| [CHAPTERI] |
| THE COAST |
| Siwa — Whereabouts — The ex-Khedive andGermans — The ancient Libyans — The coastal belt — The MariutRailway — Mersa Matruh — The Bay — Antony and Cleopatra — GreekTraders — Motor Maniacs — Sponge fishers — From Matruh to Sollum —Barrani and Bagbag — Sollum Bay — Western Desert Arabs,characteristics, tents, carpets, appearance, marriage customs,women — An Arab meal — “Gold tooth” — Buried money — Horses —Hawking — Silugi hounds — Hunting — Shooting — The Scarp — Flowers— The Rains — Houses — The Cruiser Abdel Moneim — Atripper | 1 |
| [CHAPTERII] |
| THE DESERT |
| The Frontier Districts Administration —The Camel Corps — Harimat — Story of a stove — The Booza Camp — Themen — Diary of trek from Sollum to Siwa — Departure — Augerin, aRoman cistern — Bir Hamed — A desert dance — Ascent of Scarp — Qurel Beid — Camel riding — Evening on the desert — Camp — Utterdesert — Mud pans — Mirage — “Khuz” bread — Desert tracks —Bisharin trackers — Night marching — A caravan — “The country ofDogs” — Among the ravines — The Megahiz Spring — Siwa — DistrictOfficer’s House — “Taking over” wives — A typical day — Siwanmanners — The Sheikhs — The staff — View from Siwa — Aghourmivillage — A slave woman — A rifle raid | 37 |
| [CHAPTER III] |
| THE HISTORY OF SIWA |
| [FIRST PERIOD. THETEMPLE OF JUPITER AMMON] |
| The Siwan Deity — A local religion —Legendary origin of the God — Herodotus — The Kingdom of theAmmonians — Lysander’s visit — Cambyses — A lost army — Cimon’sdeath foretold — The “Fountain of the Sun” — The temples — TheKing’s court — The temple to-day — Alexander visits Siwa — Hisadventures on the way — Ritual of the temple — Decline of its fame— Strabo’s theory — The Romans — Christianity | 74 |
| [SECONDPERIOD. MEDIÆVAL SIWA] |
| Arab invasion of Egypt — Attempts tosubjugate the oasis — Arab historians — The marvels of Siwa —Hidden cities — Emerald mines — Siwans become Mohammedans — KingRashwan — “The Thirty” — Sidi Suliman — Legends about him — Styleof living — Quarrel between east and west — Civil wars — Recentdisturbance — Browne at Siwa — Hornemann | 89 |
| [THIRDPERIOD. THE TURKISH RULE] |
| Invasion of Siwa — Hassein Bey — ColonelButin — Ali Balli, the Omda — Hamilton at Siwa, his imprisonment —Punitive expedition — Death of Yousif Ali — Turkish mamurs — Adesert firebrand — “The Widow’s War” — Osman Habun — Abdel Arti,smuggler — Death of “The Habun” | 102 |
| [FOURTHPERIOD. SIWA AND THE WAR] |
| The Italians in Tripoli — Germanintrigues — The Senussi confraternity — Mohammed el Senussi, hislife at Siwa — Caves of the Kasr Hassuna — Growth of the Senussi —Mohammed el Mahdi — Sayed Ahmed — The situation in 1915 —Evacuation of Sollum — Capture of the crew of the Tara —Matruh — Battle on Christmas Day — Wadi Majid — Battle of Agagiaand occupation of Barrani — Sayed Ahmed at Siwa — Occupation ofSollum — Sayed Ahmed goes to Dakhla and back — Siwans revolt —Battle of Girba — Occupation of Siwa — Rescue of Tara crewby Duke of Westminster — Sayed Ahmed retires to Constantinople | 117 |
| [CHAPTER IV] |
| SIWA TOWN |
| The town — Architecture — Wells — Customof whitewash — Date Markets — Mosques — School — Shops — Interiorof houses — The Roofs — “Dululas” — The Siwan race — Men — Women —Appearance — Clothes — Religious sects — Springs, gardens,irrigation, water rights — Salt lakes — Fever — Spring cleaning —“Sultan Mousa” — A luncheon party — The ceremony of tea — Appetites— Dog eaters — Life of an Englishman in Siwa — Two “cases” — Womenwitnesses — Bakshish | 133 |
| [CHAPTERV] |
| SUBURBAN OASES |
| Zeitoun and Kareished — The oasis of Gara— The village — The curse of Sheikh Abdel Sayed — A legend of Gara— The Mejberry pass — El Areg and Bahrein — The Arabs of Maragi —The northern oases — Jerabub — Sheikh Ithneini and his treasures —Terra incognita — Kufra — Excavating in Siwa — The “OldestInhabitant” his wedding — Industries, baskets, mats, andearthenware — The “Bedouin Industries” — Animals and birds —Snakes, snake charming | 177 |
| [CHAPTERVI] |
| CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS |
| Belief in Superstitions — Divine andSatanic magic — Demons — A birthday — Naming the child — Women —Marriage and divorce — A wedding, the bride’s bath, fetching thebride, presents — “Ghrula,” customs of a widow — The Town Crier —Funerals — Cemeteries — Evil Eye, charms to avert the curse — Avisit to a witch — Methods used to obtain a husband — Invokingdemons — Discovering stolen property — Exposing a thief —Divination and fortune telling — Sacrificing a bull — ThePilgrimage, rolling the bangles, to ensure a safe journey — “Yom elAsher,” the children’s “Christmas” | 207 |
| [CHAPTER VII] |
| “FANTASIAS” |
| Social life in Siwa — Games — “Lubki”drinkers — Giving alms to the poor — Sheikhs in fiction and in fact— “Beit el Mal” — Ramadan, the Mohammedan Lent — The Mulid of SidiSuliman — Paying calls — Etiquette of eating — The religious danceof the Medinia — The “Zikr” — Bacchanalian revels — Siwan music andsinging — Women dancers | 239 |