articles. These things were most useful in lands where tailors abound
not; besides which, the sight of a man darning his coat or patching his
slippers teems with pleasing ideas of humility. A dagger, a brass
inkstand and penholder stuck in the belt, and a mighty rosary, which on
occasion might have been converted into a weapon of offense, completed
my equipment. I must not omit to mention the proper method of carrying
money, which in these lands should never be intrusted to box or bag. A
common cotton purse secured in a breast pocket (for Egypt now abounds in
that civilized animal the pickpocket) contained silver pieces and small
change. My gold, of which I carried twenty-five sovereigns, and papers,
were committed to a substantial leathern belt of Maghrabi manufacture,
made to be strapped round the waist under the dress. This is the Asiatic
method of concealing valuables, and a more civilized one than ours in
the last century, when Roderick Random and his companion "sewed their
money between the lining and the waistband of their breeches, except
some loose silver for immediate expense on the road." The great
inconvenience of the belt is its weight, especially where dollars must
be carried, as in Arabia, causing chafes and inconvenience at night.
Moreover it can scarcely be called safe. In dangerous countries wary
travelers will adopt surer precautions.

A pair of common native khurjin or saddle-bags contained my wardrobe,
the "bed," readily rolled up into a bundle; and for a medicine chest I
bought a pea-green box with red and yellow flowers, capable of standing
falls from a camel twice a day.

The next step was to find out when the local steamer would start for
Cairo, and accordingly I betook myself to the Transit Office. No vessel
was advertised; I was directed to call every evening till satisfied. At
last the fortunate event took place: a "weekly departure," which
by-the-by had occurred once every fortnight or so, was in order for the
next day. I hurried to the office, but did not reach it till past
noon--the hour of idleness. A little dark gentleman, so formed and
dressed as exactly to resemble a liver-and-tan bull-terrier, who with
his heels on the table was dozing, cigar in mouth, over the last
Galignani, positively refused after a time,--for at first he would not
speak at all,--to let me take my passage till three in the afternoon. I
inquired when the boat started, upon which he referred me, as I had
spoken ba