II 



In Egypt 35 



alacrity, for it gave him an opportunity of seeing 

 Egypt under the most favourable auspices, and 

 Egypt had not then been utterly despoiled of the 

 enchantment of the East. The subsequent journey, 

 which included, apparently, not only a visit to the 

 land of the serpent of old Nile, but also a visit 

 to Syria and a cruise in the ^gean Sea, was the 

 first of many which he was to make under similar 

 conditions.^ ' I wander ' — he used to say — ' I always 

 wander, and wander I always will, as long as there 

 is a fresh bit of the world to see.' 



George Kingsley rigidly adhered to this principle, 

 but, at the same time, he was one of those men who 

 must have a home anchorage of his own — a fixed 

 point and a reason for things in life, and this home 

 anchorage of his from 1863 to 1879 was a little 

 house in Southwood Lane, Highgate. It was a 

 house whose external appearance in many respects 

 symbolised the disposition of its master. It stood 

 back from the road, embowered by trees, and next 

 door to a Baptist Chapel. It lived peaceably and 

 courteously with that chapel. A request from the 

 minister to be permitted to cut away a few branches 



claim them. Had a battalion of soldiers down from the interior, told 

 them they were to work in the quarries, and shipped them off to 

 Mexico. We are just going to call on the new Pasha, then up the 

 Nile ! Great bliss ! ' 



^ I find a short letter from Damascus, two from Jerusalem, and one 

 from Cyprus among his papers, all apparently written before 1866 — he 

 never put the date of the year on his letters, but none of these contain 

 any indications of whom he was with, if indeed he was with any one. 



