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

220 A NUBIAN PRINCE.
all the members of the Royal Family are, and
looked exceedingly edified at hearing their seve-
ral ages declined to me. Pipes were now brought,
and coffee ; and after duly discussing them, we
were preparing to depart when Hussein Kiashef
requested us to prolong our visit for another
quarter of an hour, that we might receive the
present he destined for us, and that I might be
introduced to his hareem. In a few minutes
afterwards, a large live black sheep was carried
by two slaves into the audience-chamber, and
set down in the middle of the floor, where he
showed his ignorance of courtly etiquette by
behaving as sheep are wont to do in meadows.
Two other slaves followed, each bearing a large
bag of dates ; and the Prince begged us to accept
those i^atriarchal offerings with so good a grace,
that to have declined them would have been
to offend.
I was then conducted to the hareem ; the old
gentleman's connubial establishment consisting of
three Nubian wives and three Abyssinian slaves,,
with a number of attendants, and children in
plenty. ]\Iy reception took place in a sort of al
fresco chamber, half of which only is covered in
from the rays of the sun by woven palm-leaves
a large mat of the same materials very prettily
;