THE CHURCHES OF KHARTOOM. 415 
twenty to thirty tombs surmounted by crosses. The 
fumes of frankincense met us, and we began to wonder 
what sight was in store. We entered an arched build- 
o 
ing ; a man in spectacles read aloud from a volume 
placed on a desk in the centre, and around him were 
men wearing large turbans, their shoes placed on one 
side, and several children, all sitting on a carpet listen- 
ing devoutly. On the walls were draperies and pic- 
tures of our Saviour, and within a doorway was the 
high altar covered with a cloth marked by the figure of 
the cross. We were in a Coptic church. As the ser- 
vice proceeded in Arabic, a handsome old man entered, 
bearing a staff surmounted by a golden cross. He 
proceeded to the altar, and knelt at each of its four 
sides, after which he returned to where we stood, and 
conversed with us. By his invitation we left the 
church to have coffee at his house. I have seldom 
seen a finer face than that of this venerable Copt. 
His name, we found, was Gabriel ; he is at the head 
of the Coptic church at Khartoom, and has a con- 
gregation of about five hundred persons. He showed 
us his copy of the four gospels, printed in Arabic 
and Hebrew characters; and on our taking leave of 
him, he thanked Ali Bey and ourselves for having 
visited his church. 
The Austrian Mission has a large and long-estab- 
lished station at Khartoom. It occupies a few acres 
of ground upon the river bank, and is surrounded by 
a wall ten feet high. The main gateway faces the 
town ; it is handsome, and built of sandstone from the 
Bao. Their temporary church is small but very neat ; 
the front pews are occupied by the men, and those in 
the rear by the women. Through the kindness of Mr 
