198 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. vn. 



on the banks of the Nile, which beats any 

 allegory, when the Duke came up and said, 

 " The Prince wants you to dine with them ; there's 

 no dress, so you can ' clean yourself in my cabin." 

 I dipped into a basin with about a pint of soup- 

 coloured water in it, and off we were again to the 

 bank, requiring hands and feet to climb up, and 

 then on to the plank leading to the royal yacht. 

 I had on a light summer suit, Sir S. Baker one of 

 whitey-brown canvas, and all the party were in 

 shooting or yachting costume. The Prince 

 talked a good deal about the White Lodge in 

 Richmond Park, and the Princess about the 

 scenes in Cairo. I asked her if she had read 

 Tennyson's " Haroun-al-Raschid " and she said 

 she had. Before leaving, I took the opportunity 

 of putting in a word for Miss Whateley's school 

 at Cairo for native girls, hoping the school might 

 be a germ, growing in time to put an end to the 

 cruel superstition which prevents the mothers 

 from driving away the flies from the poor babies' 

 eyes, and from ever washing them till they are 

 able to wash themselves, of which sad absurdities 

 H.R. H. had never heard. The Princess soon 

 afterwards said good- night, and retired. Then a 

 chat on deck for a short time, a few refreshments, 

 and the Prince accompanied us back to the plank. 

 I was the last to cross the plank, and was about 

 half way over, when out of the darkness one of 

 the party rushed back, and, grasping both of my 



