racking a long whip to
clear the way. He was followed by an Egyptian gentleman, mounted on a
horse covered with velvet and gold and tassels. His pipe-bearer, on a
splendid horse, rode close behind him.

This was the beginning of our sight-seeing in Cairo.

CHAPTER IV.

MORE SIGHTS IN CAIRO.

The name Cairo is corrupted from Musr el Kaherah, which means the
"Victorious City." It was founded by a general called Goher. The walls
were built of brick till the time of the famous Saladin, who erected
stone walls in their place.

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN PIPE-BEARER.]

It is impossible to get on in Egypt without a dragoman to arrange
everything and act as guide. We had a very good one, named Mohammed
Abdeen.

We put ourselves under his guidance and he engaged to show us all that
was worth seeing. Hugh and Lucy were delighted with the promise that
they should come with us. Mohammed had excellent donkeys waiting for us.
They were pleasant to ride, and ambled along with a light elastic tread,
quite unlike that of our English donkeys.

We first turned down the chief street of the city, called Moskee; and
from it wended our way towards one of the oldest bazaars in Cairo. As we
went along, we were much struck with the beautifully carved woodwork of
the houses, and with the curious overhanging windows.

The children were delighted, too, with the gay confusion of the streets.
People were there dressed in every variety of colour. Egyptian ladies,
enveloped from head to foot in blue silk mantles and white veils, which
left nothing but their eyes to be seen, were riding on high donkeys,
preceded by their attendants. Then there were Mamelukes, in their
dresses of richly braided cloth; Copts, in dark turbans; Mecca Arabs,
with flashing eyes, and heads wreathed with folds of snowy muslin;
majestic Mograbbyns, in their white burnouses; Caireen merchants, in
silken robes.

And the noise! Such shouting, screaming, pushing! Donkey-boys and
others, each trying to make the best path for his own animal through the
crowd of horses, asses, camels, dromedaries, which filled the narrow
streets.

We threaded our way to the southern gate of the city, called Bab
Zuweyleh.

"What are those people doing?" Hugh asked.

He pointed to some people who were resting their heads against the
hinges of a large iron-bound door, fastened back to the wall. Mohammed
told us that these people had had headaches, and were waiting for them
to be ch