of the khalifs," which contains many of the finest architectural gems
of mediæval Egypt; to the west is Fostat, the original "city of the
tent," from which Cairo sprang, while over the rubbish heaps of old
Babylon, the Roman aqueduct stretches towards Rhoda, that beautiful
garden island on whose banks tradition has it that the infant Moses
was found, while still further across the river, sail-dotted and
gleaming in the sun, the great Pyramids mark the limit of the Nile
Valley and the commencement of that enormous desert which stretches to
the Atlantic Ocean. Looking south, past Memphis and the Pyramids of
Sakkara and Darshūr, the Nile loses itself in the distant heat
haze, while to the north is stretched before us the fertile plains of
the Delta.

[Illustration: A STREET IN CAIRO.]

At our feet lies the wonderful Arab town, whose domes and minarets
rise high above the dwellings which screen the streets from view, but
whose seething life is evidenced by the dull roar which reaches you
even at this distance. It is a city of sunlight, rich in buildings of
absorbing interest and ablaze with colour. As for the people, ignorant
and noisy though they are, they have much good-humour and simple
kindness in their natures, and it is worth notice that a stranger may
walk about in safety in the most squalid quarters of the city, and of
what European capital could this be said?




CHAPTER V