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

SOIREE. 33
tree is not larger than those I have seen in Spain
and Italy, but the fruit is of the size of a pump-
kin. Oranges are also in great abundance, and
well-flavoured. In short, the fertility of the soil
is all-apparent ; and, if every part of Egypt is as
fruitful as Alexandria, the whole country may be
compared to one vast garden of Hesperides.
We passed the evening at the Sardinian Con-
sul-General's, where we met such members of the
Consular society of Alexandria as have not fol-
lowed the Viceroy to Cairo, whither almost all
the Consuls-General are used to accompany him
in their diplomatic capacity. Two Oriental ladies
in full costume came in to pay Madame Cerutti
a visit ;
one of them a Syrian from Damascus, the
other an Armenian from Constantinople. Their
appearance and dress were very striking, both
wearing the fashions of their native cities. Being
Christians, they were unveiled, and felt no scruple
in taking part in the soiT6e of our amiable host-
ess, where the male portion of the society predo-
minated over the female. It was something new
for us to see tea-trays handed about by bare-
legged Arab servants, with red slippers and large
white turbans ; and tea-cups held in fingers dyed
with henna, and their contents sipped by lips that
could syllable nothing but Arabic and Turkish.
VOL. I. D