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DAYAr-lTJ    "l-.M  I, OK 


JOURNEY  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA ; 


OB, 


LIFE  AND  LANDSCAPES  FROM  EGYPT 

TO  THE  NEGRO  EJNGDOMS  OF 

THE  WHITE  NILK 


By  BAYAED  TAYLOR. 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS     BY     TffS     AUTBOR, 


HOUBBIIOLD      KDITIOK. 


NEW  YORK: 
O.    P-    PUTNAM'S    SONS. 

1885. 


to 


mSM^ 


BGOrding  to  Act  of  Congress,  in 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

G.  P.  PTJTNAM, 

In  the  Clerk^s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


COPYBIOHT, 

MABIE  TAYLOR, 
1883. 


efticated  t^ 
A.  B. 

OP  8AXB-00BUEG-G0THA, 

BY 

CIS    FELLOW-TRAYELLER    IN    SOTPt 

RT. 


PREFACE. 


■«^M- 


TuEBE  18  an  old  Italian  proverb^  which  saye  a  man 
has  lived  to  no  purpose^  unless  he  has  either  built  a 
house^  begotten  a  son^  or  written  a  book.  As  I  have 
already  complied  more  than  once  with  the  latter  of 
these  requisitions,  1  must  seek  to  justify  the  present 
repetition  thereof,  on  other  grounds.  My  reasons  for 
oflfering  this  volume  to  the  public  are,  simply,  that 
there  is  room  for  it.  It  is  the  record  of  a  journey  which 
led  me,  for  the  most  part,  over  fresh  fields,  by  paths 
which  comparatively  few  had  trodden  before  me.  Al- 
though I  cannot  hope  to  add  much  to  the  general 
stock  of  information  concerning  Central  Africa,  I  may 
serve,  at  least,  as  an  additional  witness,  to  confirm  or 
illustrate  the  evidence  of  others.  Hence,  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  work  has  appeared  to  me  rather  in  the  light 


of  a  duty  than  a  diversion,  and  I  have  endeavored  to 
impart  as  much  instruction  as  amusement  to  the  ^ 
reader.  While  seeking  io  give  correct  pictures  of  the 
rich,  adventurous  life  into  wliich  I  was  thrown,  I  Iiave 
resisted  tho  temptation  to  yield  myself  up  to  its  naoro 
subtle  and  poetic  aspect  s.  My  aim  has  been  to  furnish 
a  faithful  narrative  of  my  own  experience,  believing 
that  none  of  those  embellishments  wliich  the  imagina- 
tion so  readily  fumishcB,  can  eq^ual  the  charm  of  the 
unadorned  truth. 

There  are  a  few  words  of  further  explanation  which 
I  wish  to  say.  The  journey  was  undertaken  solely 
for  the  pm^ose  of  restoring  a  frame  exhausted  by 
severe  mental  labor,  A  previous  experience  of  a  tropi- 
cal climate  convinced  me  that  I  should  best  accomplish 
my  object  by  a  visit  to  Egypt,  and  as  I  had  a  whole 
winter  before  me,  I  determined  to  penetrate  as  iar  into 
the  interior  of  Africa  as  the  time  would  allow,  attracted 
less  by  the  historical  and  geographical  interest  of  those 
regions  than  by  the  desii-o  to  participate  in  their  free, 
vigorous,  semi-barbaric  life.  If  it  bad  been  my  inten- 
tion, as  some  of  my  friends  supposed,  to  search  for  the 
undiscovered  sources  of  the  White  Nile,  I  should  not 
have  turned  back,  until  the  aim  was  accomplished  or  all 
moan  a  had  failed. 

I  am  aware  that,  by  including  in  this  work  my 
journey  through  Egypt,  I  have  gono  over  much  gi-ound 


PREFACE. 


which  is  already  fsaniUar.  Egypt^  however^  was  the 
vestibule  through  which  I  passed  to  Ethiopia  and  the 
kingdoms  beyond^  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  omit  my 
impressions  of  that  country  without  detracting  from 
the  completeness  of  the  narrative.  This  book  is  the 
record  of  a  single  journey,  which,  both  in  its  character 
and  in  the  circumstances  that  suggested  and  accompa- 
nied it,  occupies  a  separate  place  in  my  memory.  Its 
performance  was  one  uninterrupted  enjoyment,  for, 
whatever  the  privations  to  which  it  exposed  me,  they 
were  neutralized  by  the  physical  delight  of- restored 
health  and  by  a  happy  confidence  in  the  successful 
bsue  of  the  journey,  which  never  forsook  me.  It  is 
therefore  but  just  to  say,  that  the  pictures  I  have 
drawn  may  seem  over-bright  to  others  who  may  here- 
after follow  me  ;  and  I  should  warn  all  such  that  they 
must  expect  to  encounter  many  troubles  and  annoy- 
ances. 

Although  I  have  described  somewhat  minutely  the 
antiquities  of  Nubia  and  Ethiopia  which  I  visited,  and 
have  not  been  insensible  to  the  interest  which  every 
traveller  in  Egypt  must  feel  in  the  remains  of  her 
ancient  art,  I  have  aimed  at  giving  representations  of 
the  living  races  which  inhabit  those  countries  rather 
than  the  old  ones  which  have  passed  away.  ±  have 
taken  it  for  granted  that  the  reader  will  feel  more 
interested — as  I  was — ^in  a  live  Arab,  than  a  dead 


i  PREFAOB. 

Pharaoh.  I  am  indebted  wholly  to  the  works  of  Cham- 
pollion,  Wilkinson  and  Lepslus  for  whatever  allusions  I 
have  made  to  the  age  and  character  of  the  Egyptian 
ruins.  B.  T. 

Kbw  Yosk,  July,  1854. 


CONTENTS 


-••♦-•- 


CHAPTER  I 

kmiti  ftt  Alexwdxlft— Tb«  Landing— Mj  Fint  Odental  Bath»Tb«  Citj— Pi«iMt»> 
tloBi  for  Depwtnn^ •      •      •      •        18 

CHAPTER  U. 

Departnr*— The  Kangfaip>Tb«  Egyptian  CUmate— The  Mahmondleh  Canal— Entrance 
into  the  Nile— Pleaaores  of  the  Jonniey— Stadjing  Anblo— Sight  of  the  Pyiamida 
—The  Barrage— Approaoh  to  Cahro^  • »  SI 

CHAPTER  m. 

Rntranoe— The  EzbeUjeh— Saracenic  Hoosaa— Donkeys— The  Basaara— The  Streela 
— Prooessiona— View  from  the  Citadel— Moaqne  of  Mohammed  All— The  Scad  to 
Soea— The  laland  of  Rhode, M 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ifeceerity  of  Leaving  Inmiediately- Engaging  a  Boat— The  Dragomen— Aehmet  el 
Saldl— Fonda— Information— Procoring  an  Outfit— Preparing  for  the  Desert— The 
Lncky  Day— Esertiona  to  Leave— Ofl^       •••.,•••      46 

CHAPTER  V. 

Qowling  Dcrviahoa— A  Chicken  Factory— Bide  to  the  Pyramids— Quarrel  with  the 

Araba— The  Ascent— IHew  from  the  Snmmit— Backsheesh— EflfSdct  of  Pyramid* 

elimhlng— The  Sphinx— Playing  the  Cadi— We  obtain  Justice— Visit  to  Bakkara 

end  the  Mummy  Pits— The  Exhumation  of  Memphis— Interview  with  M.  Marietto 

-Aoooont  of  hiB  Discoveries— Statue  of  Bemesea  IL— Betum  to  the  Nlk^   .        61 


6  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VL 

Lea^ing  the  Pyramids— A  Calm  and  a  Breeze — ^A  Coptic  Visit— Minyeh— The  Grottoei 
of  Bent-Hassan— Doam  Palms  and  Crocodiles— Djebel  Abon&yda— Entrance  lnt« 
Upper  Egypt— Diversions  of  the  Boatmen— Sioat— Its  Tombs— A  Landscape- -i 
Bath, 71 

CHAPTER  VIL 

Independence  of  Nile  Life— Tlie  Dahabiyoh— Oar  Servants— Our  Besidenco— Our  Man* 
ner  of  Living— The  Climate — ^The  Natives — Costume — Our  Sansot  Bepose — My 
Friend— A  Sensuous  Life  Defended, ...         88 

CHAPTER  Vra. 

Oalm- Mountains  and  Tombs — A  Night  Adventure  in  Ekhmin — Character  of  ihe 
Boatmen— Fair  Wind— Pilgrims— Egyptian  Agriculture— Sugar  and  Cotton— Grain 
— SheeiH-Arrival  at  Kenneh — A  Landscape— The  Temple  of  Dendcra— 'First  Im 
presdons  of  Egyptian  Art^Portrait  of  Cleopatra— A  Happy  Meeting— We  approach 
Thebea, 98 

CHAPTER  IX 

Arrival  at  Thebes— Ground-Plan  of  the  Eemains— We  Cross  to  the  Western  Bank — 
Guides— The  Temple  of  Goornch— Valley  of  the  Kings'  Tombs— Belzoni's  Tomb— 
The  Baces  of  Men— Vandalism  of  Antiquarians— Bruce's  Tomb— Memnon— The 
Orandlktber  of  Sesostris— Tlie  Head  of  Amanoph— The  Colossi  of  the  Plain— 
MemnoBlan  Music— ^The  Statne  of  Bemeees— The  MenuMmiom  —Beauty  of  Bgyp 
tian  Art— More  Scrambles  among  the  Tombs— The  Bats  of  the  issasseef— Medee- 
net  Abou— Sculptured  Histories— The  Great  Court  of  the  Temple— We  return  tc 
Lozor,  118 

CHAPTER  X. 

rhe  Dancing  Girls  of  Egypt— A  N^ht  Scene  in  Luxor- The  Orange-Kossom  and  the 
Apple-Blossom- The  Beautiful  Bemba— The  Dance — Performance  of  the  Apple- 
Blossom— The  Temple  of  Luxor— A  Mohammedan  School — Gallop  to  Kamak— 
View  of  the  Buins— The  Great  Hall  of  Pillars— Bedouin  Diversicus— A  Nigh< 
Bide— Kamak  under  the  Full  Moon— Farewell  to  ThebeSi     •       .  .181 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Temple  of  Hermontis— Esneh  and  its  Temple — ^Tho  Governor— El  Kab  by  Torcn 
light— The  Temple  of  Edfou— The  Quarries  of  Djebel  Silsileh— Ombos— Approa  V. 
to  Nubia— Change  in  the  Scenery  and  Inhabitants— A  Mirage— Arrival  at  As 
0oium, t4f 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

hxk  Offietal  Visit— Achmefs  Dexterity— The  Islandof  Elephantine— Nubian  Children 
Trip  to  Phil«>— Linant  Bey— The  Island  of  Phila— Sculptures-  The  Negro  Baee> 


COKTENTB. 


Breakfast  In  a  Ptolemaic  Temple— The  Island  oTBiggeh— Baokaheeah— The  Cataract 
— The  Granite  Quarriea  of  Aaeooan— The  Travellers  separate,        .       •       •       1& 

CHAPTER  XHL 

Bolitary  Travel— Scenery  of  tho  Nubian  Nile — ^Agriculture — ^Tlie  Inhabitants — ^Arriva! 
at  Korosko— The  Qovemor— The  Tent  Pitched— Shekh  Aboa-Mohammed— Bar- 
gaining  for  Camel»— A  Drove  of  Oiraffes—Yisita— Preparations  for  tho  Desert— My 
Last  Evening  on  the  Nile, 163 

CIIAPTER  XIV. 

Vhe  Curve  of  the  Nile— Bontes  across  tlie  Desert— Our  Caravan  starts— Bidhig  on  a 
Dromedary— The  Guide  and  Gamel-driverB— Hair-dresdng— £1  Biban— Scenery- 
Dead  Camels— An  Unexpected  Yisit— The  Guide  makes  my  Grave— The  Biver 
-without  Water— Characteristics  of  the  Mirage— Deeert  Life— The  Sun— The  Desert 
Air- Infernal  Scenery— The  Wells  of  Marr-hftt^Christmas— Mountain  .  Chains- 
Meeting  Caravans— Plains  of  Gravel— The  Story  of  Joseph— Djebel  MokrAt— The 
Last  Day  tn  the  Descry  We  see  the  Nile  again, 171 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A  Draught  of  Water— Abon*nammed—The  Island  of  Mokrjit- Ethiopian  Scenery— 
The  People — An  Ababdeh  Apollo— Encampment  on  the  Nile — ^Tomb  of  an  English- 
man—Eesa^s  Wedding— A  White  Arab — ^The  Last  Day  of  the  Year- Abou-IIashym 
— Incidents— Loss  of  my  Therm«>meter— The  Yalley  of  Wild  Asses — The  Eleventh 
Cataract— Approach  to  Berber— Yultures—Eyoub  Outwitted— We  reach  El  Mek. 
heyref— The  Caravan  Broken  up, •       .       •       IM 

CIIAPTER  XVL 

A  Wedding— My  Beception  by  the  Military  Governor — ^Achmet— The  BrIdegroon»— A 
Guard— I  am  an  American  Bey— K6fr— Tho  Bey's  Visit— The  Civil  Governor— 
About  the  Navy— The  Priest's  Yisit— Biding  in  State— The  Dongoleso  Stallion— A 
Merchant's  House— The  Town— Dinner  at  the  Governor's— The  Pains  of  Boyalty— 
A  Salute  to  the  American  Flag— Departure, 204 

CIIAPTER  XYiL 

fortunate  Travel— The  America— Ethiopian  Scenery— The  Atbara  Biver— Damer— A 
Melon  Patch— Agriculture— The  Inhabitants— Change  of  Scenery— The  First  Ilip 
popotamus— Crocodiles— EiTeet  of  My  Map— The  Bals  and  Sailors— Arabs  in  Ethio- 
pia—Ornamental  Scars— Leshir— The  Slave  Bakhita— We  Approach  MeroS,        213 

CHAPTER  XVIH 

Arrival  at  Be^Jerowiyeh— The  Bnltts  of  Mero6— Walk  Across  the  Plain— The  Pyra- 
midfl— (%aracter  of  their  Masonry— The  Tower  and  Yault— Finding  of  the  Trea- 
Mrs— The  Second  Group— More  Ruins -Site  of  the  Qty— Number  of  the  Pyrami(!i 
—The  Antl<)uity  of  Mero6— Ethiopian  atid  Egyptian  CtvUfacatlon— The  Caneaslao 
Raoe— Beflcctions, W 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


TTie  lindscspos  of  EUilopli— My  Evk 
blM  NlghB— TI18  BUirj  of  Uio  Be 
oTthD  Anbum  Tales— Etili,-LoD. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


Twelfth  Citaract— NlgUt  In  tlio  Uonnlnlq  Gorge— Crooodilcs— A  Drtnt  DTMiinKSI 
—My  Blnh-Day— Fiir  Wind- Apjiruub  to  Kliartuum— Tba  JuncUaa  of  llio  Tva 
KUes— AppBUSDM  Dftlju  City— Wo  Diap  Anclior, IS) 


CILVPTEK  XXI. 


Tli«  Am^ripua  Flog— A 1 
— DejeHpllon  of  hia 
BDd  Btale— rictnrosqno  Charactei 
Gruu>-lli  of  tba  City— lU  Apjwin 
msto— AMOmbij  of  Kthluplan  CM 


-Th«   Qirden— Tbe  . 

r  the  Sodoty  of  Khartoum—FouiulAlloa  and 
J— ThH  Populaaon— UnhBnlthlinea  of  UioCll- 
iltiB— TIsIt  of  Two  BhekL  9— Dinner  ma  Ftro- 


CHiFrER  XXIL 
0  Ulsilon— Dr.  Enoblecher,  the  Apoetolle  Ylcir— Moiisw  Bey— 
ihi— Beceptlon— Tbe  raslio'a  Tiiliicfr-LlDiu^We  Dlno  nith  tbs 
\rt  upon  tlia  OociElan— Musis— The  Ga«ts— Tbs  Fmaka  tn  Ktau. 
—Visit  to  the  Bultuu  Nsan—An  Ethii 


CHAPTER  xsnt 

ReccntEipIoratloDtofSantUii- Umit  ortheTrapicl]  Bsln^-Tlie  Conqaesl  of  Elbio- 
pii-Countrlas  Tributary  la  Egypt— Tbe  District  of  Tskks— EipediLlon  of  Monsn 
Bey— The  Atbars  Elvnt- Tho  AbjBatntan  Frontier— Cbrlsllan  Eoina  of  Abuo- 
IIiuJl»-The  Kingdom  of  Sesnur— KordoOui- Cit-FCII— The  IMcceu  nf  Uu- 
FOr  In  Klmrldom-Uai  Yisit  to  Dr.  BeiD— The  UdIidowii  Coiint[:«  of  Cantnl 
JHOm,  WI 

CHAPTER  XXrV. 
ICxouTslojis  around  Khartoum — A  BaoQ  Into  IbQ  D«flart — EnpborblA  Forest — Tin 
BinhaorthoBlssKlIc— AS^EfsGnTe— TheConauencsoflheTwoNUei-Mtig- 
DltudoorthaNiie— CompsratiieSlioofthoKiveie— TbolrNitmel— Deeinlo  peee- 
Inte  furUiBr  Into  AWoa— AUraoUona  of  the  WBlte  Nile— Engage  the  Boat  JbAfi 
ZAf^ani— Former  EestricHona  sgnlnst  uplerin;  the  Blur— Visit  tg  the  Piatu— 
BoapoUcnosiJitillty- Aclmiel'a  Jllsglvlngs— WoBelBill,  ...       801 


OONTXNIBa 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


Dcpvtnre  from  Kbartoiun— TVTe  enter  the  White  NUe^MInge  and  Landacspe— Th« 
Consol  retnrna— Progroea  Loss  of  the  Flag— Scenery  of  the  Sborea—Territcry  of 
the  Hassanijebs— Curiona  Conjugal  Custom— Maltitades  of  Water  Fowl»— Increas- 
ed Bichneasof  Vegetation— Ape»—Sanset  on  the  White  Nile— We  reach  the  King- 
dom of  the  Shillcok  Negroea, .       820 


CnAPTER  XXVL 

Bloming— Mf^ifioenoe  of  the  Island  Scenery— Birds  and  Hippopotami— Flight  of  the 
KattTca— The  Island  of  Aba— Signs  of  Population— A  Band  of  Warriors— Tho  Bhekh 
and  the  Sultan— A  Treaty  of  Peace— The  Bobe  of  Honor— Suspicions— We  walk  to 
the  Tillage— Appearance  of  the  Sbillooks— The  Yilhige— The  Sultan  giyee  Audience 
— ^Women  and  Children — Ornaments  of  the  Natives— My  Watch— A  Jar  of  Honey — 
Suspicion  and  Alarm— The  Shillook  and  the  Snltan's  Black  Wife— Character  of  the 
Bhillooks— The  Land  of  the  Lotus— Population  of  the  Shillook  Kingdom— The  Turn- 
ing Point— A  Yiow  fh>m  the  Mast-Head,  889 


CHAPTER  XXVn. 

Esplorations  of  the  White  Nile— Dr.  Kncblecher's  Voyage  in  1849-50— The  Lands 
of  the  Sbillooks  and  Dinkas— Intercourse  with  the  Natives— Wild  Elephants  and 
Giraffes— The  Sobat  Biver— The  Country  of  Marshes— The  Gazelle  Lake— The 
Nuehrs— Interview  with  the  Chief  of  the  Kyks— The  Zbir  Country— Land  of  the 
Baris— The  Bapids  Surmounted — Arrival  at  Logwek,  in  Lat  4^  lO'  North— Panora- 
ma ttom  Mt  Logwek — Sources  of  the  White  Nile— Character  of  the  Bari  Nation — 
BetumoftbeEzpedition- Fascinationof  theNile, 846 


CHAPTER  XXVHL 

We  leave  the  Islands  of  the  Sbillooks— Tropical  Jungles— A  Whim  and  its  Conseqnen 
oea- Lairs  of  Wild  Beasts — Arrival  among  the  Hassaniyehs— A  Village— The  Wo- 
man and  the  Sultan— A  Dance  of  Salutation— My  Arab  Sailor— A  Swarthy  Cleopa- 
trar— Salutation  of  the  Saint— Miraculous  Fishing- Night  View  of  a  Hassanlyeb  Vil- 
lage—Wad Sb6Ilayeb— A  Shekh's  Besldcnce— An  Ebony  Cherub— The  Cook  At- 
tempts Suicide— Evening  Landscape— The  Natives  and  their  Cattle— A  Boyish 
Governor— We  reach  Khartoum  at  Midnight,  .       ^       •       .       .       •       851 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

fhe  D^Mrtnre  of  Abd-el  Kader  Boy— An  Illuminated  Picture— The  Breakfast  on  the 
Island— Horsemanship— The  Pasha*s  Stories— Departure  of  Lattif  Effendi^a  Expedi- 
tion—A Night  on  the  Sand— Abon-Sin,  and  his  Shukoree  Warriors— Change  in  the 
Climato— Intense  Heat  and  its  Effects— Preparations  for  Betnming— A  Money 
TranaaoUon— Farewell  Visits— A  Dinner  with  Boyal  Guests— Jolly  King  Dyaab— 
ASliiUookDanee—Boconciliation— Taking  Leave  of  my  Pets,       •       •       •       871 


[>orl»  -BlHCiilatloD— Tbe  QdR 


CHAPTER  SXX. 

