AN EGYPTIAN COUNTRY HOUSE. 27 



canal was laid out in a walk shaded by trees ; the 

 leafy sycamore, the acacia with its yellow blossoms, 

 and the doum or Theban palm. In the centre of 

 the garden was a vineyard, the branches being trained 

 over trellis work so as to form a boudoir of green 

 leaves with clusters of red grapes glowing like pictures 

 on the walls. Beyond the vineyard, at the further 

 end of the garden, stood a summer house or kiosk; in 

 front of it a pond which was covered with the broad 

 leaves and blue flowers of the lotus and in which 

 water fowl played. It was also stocked with fish 

 which the owner amused himself by spearing ; or 

 sometimes he angled for them as he sat on his 

 camp stool. Adjoining this garden were the stables 

 and coach houses, and a large park in which gazelles 

 were preserved for coursing. The Egyptian gentry 

 were ardent lovers of the chase. They killed wild ducks 

 with throw sticks, made use of decoys, and trained 

 cats to retrieve. They harpooned hippopotami in the 

 Nile ; they went out hunting in the desert with lions 

 trained like dogs. They were enthusiastic pigeon 

 fanciers, and had many different breeds of dogs. Their 

 social enjoyments were not unlike our own. Young 

 ladies in Egypt had no croquet ; but the gentle sport 

 of archery was known amongst them. They had also 

 boating parties on the Nile, and water pic-nics 

 beneath the shady foliage of the Egyptian bean. They 

 gave dinners, to which, as in all civilized countries, the 

 fair sex were invited. The guests arrived for the 

 most part in palanquins, but the young men of fashion 

 drove up to the door in their cabs, and usually arrived 

 rather late. Each guest was received by a cluster 

 of servants who took off his sandals, gave him 

 water to wash his hands, anointed and perfumed 



