So the next morning, I and the sharer of my mosquitos arose early. We had passed a portion of the night, slightly attired, in extricating from our luggage all the articles indispensable to our first proceedings. We had sharpened our pencils, stretched our canvas, examined our colours, and at six o'clock in the morning we set off at speed in the direction of the Amrou mosque, where we had scented wonderful effects and greys more beautiful than nature itself.

Amrou, one of the generals of Caliph Omar, was the author of this monument, which all concur in regarding as the first Mussulman mosque built at Cairo. There is nothing to contradict this theory of its origin, and its style confirms all the statements which are accepted concerning it. The Arabs call it Gâm-a-Amrou; and it may be regarded as the cradle or point of departure of Islamism in Egypt. It was erected A.D. 640, and is situated on the eastern side of old Cairo, with which it is contemporaneous. All around it lie heaps of ruins, the formless remains of the city whose fairest ornament it was. The enclosure of this architectural relic forms a perfect square, the interior being only the regular peristyle of an immense court. Two hundred and thirty marble columns form the bulk of this open building,

THE MOSQUE OF AMROU.

43

whose covered portion is insignificant in comparison with the rest of the edifice. In the centre of this gigantic court stands the traditional piscina found in every mosque, where every Mussulman performs the indispensable ablutions before he commences his prayer. This little octagonal pavilion, still decorated with paintings, is shaded by a fine palm tree, which seems to be the ancient guardian of this holy place. The quality and colour of the water say little for the piety of the faithful, unless, indeed, they be the results of their uncleanliness. We made a conscientious study of this remarkable building, whose smallest details bear the impress of Arab art, in all its primitive and simple beauty. A graceful minaret springs into the air just over the principal entrance, and indicates the presence of the mosque for a great distance, otherwise it would hardly be guessed at, so regular is its form, and so much hidden its enclosure by the ruins of the ancient city and rubbish of every sort, combined with the gradual but sure invasion of the sand.

In the covered portion which forms the sanctuary, there is little to remind the visitor of the reverence of which the mosque of Amrou must have been for so long the object. Its mirhab, or niche, turned towards

Mecca, is in complete decay, as is also the menber, or pulpit of carved wood, which is so religiously preserved in other mosques. In a column close to this ruined pulpit, you are requested to observe that a long white vein is visible, which cuts the smooth surface exactly like a whip stroke. Tradition attributes this miraculous scar to the 'courbache' of Caliph Omar.

The tomb of the great founder of the city and the mosque testifies to his personal humility. His own monument is a simple rectangular stone surmounted by a plain little roof supported by four shabby columns. But this exceeding simplicity does not decrease the veneration with which the true Mussulmans regard Amrou and his mosque, for the greatest personages honour it by official visits, and carry away from it benedictions of a superior quality. On a second occasion, when the whole of our party visited the mosque, we wished to conform to a pious legend which is one of the attractions of the edifice. Under the peristyle of the court, near the door on the right, there are two little columns made out of a single block of marble: they are joined at their capitals, and at their bases, and a very narrow space separates the two. A pious Arab legend assigns several agreeable

properties to this aperture;

A TIGHT SQUEEZE,

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among others, that of prolonging the life of every one who succeeds in squeezing himself between the two columns without breaking his ribs. Several of us, thanks to an elegant slimness, slipped through, like letters into a receiver, and carried off the patent of long life; but one of our number had to make such. tremendous exertions that we thought the columns must have cracked. 'He will get through!' 'No, he won't!' 'Yes, he will!' He did get through, but at what a price!

In another place, we secured everlasting bliss by crossing a space a few yards in extent with our eyes bandaged, and touching a black patch let into the wall; and the Arabs, actually thought we cheated, because we reached the wall in safety, and succeeded in touching the celestial brick.

The air of serious, even fanatical, conviction maintained by the sheik of the mosque contrasted strangely with the comic side of these superstitious legends, which reminded us of our happy school-boy days, our races in sacks, and our blind-man's-buff.

SKETCH V.

THE PYRAMIDS.

Choosing an Honest Robber-The Nile-Roudah-Our First CampCleopatra's Asp-The Pyramids-Sakkara-Sérapium--Herons and Gulls-Dachour-A Storm of Geese-More Noise than Business.

WE returned to Cairo, at the full speed of our asses, by the road which lies, along the Nile so far as Boulak. A thousand incidents, each more picturesque than the foregoing, would have detained us at every step, had we not been preoccupied by the important operation which awaited us at the hotel. This was no less than the selection of a dragoman for our expedition to Fayoum. We held a regular council of war, and this portentous ceremony collected under our windows a fantastic group of the strangest types and physiognomies. A mere glance at some of these sworn-pilots, to whom we should have to confide our existence and our property, made us instinctively button our coats, and take hold of our watch-chains.