ånt looking, gray mustached soldier, in his full uniform of a general. He received the General with courtesy, and there was the usual exchange of compliments; then came the coffee and the pipes, and the adieu. The Governor accompanied General Grant in his return walk, calling upon the German Consul, who had waylaid him, and begged that he would honor his house. This officer lived in style approaching splendor, and when his visitors were served with coffee and pipes they noticed that the pipestems were amber garnished with diamonds, and the coffee-cups were of the finest porcelain in cases of silver and gold. These ceremonies over, the General and party returned to the boat, through a gust of sand.

At Assouan, a town of four thousand inhabitants, five hundred and eighty miles south of Cairo and seven hundred and thirty miles from the Mediterranean, General Grant and party intended to end their journey. Assouan is the frontier station of Old Egypt, on the boundary of Nubia, and supposed to lay directly under the equator. In the ancient days the town was a quarry, and here were found the stones which became obelisks, temples and tombs. When Islam was marching to conquer the world, the Saracens made a town here and an outpost, and for years it was the battlefield in the constant strifes and schisms between Nubian and Egyptian. At Assouan the aspect of the tour changes; we see the Nubian type, the predominance of the negro. The people seem happy enough. They are sparing of clothes, live on sugar cane, and lie in the sun-a happy, laughing, idle, dirty, good-humored race.

Next day General Grant visited Philæ, situated on an island at the foot of the first cataract of the Nile. It was by far the most interesting and picturesque ruin that our party had seen. The island is green, and the date palms of luxuriant growth, and, unlike other portions of Egypt, we miss the sand, and can step trippingly over stones and turf. The

river here spreads in various channels, and runs over rocks. One channel is used for vessels ascending the river; the other for vessels descending the stream. The river is narrow, the banks are steep, and the stream rolls and dashes like a sea, the waves roaring and lashing the banks. The danger is from the rocks and being dashed against its banks.

In the morning the boat's prow is turned, and the General is moving back toward the Vandalia. On his return trip the General stopped over night at Keneh, saw his old friend the Governor, stopped an hour at Siout, and on the 3d of February reached Memphis. Here are the tombs of the sacred bull.

It was believed in the Egyptian mythology that the god Osiris came to earth and allowed himself to be put to death in order that the souls of the people might be saved. After his death there was a resurrection, and the immortal part of him passed into a bull, called Apis.

The ride to the tombs of Memphis was a pleasant one. The ruins of Memphis are two or three tombs and the serapeum or mausoleum of the sacred bulls. One of the tombs being open, the visitors examined it, the walls having the same profuse decoration as had been noted at other points, entering a long, arched passage, with parallel passages, candles having been placed at various points. On each side of this passage were the tombs. Each tomb was in its alcove; the bull was placed in a huge sarcophagus, the surface finely polished and covered with inscriptions. These coffins were stupendous. The tombs have all been violated by the early conquerors, to find gold and silver. In most cases the cover has been shoved aside. The inside was so large that eight or ten men could enter.

After finishing this study of the tombs, the party of visitors rode back to their boat, and in the morning steamed down to Cairo.

General Grant had seen the Nile much more rapidly than is the custom.

The General sent for the captain, and thanked him, and made him a handsome present, and gave presents to all on the boat, including the crew.

At 12 o'clock the boat passed the bridge and moored at the wharf. The General and party returned to the palace of Kaser-el-Nousa, where he remained three days, and then resumed his journey.

CHAPTER XXVII.

TURKEY AND THE HOLY LAND.

General Grant and party arrived at Jaffa on the morning of Sunday, February 10, having spent just one month on the Nile and vicinity. Upon landing, the visitors at once went to Vice-Consul Hardegg, and there found welcome and entertainment. There was a little archway of

flowers and branches over the road, surmounted by the inscription, "Welcome, General Grant," and all the town was out to do him honor. After visiting all the places of interest, General and Mrs. Grant, with four of the officers of the Vandalia, prepared to visit the Holy City. Having obtained three ciumsy open wagons, each drawn by three horses, they drove out of the town into the plain of Sharon, It was too early in the season to see Palestine in its glory, but the plain was rich and fertile. The party reached Ramleh at about sundown, and remained over night, resuming their journey at six in the morning. Passing from the plain of Sharon into the country of Joshua and Sampson, the road becomes rough and stony, and the carts go bumping, thumping over the worst road in the world. The fertility of Palestine lies in the plain below. Around and ahead, the beauty of Palestine, the beauty of Nature in her desolation; no houses, no farms, no trace of civilization but the telegraph poles. The first biblical view is the ruins of Gezer, once a royal city of Canaan. Passing through the Kirjath Jearim, the valley of Ajalon and the scene of the.

great battle between David and Goliath, the valley is deep

and the brook still runs a swift course. This was the last, ravine this side of the heights of Jerusalem, and one of the strongest natural defenses of the city. At this point General Grant was met by a troop of cavalry, representatives from all of the Consulates, delegations from the Americans, Jews, Armenians and Greeks, resident in Jerusalem - in all quite a small army-and, instead of quietly entering the city as he had expected, he was commanded to enter as a conqueror, in a triumphal manner.

Arrived at the city, General Grant was at once called upon by the Pacha and the Consuls. The Bishops and the Patriarchs all came and blessed the General and his house. The Pacha sent his band of fifty pieces in the evening to serenade the ex-President. The Pacha also gave a state dinner, which was largely attended. Early the following morning General Grant stole away, before the reception ceremonies, and walked over the street Via Dolorosa, consecrated to Christianity as the street over which Jesus carried His cross. The General lived while in Jerusalem within five minutes' walk of Calvary, and within sight from his chamber. The first place of interest on this street is the Coptic monastery. Here Christ sank under the weight of the cross. At the ruins of the Hospice of the Knights of St. John; here is where Jesus addressed the women who followed him. A few steps further and we are at the house and tomb of Veronica, who wiped the blood from Jesus' holy brows, and left His image on her napkin. Descending a slippery path, and at the corner is the house against which Christ leaned, overcome by agony. You see a dent in the stone. This dent was made by the hand of our Lord, as He stretched it out to support His burden. It is smooth and dark with the kisses of millions of believ

ing lips.

The next house is that of Dives, the rich man. At this corner Simon of Cyrene took the cross and carried it a