FIRST VOYAGE OS THE NILE.

CHAPTEE II.

FIRST VOYAGE ON THE NILE.

Departure — The Kangia — The Egyptian Climate— The Mahmoudieh Canal — Entrance

into the Nile — Pleasures of the Journey— Studying Arabic— Sight of the Pyramids

• -The Barrage — Approach to Cairo.

We paid a most exorbitant bill at the Oriental Hotel, and

started on donkeyback for our boat, at sunset. Our prepara-

tions for the voyage consisted of bread, rice, coffee, sugar, but-

ter and a few other comestibles ; an earthen furnace and char-

coal; pots and stew-pans, plates, knives and forks, wooden

spoons, coffee-cups and water-jars ; three large mats of cane-

leaves, for bedding ; and for luxuries, a few bottles of claret,

and a gazelle-skin stuffed with choice Latakieh tobacco. We were prudent enough to take a supper with us from the hotel,

and not trust to our own cooking the first night on board.

We waited till dark on the banks of the Canal before our

baggage appeared. There is a Custom-House on all sides of

Alexandria, and goods going out must pay as well as goods com-

ing in. The gate was closed, and nothing less than the silver

oil of a dollar greased its hinges sufficiently for our cart to pass through. But what was our surprise on reaching the boat, to

find the same Jcangia and the same grizzly rai's, who had pre-

viously demanded three hundred piastres. He seemed no less