After an interval the visitors were taken all through the upper rooms, a young prince who acted as interpreter being most anxious that Queen Alexandra should see everything. “La Princesse doit tout voir,” he kept saying. More music and dancing followed, and more coffee, until at four o’clock it seemed to be time to go, so Queen Alexandra rose, and the party were handed out to the door of the garden at which they had entered amid enthusiastic demonstrations of affection on the part of their hospitable entertainers. There can be no doubt of the impression which the Queen’s graciousness and charm created. Mrs. Grey says:-- “They were all perfectly enchanted with the Princess, and about every ten or fifteen minutes _une phrase de cérémonie_ was exchanged through the Prince [that is, the young Egyptian prince who acted as interpreter]. ‘La Grande Princesse est si contente de vous voir,’ or ‘La Grande Princesse regrette tant que cela soit contre l’usage du pays, de vous rendre cette visite’; and so on.… At last they all expressed a hope that the Princess would come and dine again on her return to Cairo.” The same evening Queen Alexandra had the pleasure of visiting some beautiful Arab horses in the stables of Ali Sherif Pasha. Before starting on their journey up the Nile the King and Queen took the opportunity of witnessing the curious and interesting Procession of the Holy Carpet starting from Cairo on its way to Mecca, which, strangely enough, few of the Europeans who at that time visited Cairo cared to see. Every year two carpets are sent, one of which goes to Medina to serve as a covering for the tomb of the Prophet, and the other to Mecca to be a covering for Kaabah or the central point of the Mahomedan religion. The King and Queen also witnessed the departure of the pilgrims for Mecca, or rather of that portion of the pilgrimage consisting of sheikhs and holy men, escorted by irregular cavalry and artillery, which left the city to join the other pilgrims encamped on the plain outside. On 6th February the voyage up the Nile began. The party was a large one, and the number of vessels provided for them formed quite a little fleet, of which the following was the order of sailing:-- A large and very smartly fitted-up steamer, the _Federabanee_, Captain Achmet Bey, headed the squadron, and was occupied by Prince Louis of Battenberg (then a midshipman on board the _Ariadne_), Major Teesdale, Captain Ellis, equerries in waiting, Lord Carrington, Mr. O. Montagu, Dr. Minter, Sir Samuel Baker, and Mr. Brierley. On deck there was a large saloon, all fitted up with silk and looking-glasses and every description of luxury, and there meals were served. Outside this there was a small open saloon with a large looking-glass at the back, in which the scenery could be viewed in comfort.