orning at eight o'clock we
reached Assiout about 240 miles from Alexandria, there we saw some
Nubian prisoners, black, ugly and desperate looking fellows chained
together with large rusty chains round their necks. They were sitting on
the ground. We were marched about a quarter of a mile to the river,
where there were fleets of steamers and barges, one fleet waiting for
us. We were marched on board two barges tied together and after washing
about half an inch of mud off our faces with Nile river water, went to
breakfast prepared by our own cooks who had left Alexandria twelve hours
in advance. After breakfast I went ashore, I noticed in one little mud
hut, goats, sheep, dogs and children on the ground and there were
flies in the children's faces and eyes beyond description. I got my
first near view of a date tree here with its rough bark which I cut with
my knife.

[Illustration: THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH.]

[Illustration: THE GREAT SPHINX.]

The next sight was a ship yard where four or five whip saws were kept
going; their whip saw is rigged like a bucksaw only the saw instead of
the stick, is in the centre. There is a stick on each side of the saw
and a string outside each stick. They had to back the saw the whole
length of the wood to get it out. Messrs. Cook and Son the great tourist
agents had just commenced to build a large hotel, which when returning
home I found already finished. I noticed a sign over a mud house door
"Egyptian Bank." A track runs from the depot straight down to the river
and there were a number of flat cars loaded with boats, of which I took
a nearer look, I also saw oars and poles. I was well pleased with all
and at the same time made up my mind, that we had carried paddles across
the ocean for very little use. I asked permission to go and see the
catacombs, but was told that we must get under way. I received for my
men cooking utensils, such as kettles, tin-plates, knives, forks and
spoons, for the whole campaign, which I delivered up again, when
returning. We started at 11 a. m., the fleet consisting of two barges
side by side in tow of a side-wheel steamer. At the stern of each barge
a trough, built of mud bricks, formed the cooking range, and it amused
me to see that they had put on about half a cord of wood for cooking
purposes, to last during the trip to Assouan, (twelve days) and this at
once impressed me with the difference between the value of fuel in this
country and in our own. There