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as, while they were working, we made the painful discovery 

 that on one side of the field the cutting of the canes had 

 already begun. 



A large number of labourers, wretchedly poor, slightly 

 clad fellaheen, some of whom had splendid figures, were here 

 toiling under the superintendence of an overseer arrayed in 

 long flowing garments and armed with a whip of rhinoceros 

 hide. This fine fellow walked up to me while the hunt was 

 going on, and delivered an oration accompanied with haughty 

 gestures, and, after much trouble, I at last understood him 

 to mean that he wished me to leave the place. 



As the tone of his voice and the movements of his hand 

 began to be more energetic I called up Osrnan, Baron 

 Sanrma's black kawass, and as soon as the worthy Oriental 

 saw the rich livery of a consular servant, his voice sank into 

 mild suppliant tones, and he hurried in among the sugar- 

 canes to avoid further unpleasantness. We then returned to 

 the carriages, having failed in our first brief attempt at 

 killing wolves, though we had shot some small game. 



Baron Saurma now took us to Old Cairo, which lies to- 

 wards the south and is the most ancient part of the town. 

 The bridge had to be crossed again, and then the road 

 turned to the right, and running close to the Nile and near a 

 viceregal palace, soon brought us into a most interesting maze 

 of rubbish and ruins, dirt and debris. There the poorest part 

 of the population were living in miserable dilapidated houses, 

 and there the driving-road came to an end among stones and 

 sand-hills, so we had to get out of the carriages near two 

 tall palm-trees and continue our way on foot. 



The outermost house of the town was formed by the ruins 

 of an old wall and a high heap of rubbish, and from this 

 spot, where the hyaenas, jackals, and half- wild dogs hold their 

 nightly concerts, we had a splendid view. Wreathed in 