H  Df  Trade~Tbe  MetchidtB-  -Chtiietn  of  Qi 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


— Itablls  of  DeoepUoQ— M;  Dniinedur;— MDtUiii  and  M 
The  RD«;iii_AkBbi  Oc^rri— Ilvnt  and  Ewner;— An  AH 
A  Miahap— A  Landsoape— Tedious  Approuli  bi  El  Meta 
TouD— PrcpuaHooB  for  tho  DsHrt— Uusllng  Old  Acqaal 


ude— Abnsei  oTUii    1 


— Uoiis-Bi.rTin|.    ! 


mirlt)i  UiD  Qulda- 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


EnMlnE  Us  J>«nl:— Otiuuliir  of  th«  Boei 
loom  Tree— EaWit  of  Ibi  " 


ffells-Fmi 


gnplpuaot  Dedfirllov — Cmn«3f  of  Uie  Crowt 
storm— Tho  Manntain  of  Thliat— The  ~ 

Desert   Intoiliatlon— SceoeiT  of  tlio  Tahlc-lnnii— Cir   Klunnlk— Tlie 
Arabs— Guelica  Bgila—Bnliu  ofin  Andpnt  UiipUcMobantery— Dfelsit  Tlewof  th 
Nils  VbIIfj— DJebel  Berkol-  ~ 

CHAPTER  XXXni. 


Tells  of  Djeeliaad- A  Moantaln  Pssi- 
r»bIc-lnnii-Clr  Klunnik— Tlie  KabiblBh 
pnt  UiipUc  MobSHtery—  Dfelsit  Tlew  of  the 

.  xxxni.  H 

e--DJebM— Mr  rcsldense  at  AbJdm— Onat-  ^| 
IS  Ton-n  of  Honwe— Shtii  to  lyebel  Berkal  ^U 
tie  Monnt^u— Etbloi^tan  riaorwu— Lost  ^M 
taot  of  Memwo— A  Scsbo  In  tbe  DlTmn—  ^^H 
9  with  mo-r^ulne  -il  Uie  CIt;  of  NipiU-  ^M 
lell  fur  WaaMIiilrn-Tlio  SbBkb's  rartlng    ^U 

.     .     m  ■ 

.  XXXIV.  f 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
hppennince  of  tbo  Oimntry— Sonl— Tbd  Tuirn  of  Ambnkol— Tbe 

fzed— A  FIfi']'  Etclc- Wo  reaidi  Edabbo— An  lUumlniUed  Landseapo— A  Tn'ment 
— tinbian  Airloolture— Old  Donsoli— Tbe  ralwja-Moaqao  of  tbo  Nubian  Kings— A 
PanonmaefUesolallon— TheOld  Cltf— Nubian  Oralitnde— Aniitlicr  Sand-SUnis 
—A  Drcnry  jDUrDe/~Tha  Appntaoh  to  Ilandak— A  Uouno  of  Doubtful  Clinaeler.' 
The  Inmales — Journe;  to  El  Orilee  (Ke^  DoDgoU) — Kboorabld  Bej — Appeannct     i 


CHAPTER  XXXT. 
1— The  Pliguo  of  Gild 


CONTENTS.  11 


Bulned  Fortresses— Tbe  Camel-Sfen— A  Bocky  Cbaoft— Fakir  Bender— The  AkaU 
of  Mahas»— Gamp  in  the  Wilderness— The  Charm  of  Desolation— The  Nile  again— 
Pilgrtme  from  Dar-Fur— The  Straggle  of  the  Nile — ^An  Arcadian  Landscape— Tbt 
Temple  of  Boleb— Dar  Sakkdt— The  Land  of  Dates— The  Island  of  Sai— A  Sea  oi 
Band— Camp  hy  the  Bivor— A  Iljcna  Borbeeae,      ••••..       45T 

CHAPTER  XXXVL 

the  Batn  El-Ha^jar,  or  Belly  of  Stone— Ancient  Granite  Quarries— The  Yillagc  of 
DiJ— A  Bnined  Fortress— A  Wilderness  of  Stones— The  Hot  Springs  of  Ukm^A 
Windy  Night— A  Dreary  Day  in  the  Desert— The  Sbokb's  Camel  Fails— Descent  to 
Samneh- The  Temple  and  Cataract— Meersheh— The  Sale  of  Abou-Sin— We 
Emerge  from  the  Belly  of  Stone — A  Kababish  Caravan— The  Bock  of  Aboa-Seer— 
View  of  the  Second  Cataract— We  reach  Wadi-Halfa— Selling  my  Dromedaries- 
Farewell  to  Abou-Sin— Thanksgiving  on  the  Ferry-boat— Parting  with  the  Camel- 
men, 471 

CnAPTER  XXXVIL 

Wadi  Haifa— A  Boat  for  Assouan— Wo  Embark  on  the  Nile  Again— An  Egyptian 
Dream— The  Temples  of  Abou-Simbel— The  Smaller  Temple— The  Colossi  of 
Bemeses  IL— Vulgarity  of  Travellers— Entering  the  Great  Temple— My  Impres- 
sions—Character of  Abou-Simbel— The  Smaller  Chambers— The  Baces  of  Men— 
Bemeses  and  the  Captive  Kings— Departure, 486 

CHAPTER  XXXVIIL 

I  Lose  my  Sunshine,  and  Begain  it— Nubian  Scenery— Derr— The  Temple  of  Amada 
—Mysterious  Bapplngs— Familiar  Scenes— Halt  at  Korosko— Escape  from  Ship- 
wreck—The  Temple  of  Sebooa— Chasing  other  Boats— Temple  of  DjerfHossayn— 
A  Bacluheesh  Experiment— Kalabshee— Temple  of  Dabdd— We  reach  the  Egyp- 
tian Frontier,       495 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Assouan— A  Boat  for  Cairo— English  Tourists— A  Head-wind- Ophthalmia— Esneh^ 
A  Mummied  Princess— Ali  Effendi's  Stories— A  Donkey  Afrite— Arrival  at  Luxor 
— ^The  Egyptian  Autumn— A  Day  at  Thebes— Songs  of  the  Sailors— Ali  leavef 
me— Bide  to  Dendera— Head-winds  again— Visit  to  Tahtah— The  House  of  BufaS 
Bey, 504 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Itoat  in  Harvest-time— A  kind  Englishwoman — A  Slight  Experience  of  Ilashee&b- 
The  Calm— Bapid  Progress  down  the  Nile— The  Last  Day  of  the  Voyage— Arri 
Tal  at  Cairo— Tourists  preparing  for  the  Desert— Parting  with  Adunot— Conolii 
iloo,  .       •       • 51 


JOUBNET   TO   CENTRAL   AFRICA. 


-•-♦-•- 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTION     TO     AFRICA. 

Atrival  at  Aldssndria— The  Landing— My  First  Oriental  Batb— The  City— Preparar- 

tiona  for  Departure. 

I  LBFT  Smyrna  in  the  Lloyd  steamer,  Conte  Stunner^  on  the 
first  day  of  November,  1851.  We  passed  the  blue  Sporadic 
Isles — Cos,  and  Rhodes,  and  Karpathos — ^and  crossing  the 
breadth  of  the  Eastern  Mediterranean,  favored  all  the  way  by 
onruffled  seas,  and  skies  of  perfect  azure,  made  the  pharos  of 
Alexandria  on  the  evening  of  the  3d.  The  entrance  to  the 
harbor  is  a  narrow  and  difficult  passage  through  reefs,  and  no 
vessel  dares  to  attempt  it  at  night,  but  with  the  first  streak  of 
dawn  we  were  boarded  by  an  Egyptian  pilot,  and  the  rising 
sun  lighted  up  for  us  the  white  walls  of  the  city,  the  windmills 
of  the  Has  el-Tin,  or  Cape  of  Figs,  and  the  low  yellow  sand- 
hills in  which  I  recognized  Africa — ^for  they  were  prophetic  of 
the  desert  behind  them. 

We  entered  the  old  harbor  between  the  island  of  Pha- 
ros and  the  main  land  (now  connected  by  a  peninsular  strip, 
on  which  the  Frank  ^^uarter  is  built),  soon  after  sunrise, 


14 


JOURIIBT  TO    I 


The  wnter  swarmed  with  boats  before  the  ancLor  dropped, 
and  tlie  Egyptian  healtli  officer  had  no  sooner  departed 
than  we  were  boarded  by  a  crowd  of  dragomen,  hotel  run- 
ncra,  and  boatmen.  A  aijTiintiiig  Arab,  who  wore  a  whit* 
dress  and  red  sash,  accosted  me  in  Italian,  offeriDg  to  conduot 
mo  to  the  Oriental  Hotel.  A  German  and  a  Smyrniote 
vbose  acquaintance  I  had  made  during  the  voyage,  joined  ma 
in  accepting  his  services,  and  wo  were  speedily  boated  asbora. 
"We  landed  on  a  pile  of  stones,  not  far  from  a  mean-looking 
edifice  called  the  Custom-House.  Many  friends  were  there  to 
welcome  us,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  eagerness  with  which 
tbey  dragged  us  ashore,  and  the  zeal  with  which  they  pom- 
melled one  another  ia  their  generous  efforts  to  take  charge  of 
our  effects.  True,  we  could  have  wished  that  their  faces  bad 
been  better  washed,  their  baggy  trousers  less  ragged  aad  their 
red  caps  less  greasy,  and  we  were  perhaps  ongratefnl  in  allow- 
mg  our  Arab  to  rate  them  soundly  and  cuff  the  oars  of  Hie 
more  obstreperous,  before  our  trunks  and  carpet-bags  could  be 
portioned  among  them.  At  the  Custom-House  we  were  visit- 
ed by  two  dark  gentlemen,  in  turbans  and  black  flowing  robes, 
who  passed  our  baggage  without  scrutiny,  gently  whispering 
in  0113"  ears,  "  baekskeesli," — a  word  which  we  thea  heard  for 
the  first  time,  but  which  was  to  be  tho  key-noto  of  much  of  our 
future  experience.  The  procession  of  porters  was  then  set  i 
motion,  and  wo  passed  through  several  streets  of  whitewashed 
two  story  houses,  to  the  great  square  of  tho  Frank  qnartor, 
wbicb  opened  before  us  warm  and  brilliant  in  the  morning  i 

The  principal  hotels  and  consulates  front  on  this  Gqnar* 
The  architecture  is  Italian,  with  here  and  iLerc  a  dash  of  Sar- 


I 


ALEXANDRIA.  IC 

Koenio,  in  the  windows  and  doorways,  especially  in  new  build- 
ings. A  small  obelisk  of  alabaster,  a  present  from  Mohammed 
Ali,  stands  in  the  centre,  on  a  pedestal  which  was  meant  for  a 
fountain,  bnt  has  no  water.  All  this  I  noted,  as  well  as  a 
crowd  of  donkeys  and  donkey-boys,  and  a  string  of  laden 
eamels,  on  oar  way  to  the  hotel,  which  we  found  to  be  a  long 
and  not  particularly  clean  edifice,  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
square.  The  English  and  French  steamers  had  just  arrived, 
and  no  rooms  were  to  be  had  until  after  the  departure  of  the 
afternoon  boat  for  Cairo.  Our  dragoman,  who  called  himself 
Ibrahim,  suggested  a  bath  as  the  most  agreeable  means  of 
passing  the  intermediate  time. 

The  clear  sky,  the  temperature  (like  that  of  a  mild  July 
day  at  home),  and  the  novel  interest  of  the  groups  in  the 
streets,  were  sufficient  to  compensate  for  any  annoyance :  but 
when  we  reached  the  square  of  the  French  Church,  and  saw  a 
garden  of  palm-trees  waving  their  coronals  of  glittering  leaves 
every  thing  else  was  forgotten.  My  German  friend,  who  had 
never  seen  palms,  except  as  starveling  exotics  in  Sorrento  and 
Smyrna,  lifted  his  hands  in  rapture,  and  even  I,  who  had 
heard  tens  of  thousands  rustle  in  the  hot  winds  of  the  Tropics, 
felt  my  heart  leap  as  if  their  beauty  were  equally  new  to  my 
eyes.  For  no  amount  of  experience  can  deprive  the  traveller 
of  that  happy  feeling  of  novelty  which  marks  his  first  day  on 
the  soil  of  a  new  continent.  I  gave  myseK  up  wholly  to  its 
inebriation.  Et  ego  in  Africa^  was  the  sum  of  my  thoughts, 
and  I  neither  saw.  nor  cared  to  know  the  fact  (which  we  dis* 
covered  in  due  time),  that  our  friend  Ibrahim  was  an  arrani 
knave. 

The  bath  to  which  he  conducted  us  was  pronounced  to  be 


JDOBNZr  TO 


tlio  finest  in  Alexandria,  the  moat  snperb  in  all  the  Orient, 
but  it  did  not  at  all  accord  with  our  ideas  of  Eastern  luxury, 
Moreover,  the  batb-keepor  'was  his  intimate  friend,  and  would 
bathe  us  as  no  Christians  wero  ever  bathed  before.  One  faot 
Ibrahim  kept  to  himself,  irbich  was,  that  his  intimate  frieod 
and  he  shared  the  spoils  of  our  inexperience.  We  were  coo- 
ducted  to  a  ono-story  building,  of  very  unpreposseBsing  exte- 
rior. As  wo  entered  the  low,  vaulted  entrance,  my  ears  werQ 
ealuted  with  a  dolorous,  groaning  sound,  which  I  at  first  con- 
jectured to  proceed  from  the  persona  undergoing  the  opera- 
tion, but  which  I  afterward  ascertained  was  mado  by  a  wheel 
turned  by  a  buffalo,  employed  in  raising  water  from  the  well. 
In  a  sort  of  basement  halt,  Emclling  of  soap-suds,  and  with  a 
large  tank  of  dirty  water  in  the  centre,  we  were  received  by 
the  bath-keeper,  who  showed  us  ioto  a  room  containing  three 
low  divans  with  pillows.  Hero  we  disrobed,  and  Ibrahim, 
who  had  procured  a  quantity  of  napkins,  enveloped  our  heads 
in  turbans  and  swathed  our  loins  in  a  simple  Adamite  gar- 
ment. Heavy  wooden  eloga  were  attached  to  our  feet,  and  sa 
animated  bronze  statue  led  the  way  through  gloomy  passages, 
BometimeB  hot  and  steamy,  sometimes  cold  and  soapy,  and 
redolent  of  any  thing  but  the  spicy  odora  of  Araby  the  Bleat, 
to  a  small  vaulted  chamber,  lighted  by  a  few  aporturea  in  the 
ceiling.  The  moist  heat  was  almost  aufibcatiug;  hot  wat«r 
flowed  over  the  stono  floor,  and  the  stone  benches  we  sat  npoa 
were  somewhat  cooler  than  kitchen  stoves.  The  broazo  indi- 
vidual left  us,  and  very  soon,  sweating  at  every  pore,  we  began 
to  think  of  the  three  Hebrews  in  the  farnace.  Our  comfort 
was  not  increased  by  the  groaning  sound  which  we  still  heard, 
and  by  seeing,  through  a  bole  in  the  door,  five  or  six  nalud 


I 


I 


MT   FIRST   ORIENTAL  BATH.  Il 

^ores  lying  motionless  along  the  edge  of  a  steaming  ?at^  in 
the  outer  room. 

Presently  onr  statue  returned  with  a  pair  of  ooarse  hair 
gloves  on  his  hand&  He  snatched  off  our  turbans,  and  then, 
seizing  one  of  my  .friends  by  the  shoulder  as  if  he  had  been  a 
sheep,  began  a  sort  of  rasping  operation  upon  his  back.  This 
prooess,  varied  occasionally  by  a  dash  of  scalding  water,  was 
extended  to  each  of  our  three  bodies,  and  wo  were  then  suf- 
fered to  rest  awhile.  A  course  of  soap-suds  followed,  which 
was  softer  and  more  pleasant  in  its  effect,  except  when  he  took 
us  by  the  hair,  and  holding  back  our  heads,  scrubbed  our  faces 
most  lustily,  as  if  there  were  no  such  things  as  eyes,  noses  and 
mouths.  By  this  time  we  had  reached  such  a  salamandrine 
temperature  that  the  final  operation  of  a  dozen  pailfuls  of  hot 
water  poured  over  the  head,  was  really  delightful  After  a 
plunge  in  a  seething  tank,  we  were  led  back  to  our  chamber 
and  enveloped  in  loose  muslin  robe&  Turbans  were  bound  on 
our  heads  and  we  lay  on  the  divans  to  recover  from  the  lan- 
guor of  the  bath.  The  change  produced  by  our  new  costume 
was  astonishing.  The  stout  German  became  a  Turkish  mol- 
lah,  the  young  Smymiote  a  picturesque  Persian,  and  I — ^I 
scarcely  know  what,  but,  as  my  friends  assured  me,  a  much 
better  Moslem  than  Frank.  Cups  of  black  coffee,  and  pipes 
of  inferior  tobacco  completed  the  process,  and  in  spite  of  the 
lack  of  cleanliness  and  superabundance  of  fleas,  we  went  forth 
lighter  in  body,  and  filled  with  a  calm  content  which  nothing 
seemed  able  to  disturb. 

After  a  late  breakfast  at  the  hotel,  we  sallied  out  for  a  su^ 
vey  of  the  city.  The  door  was  beleaguered  by  the  donkeys 
and  their  attendant  drivers,  who  hailed  us  in  all  languages  al 


JOUBNBT  TO 


onco,  "Venex,  Monsieur  !"  "  Taliu  a  ride,  sir;  here  it 
good  donkey  I  "  "Sckcencr  Esel!"  " Prendete  il  mio  bur* 
rico  /  " — and  you  are  niado  the  vortex  of  a  whirlpool  of  don- 
keja.  Jhe  one-ojed  donkey-boya  figtt,  the  donkeys  kick,  and 
there  is  no  rest  till  you  have  bcatridden  one  of  the  little 
boasts.  The  driver  then  gives  his  tail  a  twist  and  hia  mnip  a 
tliwack,  and  you  are  carried  off  in  triumph.  The  animal  is  bo 
small  tliiit  you  seem  the  more  silly  of  the  two,  when  you  havo 
moQuted,  but  after  he  has  carried  you  for  an  hour  in  a  rapid 
gallop,  you  recover  jonr  dignity  in  your  reapect  for  him. 

The  spotless  blue  of  the  sky  and  the  delicious  elasticity  of 
the  air  were  truly  intosi eating,  as  we  galloped  between  gar- 
dens of  date-trees,  laden  with  ripe  fruit,  to  the  city  gate,  and 
through  it  into  a  broad  road,  fringed  with  acacias,  leading  to 
the  Mahmoudieh  canah  Sat  to  the  south,  on  a  rise  of  dijr, 
sandy  soil,  stood  the  Pillar  of  Diocletian — not  of  Pompoy, 
whoae  name  it  bears.  It  is  a  simple  column,  ninety-eight  feet 
in  height,  bat  the  shaft  is  a  single  block  of  red  granite,  and 
Btauds  superbly  again  at  the  back-ground  of  Bucb  a  sky  and 
Buoh  a  sea.  It  ia  the  only  relic  of  the  ancient  Alcjiandria 
worthy  of  its  fame,  but  you  could  net  wish  for  one  more  im- 
posing and  eloquent.  The  glowing  white  houses  of  the  town, 
the  minarets,  the  palms  and  the  acacias  fill  the  laudscape,  bat 
it  stands  apart  from  them,  in  the  sand,  and  looks  only  to  the 
lea  and  the  desert. 

tn  the  evening  we  took  donkeys  again  and  rode  out  of  the 
town  to  a  cafe  on  the  banks  of  the  canaL  A  sunset  of  burn- 
ing rose  and  orange  sank  over  the  desert  behind  Pompey'a 
Pillar,  and  the  balmieat  of  breenea  stole  towards  us  from  the 
sea,  through  palm  gardeno,     A  Swiss  gentleman,  M.  de  Gon- 


I 
I 


THE   DONKET-BOT.  19 

BonLacli,  wbo^  kindness  I  shall  always  gratefully  remember 
accompanied  ns.  As  we  sat  under  the  acacias,  sipping  the 
black  Turkish  coffee,  the  steamer  for  Cairo  passed,  disturbing 
the  serenity  of  the  air  with  its  foul  smoke,  and  marring  the 
delicious  repose  of  the  landscape  in  such  wise,  that  we  vowed 
we  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  steam  so  long  as  we  voyaged 
on  the  Nile.  Our  donkey-drivers  patiently  held  the  bridles 
of  our  long-eared  chargers  tiU  we  were  ready  to  return.  It 
was  dark,  and  not  seeing  at  first  my  attendant,  a  little  one- 
eyed  imp,  I  called  at  random  :  '^  Abdallah  !  '^  This,  it  hap 
pened,  was  actually  his  name,  and  he  came  trotting  up,  hold- 
ing the  stirrup  ready  for  me  to  mount.  The  quickness  with 
which  these  young  Arabs  pick  up  languages,  is  truly  astonish- 
ing. "  Come  vi  chiatnate  ?  "  (what's  your  name  ?)  I  asked 
of  Abdallah,  as  we  rode  homeward.  The  words  were  new  to 
him,  but  I  finally  made  him  understand  their  meaning,  where- 
upon he  put  his  knowledge  into  practice  by  asking  me :  '^  Cotm 
vi  chiamate?''  "Abbas  Pasha,"  I  replied.  "Oh,  weU," 
was  his  prompt  rejoinder,  "  if  you  are  Abbas  Pasha,  then  I  am 
Seyd  Pasha."  The  next  morning  he  was  at  the  door  with  his 
donkey,  which  I  fully  intended  to  mount,  but  became  entan« 
gled  in  a  wilderness  of  donkeys,  out  of  which  Ibrahim  extri- 
cated me  by  hoisting  me  on  another  animal  As  I  rode  away, 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  little  fellow,  crying  lustily  over  his 
lisappointment. 

