You little know what an Arab house is.  In general, in Egypt, it is an exact square box made of mud, with a low hole for a door.  The furniture is a mat and cooking things; an oven made of mud. 19.—­Spent our Sabbath unoccupied in midst of the village; the poor Arabs have no Sabbath.  The thermometer 84 deg. in tent.  The governor called in the evening, and drank a cup of tea with great relish.  The heat we felt much all day; still it was sweet to rest and remember you all in the wilderness. 20.—­At twelve at night, left Balteen by beautiful moonlight.  Proceeding through a pleasant African wild of palms and brushwood, we reached the sea in two hours, and rode along, its waves washing our feet:  very sleepy.  We got a rest at mid-day, if rest it could be called, under that scorching sun, which I never will forget.  Proceeding onward, at three o’clock we left the sea-shore, and perceived the minarets of Damietta.  Before us the mirage cheated us often when we were very thirsty.  We crossed the Nile again, a much smaller branch,—­the only remaining one,—­and soon found ourselves comfortably reclining on the divan of the British Consul, an Egyptian gentleman of some fortune and manners.  He entertained us at supper in true Egyptian style; provided a room for us, where we spread our mats in peace.  We spent the whole of the next day here, having sent off a Bedouin to have camels ready for us at San.  The Consul entertained us in the same Egyptian style of hospitality, and sent us away the next day on board of a barge upon Lake Menzaleh. 22.—­Even E——­ would not have been afraid to sail upon the lake.  It is nowhere more than ten feet deep, and in general only four or five.  We made an awning with our mats, and spent a very happy day.  At evening we entered a canal among immense reeds.  In moonlight the scene was truly romantic; we slept moored to the shore all night.  Next morning (23) we reached San about ten.  This evening and next morning we spent in exploring the ruins of the ancient Zoan, for this we find is the very spot.

“Wandering alone, we were quite surprised to find great mounds of brick, and pottery, and vitrified stones.  Andrew at last came upon beautiful obelisks.  Next morning we examined all carefully, and found two sphinxes and many Egyptian obelisks.  How wonderful to be treading over the ruins of the ancient capital of Egypt!  Isaiah 19:12.  ‘Where are the princes of Zoan?’ Ezek. 30:14, ’God has set fire in Zoan.’  This is the very place where Joseph was sold as a slave, and where Moses did his wonders, Psalm 78:43.  This was almost the only place where we have been in danger from the inhabitants.  They are a wild race; and our Arabs were afraid of them.  You would have been afraid too, if you had seen, out of the door of our tent, our Bedouins keeping watch all night with their naked sabres gleaming in the moonlight, firing off their guns now and then, and keeping up a low chaunt to keep one another awake.  No evil happened to us, and we feel that