A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

110 DEPARTURE.
we would only enjoy, and converting many a
bright and beautiful day-dream into a dry
arithmetical exercise ?
Up to the last day we had hoped that Mr.
P. would be enabled to accomplish his expe-
dition up the Nile at the same time with our-
selves ; but the friend that he is expecting from
England to accompany him in his extensive Eas-
tern wandering has not yet reached Cairo, and,
consequently, he is still detained there. Our
Dahabieh, therefore, departed alone from Bou-
lac; but we are not altogether without expec-
tations that his boat may catch us at some of
our resting places up the country. Both he and
Mr. Galloway accompanied us on board, and
when they took leave of us and stepped on
shore, we felt that we had fairly turned our
backs upon all European associations beyond
our own little party, and that for some weeks
to come we must forget that there are such
things in the world as newspapers, letters, gos-
sip, or those pleasant episodes which occur to
the traveller in civilized countries, in the shape
of welcome faces and familiar sounds, recalling
the land of one's birth in the land of strangers.
Before we push off from the Quay, however,
I must give you some idea of our conveyance.