' faces and settle in clusters around
their eyes without attempting to drive the tormentors away, either too
lazy to do so or desirous that the babies should become hardened to the
annoyance. We pitied the infants, however, and some of the ladies of our
party became very indignant over the indifference--cruelty they called
it--of the mothers. We saw many older children afterwards whose skin
appeared to be insensible to the tickling feet; for they made no attempt
to brush away the flies which covered their faces.

[Illustration: I. WALKED ALONG THE AVENUE OF SPHINXES.]

[Illustration: II. THE LITTLE MOSQUE COULD NOT BE PURCHASED.]

Our party was joined during the morning by another party of tourists.
After luncheon we all proceeded to the end of the shaded garden, where,
at the gateway, we found Mahmoud, the dragoman who had been selected to
take charge of the expedition. His assistants were assembled there and
with them were eighty donkey boys, each with his donkey, a number of
jinrikisha men with carts, and chair men with chairs. The donkey boys
were of all ages from lads scarcely in their teens to veterans of
three-score years. The donkeys were of various sizes but the largest
were not over four feet high. The jinrikishas had each two attendants,
one man to pull in the shafts of the cart and one to push. The chairs
borne on poles on the shoulders of men had each six carriers, four to
carry and two as a relay. Chairs or jinrikishas were chosen by the
tourists whose bodies required careful treatment and by those who
preferred to travel in luxury. The donkeys, however, were selected by
the majority, who considered it a far greater pleasure to ride.

[Illustration: THEY BROUGHT WATER IN GOATSKINS FROM THE NILE.]

"This way! this way! ladies and gentlemen, if you please!" exclaimed
Mahmoud, and the merry cavalcade of eighty tourists and one hundred
attendants started off through the village, donkey boys chattering,
donkeys braying, and riders gaily chaffing one another on their
appearance in the saddle; the long-legged professor holding up his feet
to prevent them from scraping the ground and the jolly stout parson
mounted on the smallest donkey. Each donkey was followed by a donkey boy
who whipped the patient beast, jabbed him with a sharp pointed stick,
twisted the animal's tail, or talked to him in Arabic, when it was
necessary to urge him to greater speed. When urged, the donkeys were
fast walkers. But whether the