What We Saw in Egypt

The unfinished railway between Suez and Cairo sends a party of travellers across the desert in high-wheeled vans. Among them are Hugh and Lucy, whose weariness and curiosity give this account its young readers’ point of view. Meals at staging posts, changes of horses and mules, and a moonlit caravan carrying army funds break up the long crossing. Arrival in Cairo brings another difficulty when the tired party finds the hotels full.

Later excursions turn sightseeing into lessons about Egypt’s buildings, river and religious associations. At the Nilometer, the visitors learn how the rising Nile is measured and why its overflow matters to the surrounding country. They explore gardens and the tombs of Mameluke rulers, while sites linked with Moses prompt reflections on Bible stories. This illustrated travel account offers young readers a view of travel before the completed railway, with everyday discomforts beside descriptions of monuments and local customs.