Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15

the merchants, to whom they steer
their charges. Certainly this not
true of Georges Mikhail OF whom I wrote in
a preceding chapter He resisted the statesmen
Cd the road and made recommendations
Rather indeed. did he do his own selling to
his patrons, taking them to his home for that
purpose. ! have cause to complain OF this
treatment. for after all Georges judgment as
to authenticity of antiquities was far superior
to my own and as far 1 could judge his
prices were reasonable.
At the national museum in Cairo, however
O guide did plain bit OF steering. My son had
O few days previous to our visit to that inSti-
tuition bought 'on approval" in the Mouski a
tomb relic that the vendor guaranteed as
genuine, agreeing to take it back and refund
the price il at the museum it was not pro-
nounced authentic. The guide picked US up
Just inside of the entrance of the museum.
My first inclination to reject his tender
of service but second thought prompted &C
ceptance, because of the vastness of the place
and the fact that wanted particularly TO
see the Tut-ankh Amen relics and needed a
guide at least to show us the way to them. He
proved to be an efficient director and an in
tellgent interpreter of the wonders Of the latest
find at Thebes
In the course of the inspection of the treas
ures mention was made of the Mouski purchase,
and the guide was asked If there was place
in the museum where such an article could be
submitted for inspection and judgment. OF
course there was the guide assured us and he
would take us there when we were ready to
depart That time came and he led us through
the main entrance to a shop across the street.
passing on the way, we later discovered, the
door to the sales department" of the museum,
where Just such service as we required was
rendered free. OF course in the shop
inveigled into buying, the particular relic in
question having been promptly pronounced to
be genuine. I have not the least doubt that
goodly percentage of our purchase money went
later to the guide.
WE had an amusing contact in Old Cairo
w with carriage driver and a would-be
guide, in which we came off second best. A
young American friend connected with the
American University was accompanying us in
our inspection of the ancient original Carene
settlement the Coptic church, in the crypt of
which Joseph and Mary and the infant Jesus
are said to have hidden. and Greek church
and other interesting places. He suggested that
we 90 to the Island Of Roda and see the place
where Moses was taken from the bulrushes by
the daughter of the Pharaoh of the time. We
hailed a carriage and told the driver to take
there. He drove by twisting route down
to the bank Of the Nile across which the island
appeared. Our young friend, however, wanted
10 60 by way Of bridge, rather than the ferry.
A suddenly appearing volunteer assured us in
Arabic that the ferry was the proper way to go.
Suspicious Of COLLISION friend, who knew
considerable Arabic, demanded the bridge route.
The volunteer guide loudly declared that that
WAS the only proper way to go to see the birth
place Of MooSa." "Meen Moosa?" miSchievouSly
demanded Robert which in English was to