ands tightly and kissed each other.
But there was no joy in their faces. Sad, silent tears trickled down
their cheeks. Rahaba said a few words in a low, choking tone to the
mother. Both looked pleased when Miss Roper took the baby in her arms.
Our eyes filled with tears, and as Miss Roper leant over the sleeping
child her tears too fell fast upon it. For a moment a gleam of hope
seemed to shine on the poor mother. She asked Rahaba if the white girl
was going to buy the baby. When she found that her baby could not stay
with Miss Roper the large tears gathered in her eyes again, and chased
each other down her cheeks.

Miss Roper, who understands a few words of Rahaba's language, pointed to
the sky, and told the mother that the great God loves little babies, and
that he cares for slaves and loves those who are good and obedient. The
poor girl folded her baby to her heart and shook her head sadly. The
news seemed to her too good to be true.

But Miss Roper tried again to make her believe it. All the rest of the
time till the pioneers were ordered to march on, Rahaba and her sister
negress crouched side by side in grief and despair. We could not comfort
them, but we prayed that God would in his mercy bring them to know and
love him and his Son Jesus Christ; and then they will be comforted for
every sorrow.

We rowed to Philae, the sacred island of the ancient Egyptians, in the
evening; but it was too late for us to stay amongst the ruins. Early the
following morning we left Mahatta. The weather was warm and pleasant,
and on the third day the scenery began to be lovely. On both sides the
banks of the river were fringed with castor-oil plants and prickly
mimosa; above these we saw plantations of dates and palms. The fruits of
these trees are the chief food of the Nubians.

We passed near the capital of Nubia without landing. It is a large town,
and the streets are wide and busy.

We still had the desert on our left, but it was partly hidden by the
broken hills fringed with acacias. The mountain Gebel Derr projects into
the river; and for nearly three hours we coasted under broken rocks
which rise straight up from the Nile.

[Illustration: RUINS OF COLONNADE AT PHILAE.]

After this we saw acacias on the left bank of the river, and on the
right groves of palm-trees. There were numbers of peasants to be seen;
some walking, some riding. The men wore long white dresses and turbans,
the women blue gowns.

The wind was fair