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

218 A NUBIAN PALACE.
clean, as did the clay floor, in the middle of
which was a circular heap of ashes hollowed out
in the centre and filled with live embers—
strange adjunct in such a climate, when I tell
you that the temperature at this moment is that
of June in Italy. At the upper end of the room
was spread a large Persian carpet, upon which
were placed the Prince's cushions, and to the
left of him was a smaller Persian carpet furnished
in the same manner with cushions. Upon these
we were directed to take our seats, while our host
with great dignity assumed his at the head of
the room, and desired Mohammed to sit upon
the edge of his carpet to interpret for us. Oppo-
site to us on a mat were squatted fiye Nubians
in very fierce-looking turbans, with their slippers
placed before them — the notabilities of the
place; for on my asking who they were, Mo-
hammed very naively replied that they were " the
Mollah and the great lawyers of Derr — what
you call in England the Attorney-General and
Lord Brougham/' (And here, pa?- parantMse, I
must tell you that whenever Mohammed is al-
luding to the Scheikh-ul-Islam, or head of the
Mahometan religion at Cairo, he invariably calls
him the Archbishop of Canterbury, by which pa-
rallel he fancies he renders the functions of that
a