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21 January 1912 — Luxor | |
Sunday. 21st January [1912]. Went to morning service in the chapel in the garden here– Afterwards took a turn near the Nile. At 3 o’cl Mr Naville came to see me & sat a long time chatting pleasantly. He is now excavating at Aleytos & has Mr Robert Trefusis with him. He arrived a few days ago from Naples & encountered very bad weather. The news of snow & storms in Europe are quite alarming. We are happy to be here in the sunshine. He said amongst other things that he believed that the Pentateuch had been translated from the cuniform writings wh had been the language of the intelligent communication of those days– I added that Poyes is of the same opinion. He left me at 4 o’cl & then Eda & I went off to the river & took a boat to the Davis Dahabeeyah the “Bedouin” to have tea with Mrs Andrews & the Misses Buttles. It was a lovely evening & we watched the natives drawing of their nets on an island on the river & it was curious to see the kites gathered from afar & made sweeps down amongst the river in the hope of picking up a fish. We also watched a kingfisher sitting on the boom of the Bedouin to watch for fish & every now & then dart down into the water & bring up a fish in its beak. The sun was setting in deep red stripes as we came across the Nile & we walked down to the dahabeeyah where Countess Contadone in living but could not see her as she was ill. This evening a M & Mme Legrain came from Karnak to dine with us. When they arrived we found them sitting in the drawingroom listening to a brilliant performance on the piano. It turned out to be M. Saint-Saens the French composer who is a great friend of the Legrains & is staying in this hotel. We sat & listened to him as he played snatches & pieces of one tune after after another. When he rose from the piano Mr Legrain presented him to me. It was by then dinner time & M. Saint-Saens followed us & came to our table evidently thinking he had been invited to dine with us. We were of course delighted & a place was quickly made for him. He made himself very agreeable & Mr Legrain drew him out & they capped each other’s stories & were merry. Saint-Saens had reminiscences of Portuguese royalties & copiously spoke with admiration of Queen Amelie. Mr Legrain told us how when the Queen came to Karnak with her son he had whispered to Mr Legrain that he had a favour to ask of him which was that he should persuade his mother to allow him to remain some hours with him (Legrain) to see him excavating. This Legrain did & he said he should never forget the sad expression of the Queen when she said she was obliged to refuse. He talked of the Connaughts with affection, & said that at a dinner to which he had been invited by Pss Beatrice & the now Queen of Spain, they had begged him to preside to his great embarrassment. All this he described very funnily & we sat at table till long after the rest of the diners had left the room. When we came out we found a native conjuror seated on the floor doing his tricks for the amusement of the travellers– I sat in a corner with Mme Legrain & we spoke of the quarrel between Maspero & her husband. He said Maspero was jealous of him & though he had promised an augmentation of salary– Maspero managed to prevent his getting it. I said I would do what I could when I return to Cairo. It seems that there is war to the knife between all these savants. At 10 the Legrains left & Eda & I retired to our rooms & had an hour’s game of patience before going to bed. | |
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