We  three  chance  companions  fraternized  so  agreeably  thai 
we  determined  to  hire  a  boat  for  Cairo,  in  preference  to  waiting 
for  the  next  steamer.  We  accordingly  rode  over  to  the  Mah- 
moudieh  Canal,  accompanied  by  Ibrahim,  to  inspect  the  barks. 
Like  all  dragomen,  Ibrahim  had  his  private  preferences,  and 


20  JOURKET   IK   CENTRAL   AFXIl^A. 

conducted  us  on  board  a  boat  beloDging  to  a  friend  of  his,  t 
grizzly  rai's,  or  captain.  The  craft  was  a  small  Tcangta  with 
a  large  lateen  sail  at  the  bow  and  a  little  one  at  the  stem.  It 
was  not  very  new,  but  looked  clean,  and  the  rai's  demanded 
three  hundred  piastres  for  the  voyage.  The  piastre  is  the  cur- 
rent coin  of  the  East  Its  value  is  fluctuating,  and  always 
higher  in  Egypt  than  in  Syria  and  Turkey,  but  may  be  assum* 
ed  at  about  five  cents,  or  twenty  to  the  American  dollar.  Be- 
fore closing  the  bargain,  we  asked  the  advice  of  M.  de  Oon- 
Eenbach,  who  immediately  despatched  his  Egyptian  servant 
and  engaged  a  boat  at  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  piastre& 
Every  thing  was  to  be  in  readiness  for  our  departure  on  the 
following  evening 


rinST   VOYAGE    ON   THE   NILS  21 


CHAPTER    II. 

FIRST     VOYAGE     ON     THE     NILE. 

Departure— The  Kangl»— The  Egyptian  Climate— The  Mahmoadieh  Canal— Entrance 
Into  the  Nile — Plcasnree  of  the  Journey— Studying  Arabic — Sight  of  the  Pyramldf 
—The  Barrage— Approach  to  Calra 

We  paid  a  most  exorbitant  bill  at  tbe  Oriental  Hotel,  and 
started  on  donkeyback  for  our  boat,  at  sunset.  Our  prepara 
tious  for  the  voyage  consisted  of  bread,  rice,  coffee,  sugar,  but- 
ter and  a  few  other  comestibles ;.  an  earthen  furnace  and  char- 
coal; pots  and  stew-pans,  plates,  knives  and  forks,  wooden 
spoons,  coffee-cups  and  water-jars ;  three  large  mats  of  cane^ 
leaves,  for  bedding ;  and  for  luxuries,  a  few  bottles  of  claret, 
and  a  gazelle-skin  stuffed  with  choice  Latakieh  tobacco.  We 
were  prudent  enough  to  take  a  supper  with  us  from  the  hotel, 
and  not  trust  to  our  own  cooking  the  first  night  on  board. 

We  wait-ed  till  dark  on  the  banks  of  the  Canal  before  our 
baggage  appeared.  There  is  a  Custom-House  on  all  sides  of 
Alexandria,  and  goods  going  out  must  pay  as  well  as  goods  com- 
ing in.  The  gate  was  closed,  and  nothing  less  than  the  silver 
oil  of  a  dollar  greased  its  hinges  sufficiently  for  our  cart  to  pass 
through.  But  what  was  our  surprise  on  reaching  the  boat,  to 
Qnd  the  same  Jcangia  and  the  same  grizzly  rais,  who  had  pre- 
viously demanded  three  hundred  piastres.     He  seemed  no  le»» 


29  JOURNET   IN   CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

astonislied  than  we,  for  the  bargain  had  been  made  by  a  third 
party,  and  I  believe  he  bore  us  a  grudge  during  the  rest  of  the 
voyage.  The  contract  placed  the  boat  at  our  disposition ;  so 
we  went  on  board  immediately,  bade  adieu  to  the  kind  friends 
who  had  accompanied  us,  and  were  rowed  down  the  Canal  in 
tho  full  glow  of  African  moonlight. 

Some  account  of  our  vessel  and  crew  will  not  be  out  of 
place  here.  The  boat  was  about  thirty-five  feet  in  length,  with 
a  short  upright  mast  in  the  bow,  supporting  a  lateen  sail  fifty 
feet  long.  Against  the  mast  stood  a  square  wooden  box,  lined 
with  clay,  which  served  as  a  fireplace  for  cooking.  The  mid- 
dle boards  of  the  deck  were  loose  and  allowed  entrance  to  tho 
hold,  where  our  baggage  was  stowed.  The  sailors  also  lifted 
them  and  sat  on  the  cross-beams,  with  their  feet  on  the  shal- 
low keel,  when  they  used  the  oars.  The  Kjabin,  which  occu- 
pied the  stern  of  the  boat,  was  built  above  and  below  tho  deck, 
BO  that  after  stepping  down  into  it  we  could  stand  upright 
The  first  compartment  contained  two  broad  benches,  with  a 
smaller  chamber  in  the  rear,  allowing  just  enough  room,  in  all, 
for  three  persons  to  sleep.  We  spread  oir  mats  on  the 
boards,  placed  carpet-bags  for  pillows  (first  taking  out  the 
books),  and  our  beds  were  made.  Ibrahim  slept  on  the  deck, 
against  the  cabin-door. 

Our  rais,  or  captain,  was  an  old  Arab,  with  a  black,  wrink- 
led face,  a  grizzly  beard  and  a  tattered  blue  robe.  There  were 
five  sailors — one  with  crooked  eyes,  one  with  a  moustache,  two 
copper-colored  Fellahs,  and  one  tall  Nubian,  black  as  the 
Egyptian  darkness.  The  three  latter  were  our  favorites,  and 
more  cheerful  and  faithful  creatures  I  never  saw.  One  of  the 
Fellahs  sang  nasal  love-songs  the  whole  day  long,  and  was  ai- 


fiVENINU    ON   THE    CANAL.  23 

«rays  foremost  in  the  everlasting  refrain  of  "  haylee-sah  f  "  and 
^^ya  salaam P^  with  which  the  Egyptian  sailors  row  and  tow 
and  pole  their  boats  against  the  current.  Before  we  left  the 
boat  we  had  acquired  a  kind  of  affection  for  these  three  men, 
while  the  rais,  with  his  grim  face  and  croaking  voice,  grew  more 
repulsive  every  day. 

VTe  spread  a  mat  on  the  deck,  lighted  our  lantern  and  sat 
down  to  supper,  while  a  gentle  north  wind  slowly  carried  our 
boat  along  through  shadows  of  palms  and  clear  spaces  of  moon- 
light. Ibrahim  filled  the  shebooks,  and  for  four  hours  we  sat 
in  the  open  air,  which  seemed  to  grow  sweeter  and  purer  with 
every  breath  we  inhaled.  We  were  a  triad — the  sacred  num- 
ber— and  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  find  another  triad  so 
harmonious  lud  yet  differing  so  strongly  in  its  parts.  One 
was  a  Landwirtli  from  Saxe-Coburg,  a  man  of  forty-five,  tall, 
yet  portly  in  person,  and  accustomed  to  the  most  comfortable 
living  and  the  best  society  in  Germany.  Another  was  a  Smyr- 
niote  merchant,  a  young  man  of  thirty,  to  whom  all  parts  of 
Europe  were  familiar,  who  spoke  eight  languages,  and  who 
within  four  months  had  visited  Ispahan  and  the  Caucasus.  Of 
the  third  it  behooves  me  not  to  speak,  save  that  he  was  from 
the  New  World,  and  that  he  differed  entirely  from  his  friends 
in  stature,  features,  station  in  life,  and  every  thing  else  but  mu- 
tual goodfellowship.  "  Ah,"  said  the  German  in  the  fulness 
of  his  heart,  as  we  basked  in  the  moonlight,  *•  what  a  heavenly 
air  I  what  beautiful  palms !  and  this  wonderful  repose  in  all 
Nature,  which  I  never  felt  before  !"  "  It  is  better  than  the 
gardens  of  Ispahan,"  added  the  Smyrniote.  Nor  did  I  deceive 
them  when  I  said  that  for  many  months  past  I  had  known  no 
mood  of  mind  so  peaceful  and  grateful. 


JOURNEY   IN    CENTRAL   AFRICA, 

We  rosn  somewhat  stiff  from  our  hard  beds,  but  a  cup  of 
coffoe  and  the  fresh  morning  air  restored  the  amenity  of  th€ 
voyage  The  banks  of  the  Canal  are  flat  and  dull,  and  the 
co'intry  through  which  we  passed,  after  leaving  the  marshy 
brink  of  Lake  Mareotis,  was  in  many  places  still  too  wet  from 
the  recent  inundation  to  be  ploughed  for  the  winter  crops.  It  is 
a  dead  level  of  rich  black  loam,  and  produces  rice,  maize,  sugar- 
cane and  millet.  Here  and  there  the  sand  has  blown  over  it, 
and  large  spaces  are  given  up  to  a  sort  of  coarse,  wiry  grass. 
The  villages  are  miserable  collections  of  mud  huts,  but  the 
date-palms  which  shadow  them  and  the  strings  of  camels  that 
slowly  pass  to  and  fro,  render  even  their  unsightliness  pictu 
resque.  In  two  or  three  places  we  passed  mud  machines,  driven 
by  steam,  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  the  Canal.  Ropes  were 
stretched  across  the  channel  on  both  sides,  and  a  large  number 
of  trading  boats  were  obliged  to  halt,  although  the  wind  was 
very  favorable.  The  barrier  was  withdrawn  for  us  Franks,  and 
the  courteous  engineer  touched  his  tarboosh  in  reply  to  our 
salutations,  as  we  shot  through. 

Towards  noon  we  stopped  at  a  village,  and  the  Asian  went 
ashore  with  Ibrahim  to  buy  provisions,  while  the  European 
walked  ahead  with  his  fowling-piece,  to  shoot  wild  ducks  for 
dinner.  The  American  stayed  on  board  and  studied  an  Arabic 
vocabulary.  Presently  Ibrahim  appeared  with  two  fowls,  two 
pigeons,  a  pot  of  milk  and  a  dozen  eggs.  The  Asian  set  about 
preparing  breakfast,  and  showed  himself  so  skilful  that  our 
bark  soon  exhaled  the  most  savory  odors.  When  we  picked 
up  our  European  he  had  only  two  hawks  to  offer  us,  but  we 
gave  him  in  return  a  breakfast  which  he  declared  perfect.  We 
»itc  on  deck,  seated  on  a  mat ;  a  pleasant  wind  filled  our  sails, 


ATFSH.  25 

and  myriads  of  swallows  circled  and  twittered  over  onr  heads 
in  the  cloudless  air.  The  calm,  contemplative  state  produced 
by  the  cofifee  and  pipes  which  Ibrahim  brought  us,  lasted  the 
whole  afternoon,  and  the  villages,  the  cane-fields,  the  Moslem 
oratories,  the  wide  level  of  the  Delta  and  the  distant  mounds 
of  forgotten  cities,  passed  before  our  eyes  like  the  pictures  of 
a  dream.  Only  one  of  these  pictures  marred  the  serenity  of 
our  minds.  It  was  an  Arab  burying-ground,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Oanal — a  collection  of  heaps  of  mud,  baked  in  the  sun. 
At  the  head  and  foot  of  one  of  the  most  recent,  sat  two  wo- 
men— ^paid  mourners — ^who  howled  and  sobbed,  in  long,  piteous, 
despairing  cries,  which  were  most  painful  to  hear.  I  should 
never  have  imagined  that  any  thing  but  the  keenest  grief  could 
teach  such  heart-breaking  sounds. 

When  I  climbed  the  bank  at  sunset,  for  a  walk,  the  minarets 
of  Atfeh,  on  the  Nile,  were  visible.  Two  rows  of  acacias, 
planted  along  the  Canal,  formed  a  pleasant  arcade,  through 
which  we  sailed,  to  the  muddy  excrescences  of  the  town.  The 
locks  were  closed  for  the  night,  and  we  were  obliged  to  halt 
which  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  an  Arabic  marriage 
procession.  The  noise  of  two  wooden  drums  and  a  sort  of  fife 
announced  the  approach  of  the  bride,  who,  attended  by  her 
relatives,  came  down  the  bank  from  the  mud-ovens  above.  She 
was  closely  veiled,  but  the  Arabs  crowded  around  to  get  a  peep 
at  her  face.  No  sooner  had  the  three  Franks  approached,  than 
she  was  doubly  guarded  and  hurried  ofif  to  the  house  of  her  in- 
tended husband.  Some  time  afterwards  I  ascended  the  bank 
to  have  a  nearer  view  of  the  miserable  hovels,  but  was  received 
with  such  outcries  and  menacing  gestures,  that  I  made  a  slow 
and  dignified  retreat.     We  visited,  however,  the  house  of  the 

2 


bridegroom's  father,  where  twenty  or  thirty  Arabs,  Boatod  on 
the  ground,  were  singing  an  epitLalaminm,  to  which  they  topt 
time  by  clapping  their  hands. 

Nest  morning,  while  our  rai's  was  getting  his  permit  to  pass 
Ihe  locts  (for  which  four  official  signatures  and  a  fee  of  thirty 
piastres  aro  necessary),  wc  Tisited  the  bazaar,  and  purchased 
long  tubes  of  jaamine-wood  for  our  pipes,  and  vegetables  for 
our  kitchen.  On  all  such  occasions  wc  detailed  Seyd,  tho  tall 
Nubian,  whose  ebony  face  shone  resplendent  under  a  snow-whita 
torban,  to  be  our  attendant.  The  stately  gravity  with  whioh 
he  walked  behind  ub,  carrying  bread  and  vegetables,  was  wor- 
thy the  pipo-bearer  of  a  Sultan,  By  this  time  wo  had  installed 
the  Asian  as  cook,  and  he  very  cheerfully  undertook  the  serrioe. 
Wo  soon  discovered  that  the  skill  of  Ibrahim  extended  no  fur- 
ther than  to  the  making  of  a.  pilaff  and  tho  preparation  of  coffee. 
Moreover  his  habits  and  appearance  were  not  calculated  to  make 
ue  relish  his  handiwork  Tho  nai'vetii  with  which  he  took  the 
wash-basin  to  make  soup  in,  and  wiped  our  kniTca  and  forks  on 
his  own  baggy  pantaloons,  would  have  been  very  amusing  if  we 
had  not  been  interested  paj-ties.  The  Asian  was  one  day 
crnmhling  some  loaf  sugar  with  a  hammer,  when  Ibrahim,  who 
had  been  watching  him,  suddenly  eselaimed  in  a  tone  of  min- 
gled pity  and  contempt,  "  that's  not  tho  way  1 "  Thereupon  ho 
took  np  some  of  the  lumps,  and  wrapped  them  in  one  corner  of 
Dis  long  white  shirt,  which  he  thrust  into  his  mouth,  and  after 
crushing  the  sugar  between  his  teeth,  emptied  it  into  the  howl 
with  an  air  of  triumph. 

A  whole  squndron  of  hoata  was  waiting  at  the  looka,  but 
with  Frankbh  impudence,  we  pushed  through  them,  and  toob 
our  place  in  the  front  rank.     The  sun  iTaa  intensely  hot,  and 


ENTRANCB    INTO    THE    NILE.  2*t 

wv  Sweated  and  broiled  for  a  full  Hour,  in  the  midst  cf  a  hor 
rible  tumult  of  Arabs,  before  the  clumsy  officers  closed  the  last 
gate  on  us  and  let  us  float  forth  on  the  Nile.  It  is  fhe  west- 
em,  or  Canopic  branch  of  the  river  which  flows  past  Atfeh.  It 
is  not  broader  than  the  Hudson  at  Albany,  but  was  more  mud- 
dy and  slimy  from  its  recent  overflow  than  the  Mississippi  at 
New  Orleans.  Its  water  is  no  less  sweet  and  wholesome  than 
that  of  the  latter  river.  After  leaving  the  monotonous  banks 
of  the  Canal,  the  aspect  of  its  shores,  fringed  with  groves  of 
palm,  was  unspeakably  cheerful  and  inspiring.  On  the  opposit( 
side,  the  slender  white  minarets  of  Fooah,  once  a  rich  manu- 
facturing town,  sparkled  in  the  noonday  sun.  A  fresh  north 
wind  from  the  Mediterranean  slowly  pressed  our  boat  against 
the  strong  current,  while  the  heavily-laden  merchant  vessels 
followed  in  our  wake,  their  two  immense  lateen  sails  expanded 
like  the  wings  of  the  Arabian  roc.  "We  drank  to  the  glory  of 
old  Father  Nile  in  a  cup  of  his  own  brown  current,  and  then 
called  Ibrahim  to  replenish  the  empty  shebooks.  Those  who 
object  to  tobacco  under  the  form  of  cigars,  or  are  nauseated  by 
the  fumes  of  a  German  meerschaum,  should  be  told  that  the 
Turkish  pipe,  filled  with  Latakieh,  is  quite  another  thing.  The 
aroma,  which  you  inhale  through  a  long  jasmine  tube,  topped 
with  a  soft  amber  mouth-piece,  is  as  fragrant  as  rosed  and  re- 
freshing as  ripe  dates.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  atmosphere 
of  celestial  musk  and  amber  which  surrounded  Mahomet,  ac- 
cording to  the  Persian  Chronicles,  was  none  other  than  genuiuQ 
Latakieh,  at  twenty  piastres  the  oka.  One  thing  is  certain, 
that  without  the  capacity  to  smoke  a  shebook,  no  one  can  taste 
the  true  flavor  of  the  Orient. 

An  hour  or  two  after  sunset  the  wind  fell,  and  for  the  rest 


28  JOURNEY  TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

of  the  night  our  men  tracked  the  boat  slowly  forward,  singing 
cheerily  as.  they  tugged  at  the  long  tow-rope.  The  Asian 
spread  on  the  deck  his  Albanian  capote,  the  European  his  am 
pie  travelling  cloak,  and  the  representatives  of  three  Conti 
nents,  travelliug  in  the  fourth,  lay  on  their  backs  enjoying  the 
moonlight,  the  palms,  and  more  than  all,  the  perfect  silence  and 
repose.  With  every  day  of  our  journey  I  felt  more  deeply  and 
gratefully  this  sense  of  rest.  Under  such  a  glorious  sky,  no 
disturbance  seemed  possible.  It  was  of  little  consequence 
whether  the  boat  went  forward  or  backward,  whether  we  struck 
•op  a  sand-bar  or  ploughed  the  water  under  a  full  head  of  wind; 
eigwy  thiog  was  right.  My  conscience  made  me  no  reproach  for 
Buch  a  lazy  life  In  America  we  live  too  fast  and  work  too 
hard,  I  thought ;  shall  I  not  know  what  Rest  is,  once  before  I 
die  ?  The  European  said  to  me  naively,  one  -day :  "  I  am  a 
little  surprised,  but  very  glad,  that  no  one  of  us  has  yet  spoken 
of  European  politics."  Europe  I  I  had  forgotten  that  such  a 
land  existed :  and  as  for  America,  it  seemed  very  dim  and 
distant. 

