Edwards, Amelia B.: A thousand miles up the Nile (New York, [1888])

DISCO VERIES AT ABO U SIMBEL. 295

CHAPTER XVIII.

DISCOVERIES AT AIJOU SIMBEL.

We came back to find a fleet of dahabeeyahs ranged
along the shore at Abou Sirubel and no less than three
sketching-tents in occupation of the ground. One of
these, which happened to be pitched on the precise spot
vacated by our painter, was courteously shifted to make
way for the original tenant; and in the course of a couple
of hours we were all as much at home as if we had not
been away for half a day.

Here, meanwhile, was our old acquaintance—the Fostat,
with her party of gentlemen ; yonder the Zenobia, all

ladies; the little Alice, with Sir J. C------and Mr. W------on

board; the Sirena, flying with stars and stripes; the Man-
soorah, bound presently for the Fayum. To these were
next day added the Ebers, with a couple of German
savants; and the Bagstones, welcome back from Wady
Halfeh.

What with arrivals and departures, exchange of visits,
exhibitions of sketches and sociabilities of various kinds,
We had now quite a gay time. The Phila? gave a dinner-
party and fantasia under the very noses of the colossi and
every evening there was drumming and howling enough
among the assembled crews to raise the ghosts of Rameses
and all his queens. This was pleasant enough while it
lasted; but when the strangers dropped oil' one by one and
;it the end of three days we were once more alone, I think
we were not sorry. The place was, somehow, too solemn
for

" Singing, laughing, ogling and all that."

It was by comparing our watches with those of the
travelers whom we met at Abou Simbel, that we now
found out how hopelessly our timekeepers and theirs had
gone astray. We had been altering ours continually ever