Egypt and Mohammed Ali or Travels in the Valley of the Nile Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1834 Excerpt: ...are few and but thinly scattered. At Ouastah two of my Arabs, natives of that village, landed to pay a visit to their relations, who all came PARTING scnms. 265 out--father, mother, sister, and brother--to meet and welcome them home. After a short stay, they returned to the kandjia, accompanied by their whole family. There was a remarkable likeness to each other in them all. The brother who remained with his parents, while the others sought their fortunes in Cairo, brought me a present of dried dates; the old man took me by the hand, and, recommending his sons to my care, conjured me to be kind to them when we should be out of Egypt; while the mother and sister were silent, and stood apart, endeavouring to hide their tears behind their hoods. Indeed, the young men were worthy of their affection; being patient, industrious, well-behaved, --more especially the younger, --and, obliging and disinterested beyond any Arab I ever met with. They were both strict observers of the duties of their religion, and seemed to be wholly free from those dissolute habits which too generally prevail among persons of their class. The wind being fair when we arrived at Siout, we continued our voyage, and moored about midnight at Abootgj. Suuday, Dec. 30. Tahtn. CLXXXIX. THERE being no wind, I was this morning enabled to resume the practice of walking. In England I always thought it pleasant to stroll through the country on Sunday, when the general cessation from labour appears to diffuse over the faces of the peasantry an air of cheerfulness and thankfulness, closely allied to the more enlivening influences of religion. The Mohammedan of Egypt, who does not keep his own Sabbath, cannot, of course, be expected to observe ours; nevertheless, old habitual associations caused me to im.