Sometimes  I  varied  this  repose  by  trying  to  pick  up  the 
language.  Wilkinson's  Vocabulary  and  Capt.  Hayes's  Gram- 
mar did  me  great  service,  and  after  I  had  tried  a  number  of 
words  with  Ibrahim,  to  get  the  pronunciation,  I  made  bolder 
essays.  One  day  when  the  sailors  were  engaged  in  a  most 
vociferous  discussion,  I  broke  upon  them  with  :  "What  is  all 
this  noise  about  ?  stop  instantly  I "  The  effect  was  instantane- 
ous ;  the  men  were  silent,  and  Seyd,  turniog  up  his  eyes  in 
wonder,  cried  out :  ^^  Wallah!  the  Howadji  talks  Arabic!'' 
The  two  copper-faced  Fellahs  thought  it  very  amusing,  and 
?vcry  new  word  I  learned  sufficed  to  set  them  laughing  for  half 


SCBNERT   OF   THE   DELTA.  20 

an  hour.  I  called  out  to  a  fisherman,  seated  on  the  bank :  "  O 
Fisherman,  have  you  any  fish  ?  "  and  he  held  up  a  string  of 
them  and  made  answer :  "  0  Howadji,  I  have."  This  solemr 
form  of  address,  which  is  univ^ersal  in  Arabic,  makes  the  Ian 
guage  very  piquant  to  a  student. 

During  our  second  night  on  the  river,  we  passed  the  site 
of  ancient  Sals,  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  Egjrptian  cities, 
which  has  left  nothing  but  a  few  shapeless  mounds.  The  coun- 
try was  in  many  places  still  wet  from  the  inundation,  which 
was  the  largest  that  had  occurred  for  many  years.  The  Fel- 
lahs were  ploughing  for  wheat,  with  a  single  buffalo  geared  to  a 
sharp  pole,  which  scratched  up  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  threes 
inches.  Fields  of  maize  and  sugar-cane  were  frequent,  and  I 
noticed  also  some  plantations  of  tobacco,  millet,  and  a  species 
of  lupin,  which  is  cultivated  for  its  beans.  The  only  vegetables 
we  found  for  sale  in  the  villages,  were  onions,  leeks  and  toma- 
toes. Milk,  butter  and  eggs  are  abundant  and  very  good,  but 
the  cheese  of  the  country  is  detestable.  The  habitations  resem- 
ble ant-hills,  rather  than  human  dwellings,  and  the  villages  arc 
depots  of  liith  and  vermin,  on  the  most  magnificent  scale.  Our 
aoat  was  fortunately  free  from  the  latter,  except  a  few  cock- 
roaches. Except  the  palm  and  acacia,  without  which  a  Nile 
journey  would  lose  half  its  attractions,  I  saw  few  trees.  Here 
and  there  stood  a  group  of  superb  plane-trees,  and  the  banana 
sometimes  appeared  in  the  gardens,  but  there  is  nothing  of  that 
marvellous  luxuriance  and  variety  of  vegetation  which  is  else- 
where exhibited  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Tropics. 

On  the  evening  of  the  third  day  we  reached  the  town  of 
Nadir,  and,  as  there  was  no  wind,  went  ashore  for  an  hour  or 
two.     There  was  a  caf6  on  the  bank — a  mud  house,  with  two 


/lO  JOURNEY   TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

mndows,  adorned  with  wooden  frames,  carved  in  the  Moorish 
style  A  divan,  built  of  clay  and  whitewashed,  extended  along 
one  side  of  the  room,  and  on  this  we  seated  ourselves  cross-leg- 
ged, while  the  host  prepared  the  little  coffee-cups  and  filled  tho 
pipes.  Through  the  open  door  we  saw  the  Nile,  gleaming 
broadly  under  the  full  moon,  and  in  the  distance,  two  tall  palm* 
trees  stood  clearly  against  the  sky.  Our  boatmen,  whom  we 
had  treated  to  hooza,  the  Egyptian  beer,  sat  before  us,  and 
joined  in  the  chorus  of  a  song,  which  was  sung  to  entertain  us. 
The  performers  were  throe  women,  and  a  man  who  played  a 
coarse  reed  flute.  One  of  the  women  had  a  tambourine,  another 
a  small  wooden  drum,  and  the  third  kept  time  by  slapping  the 
closed  fingers  of  the  right  hand  on  the  palm  of  the  left.  The 
song,  which  had  a  wild,  rude  harmony  that  pleased  me,  "wus 
followed  by  a  dance,  executed  by  one  of  the  women.  It  was 
very  similar  to  the  fandango,  as  danced  by  the  natives  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  was  more  lascivious  than  graceful 
The  women,  however,  were  of  the  lowest  class,  and  their  per- 
formances were  adapted  to  the  taste  of  the  boatmen  and  camel- 
drivers,  by  whom  they  are  patronized. 

The  next  day  the  yellow  hills  of  the  Libyan  Desert,  which 
in  some  places  press  the  arable  land  of  the  Delta  even  to  the 
brink  of  the  Nile,  appeared  in  the  west.  The  sand  appeared 
to  be  steadily  advancing  towards  the  river,  and  near  Werdan 
had  already  buried  a  grove  of  acacias  as  high  as  their  first 
branches.  The  tops  were  green  and  flourishing  above  the 
deluge,  but  another  year  or  two  would  overwhelm  them  com- 
pletely. We  had  a  thick  fog  during  the  night,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  was  exceedingly  hot  though  the  air  was  transparent  as 
crystal.     Our  three  faces  were  already  of  the  color  of  nen 


THE    BAURAOE.  91 

bronze,  wLich  was  burned  into  the  skin  by  the  reflection  from 
the  water.  While  my  friends  were  enjoying  their  usual  after- 
noon repose,  a  secret  presentiment  made  me  climb  to  the  roof 
of  our  cabin.  I  had  not  sat  there  long,  before  I  descried  twa 
faint  blue  triangles  on  the  horizon,  far  to  the  south.  I  rudclv 
broke  in  upon  their  indolence  with  a  shout  of  *the  Pyror 
mids  1 "  which  Seyd  echoed  with  "  Elrhdram  Faraowi  /  "  I 
was  as  much  impressed  with  the  view  as  I  expected  to  be,  but 
I  completely  nullified  the  European's  emotion  by  translating 
to  him  Thackeray's  description  of  his  first  sight  of  those  re- 
nowned monuments. 

The  same  evening  we  reached  the  northern  point  of  the 
Delta,  where  we  were  obliged  to  remain  all  night,  as  the  wind 
was  not  sufl&ciently  strong  to  allow  us  to  pass  the  Barrage, 
Singularly  enough,  this  immense  work,  which  is  among  the 
greatest  undertakings  of  modern  times,  is  scarcely  heard  of  out 
of  Egypt.  It  is  nothing  less  than  a  damming  of  the  Nile, 
which  is  to  have  the  effect  of  producing  two  inundations  a 
year,  and  doubling  the  crops  throughout  the  Delta.  Here, 
where  the  flood  divides  itself  into  two  main  branches,  which 
find  separate  mouths  at  Damietta  and  Kosetta,  an  immense 
dam  has  not  only  been  projected,  but  is  far  advanced  toward 
completion.  Each  branch  will  be  spanned  by  sixty- two  arches, 
besides  a  central  gateway  ninety  feet  in  breadth,  and  flanked 
by  lofty  stone  towers.  The  point  of  the  Delta,  between  the 
two  dams,  is  protected  by  a  curtain  of  solid  masonry,  and  the 
nbutments  which  it  joins  are  fortified  by  towers  sixty  or  seven- 
ty feet  in  height.  The  piers  have  curved  breakwaters  on  the 
upper  side,  while  the  opposite  parapet  of  the  arches  rises  high 
above  them,  so  that  the  dam  consists  of  three  successive  ter- 


races,  and  presenta  itself  like  a  wedge,  agniust  the  force  of 
Buch  an  imineDse  body  of  water.  Tie  material  h  brick,  facod  ' 
with  stone.  When  coinplcte,  it  is  intended  to  close  tie  side- 
arches  during  low  water,  leaving  ouly  the  central  gateway 
open.  By  this  means  sufficient  water  will  be  gained  to  fill  all 
the  irrigaliug  canals,  while  a  new  channel,  cut  through  t 
centre  of  the  Delta,  will  render  productive  a  vast  tract  of  f 
tilo  land.  The  project  is  a  grand  one,  and  the  only  obstacle 
tfl  its  success  is  the  hght,  porous  character  of  the  alluvial 
Boil  on  which  the  piers  are  foundeil.  The  undertaking  ^ 
planned  and  commenced  by  M.  Linant,  and  baa  since  been 
eontinued  by  other  engineers. 

The  Egyptian  boatraoa  have  reason  to  complam  of  the 
Barrage,  The  main  force  of  the  river  is  poured  through  the 
narrow  space  wherein  the  piers  have  not  yet  been  sunk,  which 
cannot  be  passed  without  a  strong  north  wind.  Forty  or  fifty 
boats  were  lying  along  the  shore,  waiting  the  favorable  mo- 
ment. We  obtained  permission  from  the  engineer  to  attach 
our  boat  to  a  large  government  barge,  which  was  to  be  drawn 
up  by  a  stationary  windlass.  As  we  put  off,  the  wind  fresher 
ed,  and  we  were  slowly  urged  against  tho  current  to  the  mai 
rapid,  where  we  were  obliged  to  hold  on  to  our  big  friend. 
Behind  ua  the  river  was  white  with  saiie — craft  of  all  kinds, 
pushed  up  by  the  wind,  dragged  down  by  the  water,  striking 
against  each  other,  entangling  their  long  sails  and  crowding 
into  the  narrow  passage,  amid  shouts,  cries  and  a  bewildering 
profusion  of  Arabic  gutturals.  For  half  an  hour,  the  scene  was 
most  cxcitbg,  but  thanks  to  the  windlass,  we  reached  smoothei 
water,  and  sailed  off  gayly  for  Cairo. 

The  true   Nile  expanded  before  ns,  nearly  two  niQea  Ld 


W&  REAOn   BOULAK.  3 

width.  To  the  south,  the  three  Pyramids  of  Gizeh  loomed 
up  like  isolated  mountain-peaks  on  the  verge  of  the  Desert 
On  the  right  hand  the  Mokattam  Hills  lay  red  and  bare  in 
the  sunshine,  and  ere  long,  over  the  distant  gardens  of  Shoo- 
bra,  we  caught  sight  of  the  Citadel  of  Cairo,  and  the  minarets 
of  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan.  The  north  wind  was  faith- 
ful :  at  three  o'clock  we  were  anchored  in  Boulak,  paid  our 
rai's,  gave  the  crew  a  backsheesh,  for  which  they  kissed  our 
hands  with  many  exclamations  of  ^^taib/^  (good  I)  and  set 
Dot  for  Cairo. 


JOURNST  TO  CENTRAL  ATRIOA. 


CHAPTER    HI. 

flCTURES      OP      CAIRO 

Entrance — The  Ezbekiyeh— Saracenic  Iloases — Donkeys— The  Bazaars — ^The  Streets 
— Processions — ^Vlcw  from  the  Citadel — Mosque  of  Mohammed  All— The  Bottd  to 
Suez— The  Island  of  Ehoda. 

Our  approach  to  and  entrance  into  Cairo  was  the  illuminated 
frontispiece  to  the  volume  of  my  Eastern  life.  From  the  Nile 
we  had  already  seen  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan,  the  white 
domes,  and  long,  pencil-like  minarets  of  the  new  mosque  of 
Mohammed  Ali,  and  the  massive  masonry  of  the  Citadel, 
crowning  a  projecting  spur  of  the  Mokattam  Hills,  which 
touches  the  city  on  the  eastern  side.  But  when,  mounted 
on  ambling  donkeys,  we  followed  the  laden  baggage-horses 
through  the  streets  of  Boulak,  and  entered  the  broad,  shaded 
highway  leading  through  gardens,  grain-fields  and  groves  of 
palm  and  banana,  to  the  gate  of  the  Ezhekiyeh — the  great 
square  of  Cairo — the  scene,  which,  at  a  distance,  had  been 
dimmed  and  softened  by  the  filmy  screen  of  the  Egyptian  air, 
now  became  so  gay,  picturesque  and  animated,  so  full  of  life 
i  motion  and  color,  that  my  dreams  of  the  East  were  at 
je  displaced  by  the  vivid  reality.  The  donkey-riding  multi- 
tudes who  passed  coutiuually  to  and  fro,  were  wholly  unlike 


THB   GREAT   SQUARE    OJt   CAIRO.  35 

the  croTfds  of  Smyrna  and  Alexandria,  where  the  growing  in- 
fluence of  European  dress  and  customs  is  already  visible. 
Here,  every  thing  still  exhaled  the  rich  aroma  of  the  Orient, 
as  it  had  been  wafted  to  me  from  the  Thousand  and  One 
Nights,  the  Persian  poets  and  the  Arab  chroniclers.  I  forgot 
that  I  still  wore  a  Frank  dress,  and  found  myself  wondering  at 
the  temerity  of  the  few  Europeans  we  met.  I  looked  without 
surprise  on  the  long  processions  of  donkeys  carrying  water- 
skins,  the  heavily-laden  camels,  the  women  with  white  masks 
on  their  faces  and  black  bags  around  their  bodies,  the  stolid 
Nubian  slaves,  the  grave  Abyssinians,  and  all  the  other  va- 
rious characters  that  passed  and  repassed  us.  But  because 
they  were  so  familiar,  they  were  none  the  less  interesting,  for 
all  had  been  acquaintances,  when,  like  Tennyson,  **  true  Mus- 
sulman was  I,  and  sworn,"  tmder  the  reign  of  the  good  Haroun 
Al-Easchid. 

We  entered  the  Ezbekiyeh,  which  is  wholly  overgrown  with 
majestic  acacias  and  plane- trees,  and  thickets  of  aromatic  flow- 
ering shrubs.  It  is  in  the  Frank  quarter  of  the  city,  and  was 
first  laid  out  and  planted  by  order  of  Mohammed  AIL  All  the 
principal  hotels  front  upon  it,  and  light,  thatched  cafes  fill  the 
space  under  the  plane-trees,  where  the  beau  monde  of  Cairo 
promenade  every  Sunday  evening.  Nothing  of  the  old  City  of 
the  Caliphs,  except  a  few  tall  minarets,  can  be  seen  from  this 
quarter,  but  the  bowery  luxuriance  of  the  foliage  is  all  that  the 
eye  demands,  and  over  the  plain  white  walls,  on  every  side^ 
the  palms — single,  or  in  friendly  groups — ^lift  their  feathery 
crowns.  After  installing  our  hcusehold  gods  in  the  chambers 
of  the  quiet  and  comfortable  Hotel  d'Europe,  we  went  out  to 
enjoy  the  sweet  evening  air  in  fr^nt  of  one  of  the  cafes.      T 


88  JOURNE7   TO    CENTRAL   AVRIOA. 

tried  foi  the  first  time  the  narghileh,  or  Persian  water-pipe. 
The  soft,  velvety  leaves  of  the  tobacco  of  Shiraz  are  burned  in 
a  small  cup,  the  tube  of  which  enters  a  glass  vase,  half  filled 
with  rose -scented  water.  From  the  top  of  this  vase  issues  a 
flexible  tube,  several  feet  in  length,  with  a  mouth-piece  of  wood 
or  amber.  At  each  inspiration,  the  smoke  is  drawn  downward 
and  rises  through  the  water  with  a  pleasant  bubbling  sound.  It 
is  deprived  of  all  the  essential  oil  of  the  weed,  and  is  exceed- 
ingly mild,  cool  and  fragrant.  But  instead  of  being  puffed  out 
of  the  mouth  in  whiffs,  it  is  breathed  full  into  the  lungs  and 
out  again,  like  the  common  air.  This  is  not  so  difficult  a  mat- 
ter as  might  be  supposed ;  the  sensation  is  pleasant  and  slight- 
ly exhilarating,  and  is  not  injurious  to  the  lungs  when  moder- 
ately i'Lidulged  in. 

The  Turkish  quarter  of  Cairo  still  retains  the  picturesque 
Saracenic  architecture  of  the  times  of  the  Caliphs.  The 
houses  are  mostly  three  stories  in  height,  each  story  projecting 
over  the  other,  and  the  plain  stone  walls  are  either  whitewash- 
ed or  striped  with  horizontal  red  bars,  in  a  manner  which  would 
be  absurd  under  a  northern  sky,  but  which  is  here  singularly 
harmonious  and  agreeable.  The  only  signs  of  sculpture  are 
occasional  door-ways  with  richly  carved  arches,  or  the  light 
marble  gallery  surrounding  a  fountained  court.  I  saw  a  few 
of  these  in  retired  parts  of  the  city.  The  traveller,  however, 
has  an  exhaustless  source  of  delight  in  the  wooden  balconies 
inclosing  the  upper  windows.  The  extraordinary  lightness, 
grace  and  delicate  fragility  of  their  workmanship,  rendered  still 
more  striking  by  contrast  with  the  naked  solidity  of  the  walla 
to  which  they  cling,  gave  me  a  new  idea  of  the  skill  and  fancy 
of  the  Saracenic  architects.     The  wood  seems  rather  woven  in 


DONKEYS    AND   D0NKEY-B0T8.  87 

tlio  loom  I  than  cut  with  the  saw  and  chiseL  Through  these 
lattices  of  fine  network,  with  borders  worked  in  lace-like  pat- 
terns, and  sometimes  topped  with  slender  turrets  and  pinnacles, 
the  wives  of  the  Cairene  merchants  sit  and  watch  the  crowds 
passing  softly  to  and  fro  in  the  twilight  of  the  bazaars,  them- 
selves unseen.  It  needed  no  effort  of  the  imagination  to  people 
the  fairy  watch-towers  under  which  we  rode  daily,  with  forms 
as  beautiful  as  those  which  live  in  the  voluptuous  melodies  of 
Hafiz. 

To  see  Cairo  thoroughly,  one  must  first  accustom  himself 
to  the  ways  of  those  long-eared  cabs,  without  the  use  of  which 
T  would  advise  no  one  to  trust  himself  in  the  bazaars.  Don- 
key-riding is  universal,  and  no  one  thinks  of  going  beyond  the 
Frank  quarter  on  foot.  If  he  does,  he  must  submit  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  not  less  than  six  donkeys  with  their  drivers.  A 
friend  of  mine,  who  was  attended  by  such  a  cavalcade  for  two 
hours,  was  obliged  to  yield  at  last,  and  made  no  second  attempt. 
When  we  first  appeared  in  the  gateway  of  our  hotel,  equipped 
for  an  excursion,  the  rush  of  men  and  animals  was  so  great, 
that  we  were  forced  to  retreat  until  our  servant  and  the  porter 
whipped  us  a  path  through  the  yelling  and  braying  mob.  Af- 
ter one  or  two  trials,  I  found  an  intelligent  Arab  boy,  named 
Eash,  who,  for  five  piastres  a  day,  furnished  strong  and  ambi- 
tious donkeys,  which  he  kept  ready  at  the  door  from  morning 
till  night.  The  other  drivers  respected  Kish's  privilege,  and 
thenceforth  I  had  no  trouble.  The  donkeys  are  so  small  that 
my  feet  nearly  touched  the  ground,  but  there  is  no  end  to  their 
strength  and  endurance.  Their  gait,  whether  a  pace  or  a  gal 
lop,  is  so  easy  and  light  that  fatigue  is  impossible.  The  dri 
vers  take  great  pride  in  having  high-cushioned  red  saddles,  am* 


JOintKKT  TO   c 


ID  hanging  bits  of  jingling  brass  to  tho  bridles.  Tbcy  ket 
their  donkeys  close  Bhorn,  and  frequently  beautify  t 
painting  them  various  colors.  The  first  animal  I  rode  had  leg 
barred  like  a  zebra's,  and  my  friend's  rejoiced  in  purple  flaukfl 
Bud  a  yellow  boUy.  The  drivers  rua  beliind  them  with  a 
stick,  punching  tlieni  from  time  to  time,  or  giving  tbem  a 
pinch  on  tlie  rump.  Very  few  of  them  own  their  dorikeys,  ai 
I  understood  their  pertinacity  when  I  learned  that  they  fi 
quently  received  a  beating  on  returning  home  in  tke  eveIliI^ 
emjity-handed. 

