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31 January 1912 — Luxor | |
Wednesday. 31st [January 1912]. We were ready waiting for Mamoor when he called for us at 9 a.m. We met Mrs Jones at the Winter Palace landing place & went across the Nile in a steam launch, & found donkeys ready saddled for us to ride waiting for us. Eda, Mrs J. & I rode donkeys Mamoor rode a good horse & his police officer also. We did not find it over hot altho’ the sun was powerful– We rode past Medinet Habou a little way till we found some tents pitched—some low mounds, & Arabs at work. We dismounted & sat in the large tent & when artist Mr Jones & Mr who is in charge of the work took us out to see what they had found– Accustomed as one is to find in Egypt splendid ruins & stately columns, it was a little disappointing to find little more than the brick foundations of what is said to be remains of a palace. There were also small pieces of plaster having colour designs on them which Mr Jones was piecing together & making copies on paper. These foundations are extended & the rooms, some of them, must have been a large size. Having seen this we returned to the tent & Mr Winlock arrived having just returned from Cairo where he had been to meet Mr Pierpont Morgan. We lunched at 12.30 & after resting a while we set off on the return journey to Luxor. I rode there & back with the Mamoor who spoke French fluently & is an interesting man—a native of Alexandria & tho’ a Musulman, brought up at the Jesuit College. He has never been to Europe & hopes to do so this summer. Being head of the police at Luxor is a post of importance as he has the European travellers protection to see to. He tells me he is very strict with the Arabs here & makes them understand that they are responsible to the Govt for their conduct to foreigners. Absurd tourists speak familiarly to the Arabs who by nature have no respect for women in general & might be arrested as to their motives– They would not do this in their own countries with the lower classes– It is foolish & sometimes dangerous. We returned to the Luxor Hotel abt 3 oclock & found the carriages of the Legrains waiting to drive us out to Karnak to have tea with them. Eda wandered away into the temple where I went later with Mme Legrain & there we met Mr L. who was showing round a gentleman– At 5 we drove back to Luxor, dressed & went off to dine with the Maspero on their Dahabeeyah. Met Css Contadone, M. Antitch & Mlle Joanot. Maspero was amusing talking of fortune telling, dreams, hypnotism & double identity—& so the evening went along till we walked back to the hotel at 10.30. | |
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