is constantly reminded of Herodotus. The Christianity and the Islam of
this country are full of the ancient worship, and the sacred animals have
all taken service with Muslim saints. At Minieh one reigns over
crocodiles; higher up I saw the hole of AEsculapius' serpent at Gebel
Sheykh Hereedee, and I fed the birds--as did Herodotus--who used to tear
the cordage of boats which refused to feed them, and who are now the
servants of Sheykh Naooneh, and still come on board by scores for the
bread which no Reis dares refuse them. Bubastis' cats are still fed in
the Cadi's court at public expense in Cairo, and behave with singular
decorum when 'the servant of the cats' serves them their dinner. Among
gods, Amun Ra, the sun-god and serpent-killer, calls himself Mar Girgis
(St. George), and is worshipped by Christians and Muslims in the same
churches, and Osiris holds his festivals as riotously as ever at Tanta in
the Delta, under the name of Seyd el Bedawee. The _fellah_ women offer
sacrifices to the Nile, and walk round ancient statues in order to have
children. The ceremonies at births and burials are not Muslim, but
ancient Egyptian.

The Copts are far more close and reserved and backward than the Arabs,
and they have been so repudiated by Europeans that they are doubly shy of
us. The Europeans resent being called 'Nazranee' as a genteel Hebrew
gentleman may shrink from 'Jew.' But I said boldly, '_Ana Nazraneeh_.
_Alhamdulillah_!' (I am a Nazranee. Praise be to God), and found that it
was much approved by the Muslims as well as the Copts. Curious things
are to be seen here in religion--Muslims praying at the tomb of Mar
Girgis (St. George) and the resting-places of Sittina Mariam and Seyidna
Issa, and miracles, brand-new, of an equally mixed description.

If you have any power over any artists, send them to paint here. No
words can describe either the picturesque beauty of Cairo or the splendid