Tbc  pnssage  of  the  bazaars  seems  at  £rst  quite  as  hazardot 
nn  donkey-baek  as  on  foot,  but  it  is  the  difference  between  knoel 
ing  somebody  doivn  and  being  knocked  down  yourself,  and  o 
naturally  prefers  the  former  alternative.     There  is  no  use  i 
attempting  to  guide  tlie  donkey,  for  he  won't  be  guided.     Th'^^ 
driver  shouts  behind,  and  you  arc  dashed  at  full  speed  into  k  J 
oonfuaion  of  other  donkeys,  camels,  horses,  carta,  water-car-  ' 
riers  and  footmen.     In  vain  you  cry  out :  "  Bess  /  "  (enough  t) 
"Piano/"  and  other  desperate  adjurations;  the  driver's  only 
reply  is  :  "  Lot  the  bridle  hang  loose  I  "      You  dodge  your 
head  under  a  camel-load  of  planks ;  your  leg  brushes  the  wbed   ■ 
of  a  dust-cart ;  you  strike  a  fat  Turk  plump  in  the  back;  yon  I 
miraculously  escape  upsetting  a  fruit-stand;  you  scatter  a  con^J 
pany  of  spectral,  white-mEtsked  women,  and  at  last  rcaeb  HomeJ 
more  quiet  street,  with  the  sensation  of  a  man  who  bas  stormei] 
B  battery.     At  first  this  sort  of  riding  made  mo  very  nervous,  J 
bat  finally  I  let  Iho  doukej  go  his  own  way,  and  took  a 
istfirest  in  seeing  how  near  a  chance  I  ran  of  striking  or  beiug  J 
Btmck.     Sometimes  there  seemed  no  hope  of  avoiding  a  violeni 
Killiaion,  bat  by  a  scries  of  the  most  remarkable  dodges  lie  gen 


THE   POPULACE    OF   CAIRO.  89 

erally  carried  me  through  in  safety.  The  cries  of  the  driver, 
ranning  behind,  gave  me  no  little  amusement :  '  The  Howadji 
comes !  Take  care  on  the  right  hand  1  take  care  on  the  left 
hand  1  0  man,  take  care !  0  maiden,  take  care  I  0  boy,  get 
out  of  the  way  1  The  Howadji  comes  1 "  Kish  had  strong  lungs 
and  his  donkey  would  let  nothing  pass  him,  and  so,  wherever 
we  went,  we  contributed  our  full  share  to  the  universal  noise 
and  confusion. 

Cairo  is  the  cleanest  of  all  oriental  cities.  The  regulations 
established  by  Mohammed  Ali  are  strictly  carried  out.  Each 
man  is  obliged  to  sweep  before  his  own  door,  and  the  dirt  is 
carried  away  in  carts  every  morning.  Besides  this,  the  streets 
are  watered  several  times  a  day,  and  are  nearly  always  cool 
and  free  from  dust.  The  constant  evaporation  of  the  water, 
however,  is  said  to  be  injurious  to  the  eyes  of  the  inhabitants, 
though  in  other  respects  the  city  is  healthy.  The  quantity  of 
sore-eyed,  cross-eyed,  one-eyed,  and  totally  blind  persons  one 
meets  every  where,  is  surprising.  There  are  some  beggars, 
mostly  old  or  deformed,  but  by  no  means  so  abundant  or  imper- 
tinent  as  in  the  Italian  cities.  A  number  of  shabby  police, 
men,  in  blue  frock-coats  and  white  pantaloons,  parade  the  prin- 
cipal thoroughfares,  but  I  never  saw  their  services  called  into 
requisition.  The  soldiers,  who  wear  a  European  dress  of  white 
cotton,  are  by  far  the  most  awkward  and  unpicturesque  class 
Even  the  Fellah,  whose  single  brown  garment  hangs  loose  from 
his  shoulders  to  his  knees,  has  an  air  of  dignity  compared  with 
these  Frankish  caricatures.  The  genuine  Egyptian  costume 
which  bears  considerable  resemblance  to  the  Greek,  and  espe 
cially  the  Hydriote,  is  simple  and  graceful.  The  colors  are 
dark — ^principally  brown,  blue,  green  and  violet — relieved  by  8 


10  JOURNEY   TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

heavy  silk  sash  of  some  gay  pattern,  and  by  the  red  slippers 
and  tarboosh.  But,  as  in  Tuikey,  the  Pashas  and  Beys,  and 
many  of  the  minor  officers  ot  the  civil  departments  have  adopt 
ed  the  Frank  dress,  retaining  only  the  tarboosh, — a  change 
which  is  by  no  means  becoming  to  them.  I  went  into  an  Egyp* 
tian  barber-shop  one  day,  to  have  my  hair  shorn,  and  sn- 
joyed  the  preparatory  pipe  and  coffee  in  company  with  two  in- 
dividuals, whom  I  supposed  to  be  French  or  Italians  of  the 
vulgar  order,  until  the  barber  combed  out  the  long  locks  on  the 
top  of  their  head,  by  which  Mussulmen  expect  to  be  lifted  up 
into  Paradise.  When  they  had  gone,  the  man  informed  me 
*hat  one  was  Khalim  Pasha,  one  of  the  grandsons  of  Moham- 
med Ali,  and  the  other  a  Bey,  of  considerable  notoriety.  The 
Egyptians  certainly  do  not  gain  any  thing  by  adopting  a  costume 
which,  in  this  climate,  is  neither  so  convenient  nor  so  agreeable 
as  their  own. 

Besides  the  animated  life  of  the  bazaars,  which  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing,  in  making  my  outfit  for  the  winter's 
journey,  I  rarely  went  out  without  witnessing  some  incident  or 
ceremony  illustrative  of  Egyptian  character  and  customs.  One 
morning  I  encountered  a  stately  procession,  with  music  and 
banners,  accompanying  a  venerable  personage,  with  a  green  tur- 
ban on  his  head  and  a  long  white  beard  flowing  over  his  breast. 
This,  as  Kish  assui*ed  me,  was  the  Shereef  of  Mecca.  He  was 
attended  by  officers  in  the  ricnest  Turkish  and  Egyptian  cos- 
tumes, mounted  on  splendid  Arabian  steeds,  who  were  almost 
hidden  under  their  broad  housings  of  green  and  crimson  velvet, 
embroidered  with  gold.  The  people  on  all  sides,  as  he  passed, 
laid  their  hands  on  their  breasts  and  bowed  low,  which  he  an« 
ewered  by  slowly  lifting  his  hand.  It  was  a  simple  motion,  buf 
nothing  could  have  been  more  calm  and  majestic. 


FESTIVR   PROCESSIONS.  41 

On  another  occasion,  I  met  a  bridal  procession  in  the  streets 
of  Boulak.  Three  musicians,  playing  on  piercing  flutes,  head- 
ed  the  march,  followed  by  the  parents  of  the  bride,  who,  sur- 
rounded by  her  maids,  walked  under  a  crimson  canopy.  Shfi 
was  shrouded  from  bead  to  foot  in  a  red  robe,  over  which  a 
gilded  diadem  was  fastened  around  her  head.  A  large  crowd 
of  friends  and  relatives  closed  the  procession,  close  behind 
which  followed  another,  of  very  different  character.  The  chief 
actors  were  four  boys,  of  five  oi  six  years  old,  on  their  way  to 
be  circumcised.  Each  was  mounted  on  a  handsome  horse,  and 
wore  the  gala  garments  of  a  full-grown  man,  in  which  their  little 
bodies  were  entirely  lost  The  proud  parents  marched  by  their 
sides,  supporting  them,  and  occasionally  holding  to  their  lips 
bottles  of  milk  and  sherbet.  One  was  a  jet  black  Nubian,  who 
seemed  particularly  delighted  with  his  situation,  and  grinned  on 
all  sides  as  he  passed  along.  This  procession  was  headed  by 
a  buffoon,  who  carried  a  laugh  with  him  which  opened  a  ready 
passage  through  the  crowd.  A  man  followed  balancing  on  his 
chin  a  long  pole  crowned  with  a  bunch  of  flowers.  He  came  to 
me  for  backsheesh.  His  success  brought  me  two  swordsmen 
out  of  the  procession,  who  cut  at  each  other  with  scimitars  and 
caught  the  blows  on  their  shields.  The  coolness,  swiftness  and 
skill  with  which  they  parried  the  strokes  was  really  admirable, 
and  the  concluding  flourish  was  a  masterpiece.  One  of  them, 
striking  with  the  full  sweep  of  his  arm,  aimed  directly  at  the 
face  of  the  other,  as  if  to  divide  his  head  into  two  parts ;  but 
without  making  a  pause,  the  glittering  weapon  turned,  and 
sliced  the  air  within  half  an  inch  of  his  eyes.  The  man  neither 
winked  nor  moved  a  muscle  of  his  face,  but  after  the  scimitai 
had  passed,  dashed  it  up  with  his  shield,  which  ho  then  reversed, 


42 


JOCKHBT  TO   OimBAL  AFBIOA. 


and  Jropping  on  ona  knee,  held  to  me  for  backsheesh.     Aftef   | 
these  came  a  cnoiel,  with  a  tuft  of  oetrich  feathers  oa  his  h 
nnd  a  boy  on  his  hack,  who  pounded  vigorously  ou  two  wooden  | 
drnms  m  th  one  hand,  while  he  stretched  the  other  down  to  n 
for  bncksliGesti.      Luckily  the  little  candidates  for  circumc 
bion  were  too  busily  engaged  with  their  milk  bottles  and  sugar- 1 
plums,  to  join  ia  the  uniyeraal  cry 

I  had  little  time  to  devote  to  the  sights  of  Cairo,  and  wot^l 
obliged  to  omit  the  esoursiaus  to  the  Petrified  Forest,  to  Helio-  J 
polis  and  Old  Cairo,  until  my  return.     Besides  the  city  itself  I 
which  was  always  full  of  interoat,  I  saw  little  ebe  except  the  1 
Citadel  and  the  Island  of  Rhoda.     We  took  the  early  morning  i 
for  our  ride  to  the  former  place,  and  were  fortunate  enough  to  I 
find  our  view  of  the  Nile-plaia  unobscuxed  by  the  mists  cu»-  -I 
ternary  at  this  season.     The  morning  light  is  most  favorable  to  i 
the  landscape,  which  lies  wholly  to  tho  westward.      The  shad-  | 
ows  of  the  Citadel  and  the  crests  of  the  Mokattam  Hills  theD  5 
lie  broad  and  oool  over  the  city,  but  do  not  touch  its  minarets, 
which  glitter  in  the  air  like  shafts  of  white  and  rosy  flame. 
The  populace  is  up  and  stLrring,  and  you  can  hear  the  cries  of 
the  donkoymen  and  water-carriers  from  under  the  sycamores  and 
acacias  that  shade  the  road  to  Boulak.     Over  the  rich  palm- 
gardena,  the  blue  streak  of  the  river  and  the  plain  beyond, ; 
sec  the  phantoms  of  two  pyramids  in  the  haze  which  still  c 
tains  the  Libyan  Desert,     Northward,  beyond  the  parks  and  1 
palaces  of  Shoohra,  the  Nile  stretches  his  two  great  armi 
ward  the  sea,  dotted,  far  into  the  distance,  with  sails  that  flash 
in  the  buu.     From  no  other  point,  and  at  no  other  time,  ii 
Cairo  so  grand  and  beautifiil. 

Within  the  walls  of  tlie  Citadel  is  the  Bir  Youssef — Jo- 


b-L 


THB    CITADEL.  43 

seph's  Well — as  it  is  called  by  the  Arabs,  not  from  the  vir- 
tuous Hebrew,  but  from  Sultan  Saladin,  who  dug  it  out  and 
put  it  in  operation.  The  well  itself  dates  from  the  old  Egyp- 
tian time,  but  was  filled  with  sand  and  entirely  lost  for  man^ 
centuries.  It  consists  of  an  upper  and  lower  shaft,  cut  through 
the  solid  rock,  to  the  depth  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  A 
winding  gallery,  lighted  from  the  shaft,  extends  to  the  bottom 
of  the  first  division,  where,  in  a  chamber  cut  in  the  rock,  a 
mule  turns  the  large  wheel  which  brings  up  a  continual  string 
of  buckets  from  the  foimtain  below.  The  water  is  poured  into 
a  spacious  basin,  and  carried  thence  to  the  top  by  another 
string  of  buckets  set  in  motion  at  the  surface.  Attended  by 
two  Arabs  with  torches,  we  made  the  descent  of  the  first  shaft 
and  took  a  drink  of  the  fresh,  cool  fluid.  This  well,  and  the 
spot  where  the  Mameluke  Emin  Bey  jumped  his  horse  over 
the  wall  and  escaped  the  massacre  of  his  comrades,  are  the 
only  interesting  historical  points  about  the  Citadel ;  and  the 
new  mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali,  which  overlooks  the  city  from 
the  most  projecting  platform  of  the  fortifications,  is  the  only 
part  which  has  any  claim  to  architectural  beauty.  Although 
it  has  been  in  process  of  erection  for  many  years,  this  mosque 
is  not  nearly  completed  internally.  The  exterior  is  finished, 
and  its  large,  white,  depressed  dome,  flanked  by  minarets  so 
tall  and  reed-like  that  they  seem  ready  to  bend  with  every 
breeze,  is  the  first  signal  of  Cairo  to  travellers  coming  up  or 
down  the  Nile.  The  interior  walls  are  lined  throughout  with 
oriental  alabaster,  stained  with  the  orange  flush  of  Egyptian 
sunsets,  and  the  three  domes  blaze  with  elaborate  arabesques 
of  green,  blue,  crimson  and  gold.  In  a  temporary  chamber, 
fitted  up  in  one  corner,  re^t?  the  coffin  of  Mohammed  Ali,  cov* 


44  JOURNEY  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

ercd  with  a  heavy  velvet  pall,  and  under  the  marble  arches  be> 
fore  it,  a  company  of  priests,  squatted  on  the  green  carpet  cov- 
ering the  floor,  bow  their  heads  continually  and  recite  prayeri 
or  fragments  of  the  Koran. 

Before  descending  into  the  city,  I  rode  a  little  way  into 
the  Desert  to  the  tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  on  the  road  to  Suez. 
They  consist  mostly  of  stone  canopies  raised  on  pillars,  with 
mosques  or  oratories  attached  to  them,  exhibiting  considerable 
variety  in  their  design,  but  are  more  curious  than  impressive. 
The  track  in  the  sand  made  by  the  pilgrims  to  Mecca  and  the 
overland  passengers  to  Suez,  had  far  more  real  interest  in  my 
eyes.  The  pilgrims  are  fewer,  and  the  passengers  more  nu- 
merous, with  each  successive  year.  English-built  omnibuses, 
whirled  along  by  galloping  post-horses,  scatter  the  sand,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  herbless  Desert,  the  travellers  regale  them- 
selves with  beefsteak  and  ale,  and  growl  if  the  accustomed 
Cheshire  is  found  wanting.  At  this  rate,  how  long  will  it  be 
before  there  is  a  telegraph-station  in  Mecca,  and  the  opsrator 
explodes  with  his  wire  a  cannon  on  the  Citadel  of  Cairo,  to 
announce  that  the  prayers  on  Mount  Arafat  have  commenced  ? 

The  Island  of  Rhoda,  which  I  visited  on  a  soft,  golden 
afternoon,  is  but  a  reminiscence  of  what  it  was  a  few  years 
ago.  Since  Ibrahim  Pasha's  death  it  has  been  wholly  neglect- 
ed, and  though  we  found  a  few  gardeners  at  work,  digging  up 
the  sodden  flower-beds  and  clipping  the  rank  myrtle  hedges, 
they  only  served  to  make  the  neglect  more  palpable.  During 
the  recent  inundation,  the  Nile  had  risien  to  within  a  few 
inches  of  covering  the  whole  island,  and  the  soil  was  still  soft 
ind  clammy.  Nearly  all  the  growths  of  the  tropics  are  nur- 
tured here ;  the  coffee,  the  Indian  ^g^  the  mango,  and  othei 


RBCOKDS    OF   SILLINESS.  45 

ti^es  alternate  with  the  pahn,  orange,  acacia,  and  the  yellow 
mimosa,  whose  blossoms  make  the  isle  fragrant.  I  gathered 
a  bunch  of  roses  and  jasmine-flowers  from  the  unpruned  vines. 
In  the  centre  of  the  garden  is  an  artificial  grotto  lined  with 
shells,  many  of  which  have  been  broken  off  and  carried  away 
by  ridiculous  tourists.  There  is  no  limit  to  human  silliness, 
as  I  have  wisely  concluded,  after  seeing  Pompey's  Pillar  dis- 
figured by  "  Isaac  Jones  "  (or  some  equally  classic  name),  in 
capitals  of  black  paint,  a  yard  long,  and  finding  "  Jenny  Lind' 
equally  prominent  on  the  topmost  stone  of  the  great  Pyramid 
(Of  course,  the  enthusiastic  artist  chiselled  his  own  name  be- 
side hers.)  A  mallet  and  chisel  are  often  to  be  found  in  the 
outfits  of  English  and  American  travellers,  and  to  judge  from 
the  frequency  of  certain  names,  and  the  pains  bestowed  upon 
their  inscription,  the  owners  must  have  spent  the  most  of  theii 
time  in  Upper  Egypt^  in  leaving  records  of  their  vulgar  vanity 


40  JOURNEY  TO   CENTRAL    AFRICA* 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PBEPARiTIONS  FOR  THE  JOURNEY  INTO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

Necessity  of  Leaving  Immediately— Engaging  a  Boat— The  Dragomen— Aduntl  e 
Saldi— Funds— Information— Procuring  an  Outfit— Preparing  for  the  Desert— The 
Lucky  Day — ^Exertions  to  Leave — Off ! 

I  DEVOTED  but  little  time  to  seeing  Cairo,  for  the  travelling 
season  had  arrived,  and  a  speedy  departure  from  Cairo  was 
absolutely  necessary.  The  trip  to  Khartoum  occupies  at  least 
two  months  and  it  is  not  safe  to  remain  there  later  than  the 
first  of  March,  on  account  of  the  heat  and  the  rainy  season, 
which  is  very  unhealthy  for  strangers.  Dr.  Knoblecher,  the 
Catholic  Apostolic  Vicar  for  Central  Africa,  had  left  about  a 
month  previous,  on  his  expedition  to  the  sources  of  the  White 
Nile.  I  therefore  went  zealously  to  work,  and  in  five  days  my 
preparations  were  nearly  completed.  I  prevailed  upon  the 
European  of  our  triad,  who  had  intended  proceeding  no  further 
than  Cairo,  to  join  me  for  the  voyage  to  Assouan,  on  the  Nubi- 
an frontier,  and  our  first  care  was  to  engage  a  good  dahahiyeh^ 
or  Nile-boat.  This  arrangement  gave  me  great  joy,  for  no- 
where is  a  congenial  comrade  so  desirable  as  on  the  Nile.  My 
friend  appreciated  the  river,  and  without  the  prospect  of  seeing 
Thebes,  Ombos  and  PhilaB,  would  have  cheerfully  borne  all 
the  inconveniences  and  delays  of  the  journey,  for  the  Nile's 


KNOA.(ilMG    A   BOAT.  Al 

sake  alone.  Commend  me  to  such  a  man,  for  of  the  Hundredp 
of  tourists  who  visit  the  East,  there  are  few  such !  On  my  ar- 
rival, I  had  found  that  the  rumors  I  had  heard  on  the  road 
respecting  the  number  of  travellers  and  the  rise  in  the  price  ot 
boats,  were  partially  true.  Not  more  ihsai  a  dozen  boats  had 
left  for  Upper  Egypt,  but  the  price  had  been  raised  in  antici- 
pation.  The  ship  carpenters  and  painters  were  busily  employ- 
ed all  along  the  shore  at  Boulak,  in  renovating  the  old  barks 
or  building  new  ones,  and  the  Beys  and  Pashas  who  owned  the 
eraft  were  anticipating  a  good  harvest.  Some  travellers  paid 
forty-five  pounds  a  month  for  their  vessels,  but  I  found  little 
difficulty  in  getting  a  large  and  convenient  boat,  for  two  per- 
sons, at  twenty  pounds  a  month.  This  price,  it  should  be  un- 
derstood, includes  the  services  of  ten  men,  who  find  their  own 
provisions,  and  only  receive  a  gratuity  in  case  of  good  behavior. 
The  American  Consul,  Mr.  Kahil,  had  kindly  obtained  for  me 
the  promise  of  a  bark  from  Ismail  Pasha,  before  our  arrival — 
a  superb  vessel,  furnished  with  beds,  tables,  chairs  and  divans, 
in  a  very  handsome  style — ^which  was  offered  at  thirty  pounds 
a  month,  but  it  was  much  larger  than  we  needed.  In  the 
course  of  my  inspection  of  the  fleet  of  barks  at  Boulak,  I  found 
several  which  might  be  had  at  fifteen,  and  seventeen  pounds 
a  month,  but  they  were  old,  inconvenient,  and  full  of  vermin. 
Our  boat,  which  I  named  the  Cleopatra,  had  been  newly  cleansed 
and  painted,  and  contained,  besides  a  spacious  cabin,  with 
beds  and  divans,  a  sort  of  portico  on  the  outside,  with  cush- 
ioned seats,  where  we  proposed  to  sit  during  the  balmy  twi- 
lights, and  smoke  our  shebooks. 

