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of Cranes, Storks, Spoonbills, Grey Herons, Pelicans, Egyp- 

 tian Geese, and various kinds of Ducks enliven the scene. 

 From every steamer and every dahabeeyah the Europeans 

 shoot at the waterfowl, which are here in their winter-quarters, 

 the result being that one cannot count on any sport from the 

 deck, for at the approach of a vessel the shy birds rise a long 

 way off. 



We now passed the little town of Abu Tig, where the 

 mountains recede and leave room for a well-tilled plain ; but 

 soon afterwards the high Gebel-Sheikh-Haude, hollowed out 

 with ancient quarries and tombs, comes forward again to the 

 edge of the stream. 



There our steamer stopped, and a boat came off to her, and 

 on my asking what this meant, I learnt, to my no small sur- 

 prise, that in a high watch-tower above the Nile there dwells 

 among these barren hills a holy man, a so-called Sheikh, 

 who claims a toll, and that the vessel which ignores his 

 demands is, according to popular belief, almost certain to be 

 wrecked on its journey, but that the honest man who pays will 

 be followed by the devout prayers of this saintly beggar. 



There now appeared in pretty quick succession the villages 

 of Tahtah, Faubas, Schidawin, and the large and charmingly- 

 situated town of Sohag, with its picturesque houses and 

 minarets. 



One lovely scene followed another ; splendid mountains 

 with abrupt cliffs slipped past and gave place to luxuriant 

 palm-forests and gaily coloured towns. We sat comfortably 

 on deck, smoking, chatting, or reading, while enjoying the 

 balmy perfumes of the African vegetation and the pure air, 

 which on the river was not too hot, and now and then firing 

 a rifle-shot at the distant waterfowl, but almost invariably 

 without success an indolent existence, but interesting and 

 instructive withal. 



We spent one night at the large and prosperous town of 



