PORT SAID. 25 



East Indians and the like, each in his own 

 gaudy or graceful costume. It speaks well for 

 the accuracy of feeling, anyway, of our various 

 " Midways," " Pikes," and the like of our 

 world's expositions that the streets of Port 

 Said looked like Midways raised to the n th power. 

 Along them we sauntered with a pleasing feeling 

 of self-importance. On all sides we were gently 

 and humbly besought by the shopkeepers, by 

 the sidewalk vendors, by would-be guides, by 

 fortune-tellers, by jugglers, by magicians ; all 

 soft- voiced and respectful ; all yielding as water 

 to rebuff, but as quick as water to glide back 

 again. The vendors were of the colours of the 

 rainbow, and were heavily hung with long neck- 

 laces of coral or amber, with scarves, with strings 

 of silver corns, with sequinned veils and silks, 

 girt with many dirks and knives, furnished out 

 in concealed pockets with scarabs, bracelets, 

 sandalwood boxes or anything else under the 

 broad canopy of heaven one might or might not 

 desire. Their voices were soft and pleasing, 

 their eyes had the beseeching quality of a good 

 dog's, their anxious and deprecating faces were 

 ready at the slightest encouragement to break 

 out into the friendliest and most intimate of 

 smiles. Wherever we went we were accom- 



