DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12664#0123
114 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
hovering over your coal fires, or moving about
wrapped in cloaks and greatcoats, can hardly be-
lieve that on the twentieth of January the Arabs
were refreshing their heated bodies by a bath in
the Nile, and that I was lying under my tent ac-
tually panting for breath. I had plenty to occupy
me, but the heat was too intense ; the sun seemed
to scorch the brain, while the sands blistered the
feet. I think it was the hottest day I experienced
on the Nile.
While leaning on my elbow, looking out of the
door of my tent towards the temple of Luxor, I
saw a large body of Arabs, on foot, on dromeda-
ries, and on horseback, coming down towards the
river. They came about half way across the sandy
plain between the temple and the river, and stop-
ped nearly opposite my tent, so as to give me a full
view of all their movements. The slaves and pipe-
bearers immediately spread mats on the sand, on
which the principal persons seated themselves, and
while they were taking coffee and pipes, others
were making preparations for equestrian exercises.
The forms and ceremonies presented to my mind
a lively picture of preparing the lists for a tourna-
ment ; and the intense heat and scorching sands
reminded me of the great passage of arms in Scott's
Crusaders, near the Diamond of the Desert, on the
shores of the Dead Sea.
The parties were on horseback, holding in their
right hands long wooden spears, the lower ends
resting on the sand, close together, and forming a.
hovering over your coal fires, or moving about
wrapped in cloaks and greatcoats, can hardly be-
lieve that on the twentieth of January the Arabs
were refreshing their heated bodies by a bath in
the Nile, and that I was lying under my tent ac-
tually panting for breath. I had plenty to occupy
me, but the heat was too intense ; the sun seemed
to scorch the brain, while the sands blistered the
feet. I think it was the hottest day I experienced
on the Nile.
While leaning on my elbow, looking out of the
door of my tent towards the temple of Luxor, I
saw a large body of Arabs, on foot, on dromeda-
ries, and on horseback, coming down towards the
river. They came about half way across the sandy
plain between the temple and the river, and stop-
ped nearly opposite my tent, so as to give me a full
view of all their movements. The slaves and pipe-
bearers immediately spread mats on the sand, on
which the principal persons seated themselves, and
while they were taking coffee and pipes, others
were making preparations for equestrian exercises.
The forms and ceremonies presented to my mind
a lively picture of preparing the lists for a tourna-
ment ; and the intense heat and scorching sands
reminded me of the great passage of arms in Scott's
Crusaders, near the Diamond of the Desert, on the
shores of the Dead Sea.
The parties were on horseback, holding in their
right hands long wooden spears, the lower ends
resting on the sand, close together, and forming a.