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

340 E'SIOL'T.
government of Selim Pasha, whose authority-
extends from this place to the Second Cataract.
Mohammed immediately communicated with the
Pasha's dragoman, who made known to his Excel-
lency that a boat with English travellers had
arrived ; and in a short time his Ghawass came to
us with a most polite message, stating, that Selim
Pasha was in great grief, occasioned by the dan-
gerous illness of his daughter; that for several
days he had not left the hareem on that account,
and had sat up the whole of the preceding night
with the sufferer ; but that if we would visit the
tombs and temples in the vicinity of E'Siout —
(for which purpose he sent us his own donkeys
and grooms)—his Excellency would afterwards on
his return from the mosque, at three o'clock,
give us an audience. To this gracious attention
was added all sorts of apologies for not being
able to send his horses for our use, this being the
season when they are all out at grass, or fed
in the stable upon a sort of clover, called hercine,
and in Egypt they are never ridden during that
period.
But the donkeys he sent us were such splendid
animals, so large, so full of animation, so beauti-
fully caparisoned, that when we looked at them it
was impossible to regret the absence of horses
;