242: EXTRACTS FROM 
may imagine what a horrible stench pervaded that confined 
space. 
Though the greedy birds of prey kept cruising round the 
edges of the ravine for fully half an hour, they would not 
descend again, but one by one left the place and flew back to 
the mountains. We, too, set out on our return; and as 
Osman had been sent away, and my jiiger was waiting in the 
valley, the troublesome and unsavoury task of carrying the 
heavy booty on our backs down the difficult path devolved on 
the Grand Duke and myself. 
It was already afternoon when we reached the quarry, and 
the other sportsmen had long since returned. They had laid 
out a carcass near a half-ruined mosque, on a plateau of the 
Mokattam hills ; but their bag only consisted of an Egyptian 
Vulture and some kites, no large vultures having come to 
them. 
We now rode back through the tombs of the Caliphs to the 
outer houses of the town, where our carriages were awaiting 
us. Next day we were to leave Cairo and start on our 
shooting-trip to the province of Faytim, and after that was to 
come the journey up the Nile. 
Early on the morning of the 23rd of February the whole 
of our travelling party, together with Baron Saurma and his 
brother, assembled at the station of that southern line of rail- 
way which is connected with the province of Faytim as well 
as with Siut. 
Herr Zimmerman was again kind enough to conduct our 
train, and to accompany us to Abouksor, the last station. 
Prince Taxis, with a dragoman, had left the day before for the 
Lake of Birket-el-Karun to pitch the tent and make arrange- 
ments for several days’ shooting. 
At first the line ran along the narrow strip of arable land 
which extends, chiefly on the western bank, between the Nile 
and the desert. Here was represented the regular type of 