Without  a  tolerable  knowledge  of  Arabic,  a  dragoman  is 
mdispensalle.     The  few  phrases  I  had  picked  up,  on  the  way 


48 


JOURKBY   TO 


from  Alesaodria,  availed  me  little,  and  would  h 
lesa  in  Nubia,  where  either  the  Berberi  language, 


e  been 
■  a  differ  I 

Arabic  dialeet  ia  spokon  ;   and  I  therefore  engaged  a  dragoini 
for  the  journey.     This  class  of  persona  always  swarm  in  Cai 
and  I  had  not  been  thero  a.  day  before  I  was  visited  by  half 
dozen,  who  wore  ansious  to  make  the  trip  to  Khartoum, 
they  knew  I  was  going  tliere,  I  cannot  imagine ;  hut  I 
that  they  knew  the  plans  of  every  traveller  in  Cairo  as  weU. 
I  endeavored  to  find  one  who  had  already  made  the  journey 
but  of  all  who  presented  themaelvea,  only  two  had  been  farth« 
than  the  second  Cataract,      One  of  these  was  a  Nubian,  who 
had  made  a  trip  with  the  Sennaar  merohauts, 
in  Ethiopia;  but  be  had  a  sinister,  treacherous  face,  and  I 
fuEcd  him  at  once.      The  other  was  an  old  man,  named  Si 
man  Ali,  who  had  been  far  three  years  &  servant  of  Chamj 
lion,  whose  certificate  of  Iiis  faithfulness  and  honeaty  be 
duced. 

He  had  been  three  years  in  Setmaar,  and  in  addition  to 
Italian,  (the  only  Frank  tongue  he  know),  spoke  several 
Ethiopian  dialects.  He  was  a  fine,  venerable  figure,  with  an 
honest  face,  and  I  had  almost  decided  to  take  him,  when  I 
learned  that  he  was  in  feoble  health  and  would  scarcely  be  abla 
to  endure  the  hard.^hips  of  the  journey.  I  finally  made  ohoioa 
of  a  dark  Egyptian,  born  in  the  valley  of  Thebes.  He  wbb  call* 
ed  Achmet  el  Saidi,  or  Achmct  of  Upper  Egypt,  and  when  o.  boy 
oad  been  for  several  years  a  servant  in  the  house  of  the  Eng 
.ish  Consul  at  Alexandria.  He  spoke  English  fluently,  aswoU 
as  a  little  Italian  and  Turkish.  I  waa  first  attracted  to  kim  by 
his  bold,  manly  face,  and  finding  that  his  recommendationa  wen 
excellent,  and  that  he  had  sufficient  spirit,  co^irage  and  addreat 


ndy 


OUTFIT— FUNDS.  40 

to  serve  us  botb  in  case  of  peril,  I  engaged  Him,  notwithstand- 
ing he  had  never  travelled  beyond  Wadi  Haifa  (the  Secona 
Cataract).  I  judged,  however,  that  I  was  quite  as  familiar 
with  the  geography  of  Central  Africa  as  any  dragoman  I  could 
procure,  and  that,  in  any  case,  I  should  find  it  best  to  form  my 
own  plans  and  choose  my  own  paths.  How  far  I  was  justified 
in  my  choice,  will  appear  in  the  course  of  the  narrative. 

The  next  step  was  to  procure  a  double  outfit — ^for  the  Nile 
and  the  Desert — and  herein  Achmet,  who  had  twice  made  the 
journey  to  Mount  Sinai  and  Petra,  rendered  me  good  service 
I  had  some  general  knowledge  of  what  was  necessary,  but  with- 
out the  advantage  of  his  practical  experience,  should  have  been 
very  imperfectly  prepared.  As  it  was,  many  things  were  for- 
gotten in  the  haste  of  departure,  the  need  of  which  I  felt  when 
it  was  too  late  to  procure  them.  I  had  been  prudent  enough, 
when  in  Vienna,  to  provide  myself  with  Berghaus's  great  map 
of  Arabia  and  the  Valley  of  the  Nile,  which,  with  a  stray  vol- 
ume of  Russegger,  were  my  only  guides.  In  Khartoum,  after 
wards,  I  stumbled  upon  a  copy  of  Hoskins's  Ethiopia.  The 
greater  part  of  my  funds  I  changed  into  Egyptian  silver  med* 
jidSj  ccionnati,  or  Spanish  pillar-dollars,  and  the  Austrian 
dollar  of  Maria  Theresa,  all  of  which  are  current  as  far  as  Sen- 
naar  and  Abyssinia.  I  also  procured  five  hundred  piastres  in 
eopper  pieces  of  five  par  As  (about  half  a  cent)  each,  which  were 
contained  in  a  large  palm-basket,  and  made  nearly  an  ass^a 
load.  In  addition  to  these  supplies,  I  obtained  from  an  Arme- 
nian merchant  a  letter  of  credit  on  his  brother  in  Khartoum,  fox 
two  thousand  piastres,  on  which,  he  gave  me  to  understand,  I 
Ethould  be  obliged  to  pay  a  discount  of  twenty  per  cent.  I  en- 
ieavored,  but  in  vain,  to  procure  some  information  relative  U 

3 


?o 


rrO   CB17THLL    ftTRICA. 


tlie  coBt  of  travelling  in  Nubia  and  the  countries  beyond.  Thi 
Franii  merchants  knew  nothing,  escept  that  the  espenaes 
vast,  and  predicted  that  the  sum  I  took  would  prove  inaufficiei 
and  that  I  should  ecrtaiulj  become  involved  in  great  difficul- 
ties and  emharrasements.  The  native  merohantB  who  had  mada 
the  journey  were  all  jealous  of  a  foreign  traveller  attemptmg 
to  penetrate  into  their  peculiar  doinain,  and  gave  me  no  satuh. 
factory  information,  while  to  the  imagination  of  the  CaireneBf^ 
Sennoar  is  the  utmost  verge  of  the  world,  and  he  who  has  been.- 
there  and  returned  in  safety,  enjoys  the  special  protection  of 
Allah.  Even  Achmet,  although  he  showed  no  signs  of  fear, 
and  did  not  hesitate  to  accompany  me,  informed  his  family  and 
friends  that  we  were  going  no  further  than  Wadi  Haifa,  for  he 
said  thuy  would  eertainlj  detain  him  by  force,  should  they 
learn  the  truth. 

I  did  not  thinh  it  necessary  to  obtain  a  firman  &om  Abl 
Pasha,  which  might  readily  have  been  procured.     The  Amei 
can,  English  and  Austrian  Consuls  hindly  gave  me  letters 
the  priooipal  Consular  agents  and  merchants  in  Khartoum, 
sides  which,  Achmet  professed  to  have  some  acquaintance  witi 
Lattif  Pasha,  who  was  then  Pasha  of  Soudan,      To  the  Hour! 
Mr.  Murray,  the  English  Consul-Genoral,  and  Mr.  Coustantin»j 
Kahil,  the  Amerieau  Vicc-Consul  at  Csiro,  I  was  especially 
indebted  for  favors.     The  former  intrusted  me  with  despatehos 
for  Khartoum  and  Obeid,  in  Kordofan,  and  the  latter  famished 
mo  with  letters  to  the  Goveraors  of  Thebes,  Assouan  and  Ko- 
rosko,  asking  the  latter  to  insure  mj  safety  on  the  jonmey 
through  the  Nubian  Deserts     Thus  prepared,  I  anticipated  no 
further  trouble  on  the  road  than  from  hard-trotting  camelff 
Mud,  brackish  waier,  and  the  like  privations,  which  are  easUy 


I 


OUTFIT   FOB  THS   BOAT.  6l 

The  fdrniBhing  of  a  Nile^boat  requires  considerable  know 
ledge  of  housekeeping.  The  number  of  small  articles  required 
for  this  floating  speck  of  civilization  in  a  country  of  barbarians, 
is  amazing  to  a  bachelor.  I  had  no  idea  that  the  art  of  cook- 
ing needed  such  a  variety  of  tools  and  appliances,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  my  life,  conceived  some  respect  for  the  fame  of  Ude 
and  Soyer.  There  arc  frying-pans  and  stew-pans ;  coffee-potf 
and  tea-pots;  knives,  forks,  spoons,  towels,  cups,  ladles  and 
boxes;  butter,  lard,  flour,  rice,  macaroni,  oil,  vinegar,  mus- 
tard and  pepper ;  and  no  end  to  the  groceries.  We  must  hav« 
a  table  and  chairs,  quilts  and  pillows,  mats,  carpets  and  nap- 
kins, and  many  other  articles  which  I  should  never  have 
thought  of  without  the  help  of  Achmet  and  of  M.  Pini,  who 
keeps  a  general  depot  of  supplies.  His  printed  lists,  in  four 
languages,  lighten  the  traveller's  labor  very  greatly.  His  ex- 
perience in  regard  to  the  quantity  required,  is  also  of  much 
service;  otherwise  an  inexperienced  person  would  not  know 
whether  to  take  twelve  or  flfty  pounds  of  rice,  nor  how  much 
sugar  belonged  to  Sh/  much  coflee.  The  expen/»'  of  our  outfit} 
including  brea<J  fowls,  mutton,  charcoal,  and  every  othei 
requisite,  was  about  two  thousand  piastres—^  little  more  than 
one  hundred  dollars.  The  calculation  was  made  for  one 
month's  provisions  for  two  persons. 

For  my  further  journey  after  leaving  the  Nile,  I  was 
recommended  to  take  a  large  supply,  on  account  of  the  scarcity 
and  expense  of  many  articles  in  Upper  Nubia  and  Sennaar.  I 
therefore  purchased  sufficient  tea,  coffee,  flour,  rice,  biscuits, 
sugar,  macaroni  and  dried  fruit  to  last  me  two  months,  beside 
R  complete  canteen,  or  supply  of  articles  necessary  for  life  in 
the  desert.    I  took  an  extra  quantity  of  gunpowder,  tobacco 


S2 


JOVRNET  TO   OBKTBAL    AFRICA. 


and  coffee,  for  presents  to  the  Arab  BhekLs.  The  entire  coal 
of  this  outfit  was  about  nine  hundred  piastrea.  In  addition,  1 
prooorcd  a  good  Turliish  tent  for  two  huudred  and  fifty  piaa- 
trea,  to  which  I  added  a  supply  of  lent-pins,  lautem-poleB,  wa^ 
ter-skins,  and  leathern  water-flasks,  all  these  articles  being  pro- 
cured to  better  advantage  in  Cairo.  I  did  not  propose  adopt- 
ing the  Egyptian  costume  until  I  had  made  some  progrcaa  in 
the  language,  and  therefore  contented  myself  with  purchasing 
a  homous  of  camel's  hair,  a  sabre,  a  broad  shawl  of  Tripoli 
silk,  for  the  waist,  and  shoes  of  white  leather,  which  are  very 
oool  and  comfortable.  I  also  followed  the  custom  of  the  £uro> 
pean  residents,  in  having  my  hair  shorn  close  to  the  head,  and 
wearing  a  white  cotton  skull-cap.  Over  this  waa  drawn  tba 
red  tarhoosh,  or  fez,  and  as  a  protection  against  the  sun,  I 
bound  a  large  white  shawl  around  it,  which  was  my  first  les- 
son in  turban-making. 

Achmet,  influenced  hy  a  superstition  wliich  is  not  poouliai 
to  the  East,  begged  me  to  hasten  our  preparations,  in  order 
that  we  might  leaye  Boulak  on  Monday,  which  day,  he  averred, 
was  the  luckiest  in  the  week,  and  wonld  render  our  journey 
prosperous  from  beginning  to  end.  Knowing  from  experience 
that  half  the  success  of  the  journey  is  in  the  start,  and  believ- 
ing that  it  is  better  to  have  superstition  with  you  than  against 
you,  I  determined  to  gratify  him.  He  was  as  zealous  as  I 
could  wish,  and  we  rested  not  from  morning  to  night,  until  at 
last,  from  the  spirit  with  which  we  lahored,  it  seemed  almost  a 
matter  of  life  and  death,  that  the  boat  should  leave  on  Mon- 
day. I  had  a  clause  inserted  in  our  written  contract  with  tha 
captain,  that  he  should  forfeit  a  day's  rent,  in  case  he  waa  not 
ready  at  the  appointed  hour     but,  in  spite  of  this  preeantion 


I 


THE   LUCKY  DAT. 

Achmet,  who  well  knew  the  indifference  of  the  Arab  nature 
wa3  constantly  on  his  track.     Two  or  three  times  a  day  he 
galloped  to  Boulak,  to  hasten  the  enlistment  of  the  men,  the 
baking  of  bread  for  the  voyage,  the  furbishing  of  the  cabin 
and  the  overhauling  of  the  sails,  oars  and  rigging.     My  Euro 
pean  friends  in  Cairo  smiled  at  our  display  of  activity,  saying 
that  such  a  thing  had  never  been  known,  as  a  boat  sailing  at 
the  appointed  time,  and  that  I  was  fatiguing  myself  to  no 
purpose. 

Monday  (Nov.  17th)  came,  and  the  Egyptian  cook«  Sa 
lame,  whom  we  had  engaged  for  the  Nile  voyage,  was  de- 
spatched to  the  markets  to  lay  in  a  supply  of  fowls,  eggs,  but- 
ter and  vegetables.  My  letters  home— the  last  I  expected 
to  send,  for  months  to  come — ^were  committed  to  the  Post 
Office,  and  after  an  early  dinner,  we  saw  our  baggage  and 
stores  laden  upon  carts  and  started  for  Boulak,  under  Ach^ 
met's  guidance.  We  took  leave  of  the  few  friends  we  had 
made  in  Cairo,  and  followed.  The  Cleojpatra  was  still  lying 
in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  dahaliyehsj  but  the  American  flag, 
hoisted  at  tho  peak  of  her  little  mizzenmast,  was  our  ^'  comet,'' 
proclaiming  departure.  We  found  Achmet  imjacketed  and 
unturbaned,  stowing  away  the  stores,  with  one  eye  on  the 
rai's,  and  another  (as  it  seemed  to  me)  on  each  of  the  tardy 
sailors.  There  was  still  charcoal  to  be  bought,  and  hois  gra% 
for  kindling  fires,  and  clubs  for  the  men,  to  prevent  invasions 
from  the  shore,  with  many  more  of  those  wants  which  are 
never  remembered  until  the  last  moment.  The  afternoon  wore 
away;  the  shadows  of  the  feathery  date-trees  on  the  island 
of  Bhoda  stretched  long  and  cool  across  the  Nile ;  but  before 
the  sun  had  touched  the  tops  of  the  Pyramids,  we  had  squeeied 


54  JOURNET  TO    CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

out  from  tbe  shipping  of  Bonlak,  and  were  slowly  working  up 
the  Nile  before  a  light  wind,  while  our  boatmen  thumped  the 
tarahooTca,  and  sang  their  wild  Arab  songs  of  departure.  Th. 
rai's  came  up  to  know  whether  he  had  not  fulfilled  his  contract 
and  Achmet  with  a  cheerful  face,  turned  to  me  and  said 
*'  Praised  be  Allah,  master !  we  shall  have  a  luokj  journey.'' 


ffowltaB  Der.-labes-A  Q  i 
AmljB— TLo  Asc  t— Vf  ■ 
eliniblne-Tlie  S|  hi  — E 
ud  Uia  UDDiiD]r  Flts-TI 
-Aecoonl  of  bla  Disco    r 


Uiu  Prremldj-Quarrgl  wllh  Ihi 
BnetBheori)— Eiftot  ft  rymmW 
)bl»lQ  Justice— VL'lt  lo  Biktiu.  . 
ibU-[i.l.TvIuw  Willi  M.  MsrntU 


— etat       tKnnieEes  II.— Eeli 


We  went  no  further  tlian  the  village  of  Gizch,  throe  or  four 
miles  above  Cairo,  on  the  first  evening,  having  engaged  oui 
donkeya  and  their  drivers  to  meet  us  there  and  convey  uB  tc 
tho  Pyraraida  on  the  following  morning.  About  dusk,  the  rail 
moored  our  boat  to  the  bank,  bcBido  a  College  of  dorviskee, 
VfhoBe  anearthly  chants,  ohoruBoa  and  clapping  of  hnndg,  were 


proloi 


1  far  into  the  night.    Their 


ildc 


I,  and  deep,  r 


lOURNEY  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA 

uotODOOfi  bass  bowlings  so  filled  our  ears  tbat  we  oould  noi 
choose  but  listen,  and,  in  spite  of  our  fatigue  sleep  was  impox 
Bible.  After  performing  for  several  hours,  they  gradually 
ceased,  through  sheer  exhaustion,  though  there  was  one  tough 
old  dervish,  who  continued  to  gasp  out,  ^^  Allah  I  Allah  P^ 
with  such  a  spasmodic  energy,  that  I  suspected  it  was  pro* 
duced  by  the  involuntary  action  of  his  larynx,  and  that  he 
could  not  have  stopped,  even  had  he  been  so  minded. 

When  we  threw  open  the  latticed  blinds  of  our  cabin,  be- 
fore sunrise,  the  next  morning,  the  extraordinary  purity  of  the 
air  gave  rise  to  an  amusing  optical  delusion  on  the  part  of  my 
friend.  "  See  that  wall ! "  said  he,  pointing  to  a  space  be- 
tween two  white  houses  ;  **  what  a  brilliant  color  it  is  painted, 
and  how  those  palms  and  these  white  houses  are  relieved 
against  it  1 "  He  was  obliged  to  look  twice  before  he  per- 
ceived that  what  he  had  taken  for  a  wall  close  at  hand,  was 
really  the  sky,  and  rested  upon  a  far-off  horizon.  Our  don- 
keys were  in  readiness  on  the  bank,  and  I  bestrode  the  same 
faithful  little  gray  who  had  for  three  days  carried  me  through 
the  bazaars  of  Cairo.  We  left  orders  for  the  rais  to  go  on  to 
Bedracheyu,  a  village  near  the  supposed  site  of  Memphis,  and 
taking  Achmet  with  us,  rode  off  gayly  among  the  mud  hovels 
and  imder  the  date-trees  of  Gizeh,  on  our  way  to  the 'Pyramids 
Near  the  extremity  of  the  village,  we  entered  one  of  the  larg 
chicken-hatching  establishments  for  which  the  place  is  famed 
but  found  it  empty.  We  disturbed  a  numerous  family  of  Fel 
lahs,  couched  together  on  the  clay  floor,  crept  on  our  hands 
and  knees  through  two  small  holes  and  inspected  sundry  ovena 
covered  with  a  layer  of  chaff,  and  redolent  of  a  mild,  moist 
heat  and  a  feathery  smell     The  owner  informed  us  that  for 


BIDE   TO  THE   PYRAMIDS.  57 

the  first  four  or  fire  days  the  eggs  were  exposed  to  smoke  as 
well  as  heat,  and  that  when  the  hirds  began  to  pick  the  shell, 
which  generally  took  place  in  fifteen  days,  they  were  placed  in 
another  oven  and  carefully  accouched. 

The  rising  sun  shone  redly  on  the  Pyramids,  as  we  roa« 
out  on  the  broad  harvest  land  of  the  Nile.  The  black, 
unctuous  loam  was  still  too  moist  from  the  inundation  to  be 
ploughed,  except  in  spots,  here  and  there,  but  even  where  the 
water  had  scarce  evaporated,  millions  of  germs  were  pushing 
their  slender  blades  up  to  the  sunshine.  In  that  prolific  soil, 
the  growth  of  grain  is  visible  from  day  to  day.  The  Fellahs 
were  at  work  on  all  sides,  preparing  for  planting,  and  the  un 
gainly  buffaloes  drew  their  long  ploughs  slowly  through  the  soiL 
Where  freshly  turned,  the  earth  had  a  rich,  soft  lustre,  like 
dark-brown  velvet,  beside  which  the  fields  of  young  wheat, 
beans  and  lentils,  glittered  with  the  most  brilliant  greeiu 
The  larks  sang  in  the  air  and  flocks  of  white  pigeons  clustered 
like  blossoms  on  the  tops  of  the  sycamores.  There,  in  Novem- 
ber,  it  was  the  freshest  and  most  animating  picture  of  Spring. 
The  direct  road  to  the  Pyramids  was  impassable,  on  account 
of  the  water,  and  we  rode  along  the  top  of  a  dyke,  intersected 
by  canals,  to  the  edge  of  the  Libyan  Desert — ^a  distance  of 
nearly  ten  miles.  The  ruptures  in  the  dyke  obliged  us  occa* 
sionally  to  dismount,  and  at  the  last  canal,  which  cuts  off  the 
advancing  sands  from  the  bounteous  plain  on  the  other  side, 
our  donkeys  were  made  to  swim,  while  we  were  carried  across 
on  the  shoulders  of  two  naked  Arabs.  They  had  run  out  in 
advance  to  meet  us,  hailing  us  with  many  English  and  French 
phrases,  while  half  a  dozen  boys,  with  earthen  bottles  which 
they  had  just  filled  from  the  slimy  canal,  crowded  after  them, 


58 


)   CBNTRAL  AFfUOJ. 


insisting,  in  very  good  EngUnh,  that  we  should  driuk  at  once, 
and  take  them  with  us  to  the  Pyramids. 

