists whose purses are limited. You see it has the shape and style of the dahabeeah, but is much smaller, and the cabin can only accommodate one or two persons without crowding. A friend of mine once made the Nile trip in a kangia, and said he had a good time; but he was young and vigorous, and spoke sufficient

عنا الحمل

THE CAPTAIN.

Arabic to get along without a dragoman. The kangia wouldn't do for persons liable to be incommoded by scanty fare and poor quarters, and I shouldn't recommend it.'

"While he was telling us that his crew consisted of twelve men and a captain, besides the dragoman, two cabin servants, and a cook-that there were four of them in the party, two Americans and two Englishmen, and giving us other information-the whistle sounded, and we returned to the steamer. The wind freshened as we went on board, and the dahabeeah started close behind us, and came ploughing along in our rear. She could not sail as fast as we steamed, and in an hour or more we lost sight of her in a bend of the river.

"In the afternoon we passed a cliff on the east bank of the river, where there is a Coptic convent; its inmates are in the habit of visiting passing boats to beg for backsheesh, and as we approached the cliff we saw a dozen or more of their heads in the water. Four of them managed to get into the small boats that we towed astern, and they did it while we were going along at full speed.

"How do you suppose they managed it?

"They got out into the river as near as they could to where the steamer would pass without being liable to be struck by her wheels. As .soon as the wheel was past them they swum with all their might directly toward the boat, and in this way several succeeded in grasping the skiffs and climbing into them. They do not swim like ourselves, with both hands together, but strike out hand-after-hand, or, to express it more plainly, 'dog-fashion.'

THE COPTS AND THEIR PECULIARITIES.

153

"These men were entirely without clothing, and when they received any money they put it in their months. We gave one of them so many copper coins that his cheeks were filled almost to bursting, and when he dived off the boat to go home with his load he appeared as though suffering from a bad case of inflamed jaw.

"The Doctor says the Copts are supposed to be the descendants of the ancient Egyptians, and their features closely resemble those that we find pictured on the walls of the temples and tombs. The most of them are Christians, and they form about a sixteenth of the population of Egypt: their ancient language is used in the churches for reading prayers, just as the Catholics use Latin, and the Russians Sclavonic. In daily life they speak Arabic: they are better educated than the rest of the people, and are largely employed in shops and in the government offices, and frequently go into business for themselves on an extensive scale.

"The Copts were converted to Christianity very early in the history of that religion, but their doctrines were so mixed up with Eastern superstitions and practices that they were denounced by the Church in the sixth century. They have several convents that are supported by donations, and the occupants never omit an opportunity to beg. The men that climbed into our skiffs kept calling out backsheesh, howadji-ana Chritiana' (a present, gentlemen-I am a Christian), and these words seemed to be their whole stock in trade.

“We did not leave the region of pyramids behind us when we lost sight of Gizeh and Sakkara. We passed in sight of the Pyramid of Meidoon, which is older than the Pyramids of Gizeh, and disputes antiquity with those of Sakkara. The Arabs call it the False Pyramid, as it is built over a large rock, which forms a considerable part of its solid contents. There are tombs all around it, and many of them have been explored. Two statues were found there which belong to the third dynasty, and are wonderfully life-like in appearance. Quite recently the pyramid has been opened, and discoveries made that throw considerable light on the ancient history of the country. We have no time to visit Meidoon, and perhaps we shall have had enough of antiquities before our voyage on the Nile is ended.

"We have seen boats of all sizes and shapes; some of them seem to be perfect reproductions of the craft used by the ancient Egyptians, and others are more modern. We saw a man fishing on what appeared to be a raft just large enough to hold him, and it seemed a wonder that his weight did not sink it. While we were looking at it, Doctor Bronson explained that it was supported by empty gourds beneath a flooring of

reeds, the gourds being kept from floating away by means of a slight network. Later on we had a chance to examine one of these frail structures, and make a sketch of it.

"Beyond Meidoon we passed a good many sugar plantations, and saw

steam-power rather than by the old system of hand-labor, though the high price of coal makes steam-pumping very costly.

"We are told that no coal is found in Egypt, the entire supply needed for the railway and other modes of consumption being imported from England. The government has spent considerable money in looking for coal, but thus far has found only a few small beds, that will not pay for working. Perhaps they will find some one of these days, and thus save a heavy outlay of money every year for imported coal. Private parties have no inducement to search for this valuable mineral, as the government would immediately take possession of a coalmine, and if the discoverer ventured to object, he might spend the rest of his life in prison for his impudence."

SUGAR CULTURE IN EGYPT.

155

CHAPTER XII.

SUGAR PLANTATIONS AND MILLS.-SNAKE-CHARMERS.-SIGHTS AT BENI-HASSAN.

THE

IE first regular halt of the steamer was at Beni-sooef, where the passengers were allowed two hours by the printed schedule. Of course they went on shore at once, and devoted themselves to sight-seeing until recalled by the whistle. The town has a population of about five thonsand, and is the capital of a province of the same name. Frank and Fred strolled through the bazaars, but were disappointed, as there was nothing to be found there which they had not already seen in the bazaars of Cairo. The trade of the place has diminished considerably, and Beni-sooef is of less importance to-day than it was three or four centuries ago.

At Minich, the next halting-place, they had an opportunity to visit a sugar-mill, and eagerly embraced it. Minieh is the centre of the sugar culture in Egypt, and the first sugar-mill in the country was erected here and is still in operation. Of late years some very large mills have been built, employing hundreds of people, and during the height of the season they present a busy scene.

The mill visited by our friends was one of the largest. It was so constructed that, from the time the cane enters the crushers till the dry sugar is taken out, there is no lifting or handling of the material, except in a few instances. The machinery is all of French manufacture, and very expensive. A large amount of sugar is manufactured here every year; but there is no profit in the business, partly owing to the great cost of the mills, and partly, it is whispered, in consequence of the frauds of the managers.

The sugar culture is in the hands of the Khedive, and about two hundred and fifty thousand acres of land are devoted to it, chiefly on the west bank of the Nile between Cairo and Sioot. There are more mills than are really needed for the amount of sugar made, and there is a large quantity of machinery which has never been put up, but lies neglected and rusting on the banks of the river. There is a system of railways for bringing the cane to the mills, and connected with the line of railway