Two Months on the Nile

British Consul with a long-standing interest in archaeology Thomas Sandwiths account of his two months travelling in Egypt provides a valuable new primary source on a dynamic period in Egyptian history. In January 1893 he began a diary in which he recorded his journey on the Nile aboard a dahabiya. Possessing a keen interest in antiquities and experience in acquiring them during his consular career, he recounts visiting newly discovered archaeological sites and meetings with Egyptologists, providing a unique snapshot of the golden age of Egyptology. His astute descriptions of his journey from Cairo to Aswan and back give a vivid new perspective on the growth of European tourism in British-occupied Egypt and early Egyptian industry. Sandwiths decades-long interest in archaeology and familiarity with the Levant mean this diary until now on the long-hand pages as he wrote them on the boat is thus unique among contemporary travel accounts. It is a valuable primary source for scholars interested in the history of the British in the Middle East, the history of travel in the Middle East and the history of archaeology and Egyptology.