20 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



man. Being of a delicate constitution, before pro- 

 ceeding to Egypt he was advised by his doctor 

 to take exercise by skipping on board the dahabeah, 

 and every morning before breakfast he used to skip 

 for half an hour at the bows of the boat. The 

 Egyptian sailors looked with awe upon this proceeding 

 and never interrupted him, firmly believing that he 

 was performing his morning devotions. 



My mother and her children used to stay during the 

 summer holidays at some seaside place in the neigh- 

 bourhood. More than once we were invited to spend 

 the summer with our good friends and cousins the 

 John Taylors at Coed Dhu, a charming place in 

 Flintshire, and Mr. Taylor on one occasion drove us 

 in his carnage from his house to Aberystwyth ; and 

 a pleasant drive it was. I was usually seated between 

 the groom and Mr. Taylor, who drove a pair of 

 spanking chestnuts. We put up for a night or two 

 on the way, and at Machynlleth, having dirtied my 

 shoes, I asked the chambermaid if I could have 

 them cleaned, to which she answered she would 

 send the Boots. I said I didn't want any boots, 

 I wanted my shoes cleaned. However, after a 

 while the functionary appeared, and I got what I 

 wanted, and for the first time I began to understand 

 hotel nomenclature. Mr. Taylor was a distinguished 

 mining engineer and director of a large number of 

 mining concerns, especially lead mines in South 

 Wales, and I remember the interest with which I 

 visited Goginnon and a number of other lead mines 

 and observed the methods of stamping and washing 

 the ore. I also collected minerals, of which I had 

 even then a fair number of specimens. 



Another pleasant house that we visited was that 

 of my cousin Margaret Sandbach. She was a great 