Our  doutejs'  hoofs  now  sank  deep  iu  the  Libyan  wmis,  | 
and  wo  looked  up  to  the  great  stoue-pilea  of  Cheops,  C»  I 
phrencs  and  MycGrinua,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  distant.  | 
Our  sunrise  view  of  the  Pyramids  on  leavuig  Gizeh,  waa  i 
cicnt,  had  I  gone  no  further,  and  I  approached  tbem,  withoid 
the  violent  emotion  which  sentimental  travellers  esperienca,  I 
but  with  a  quiet  feeling  of  the  most  pcrfeet  satisfaction.     Thn  I 
form  of  the  pyramid  is  so  simple  aud  complete,  that  nothing  i»  I 
left  to  the  imagination.     Those  vast,  yellowish-gray  masses, 
whose  feet  are  wrapped  in  the  silent  sacd,  and  whose  tops  lean  I 
against  the  serene  blue  heaven,  enter  the  mind  and  reiuwn  in  \ 
the  memory  with  no  shock  of  surprise,  no  stir  of  unespected 
admiration.      The  impression  they  give  and   leave,  is  calm, 
grand  and  enduring  as  themselves. 

The  sun  glared  hot  on  the  sand  as  wo  toiled  up  the  ascent   I 
to  the  base  of  Cheops,  whose  sharp  corners  were  now  broken 
into  zigzags  by  the  layers  of  stone.     As  we  dismounted  in  his 
shadow,  at  the  foot  of  the  path  which  leads  up  to  the  entrance, 
on  the  northern  side,  a  dozen  Arabs  beset  us.     They  belonged 
to  the  regular  herd  who  have  the  Pyramids  in  charge,  and  are 
BO  renowned  for  their  impudence  that  it  is  customary  to  employ 
the  janissary  of  some  Consulate  in  Cairo,  as  a  prol«otion.     Be-   j 
fore  leaving  Gizeh  I  gave  Achmot  my  sabre,  which  I  thought 
would  be  a  sufficient  show  to  secure  us  from  their  importuni- 
ties.     However,  when  we  had  mounted  to  the  entrance  and 
were  preparing  to  climb  to  the  summit,  they  demanded  a  dollar    i 
from  each  for  their  company  on  the  way.     This  was  juat  foaf 
limes  the  usual  fee,  and  we  flatly  refused  the  demand.     Mj  I 


friend  liad  m  tiie  mean  time  become  ao  giddy  from  the  few  9€*=^t^ 
he  had  mounted,  that  he  decided  to  return,  and  I  ordered  Acl 
met,  who  knew  the  way,  to  go  on  with  me  and  leave  the  Arabf 
to  their  howlings.  Their  leader  instantly  sprang  before  him 
and  attempted  to  force  him  back.  This  was  too  much  foi 
Achmet,  who  thrust  the  man  aside,  whereupon  he  was  instantly 
beset  by  three  ur  four,  and  received  several  hard  blows.  Tht 
struggle  took  place  just  on  the  verge  of  the  stones,  and  he  wai 
prudent  enough  to  drag  his  assailants  into  the  open  space  befui • 
the  entrance  of  the  Pyramid.  My  friend  sprang  towards  lb- 
group  with  his  cane,  and  I  called  to  the  donkey-driver  to  briii^ 
up  my  sabre,  but  by  this  time  Achmet  had  released  himsclt 
with  the  loss  of  his  turban. 

The  Arabs,  who  had  threatened  to  treat  us  in  the  saiuf 
manner,  then  reduced  their  demand  to  the  regular  fee  of  five 
piastres  for  each.  I  took  three  of  them  and  commenced  the 
ascent,  leaving  Achmet  and  my  friend  below.  Two  boys  fol 
lowed  us,  with  bottles  of  water.  At  first,  the  way  seemed 
hazardous,  for  the  stones  were  covered  with  sand  and  fragments 
which  had  fallen  from  above,  but  after  we  had  mounted  twenty 
courses,  the  hard,  smooth  blocks  of  granite  formed  broader  and 
more  secure  steps.  Two  Arabs  went  before,  one  holding  each 
of  my  hands,  while  the  third  shoved  me  up  from  the  rear. 
The  assistance  thus  rendered  was  not  slight,  for  few  of  the 
stones  are  less  than  four  feet  in  height.  The  water-boys 
scampered  up  beside  us  with  the  agility  of  cats.  We  stopped 
a  moment  to  take  breath,  at  a  sort  of  resting-place  half-way 
up— an  opening  in  the  Pyramid,  communicating  with  the 
uppermost  of  the  interior  chambers.  I  had  no  sooner  sat 
down  on  the  nearest  stone,  than  the  Arabs  stretched  themselves 


lODRIIXT'  TO  OXKIRAL  JtFRIOA. 


■       ^ 


«t  my  teet  and  eaurtained  me  with  most  abs 
Hatter;  and  menaje.  One,  pattiDg  the  calves  of  my  legs  >:rii<c 
out;  "Oil,  what  fine,  strong  legs!  how  fast  they  eame  up. 
nobody  ever  went  up  the  Pyramid  so  fast  I "  while  the  otben 
added :  "  Here  you  muat  gipe  us  backsheesh  :  every  body  gives 
lis  a  dollar  here."  My  only  answer  was,  to  get  up  and  begin 
climbing,  and  tliey  did  not  ccaeo  pulling  and  pushing  till  they 
left  me  breathless  on  the  suirunit.  The  whole  ascent  did  not 
occupy  more  than  ten  minutes. 

The  view  from  Cheops  has  been  often  described.  I  cannot 
Bay  that  it  increased  my  impression  of  the  majesty  and  gran- 
deur of  the  Pyramid,  for  that  was  already  complete.  My  eyca 
wandered  off  from  the  courses  of  granite,  broadening  away 
below  my  feet,  to  contemplate  the  glorious  green  of  the  Nile- 
plain,  barred  with  palm-trees  and  divided  by  the  gleaming  flood 
of  the  ancient  river;  the  minarets  of  Cairo;  the  purple  walls 
of  the  far  Arabian  mountains ;  the  Pyramid  groups  of  Sakkaro 
and  Daahoor,  overlooking  disinterred  Memphis  in  the  South ; 
and  the  arid  yellow  waves  of  the  Libyan  Desert,  which  rolled 
unbroken  to  the  western  sky.  The  clear,  open  heaven  above, 
which  seemed  to  radiate  light  from  its  entire  concave,  clasped 
in  its  embrace  aud  harmonized  the  different  features  of  this 
wonderful  landscape.  There  was  too  much  warmth  and  brit 
liance  for  desolation.  Every  thing  was  alive  and  real ;  tha 
Pyramids  were  not  ruins,  aod  the  dead  Pharaohs,  the  varship< 
pers  of  Athor  and  Apis,  did  not  once  enter  my  mind. 

My  wild  attendants  did  not  long  allow  me  to  enjoy  the 
view  quietly.  To  escape  from  their  importunities  for  lKiok> 
ehecsb,  I  gavo  them  two  piastres  in  copper  coin,  which  instantly 
torned  their  flatteries  into  the  most  bitter  complaints.     I'i  wu 


I 


FHTSICAL  EFFECT   OF   THE   ASCENT  91 

msalting  to  give  so  little,  and  they  preferred  having  none ;  14 
i  would  not  give  a  dollar,  I  might  take  the  money  back.  1 
cook  It  without  more  ado,  and  put  it  into  my  pocket  Thu 
rather  surprised  them,  and  first  one,  and  then  another  camtj 
to  me  and  begged  to  have  it  again,  on  his  own  private  account. 
I  threw  the  coins  high  into  the  air,  and  as  they  clattered  down 
on  the  stones,  there  ensued  such  a  scramble  as  would  have  sent 
any  but  Arabs  over  the  edge  of  the  Pyramid.  We  then  com- 
menced the  descent,  two  seizing  my  hands  as  before,  and  drag^ 
ging  me  headlong  after  them.  We  went  straight  down  the 
side,  sliding  and  leaping  from  stone  to  stone  without  stopping 
to  take  breath,  and  reached  the  base  in  five  or  six  minutes.  I 
was  so  excited  from  the  previous  aggression  of  the  Arabs,  that 
I  neither  felt  fatigue  nor  giddiness  on  the  way  up  and  down, 
and  was  not  aware  how  violent  had  been  my  exertions.  But 
when  I  touched  the  level  sand,  all  my  strength  vanished  in  an 
instant.  A  black  mist  came  over  my  eyes,  and  I  sank  down 
helpless  and  nearly  insensible.  I  was  scarcely  able  to  speak, 
and  it  was  an  hour  before  I  could  sit  upright  on  my  donkey. 
I  felt  the  Pyramid  in  all  my  bones,  and  for  two  or  three  days 
afterwards  moved  my  joints  with  as  much  difficulty  as  a  rheu 
matic  patient. 

The  Arabs,  who  at  first  had  threatened  to  kill  Achmet, 
now  came  forward  and  kissed  his  hands,  humbly  entreating 
pardon.  But  his  pride  had  been  too  severely  touched  by  the 
blows  he  had  received,  and  he  repulsed  them,  spitting  upon 
the  ground,  as  the  strongest  mark  of  contempt.  We  consider- 
ed it  due  to  him,  to  ourselves,  and  to  other  travellers  after  us, 
to  represent  the  matter  to  the  Shekh  of  the  Pyramids,  who 
lives  in  a  village  called  Kinnayseh,  a  mile  distant,  and  ordered 


Achmot  to  condact  na  thitlier.  We  first  rode  along  the  Dit 
of  tie  Pyramid  of  Coplireiies,  and  down  the  sand  drifts  to  tli 
majestic  teiJ  of  tbe  Spbius.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  deacrihe 
thia  enormous  relic  of  Egjptla,n  art.  There  is  nothing  like  II 
in  the  world.  Those  travellers  who  pronounce  ita  features  t» 
bo  negro  in  their  character,  are  certainly  very  hasty  in  theii 
conclusiona.  That  it  is  an  Egyptian  head  is  plainly  evidenly 
notwithstanding  its  mutilation.  The  type,  however,  is  rather 
fuller  aud  broader  than  is  usual  in  Egyptian  atatues. 

On  reaching  the  village  wc  found  that  the  shekh  was  ab- 
sent in  Cairo,  hut  were  received  by  hia  son,  who,  after  BpeUing 
out  a  few  worda  of  my  Arabic  paasport  and  hearing  Achmet'a 
relation  of  the  affair,  courteously  invited  us  to  hia  house.  Wa 
rode  between  the  mud  huts  to  a  small  court-yard,  whoro  W8 
dismounted.  A  carpet  was  spread  on  the  ground,  under  a 
canopy  of  palra-leaves,  and  the  place  of  honor  was  given  to  ua 
the  young  shekh  seating  himself  on  the  edge,  while  our  don- 
key-drivers, water-boys  and  a  number  of  villagers,  stood  rea- 
peetfully  around.  A  messenger  was  instantly  despatched  tc 
the  Pyramids,  and  in  the  mean  time  we  lighted  the  pipe  of 
peace.  The  shekh  promised  to  judge  the  guilty  parties  and 
punish  them  in  our  presence.  CoiFee  was  ordered,  but  as  tlie 
unlucky  youth  returned  and  indiscreetly  cried  out,  "  Ma 
feesh ! "  (there  is  none  I)  the  shekh  took  him  by  the  neek, 
and  run  hira  out  of  the  court-yard,  threatening  him  with  all 
manner  of  penalties  unlera  he  brought  it 

We  found  ourselves  considered  in  the  light  of  judges,  and 
I  thought  involuntarily  of  the  cliildrcn  playing  Cadi,  in  the 
Arabian  tala  But  to  play  our  Cadi  with  the  necessary  gray!" 
ty  of  countenance  was  a  difficult  matter.     It  was  rather  ojd- 


I 
J 


PLAYING  THE   CADI. 

bairasfflDg  to  Bit  CTOSs*legged  so  long,  and  to  look  so  serero 
My  face  was  of  the  color  of  a  boiled  lobster,  from  tbe  sun,  and 
in  order  to  protect  my  eyes,  I  had  taken  off  my  cravat  and 
bound  it  around  the  red  tarboosh.  My  friend  had  swathed  his 
felt  hat  in  like  manner,  and  when  the  shekh  looked  at  us  from 
time  to  time,  while  Achmet  spoke  of  our  friendship  mih  all 
the  Consuls  in  Cairo,  it  was  almost  too  much  to  enjoy  quietly 
However,  the  shekh,  who  wore  a  red  cap  and  a  single  cotton 
garment,  treated  us  with  much  respect.  His  serene,  impar- 
tial demeanor,  as  he  heard  the  testimony  of  the  various  wit- 
nesses who  were  called  up,  was  most  admirable.  After  half 
an  hour's  delay,  the  messenger  returned,  and  the  guilty  par- 
ties were  brought  into  court,  looking  somewhat  alarmed  and 
very  submissive.  We  identified  the  two  ringleaders,  and  after 
considering  the  matter  thoroughly,  the  shekh  ordered  that 
they  should  be  instantly  bastinadoed.  We  decided  between 
ourselves  to  let  the  punishment  commence,  lest  the  matter 
should  not  be  considered  sufficiently  serious,  and  then  to  show 
our  mercy  by  pardoning  the  culprits. 

One  of  the  men  was  then  thrown  on  the  ground  and  held 
by  the  head  and  feet,  while  the  shekh  took  a  stout  rod  and 
began  administering  the  blows.  The  victim  had  prepared 
himself  by  giving  his  bornous  a  double  turn  over  his  back,  and 
as  the  end  of  the  rod  struck  the  ground  each  time,  there  was 
much  sound  with  the  veriest  farce  of  punishment.  After  half 
a  dozen  strokes,  he  cried  out,  "  ya  salaam  /  "  whereupon  the 
crowd  laughed  heartily,  and  my  friend  ordered  the  shekh  to 
atop.  The  latter  cast  the  rod  at  our  feet,  and  asked  us  to 
eontinue'  the  infliction  ourselveg,  until  we  were  satisfied.  We 
tM  him  and  the  company  in  general,  through  A.chmet,  that 


34  jouBme*  to 

we  were  convinced  of  his  readiDCBS  to  puniah  impositioa  ;  that 
ire  wished  to  show  tbe  Arabs  tbat  tbey  tnuBt  In  fatore  trest 
travellers  with  respect ;  tba.t  we  should  scntl  word  of  the  attaii 
to  Cairo,  and  thej  might  rest  aBSured  that  a,  second  aaaauli 
would  be  more  Beveroly  dealt  with.  Since  *his  had  buei 
demonstrated,  we  were  willing  that  the  punishment  should  now 
cease,  and  in  conclusion  returned  oar  thanks  to  the  shekh,  for 
hie  readiness  to  do  ns  justice.  This  decision  was  received 
with  great  favor ;  the  two  culprits  came  forward  and  kissed 
oar  hands  and  those  of  Achmet,  and  the  vilkgers  pronounced 
a  unanimous  sentence  of  "  ta'ib  /  "  (good  !)  The  indiscreet 
youth  again  appeared,  and  this  time  with  coffee,  of  which  we 
partook  with  much  relish,  for  this  playing  the  Cadi  waiS  rather 
fatiguing.  The  shekh  raised  our  bands  to  his  foreliead,  and 
accompanied  us  to  the  end  of  the  village,  ■where  we  gave  the 
coffee-bearer  a  backsheesh,  dismissed  our  water-boys,  and 
turned  our  donkeys'  heads  toward  Abousir, 

Achmet's  dark  skin  was  pale  from  his  wounded  pride,  and  I 
was  faint  from  pyramid-climbing,  but  a  cold  fowl,  eaten  as  we 
sat  in  the  sun,  on  the  border  of  the  glowing  Desert,  comforted 
us.  The  dominion  of  the  sand  baa  here  as  distinct  a  bound 
as  that  of  the  sea ;  there  is  not  thirty  yards  from  the  black, 
pregnant  loam,  to  the  fierj  plain,  where  no  spear  of  grass 
grows.  Our  path  lay  sometimes  on  one  side  of  this  border, 
sometimes  on  the  other,  for  more  than  an  hour  and  a  half,  till 
wo  reached  the  ruined  pyramids  of  Abousir,  where  it  turned 
Bouthward  into  the  Desert.  After  seeing  Ulicops  and  C& 
plirenes,  these  pyramids  are  only  interesting  on  account  of 
their  dilapidated  state  and  the  peculiarity  of  their  forms,  somfl 
of  their  sides  takmg  a  more  obtuse  angle  at  half  their  height. 


SAKKARA    AND   MEMPHIS.  65 

They  are  buried  deep  in  the  sand,  which  has  so  drifted  towaro 
the  plain,  that  from  the  broad  hollow  lying  between  them  and 
the  group  of  Sakkara,  more  than  a  mile  distant,  every  sign  ot 
vegetation  is  shut  out.  Vast,  sloping  causeways  of  masonry 
lead  up  to  two  of  them,  and  a  large  mound,  occupying  the 
space  between,  suggests  the  idea  that  a  temple  formerly  stood 
there.  The  whole  of  the  desert  promontory,  which  seemed  to 
Lave  been  gradually  blown  out  on  the  plain,  from  the  hills  in 
the  rear,  exhibits  traces  here  and  there  of  ruins  beneath  the 
surface.  My  friend  and  I,  as  we  walked  over  the  hot  sand, 
before  our  panting  donkeys,  came  instinctively  to  the  same 
conclusion — that  a  large  city  must  have  once  occupied  the 
space  between,  and  to  the  southward  of,  the  two  groups  of 
pyramids.  It  is  not  often  that  amateur  antiquarians  find  such 
sudden  and  triumphant  confirmation  of  their  conjectures,  as 
we  did. 

On  the  way,  Achmet  had  told  us  of  a  Frenchman  who  had 
been  all  sunmier  digging  in  the  sand,  near  Sakkara.  After  we 
had  crawled  into  the  subterranean  depot  of  mummied  ibises, 
and  nearly  choked  ourselves  with  dust  in  trying  to  find  a  pot 
not  broken  open ;  and  after  one  of  our  donkey  men  went  into  a 
human  mummy  pit  and  brought  out  the  feet  and  legs  of  some 
withered  old  Egyptian,  we  saw  before  us  the  residence  of  this 
Frenchman ;  a  mud  hut  on  a  high  sand-bank.  It  was  an  un- 
fortunate building,  for  nearly  all  the  front  wall  had  tumbled 
down,  revealing  the  contents  of  his  kitchen.  One  or  two 
Arabs  loitered  about,  but  a  large  number  were  employed  at 
the  end  of  a  long  trench  which  extended  to  the  hills. 

Before  reaching  the  house  a  number  of  deep  pits  barred 
'^n?  path,  and  the  loose  sand,  stirred  by  our  feet,  slid  back  into 


1 
J 


6^  JOURNEV     rc-    CENTRAL     4FRICA 

Aio  bottom,  as  if  eager  to  hide  the  wonders  they  discloBea 
Pavements,  fresh  as  when  first  laid ;  basement- walls  of  white 
marble,  steps,  doorways,  pedestals  and  fragments  of  pillan 
glittered  in  the  sun,  which,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  two 
thousand  years,  beheld  them  again.  I  slid  do(vn  the  side  of 
the  pit  and  walked  in  the  streets  of  Memphis.  The  pavement 
of  bitumen,  which  once  covered  the  stone  blocks,  apparently  to 
protect  them  and  deaden  tLe  noise  of  horses  and  chariots,  wa§ 
entire  in  many  places.  Here  a  marble  sphinx  sat  at  the  base 
of  a  temple,  and  stared  abstractedly  before  her;  there  a  sculp- 
tured cornice,  with  heavy  mouldings,  leaned  against  the  walla 
of  the  chamber  into  which  it  had  fallen,  and  over  all  were 
scattered  fragments  of  glazed  and  painted  tiles  and  sculptured 
alabaster.  The  principal  street  was  narrow,  and  was  appa- 
rently occupied  by  private  dwellings,  but  at  its  extremity  were 
the  basement- walls  of  a  spacious  edifice.  All  the  pits  opened 
on  pavements  and  walls,  so  fresh  and  cleanly  cut,  that  they 
seemed  rather  the  foundations  of  a  new  city,  laid  yesterday, 
than  the  remains  of  one  of  the  oldest  capitals  of  the  world. 

