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pretty gardens, country houses, and little palm-groves to the 

 shore of the lake. On its sandy margin stood three miserable 

 fishermen's huts, behind us were lofty palms, thick hedges, 

 and rich vegetation, and before us lay the broad interminable 

 grey-brown lake, with its dunes and flat marshy shores a 

 scene of melancholy monotony and drowsy dullness. 



At Lake Menzaleh I could hardly believe that I was still 

 in gorgeous Egypt ; the weather, too, was unpropitious, for 

 the moist climate of the sea was making itself felt, and an un- 

 pleasantly cold wind, was driving about the grey rain-clouds 

 with which the whole sky was covered as with a sombre 

 garment. It seemed just as if we were in the north, and we 

 regretfully thought of the eternal sunshine of Assuan. This 

 ugly lake might very well belong to one of the plains of 

 Northern Europe ; at least it was dull and dreary enough to 

 have been worthy of such a situation. 



In front of the fishermen's huts lay a flotilla of small sailing 

 dahabeeyahs. I fancy that the reef-pirates of olden days could 

 not have used worse crafts ; our Istrian trabakels are perfect 

 frigates in comparison with them. From these vessels, how- 

 ever, we had to choose. The Grand Duke, Baron Saurma, 

 the Court Chaplain, and I established ourselves in the largest, 

 and two gentlemen in each of the others. There was also an 

 extra boat for the cook and the provisions. 



All of them were uncomfortable, and a description of one 

 will be quite sufficient. In the fore part of the vessel a raised 

 deck round the mast was provided with some cane chairs and 

 a little table. There we spent the day, and there the two 

 jagers and part of the crew had to sleep. This arrangement 

 lifted up like a hatch, and displayed a small hold, which 

 served as a receptacle for the baggage. Amidships, down a 

 couple of steps, was a small deck-house, fitted with glass 

 windows, and divided into two compartments, the first large 

 enough for two small beds and nothing more; while the other 



