offered our thanks to our
Heavenly Father, who has made such a world of beauty and wonder for our
enjoyment.

"O God, O good beyond compare,
If thus Thy meaner works are fair,
If thus Thy bounties gild the span
Of ruined earth and sinful man,
What must those glorious mansions be
When Thy redeemed shall dwell with Thee!"

CHAPTER IX.

THE START UP THE NILE.

Our party was now to be divided for a time. We were all anxious to see
the Nile, but it was thought better for the children and their mother to
stay quietly in Cairo. Those who were not pressed for time offered to
remain with them, while the others hastened up to the second cataract.
After much discussing and arranging, it was decided that three should
stay with the invalid and her children in Cairo, and the other three
should go up the Nile together.

The most comfortable sort of boat for travelling is the "dahabieh." One
was engaged. Mohammed laid in the stores necessary for the journey; and
when all was ready, we went to Boulak, which is the port of Cairo, to
see the travellers start.

We went on board the dahabieh.

"What a beautiful room!" Lucy exclaimed, as she went into the saloon.

And so indeed it was. Carpets, cushions, divans, book-shelves; nothing
was wanting to make the dahabieh a most luxurious little home. There
were easy-chairs of every kind on deck, and an awning was spread as a
protection from the sun. The crew consisted of a captain, or reis, as he
is called, a pilot, and fourteen Arab sailors.

We exchanged farewells, heartily wishing that we too were going, and
they started. As we waved our last farewells from the shore, Hugh said,
in a disconsolate voice, "Great fun for them, but no fun for us."

We were all a little dull that evening. But the travellers had promised
to keep a journal, and we soon began to think when we should receive
news of them.

The first instalment of the journal was brought by a gentleman with
whose dahabieh they fell in off Benisooef. It was eagerly opened and
read aloud, while we listened with all our ears and eyes.

JOURNAL ON THE NILE.

The wind was fair when we left Boulak. We passed Roda, the Nilometer,
and Old Cairo. Then a long reach of the river brought us to the village
of E Deyr, which is inhabited by Copt Christians. We next passed, on our
left, El Masarah, where there are large stone quarries. The stone for
the Great Pyramid was