AND LOWER EGYPT. 269 



slept well, and if my health was perfectly good ; he 

 then ordered a light breakfast and some coffee to 

 be brought me. I took my departure, however, 

 with all possible dispatch, lest it should have beeii 

 discovered, as the day advanced, that the pre- 

 tended Kiaschef h^d no beard. 



Bellane, a considcrriblc villacic to the westward 

 of the Nile, and near which, towards the moun- 

 tains, are still lO be seen, as I have learnt from 

 some of the inhabitants, ruins which occupy a large 

 portion of ground, was tlic retreat where v^'e passed 

 the night of the 27th. 



Storks and pelicans stood motionless for whole 

 hours on little islands of sand ; kings- fishers, black 

 and white plovers, armed, and those with a ring 

 round the neck, and herons, were here and there 

 to be seen ; and cvcu before Beliane, pigeons made 

 a descent upon the river, although rapid and agi- 

 tated, and remained some moments on the surface 

 of the water. 



From Beliane we hent our course on the aSth 

 towards Girge. There was here still another hos- 

 pital of monks for the propagation of the faith, to 

 which I bad also a letter from Cairo. I had some 

 curiosity to see whether they were any better than 

 those vfEc/wiimm and Negziiule, and the receptioa 



I met 



