My relations with Messrs. Thomas Cook and Son go back for many years, and with the Midland of England, my Alma Mater, the firm is, perhaps, more closely associated than with any other railway.  It was on the Midland system that, in 1841, its business began.  In that year the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Cook, arranged with the Midland the first public excursion train on record.  It ran from Leicester to Loughborough and back at a fare of one shilling, and carried 570 passengers.  This was the first small beginning of that great tourist business which now encircles the habitable globe.  Mr. Thomas Cook was a Derbyshire man and was born in 1808.  My father knew him well, often talked to me about him, and told me stories of the excursion and tourist trade in its early days.  But I am digressing, and must return to Old Father Nile, who was in great flood.  We saw him at his best.  His banks were teeming with happy dusky figures and the smiling irrigated land was bright with fertility.  Our journey to Assouan occupied eleven days, a leisurely progress averaging about two and a-half miles an hour.  During the night we never steamed, the Amasis lying up while we enjoyed quiet rest in the quietest of lands.  Of course we visited all the famous temples and tombs, ruins and monuments, of ancient Egypt; and had many camel and donkey rides on the desert sands before reaching the first cataract.  At Luxor, where we stayed for five days, we were pleasantly surprised at seeing Mr. Harrison and Mr. Warren Gillman come on board.  The latter was Secretary of Messrs. Cook and Son’s Egyptian business, and has, I believe, since risen higher in the service of the firm.

The great Dam at Assouan was just completed and we traversed its entire length on a trolley propelled by natives.  Assouan detained us for four days; then, time being important, we travelled back to Cairo by railway.  Three more interesting days were passed in the Babylonian city, then homewards we went by the quickest route attainable.

Whilst in Cairo and on our journey up the Nile, Bailey and I wrote, jointly, a series of seven articles on “Egypt and its Railways.”  These appeared in the Railway News in seven successive weeks during December and January.

Our last hours in the land of the Pharaohs were filled with regret at having to leave it so soon.  Said Bailey:  “Cannot you, before we go, write a verse of Farewell?” So I composed the following:—­

   Egypt, farewell, and farewell Father Nile,
   Impenetrable Sphinx, eternal pile
   Of broad-based pyramid, and spacious hypostyle!

   Farewell Osiris, Anubis and Set,
   Horus and Ra, and gentle Meskenhet,
   Ye sacred gods of old, O must we leave you yet?

   The mighty works of Ramesis the Great,
   Memphis, Karnak and Thebes asseverate
   The pomp and glory, Egypt, of your ancient state.

   Bright cloudless land!  Your skies of heavenly blue
   Bend o’er your fellaheen the whole day through;
   Night scarce diminishes their sweet celestial hue.