We meant to have gone to see the Temple of Diana of the Egyptians, but were all tired, and have left it till our return.
We have been obliged to have a strict watch kept over our boat to-day. The villages of Beni-Hassan were destroyed by order of the pacha some years ago, because the people were such great thieves. But 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.
