Minieh is a pretty and busy town. Near the landing-place we saw the tomb of a sheikh, shaded over by a palm-tree, which is very picturesque. We admired the houses too, with their trellised balconies overhanging the river. And there are such queer little coffee-shops! Some are tents, some only little huts made of reeds. We found the bazaar airy and some of the buildings handsome. The country round Minieh is rich and beautiful; it abounds in groves of palm-trees and in every kind of fruit. We enjoyed our ramble exceedingly, and the two guns brought back a fair share of wild fowl.
EASTERN BAZAAR.
Our next stopping-place was Beni-Hassan; we arrived this morning, and have been on shore all day.
The tombs of Beni-Hassan are open to the Nile, and are ornamented with coloured figures or other devices, and are very old.
EGYPTIAN LOOM.
a b. Rollers for carrying and tightening the warp. c c c. The warp d d. Frame of the machine. e f. Movable bars, for pressing the successive weft threads together. g. Roller for relieving the cloth when woven. h. Hooked stick (used instead of a shuttle) to carry the weft threads.
We went first into the most northern tomb. In front of the entrance is a portico, supported by pillars, which leads into a vaulted room: its roof is supported by four large pillars. These pillars have been coloured to imitate red granite, and so have the lower part of the walls. Above this coloured part of the wall are long lines of figures; some employed in outdoor work, some in indoor work, some in amusements. Some are fishing, some are watering flax, some dancing, others wrestling.
