Monday, Jan. 12

A wind. The Fostat comes up and races the Philae. We are first into Esneh. Pretty place, horrible looking people and dancing girls. We bazaar on our own account with Joseph’s assistance. Buy geese, turkeys, chickens, eggs, sheep, all in odd quantities and up very odd streets. M.I.B. smokes a pipe over the oil can and is very proud of her bargains. For £5.0.0., 300 eggs, 38 chickens, 4 geese, 2 sheep, half a cow and vegetables. This with our present store will provision us for a month, which is necessary as after Assouan we may expect to get nothing much in Nubia but castor oil. The temple of Esneh is fine, though half buried in the sand and newly excavated. The interior is rather dark, with beautiful columns well sculptured and with grand capitals. It is not one of the very old ones, however. Miss Edwards made a very good picture of it.