Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

294 Ancient Coptic Churches. [CH. vn.
gently upward again to make another hillock. The
distances vary a little, but the view is always bounded
by a ridge in front and a ridge behind. After a long
and toilsome day, just as the sun was setting, we
mounted the last ridge, and saw an immense valley
of sand stretching far away below us. The brief
purple twilight showed us too in the remote distance
a momentary glimpse of Dair Macarius, where we
hoped to make our quarters for the night. But the
darkness fell, moonless, almost starless, and so deep
that we could scarcely see each other. We were still
some miles from our monastery, which had vanished
again like an evening ghost : our beasts were tired,
our guides seemed doubtful of the way, the party
could only keep touch by continual shouting, and
our camels were far behind, we knew not where. The
sensation of being lost in the Sahara at night without
food or water is something to have experienced, if
only for two hours : nor was the feeling less real at
the time, because the after result it proved to have
been unnecessary. The descent into the valley was
steep
with rushes and Christ-thorn, and we found the way
much more difficult than the hard stony surface of
: then we stumbled on over loose sand mixed
the desert during our journey by day. The gloom
and silence around us were awful : it was like the
valley of the shadow of death. But it ended at last,
when a light flashed out in the distance and then
burned steadily, welcome as ever light was to benighted
wayfarers in desolate places : for though at
first we took it for a star, we soon knew that it was a
lantern burning on the convent walls to guide us.
We hastened on, and found the monks waiting in a
group they
outside the dair to receive us :
kissed our