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A solitary camel passed-phantom-like—with his driver. Noiseless their tread. No word was spoken, no sign made. The Muslim looked at us impassibly, as if we had been grotesque carvings upon the tombs. The low wind went pacing deliriously through the defiles. The silent solitude stifled thought, and seemed to numb the soul with its deadness. But suddenly palms waved over us iike hands of blessing, and, caressing the shore of Syene, ran the victor of the desert, blue-armored from his cataract triumph.

XXV.

THE TREATY OF SYENE.

Ar sunset a cloud of dust.

It was a donkey cavalcade, descending the beach. Foremost rode the captain of the cataract, habited blackly, with a white turban. The pilotage through the cataract is the monopoly of a club of pilots (Mercury, God of commerce, forgive the name!) with some one of which the bargain must be concluded. They all try to cheat each other, of course; and probably manage the affairs of the partnership, by allowing each member, in turn, an illimitable chance of cheating. The white-turbaned, blackhabited donkestrian was the very reis of reises, the sinfulest sinner.

Behind him thronged a motley group, cantering upon small donkeys. At length the spell was successful, and the spirits were coming. Black spirits and white, blue spirits and gray, were mingled and mingling. Long men and short, bald and grisly, capped and turbaned variously, and swathed in ungainly garments, that flew and fluttered in the breeze of their speed, and blent with the dust of the

donkeys, made great commotion in the golden quiet of sunset.

The cavalcade was magically undonkeyed; the savages sprang, and shambled, and tumbled off, while their beasts were yet in full motion, and were mounting the plank, and plunging upon the Ibis, before the animals had fairly halted. Then ensued the greeting, the salaaming. This is an exquisitely ludicrous ceremony to the spectator. It commences with touching hands and repeating some formula of thanksgiving and prayer. It continues by touching hands and repeating the formula, which is by no means brief, and is rattled off as unconcernedly as Roman priests rattle off their morning masses, looking all around, and letting the words run. When it is finished, the parties kiss their own hands and separate. Generally, having nothing to say, they go apart after this elaborate greeting, and separate silently at last, unless, as usual, they quarrel stoutly before parting.

It was amusing to see the Commander, conducting this ceremony with several. The point seemed to be, who should have the last word. When the innocent spectator supposed the how-d'ye-do already said, the actors burst forth again, and kept bursting forth until kissing time. It shows the value of time to a people who are fifteen minutes

saying, how are you?" And yet, the Syenites, and all other Egyptians have the advantage of us in some ways. They salaam at great length; and then, having nothing to say, are silent. We salaam very briefly; and then, having nothing to say, talk a great deal. After all, some Howadji doubt whether a Syenite reis, sitting silent in the sunset, smoking his pipe, is not as fair a figure to imagination as Verde Giovane, or all the Piu Giovanes sitting in white gloves and bright boots, and talking through an act in an opera-box.

The salaaming accomplished, the savages seated themselves about the deck. The captain of the cataract, as one of the high contracting parties, sat next the cabin, before which sat the other partythe Howadji. The Commander of the Faithful, in full pontificals, enthroned himself upon a chair in the centre of the deck. Chibouques were lighted coffee brought by the Hadji Hamed, whose solemni ty was not softened as on that Terpsichorean night at Esne, and zealously puffing and sipping, the council commenced.

The Howadji knows no occasion, except similar diplomatic assemblies, which could present a group of more imbecile faces. The want of pride, of manliness, of dignity, of force, of all that makes the human face divine, was supplied by an expression

of imbecile cunning, ridiculously transparent. The complexions were of every color, from yellow copper to Nubian deadness of blackness. It was as hateful to be treating with such human caricatures, as it would have been with apes. The natural savage may be noble-certainly the records of Indian life are rich in dignity, heroism, and manliness. But a race effete-the last lees of what was a nation, are not to be gilded when they have sunken into imbecility, because the elder inhabitants of the land were noble. Howbeit the poet Martineau could watch these men and sing rapturously of "the savage faculty." Learn at Syene, O unpoetic Howadji! that not the savage faculty of a dotard race, but the pure providence of God, takes you up and down the cataract.

The conditions of the treaty, as of many others, were mostly understood before the Congress assembled. Prolix palaver and the dexterous seizing of chance advantages, were the means of attaining those conditions, and the Commander shook out his golden-sleeves, as Metternich his powdered wig at Vienna, then crossed his eyes like the arbiter of many fates, and said, pleasantly puffing, in Arabic"You took up an English boat this morning?"

The captain of the cataract responded "taib,"

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