114 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



CHAP. XLIV. 



^Qiihaje — Italian monks of the Society de Propa- 

 ganda Fide. th:;ir incivility, their mode of life, their 

 house — Letter of their snperior — Catholic Cophts 

 — Echmimm — PanopoTis — Catholic priest — An- 

 tique figure — Mosque — Plains of Echminnn — 

 Melons — Courtezans — Chrysornal. 



Leaving Tahta on the ist of June, in the morn- 

 ing, we continued to travel southwards, on the 

 western shore of the Nile, the course of which 

 above Tahta winds in great sinuosities. Wearied 

 of following the heavy and slow pace of the 

 camels, and on the assurances which had been 

 given me of the safety of the roads, I went on 

 before with two of my attendants. After some 

 time had elapsed, I stopped to wait for my other 

 companions, but they did not make their appear- 

 ance. After having passed the greatest part of 

 this day, which was excessively hot, in looking 

 for them in vain, I went on to Souhaje, well con- 

 vinced that the rest of my retinue had been at- 

 tacked and stripped by some band of robbers, 

 perhaps by those who before our arrrival at Tahta 

 had observed and hovered about us for some time. 



Souhaje, 



