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The Approach to the Native City 71
plenty in veils so transparent that they only differ from
those of foreigners by the fact that they leave the eyes
uncovered. This veil is a legal fiction : the rich Egyptian-
Turkish ladies go so far as to wear one of these ridiculous
veils with a foreign hat when they are going on board the
steamer at Alexandria to proceed to Europe. The veil is of
course discarded the moment they are out of sight of Egypt,
and never resumed till they return.
The most interesting veils are those of the country women,
especially the bedawins who take the trouble to veil, for they
hang all sorts of mysterious things round their veils. Some-
times they incline to ropes of big gold and coral beads,
sometimes to festoons of gold coins, sometimes to a row of
little chains hung vertically down the face.
In the course of half an hour you plough your way through
the migrating Arabs and the street hawkers and donkey-boys
to the corner of the Khordagiya. There is no difficulty
in knowing when you are there. There are beautiful old
mosques on both sides of the street—the gates of the City
of the Caliphs—and there is a sort of banner hung across
the street, like those which assured King Edward of the
continued loyalty of his subjects when he was going to be
crowned, only this one merely welcomes the tourist to the
entrance of the Khan-el-Khalil and Cohen's shop.
He receives a personal welcome also ; for the touts who are
the skirmishers of the bazars spring upon his carriage from
all sides offering their services as guides.
" Sir, I do not want any money."
" What do you want, then ? "
" Well, you can give me anything you like."
And so you enter the bazars.