There was the usual excitement among the cows and chickens at the presence of the strangers; in two or three cases the cows broke the ropes by which they were tethered, and scampered into the villages as though they feared immediate conversion into beef. The boys observed that the cows were required to cut their own fodder; they were tethered in the rich grass, and required to eat the spot entirely clean before their locations were changed. Evidently it was not the custom to allow them to run loose and help themselves. Now and then the tall form of a camel was visible, either carrying a burden of some sort or tethered out, like the cows and oxen. A ride of three hours brought the party to the object of their excursion, the Temple of Abydus. Frank and Fred will tell us about it. "The Temple of Abydus is one of the most interesting in Egypt, as it is quite extensive, and its architectural character is excellent. We admired its vast proportions, the massive pillars covered with sculptures, and the walls that were everywhere blazing with hieroglyphics representing scenes of the country's glory. And while we were studying all these things we looked around for the Doctor, and could not find him. "Pretty soon he re-appeared, and said the historical interest of the place was in a narrow passage-way leading from the second hall to a small inner chamber. "We went there with him, and he pointed to the eastern wall of the passage. There were some hieroglyphics we could not understand, and we asked what they were. [Illustration: HEADS OF CAPTIVES OF RAMESES II.] "'They are the names of seventy-six kings,' said the Doctor, 'to whom Sethi I., the founder and builder of the temple, and father of Rameses II., is offering homage. The list begins with Menes, the founder of the first dynasty, and ends with the name of Sethi. Rameses II. is offering homage with his father, and for this reason it has been supposed that the list was made by Rameses after Sethi's death. The list is called "The Tablet of Abydus," and is of great value to the writers on Egyptian history; a similar list, but badly mutilated, was found in a temple near here, and carried to the British Museum. There is some dispute as to whether it is a full or only partial list of the kings of Egypt, but in either case it is of great historical interest.' "Abydus was second only to Thebes in importance, and was for a long time the capital of Egypt. Several temples, or rather their ruins, have been discovered here, and it is thought that others are still buried in the sand. A great many tombs have been opened, and where their contents were of any consequence they were carried to the museum at Cairo, or sent to the large collections in Europe.