100 HOME LIFE ON AN OSTRICH FARM. 



of " Potipherah, priest of On ; " and the sun gave U3 

 some good pictures of that sole remaining relic of the 

 city where he himself was formerly worshipped. We 

 spent a long morning at Heliopolis and Matariyeh ; 

 and it was not until we had proceeded some distance 

 along the dusty road leading back to Cairo, that we 

 suddenly recollected there was yet one more sight on 

 our programme. The sun was blazing down fiercely 

 on us ; we were very tired ; longing visions of the 

 Hotel du Nil luncheon, the hour for which bad already 

 come, filled our minds ; and most devoutly did we hope 

 the donkey-boys might forget they had something more 

 to show us, and — possibly being hungry themselves — 

 take us straight home. But no ! suddenly our reluc- 

 tant donkeys were abruptly turned from the homeward 

 course on which they were trotting so merrily ; and by 

 main force pushed into a particularly uninviting path 

 branching ofi" at right angles from the road. We made 

 one desperate efibrt to turn them back ; but our tor- 

 mentors flew to their heads, and, dragging, pushing, 

 almost lifting them along, applied the tripod's spikes 

 with fresh energy. In vain did we expostulate ; ex- 

 plaining piteously, with all the powers of pantomime 

 at our command, that we were tired and hungry, and 

 wanted to go back to the hotel ; that we would come 

 and see this interesting sight, whatever it was, to- 

 morrow, hoohra — that favourite word of the procrasti- 

 nating Orientals, which, like the manaitia of the 

 Spaniards, soon becomes hatefully familiar from con- 

 stant hearing, and which is second only to the terrible 



