320 EXTRACTS FROM 
us, we got into one of the ordinary carriages of the place and 
drove along the splendid Shtibra Avenue, past gardens and 
flourishing fields, to the high wall of the park, which encloses 
a large extent of ground. The fine palace stands amidst lofty 
trees and well-nigh impenetrable shrubberies of almost tropical 
growth, and is surrounded by ponds and kiosks. There were 
flower-beds in full bloom, and a considerable space was occupied 
by kitchen-gardens, orange-groves, and even by fields of green 
corn. The irrigated portions of the grounds were well stocked 
with large flocks of pretty Buff-backed Herons, and incredible 
numbers of heavy-looking Night-Herons nested in the tall 
pines that adorned an artificial mound near the palace. 
We gave the various kinds of herons an unpleasant hour of 
it, but as we had to be back in time for dinner we had to hurry 
away from these lovely and enchanting gardens, where the 
rustling trees were all flooded with the golden light of the 
setting sun. I looked longingly at the thick shrubberies and 
waving corn-fields, for I had a great notion that these perfectly 
quiet enclosures must be very good cover for the larger beasts 
of prey; and in fact Saurma, acting on my advice, shot them 
a few days afterwards, and bagged a Lynx and an Ichneumon. 
On reaching Kasr-el-Nusha we dined with the two brothers 
Saurma, the younger of whom, with Prince Taxis, had only 
yesterday returned from a long and very fatiguing expedition 
into the mountains near the Red Sea, where they had been 
vainly attempting to shoot Arabian Ibex. 
Early on the 24th of March the whole party drove out 
along the Heliopolis road to the very end of the town, where 
a large tent had been pitched onan open space gaily decorated 
with flags. There a number of people had assembled, for the 
whole Austro-Hungarian colony had turned out to celebrate 
by a féte the laying of the foundation-stone of an Austrian 
hospital. As soon as the ceremony was over we drove off to 
take leave of the Khedive and to tender him our thanks. He 
