CHAPTER XII.

CONCLUSION.

[Illustration]

We wished to make the most of our day in Alexandria; and, at Lucy's
request, went first to see Cleopatra's Needle, which, as Lucy observed,
is not a needle, but an obelisk of red granite, about seventy feet high.
There were two, but one has fallen.

Sandys, an Egyptian traveller of a hundred years ago, calls this obelisk
"Pharaoh's Needle." Even in his day the other had fallen. It was so
nearly buried in sand that we could only see part of the top of it. The
two obelisks are supposed to have been brought from Heliopolis by one of
the Caesars, to adorn the city of Alexandria.

We next went to "Pompey's Pillar." It is more than ninety feet high. We
were quite angry with the foolish people whose vanity has made them
scribble their names on the pedestal.

"I am very glad that all the people who have disgraced themselves so are
not English," said Hugh.

So we all were, if one could feel glad about anything so discreditable.
There were French and Italian names there as well as English.

[Illustration: MARKETING IN ALEXANDRIA.]

About two miles beyond the Rosetta Gate we came to Caesar's Camp. It was
here that Augustus Caesar defeated Antony's followers. We saw some
remains of towers and walls. This spot also had a still greater interest
for us English as being the place on which Sir Ralph Abercrombie fell,
in the famous battle on the 21st of March, 1801.

In the afternoon we went over the "mosque of the thousand and one
columns." This mosque is said to stand on the spot where the church of
St. Mark once stood, and where the evangelist St. Mark was put to death.
The church was destroyed by the Moslems in the year 121, in the reign of
Malek el Kamel, and whilst the crusaders were besieging Damietta.

We passed another large mosque, the Mosque of St. Athanasius. From this
mosque was taken the sarcophagus called "The Tomb of Alexandria," which
is now in the British Museum.

The next day we returned to Cairo, and on the day following our Nile
travellers arrived. A very happy meeting it was. They had stayed one day
at Luxor, to see the temples there, and had then hastened back to Cairo
as quickly as they could.

We were all very much interested in Rahaba. To Lucy's delight, the
little girl seemed to take a great liking for her. Before Hugh and Lucy
left, they had taught her the hymn which begins,--

"Jesus who lives above the sky,
Came down to be