278 EXTRACTS FROM 



The afternoon was spent partly on board and partly in 

 Luxor itself, and after passing a quiet, evening we retired 

 early to rest. 



On the 5th we resumed our travels at sunrise, intending to 

 follow the advice of some European residents at Luxor, and 

 to halt and devote a few hours to sport at Ermant, a village well 

 known for its sugar factory and extensive cane-fields. 



After a two hours' run we reached the village, where some 

 of the French officials of the factory, which is arranged quite 

 on the European system, received us most kindly, placed at 

 our disposal as many men as we required for beating the 

 canes, and at once got ready a train to take us to the spot. 



Passing by the buildings of the factory and along a splendid 

 avenue of sycamores, we soon came to the little station of the 

 short line of rail which connects the factory with the largest 

 of the plantations. We had now to pick up the beaters ; and 

 a gang of fellaheen, coming from work at the mills, were soon 

 collected and forthwith bundled on to the trucks used for the 

 transport of the canes. We seated ourselves in the last of 

 these conveyances and started for the plains, passing on the 

 way the pretty gardens of the officials, a most miserable 

 fellaheen village, and a little palm-grove. 



Our journey was but short ; for .here the desert comes 

 pretty close to the Nile, so that the intervening strip of culti- 

 vated country is but narrow. 



We now attempted to drive the nearest field of canes, but 

 it was unfortunately too large and too thick. The beaters 

 also worked badly, and only brought out one wolf, which left 

 the cover unshot at ; so we soon recognized the futility of our 

 endeavours and returned to the train, from which I shot an 

 Egyptian Vulture, one of a number that were sitting near the 

 mud hovels of the above-mentioned village, just like domestic 

 fowls. 



In a garden belonging to one of the French officials we 



