4 
TEAVELS m CENTEAL AFEICA. 
the shore at an early hour in a fairy-like boat. Here the steamer 
took in eoal. We went to the beantifal ehurch of St. John^ and 
then drove to Civita Vecchia^ to visit the wonderful eatacombs 
which years and years ago sheltered living Christians from their 
foes^ the then all -conquering Turks. Many touching memorials 
still exist of their sojourn in those dreary tombs. It was such a 
relief to escape from them^ and to drive back again past the red 
clover fields_, redolent of its own peculiar perfume. The Governor's 
G arden was next visited : such a Paradise of a garden ! — groves 
of orange trees,, bearing fruit and blossom; lemon trees also^ so 
fragrant ! waving ferns,, flowers of the most brilliant colour, tropical 
creepers with a wealth of bloom, and high fences of flowering 
myrtle. It was truly an enchanted garden. 
Whether it was to my unconcealed delight of all the treasures, 
or whether it was the custom of the conductor to give to all a 
splendid bouquet, I know not; but 1 returned to Valetta laden 
with fragrant flowers, which were placed in my hands when I was 
seated in the carriage; many seeds also, which I trusted would 
germinate in our gardens at Khartoum, and Petherick purchased 
half a dozen young orange trees. At Valetta we dined, then 
went on board, and at midnight steamed for Alexandria, sighted 
on the 2nd of May : a flat, low land, windmills alone prominent. 
At sunset anchored. Kind Captain Carroll ordered his little gig 
to be rigged, and in her we went ashore ; the donkey-boys almost 
seizing us ; but Petherick^s Arabic soon dispersed them : they 
found he was quite aware of their playful little impositions. The 
merchandise and furniture for our home is great in quantity, so 
it will be sent on to Cairo by the Mahmoodyeh Canal. 
The hospitality we received at Alexandria during our short 
sojourn in that most interesting city I can never forget. Many 
