‘4 JOURNEY IN THE EAST’ 321 
soon paid us a return visit at Kasr-el-Nusha, and afterwards 
accompanied us to the railway station. 
As the train moved slowly off we took a last regretful look 
at the noble city of the Caliphs, the stern cliffs of the 
Mokattam mountains, the towering citadel, and the mysterious 
Pyramids, for we were now about to make a pilgrimage to 
new scenes and other lands. 
Next day we reached the Bitter Lakes, which have a 
certain undeniably picturesque charm, and the contrast be- 
tween their dark brown waters and the dazzling white of the 
desert cannot fail to arrest the attention of the traveller. 
While passing along the short stretch of canal between the 
Bitter and the Timsah Lakes, we noticed a jackal hunting 
for shell-fish by the bank, and fired some ineffectual shots at 
him, and while on the deep blue waters of the latter lake we 
enjoyed the splendid effects of an African sunset. 
The houses of Ismailia now appeared on the sandy shores to 
the north, and our steamer was soon lying at the quay of the 
great French station of the Suez Canal. There M. de Lesseps, 
the famous originator and constructor of this gigantic work 
which connects two seas, was awaiting us with his son and 
several officials of the French company. I was delighted to 
make the acquaintance of this indomitable and still vigorous 
old man. We drove to his country house, which was charm- 
ingly situated in a little garden, and were received by his 
beautiful daughter-in-law, who is by birth a Cairene Greek of 
the wealthy Sinadino family; her brother, an agreeable young 
man, and an English lady were also present. We dined soon 
after our arrival, and afterwards spent a pleasant social 
evening. 
Next morning we all left the house ata very early hour, 
and accompanied by M. de Lesseps went to the station and 
proceeded to Maksamah, a short distance along the Cairo line. 
There we stopped and had a good deal of difficulty in getting 
vy 
