MRS. A.-When they reached the Isle of Philoe, Belzoni took particular notice of the small obelisk which he hoped at some future time to bring to England, and he sent for the Aga of Assouan.

EMILY.-We are got back to Assouan, are we, mamma?-I remember it, just on the opposite side of the Nile to that of the Cataract-and I remember the selfish Aga, too, who asked such a sum for the use of his boat: why did Belzoni send for him?

season.

MRS. A.-To persuade him to use his interest in having the obelisk taken down the Cataract; but this, for want of a boat, could not be effected that I mentioned the obelisk to you before. OWEN.-Yes, mamma: it was formed of granite, twenty-two feet in length and two in breadth, so that it would want a pretty large boat to convey it.

MRS. A.-Belzoni took possession of it, giving the Aga four dollars to pay a guard for it till his return. The next day they proceeded to Assouan by land. On their arrival they were informed there were no boats to take them to Esne, so there they were obliged to wait.

EMILY.-I do not expect the time was lost on Belzoni; yet I am sorry for him to meet

with this delay, for he no doubt was anxious to return to Thebes, and to see his

once more.

young Memnon

MRS. A.-What we cannot help we must of course endure. Our enterprizing friend often found it so, and he amused himself during this period by taking another tour in Elephantine.

EMILY.-And when he returned to Assouan had the boat made its appearance?

MRS. A.-No: no boat had yet arrived. The delay was tedious; however, nothing could be done but to submit to it.

of

Belzoni was seated one evening under a grove palm-trees, eating some rice soup with the Aga, when an Arab came and whispered in the ear of the latter, as if he had something of great importance to communicate.

BERNARD.-I should not have thanked him for the interruption; I do not like the Arabs at all, since they treated Belzoni so shabbily in the mummy

cave.

MRS. A.-The Aga rose, though his dinner was not finished, and went away with the air of a man of great business.

BERNARD. That looked very suspicious; what do you think the Arab had whispered to him?

MRS. A.-You will hear in time. Half an hour

after he returned, accompanied by two other persons of distinction, and an old man. They all seated themselves around him, and after introducing the affair with some caution, asked Belzoni whether he should like to purchase a large piece of diamond. It is true he was no diamond merchant : however, he told the Aga that if the article were good, and they could agree, he would buy it, but that it was necessary for him to see it first. The Aga said that the piece had been found by one of the natives of that place, and, as he was not in want of money, it had been preserved in the family for many years. The original proprietor being now dead, his successor wished to dispose of it.

Belzoni requested to see it, and therefore retired with them to some distance, out of the way of the people; when the old man, with great solemnity, took a small wooden box from a pocket in his leather belt. In this was a paper, which he unfolded; after that, two or three others, till at last he opened the sanctum sanctorum. Belzoni took its contents in his hands with no small degree of expectation; but, alas! how did he look when he perceived that this great treasure, which had been so long carefully stored, was only part of the stopple of a common glass cruet, of the size of a hazel-nut, with two or three little gilt flowers upon

it! All his hopes vanished: and as the others were attentively regarding his motions, they could not fail to observe the disappointment marked in his countenance, and their hopes vanished too. When they were told it was only a piece of glass, the words affected their minds like the unhappy tidings of some great misfortune; they walked off in solemn silence, not without giving him an inquiring look to learn whether he were really in earnest. But he also shared their disappointment, and the smile on his face could give them no hopes.

BERNARD.-What ignorance! to mistake a piece of glass for a diamond! I am glad it was no worse. When you told us, mamma, that the Aga walked off in solemn silence, I began to be alarmed for Belzoni.

Well, is the boat arrived?

MRS. A.-No: no boat is yet to be seen. Belzoni, therefore, proposed bespeaking two camels, and travelling to Esne by land; when this resolution was known, a boat was soon in readiness, and he discovered that the whole delay was a fraud to detain him at Assouan, several little barks having been concealed in different places. Our travellers had a rapid and agreeable voyage down the Nile, and reached Luxor in safety.

EMILY.-Luxor, just by Thebes, mamma, here

it is.

Did they find the boat come from Cairo, to take Caphany thither ?

MRS. A.-The Cacheff had procured one, and when they arrived at Thebes, they found it fastened to the bank where the colossal head was.

Belzoni

met with much opposition when he wished to remove this great bust;-some thought that it would overbalance the boat, and consequently be lost in the Nile; others wished to retain it, supposing it contained gold; and others alleged that it was impossible to put it into the boat, as the bank was more than fifteen feet above the level of the water, which had retired at least a hundred feet from it. His vexation was great, in thinking that all his efforts and exertion in bringing the head to the Nile were to no purpose, and that it would probably never reach England, as the opposition was so powerful.

OWEN.-After having taken so much pains! after having made the car, and the palm-leaf ropes! after having employed so many days in removing it!-Ah! Belzoni, how little they knew how to appreciate your industry.

MRS, A.-Perseverance in laudable pursuits, as I have often told you, will reward all our

H