194 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



\vith a yell of pain rushed frantically away to her 

 village. Albert soon returned, and had no difficulty in 

 solving the mystery, for he found that his friend had 

 poured strong sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) into the old 

 woman's eye. The question as to what ought to be done 

 under the circumstances was quickly settled by the arrival 

 of the Sheik of Assouan, who carried them off and made 

 them prisoners, to await orders from Cairo. In the 

 meantime they were sent to Thebes, and from here they 

 managed to escape in a native boat to Alexandria, 

 though at the cost of losing all they possessed on the 

 dahabeeah, and so by one unfortunate slip their labour 

 was for nought 



Many people might say that Albert was justly punished 

 for starting upon such an expedition ; but it should be 

 remembered that he knows Egypt well, and with this 

 knowledge holds the belief that though the Government 

 doctors are all men of good repute, there are others to 

 be found who would not quite care to follow their pro- 

 fession were they much under the eye of the law ; and 

 Albert had at least good reason to be confident in his 

 powers to do real service to the natives in the limited 

 extent to which he purposed to confine himself. 



March 2. Again a blank day. I had a very long 

 shot at a giraffe with the Henry rifle, and wounded it so 

 severely that it could only hobble away. Unfortunately 

 we were on foot, and as the heat was very great, and 



