242 EXTRACTS FROM 



may imagine what a horrible stench pervaded that confined 

 space. 



Though the greedy birds of prey kept cruising round the 

 edges of the ravine for fully half an hour, they would not 

 descend again, but one by one left the place and flew back to 

 the mountains. We, too, set out on our return ; and as 

 Osinan had been sent away, and my jager was waiting in the 

 valley, the troublesome and unsavoury task of carrying the 

 heavy booty on our backs down the difficult path devolved on 

 the Grand Duke and myself. 



It was already afternoon when we reached the quarry, and 

 the other sportsmen had long since returned. They had laid 

 out a carcass near a half-ruined mosque, on a plateau of the 

 Mokattarn hills ; but their bag only consisted of an Egyptian 

 Vulture and some kites, no large vultures having come to 

 them. 



We now rode back through the tombs of the Caliphs to the 

 outer houses of the town, where our carriages were awaiting 

 us. Next day we were to leave Cairo and start on our 

 shooting-trip to the province of Fayum, and after that was to 

 come the journey up the Nile. 



Early on the morning of the 23rd of February the whole 

 of our travelling party, together with Baron Saurrna and his 

 brother, assembled at the station of that southern line of rail- 

 way which is connected with the province of Fayum as well 

 as with Siut. 



Herr Zimmerman was again kind enough to conduct our 

 train, and to accompany us to Abouksor, the last station. 

 Prince Taxis, with a dragoman, had left the day before for the 

 Lake of Birket-el-Karun to pitch the tent and make arrange- 

 ments for several days' shooting. 



At first the line ran along the narrow strip of arable land 

 which extends, chiefly on the western bank, between the Nile 

 and the desert. Here was represented the regular type of 



