1869-71 
THE MAGIC CRYSTAL 
19s 
candles, and fitfully illuminated by the incense- 
burning brazier. 
- Each put his question. Being appealed to, 
I said there were three people I should like to ask 
about, but would take one of them. Archbishop 
Manning. “ What was Manning doing ? ” What 
do you suppose was the answer ? “ Nit-rsing his 
baby ” ! ! (quite seriously given by the boy, who 
sazo it, he said, in the magic glass, and gravely 
translated by the beneficent Bey, who in Nubar’s 
absence acted as host.) 
‘ The only good shot was a question about 
the Prince of Wales, but I could see the old 
impostor, muttering so that the boy might hear, 
" He was neither short nor tall, was on the 
sea, and had a lady with him.” 
‘ After a few very bad guesses the conjurors 
Were dismissed with a couple of sovereigns.’ 
The next day Owen visited the Suez Canal in 
a small screw steamer with a little cabin. 
‘. . . The canal is not as broad as the 
Thames at Hampton, usually with high banks 
niade of the stuff dredged or dug out. Occa- 
sionally we -had views of the Desert on each 
side. . . .’ 
He then gives an amusing account of the way 
m which M. de Lesseps played a little trick upon 
him : ‘ The steamer had taken us to sea, so 
that we might view the piers of huge artificial 
blocks of stone intended to keep open the entry 