We  approached  the  workmen,  where  we  met  the  discoverer 
of  Memphis,  Mr.  Auguste  Mariette.  On  finding  we  were  not 
Englishmen  (of  whose  visits  he  appeared  to  be  rather  shy),  he 
became  very  courteous  and  communicative.  He  apologized 
for  the  little  he  had  to  show  us,  since  on  account  of  the  Van 
dalism  Df  the  Arabs,  he  was  obliged  to  cover  up  all  his  discov- 
eries, after  making  his  drawings  and  measurements.  The 
Egyptian  authorities  are  worse  than  apathetic,  for  they  would 
not  hesitate  to  burn  the  sphinxes  for  lime,  and  build  barracks 
for  filthy  soldiers  with  the  marble  blocks.  Besides  this,  the 
French  influence  at  Cairo  was  then  entirely  overshadowed  by 


M.  MARIETTE   AND   HIS    LABORS. 

• 

that  of  England,  and  although  M.  Mariette  was  supported  in 
his  labors  by  the  French  Academy,  and  a  subscription  headed 
by  Louis  Napoleon's  name,  he  was  forced  to  be  content  with 
the  simple  permission  to  dig  out  these  remarkable  ruins  and 
describe  them.  He  could  neither  protect  them  nor  remove 
the  portable  sculptures  and  inscriptions,  and  therefore  prefer- 
red giving  them  again  into  the  safe  keeping  of  the  sand. 
Here  they  will  be  secure  from  injury,  until  some  more  fortu- 
nate period,  when,  possibly,  the  lost  Memphis  may  be  entirely 
given  to  the  world,  as  fresh  as  Pompeii,  and  far  more  grand 
and  imposing. 

I  asked  M.  Mariette  what  first  induced  him  to  dig  for  Mem- 
phis in  that  spot,  since  antiquarians  had  fixed  upon  the  mounds 
near  Mitrahenny  (a  village  in  the  plain  below,  and  about  four 
miles  distant),  as  the  former  site  of  the  city.  He  said  that 
the  tenor  of  an  inscription  which  he  found  on  one  of  the  blocks 
ijuarried  out  of  these  mounds,  induced  him  to  believe  that  the 
principal  part  of  the  city  lay  to  the  westward,  and  therefore 
he  conmienced  excavating  in  the  nearest  sand-hill  in  that  di- 
rection. After  sinking  pits  in  various  places  he  struck  on  an 
avenue  of  sphinxes,  the  clue  to  all  his  after  discoveries.  Fol- 
lowing this,  he  came  upon  the  remains  of  a  temple  (probably 
the  Serajpeunhj  or  Temple  of  Serapis,  mentioned  by  Strabo), 
and  afterward  upon  streets,  colonnades,  public  and  private  edi- 
fices,  and  all  other  signs  of  a  great  city.  The  number  of 
sphinxes  alone,  buried  under  these  high  sand-drifts,  amounted 
to  two  thousand,  and  he  had  frequently  uncovered  twenty  oi 
thirty  in  a  day.  He  estimated  the  entire  number  of  statues, 
inseriptions  and  reliefs,  at  between  four  and  five  thousand. 
The  most  remarkable  discovery  was  that  of  eight  oolossa] 


I 

I 


68  JttCBNKT  TO  OXNTRIL  AFBICA. 

rilatuGB,  wliicii  were  evidently  the  product  of  Grecino  arl 
During  thirteen  months  of  assiduous  labor,  witii  hut  onu  u> 
Blatant,  he  had  made  drawings  of  all  these  ohjects  nnd  forward- 
ed them  to  Paris.  In  order  to  be  near  at  hand,  he  had  built 
eu  Arab  house  of  unburnt  bricks,  tho  walls  of  which  bad  jusi 
tiOmblod  down  for  the  tliiid  time.  His  workmen  were  then 
engaged  in  clearing  away  the  sand  from  the  dwelling  of  souu 
old  Hemphian,  and  he  intended  spreading  his  roof  over  tbt 
massive  walls,  and  making  his  residence  in  tho  eshumcd  city. 

The  man's  appearance  showed  what  he  had  undergone,  anil 
gave  we  an  idea  of  tho  extraordinary  zeat  and  patience  requiiv. 
ed  to  make  a  successful  antiquarian.  His  face  was  as  browE 
as  an  Arab's,  his  eyes  severely  inSamcd,  and  his  hands  U 
rough  as  a  brieklayer's.  His  manner  with  tho  native  work- 
men was  admirable,  and  they  labored  with  a  hearty  good-will 
which  almost  supplied  the  want  of  tho  needful  implements. 
All  they  bad  were  straw  baskets,  which  they  filled  with  a  sort 
of  rude  shovel,  and  then  handed  up  to  be  carried  off  on  the 
heads  of  others.  One  of  the  principal  workmen  was  deaf  and 
dumb,  but  the  funniest  Arab  I  ever  saw.  He  was  constantly 
playing  off  his  jokes  on  those  who  were  too  slow  or  too  nt^li- 
gent.  An  unlucky  girl,  stooping  down  at  tho  wrong  time  to 
lift  a  basket  of  sand,  received  the  contents  of  another  on  hei 
head,  and  her  indignant  outery  was  hailed  by  the  rest  witi 
screams  of  laughter.  I  saw  the  same  man  pick  out  of  the  sand 
a  glazed  tile  containing  hifroglyphio  characters.  The  gravity 
with  which  he  held  it  before  him,  feigning  tfl  peruse  it,  ocoa" 
sionatly  nodding  his  head,  as  if  to  say,  "Well  done  for  old 
Fharaoh  i"  could  not  have  been  escelled  by  Burton  himself, 

Strabo  states  that  Memphis  had  a  circumference  of  sevok 


u-L 


If.  MARIETTB   AND   BIS   LABOB8.  69 

teen  miles^  and  therefore  both  M.  Mariette  and  the  antiqua- 
rians are  right  The  mounds  of  Mitrahenny  probably  mark 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  city,  while  its  western  limit  extend* 
ed  beyond  the  Pyramids  of  Sakkara,  and  included  in  its  sub- 
urbs those  of  Abousir  and  Dashoor.  The  space  explored  by 
M.  Mariette  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  and  some- 
what more  than  half  a  mile  in  breadth.  He  was  then  contini> 
ing  his  excavations  westward,  and  had  almost  reached  the  first 
ridge  of  the  Libyan  Hills,  without  finding  the  termination  of 
the  ruins.  The  magnitude  of  his  discovery  will  be  best  known 
when  his  drawings  and  descriptions  are  given  to  the  world. 
A  few  months  after  my  visit,  his  labors  were  further  re- 
warded by  finding  thirteen  colossal  sarcophagi  of  black  marble, 
and  he  has  recently  added  to  his  renown  by  discovering  an  en- 
trance to  the  Sphinx.  Yet  at  that  time,  the  exhumation  of 
the  lost  Memphis — second  only  in  importance  to  that  of  Nine- 
veh— ^was  unknown  in  Europe,  except  to  a  few  savans  in  Paris, 
and  the  first  intimation  which  some  of  my  firiends  in  Cairo  and 
Alexandria  had  of  it,  was  my  own  account  of  my  visit,  in  the 
newspapers  they  received  from  America.  But  M.  Mariette  is 
a  young  man,  and  will  yet  see  hb  name  inscribed  beside  those 
of  Burokhardt,  Belzoni  and  Layard. 

We  had  still  a  long  ride  before  us,  and  I  took  leave  of 
lilemphis  and  its  discoverer,  promising  to  revisit  him  on  my 
return  from  Khartoum,  As  we  passed  the  brick  Pyramid  of 
Bakkara,  which  is  built  in  four  terraces  of  equal  height,  the 
darky  grateful  green  of  the  palms  and  harvest-fields  of  the  Nila 
appeared  between  two  sand-hills — a  genuine  balm  to  our  heat- 
ed eyes.  We  rode  through  groves  of  the  fragrant  mimosa  to 
%  broad  dike,  the  windings  of  which  we  were  obliged  to  follow 


72  SOVUHET  TO  ORSTKAI.   aTRICA. 

Egjpt  of  the  Piiaraoha  and  the  Ptolemiea.  I  omitted  seeing 
none  of  l.lie  important  remaina  on  my  upward  jonrnej,  ao  tliat 
I  might  he  left  free  to  choose  another  route  homeward,  if  poa 
Bible.  It  seemed  lil;e  aligbtiiig  Fortmie  to  pass  Dendera,  and 
Karnal;  and  Omboa,  without  notice.  Opportunity  ia  rare,  and 
a  wise  man  will  never  let  il  go  by  him.  I  knew  not  what  dan- 
gers I  might  have  to  encoanter,  but  I  knew  that  it  would  be  ■ 
Batisfaotion  to  mo,  even  if  speared  by  the  Bedouins  of  the  Ly- 
bian  Desert,  to  think  :  "  Yoa  rascals,  you  Lave  killed  me,  but 
I  have  seen  Thebes  I " 

The  Pyramids  of  Dasboor  followed  us  all  the  next  ia,y 
after  leavmg  Memphis.  Our  sailors  tugged  us  slowly  along 
ahore,  against  a  mild  south  wind,  but  could  not  bring ns  oat  of 
the  horiEon  of  those  red  sandstone  piles.  Otir  patience  was 
tried,  that  day  and  the  next,  by  onr  slow  and  toilsome  progresa, 
hindered  still  more  by  ruaning  aground  on  sand-banks,  but  wa 
were  pledged  to  patience,  and  had  our  reward.  On  the  mom- 
iug  of  the  fourth  day,  as  we  descried  before  us  the  minarets  of 
BenisoTiof,  the  first  large  town  after  leaving  Cairo,  a  timid 
breeze  came  rustling  over  the  dourra-fields  to  the  north,  and 
puifed  out  the  Clcopatra'a  languid  sails.  The  tow-rope  was 
hauled  in,  our  Araba  jumped  on  board  and  produced  the  drum 
and  tambourine,  singing  lustily  as  we  moved  out  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream.  The  wind  increased;  the  flag  lifted  itself 
from  the  mast  and  streamed  toward  Thebes,  and  Betusoucf 
went  by,  almost  before  we  had  counted  its  minarets.  I  tried 
in  vain  to  distinguish  the  Pyramid  of  lUahoon,  which  stande 
inland,  at  the  base  of  the  Libyan  Hills  and  the  entrance  of  thr 
pass  leading  to  the  Lake  of  Fyoom,  the  ancient 
Iho  Pyramid  are  the  fouudatioca  of  the  famous  Labyrinth 


I 


.    Neai  M 
byrinth  H 


A  come   TIBIT. 

lately  escavntod  by  Dr.  Lepsias.  The  Province  of  Vjoava, 
eurrounding  the  lako,  ia,  yiiih  the  exception  of  the  Oases  in 
the  Libyan  Desert,  tho  only  productive  Innd  west  of  the  moun 
tains  bordering  the  Nile. 

All  afternoon,  with  both  sails  full  and  our  vesaol  loaning 
against  the  corrcnt,  we  flcir  before  the  wind.  At  dusk,  tho 
town  of  Fcshn  appeared  on  our  left;  at  midnight,  we  passed 
Abou-Girgeh  and  the  Blounds  of  Bchncsa,  the  ancient  Oxyrin- 
elms;  and  when  the  wind  left  us,  at  sunrise,  we  were  aevent^ 
milca  from  Benisoiicf.  The  Arabian  Mountains  here  approaeh 
the  nver,  and  at  two  points  terminate  in  abrupt  precipices  of 
yoUow  calcareous  rock.  The  bare  eliffs  of  Djehel  el  Tayr  {the 
MouDtaiu  of  Birds),  are  crowned  with  the  "  Convent  of  the 
Pulley,"  so  called  from  ita  inaccessible  situation,  and  tho  fact 
that  visitors  are  frequently  drawn  to  the  summit  by  a  rope  and 
windlass.  While  passing  this  convent,  a.  cry  eamo  up  from 
the  muddy  waters  of  the  river:  "We  are  ChriBtiaca,  0  IIow- 
adji ! "  and  presently  two  naked  Coptic  monks  wriggled  over 
the  gunwale,  and  sat  down,  panting  and  dripping,  on  the  deck. 
We  gave  them  hackshcesh,  which  they  instantly  clapped  into 
their  mouths,  but  their  aoula  likewise  devoutly  yearned  for 
brandy,  which  they  did  not  get.  They  were  large,  lusty  follows, 
and  whatever  perfeetion  of  spirit  they  might  have  attained, 
their  fleah  certainly  had  never  been  unnecessarily  mortified. 
After  a  breathing  spell,  they  jumped  into  the  river  again,  and 
we  soon  saw  them  straddling  from  point  to  point,  as  they 
ciawled  up  the  almost  pcrpeudieular  eliff.  At  Djebel  el  Tayr, 
the  birds  of  Kgypt  (according  to  an  Arabic  legend)  assemble 
■nnnally  and  choose  one  of  their  number  to  remain  there  for  a 
year      My  friend  complained  that  the  wild  geoso  and  duekl 


I 


^4  JotmM&r  TO  obktral  afbica. 

were  not  represented,  and  out  of  revenge  fired  at  a  company  ol 
huge  pclioana,  who  were  seated  on  a  sand-bank. 

The  drum  and  tambourine  kept  lively  time  to  the  voioes  of 
our  BaiIor»4,  aa  we  approached  Slinych,  the  Eccond  large  town 
OD  the  river,  and  the  capital  of  a  Province.  But  the  eong  thii 
time  had  a  peculiar  significance.  After  the  long-drawn  sound, 
aoniethiug  between  a  bowl  and  a  groan,  which  terminated  it,  we 
were  waited  upon  by  a  deputation,  who  formally  welcomed 
to  tho  city.  Wq  responded  by  a  hackshcesh  of  twenty-fivB 
piastres,  and  the  drum  rang  louder  than  ever.  We  stayed  in 
Jrlinyeh  loug  enough  to  buy  a  leg  of  mutton,  aud  then  sailed 
for  the  tombs  of  Bcni-Haagan.  The  wind  left  us  as  we  reached 
a  superb  palm-grove,  which  for  BevcraL  miles  skirts  the  foot  o£ 
DJebcl  Shckh  Timay.  Tha  inhabitants  arc  in  bad  odor,  and  \a 
addition  to  our  own  guard,  we  were  obliged  to  take  two 
from  the  village,  who  camo  armod  with  long  sticks  and  built  x 
fire  on  the  bank,  beside  oar  vessel.  This  is  a  regulation  of 
tho  Government,  to  which  travellers  usually  conform,  but  I 
never  saw  much  reason  for  it.  We  rose  at  dawn  and  wandered 
for  hours  through  the  palma,  to  the  verge  of  the  Desert.  Whan 
within  two  or  three  miles  uf  the  mountain  of  Beni-Hassan,  wo 
provided  ourselves  with  candles,  water-flasks  and  weapons,  and 
set  off  in  advance  of  our  boat.  The  Desert  here  reached  tha 
Nile,  terminatiog  in  a  bluff  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  whioh 
is  composed  of  layers  of  pebbles  and  shelly  sand,  apparently 
the  deposit  of  many  successive  fioods.  I  should  have  attri- 
bated  this  to  the  action  of  the  river,  cutting  a  deeper  channel 
from  yoar  to  year,  but  I  bel  ieve  it  is  now  acknowledged  that  the 
bed  of  the  Nile  is  gradually  rising,  and  that  the  yearly  inun- 
dation covers  a  much  wider  space  than  in  the  time  of  the  Ph» 


TBI   GKOTTOES   OF  DEIl-HABSAir.  75 

nohB.  It  is  difficult  to  reconcile  lliia  fact  with  the  very  per 
oeptible  encroachments  which  the  sand  is  making  on  the  Libjao 
ahore ;  but  we  may  at  least  be  satisfied  that  the  glorious  harvcBt- 
valley  through  which  the  river  wanders  can  never  he  WU0U5 
eJ*'aoed  thereby. 

We  climbed  to  the  glaring  level  of  the  Desert,  carrying 
with  us  the  plumes  of  a  beautiful  gray  heron  which  my  friend 
brought  down.  A  solitary  Arab  horseman  was  slowly  moving 
along  the  base  of  the  arid  hills,  and  we  descried  in  the  dis> 
tanee  a  light-footed  gazelle,  which  leisurely  kept  aloof  and 
mocked  our  efforts  to  surround  it.  At  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain we  passed  two  ruined  villages,  destroyed  several  years  ago 
by  Ibraliim  Pasha,  on  account  of  the  marauding  propensities  of 
the  inhabitants.  It  has  a  cruel  sound,  when  you  are  told  that 
the  people  were  driven  away,  and  their  dwellings  razed  to  the 
ground,  hut  the  reality  is  a  trifling  matter.  The  Arabs  take 
?heir  water-skins  and  pottery,  jump  into  the  Nile,  swim  acrosa 
;o  a  safer  place,  and  in  three  or  four  days  their  palaces  of  mud 
are  drying  in  the  Han,  We  came  upon  them  the  next  morning, 
as  thievishly  inclined  as  ever,  and  this  was  the  only  place 
where  I  found  the  people  otherwise  than  friendly. 

A  steep  path,  up  a  slope  covered  with  rounded  boulders  of 
hard  black  rock,  leads  to  the  grottoes  of  Beni-Hassan.  They 
are  among  the  oldest  in  Egypt,  dating  from  the  reign  of  Ostr- 
tasen  I,  about  1750  years  before  the  Christian  Era,  and  are 
interesting  from  their  encaustic  paintings,  representing  Egyp- 
tian life  and  customs  at  that  early  date.  The  rock  charabera 
extend  for  nearly  half  a  mile  along  the  side  of  the  mountain. 
The  moat  of  them  are  plain  and  without  particular  interest, 
and  they  have  all  suffered  from  the  great  spoilers  of  Egyptr— ■ 


JOUKKET  TO 


the  Persian,  tho  Copt  and  the  Saracen.     Fonr  odIj  rotain  tbeif  " 
hieroglyphics   and  palntingB,  and  are   adorned  with  colnmni 
bewn  from  the  solid  rock.     Tho  first  we  entered  contained  foui 
plain,  fluted  columns,  one  of  which  had  been  shivered  in  tho   . 
centre,  leaving  the  architrave  and  capital  suspended  from  thsl 
ceiling.     The  tcalb  were  covered  with  paintings,  greatly  faded  1 
and  dcfated,  representing  the  culture  and  manufacture  of  flax,  I 
'.he  sowing  and  reaping  of  grain,  and  the  making  of  breadfl 
besides  a  number  of  spirited  hunting  and  fishing  seenea.     The' 
Jccupant  nf  the  tomb  appears  to  have  been  a  severe  m: 
for  bis  servants  arc  shown  in  many  places,  undergoing  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  bastinado,  which  is  even  iollioted  upon  women. 
He  was  also  wealthy,  for  wc  still  see  bis  stewards  prescntiB| 
bim  with  tablets  showing  the  revenues  of  bis  property, 
VBS  a  great  man  in  Joseph's  day,  but  the  pit  in  which  he  lajTfl 
is  now  empty,  and  the    Arabs  have   long  since  bumed  hifl| 
mummy  to  boil  their  rice. 

The  second  tomb  is  interesting,  from  a  painting  represcnUl 
iug  thirty  men,  of  a.  foreign  nation,  who  are  brought  before  tha'l 
deceased  occupant.     Soma  antiquarians  suppose  them  to  be  the   < 
brethren  of  Joseph,  but  tbe  tomb  is  that  of  a  person  named 
Nchopbtb,   and    tbe  nuoiber   of  men   does   not    correspond 
with  tbe  Biblo  account.     Two  of  the  aonthem  tombs,  wbioh  , 
are  supported  by  pillars  formed  of  four  budding  locust^stalks.l 
bound  together,  are  covered  with  paintings  representing  difi 
ent  trades  and  professions.     The  rear  walls  are  entirely  devot  I 
cd  to  illustrations  of  gymnastic  exercises,  and  tbe  figui 
drawn  with  remarkable  freedom  and  skill.     There  ore  nevef'| 
more  than  two  persons  in  a  group,  one  being  painted  red  a 
the  other  black,  in  order  tbe  better  to  show  the  position  of  I 


In  at  least  fire  huDdred  dcileretit  gt-oupisga  the  Boma 
exeroiee  is  not  repeated,  showiiig  a  ■wonderful  fertility  of  ioTen- 
tion,  either  on  the  part  of  the  nrtist  or  the  wrestlers.  The 
exeeution  of  theee  figurea  fully  reached  lay  ideas  of  Egyptian 
pictorial  art,  hut  the  colors  were  nmcli  less  vivid  than  some 
travellers  represent.  Tlie  tombs  aro  not  large,  though  nomer- 
Qua,  and  what  is  rather  singular,  there  is  not  the  least  trace  of 
a  city  in  the  neighborhood,  to  which  they  could  have  belonged. 

The  nest  day  at  noon  we  passed  between  the  mounds  of 
Antinoe  and  Hermopolia  Magna,  lying  on  opposite  banks  of  the 
Nile.  Antinoe,  built  by  the  Emperor  Adrian  in  honor  of  Lis 
favorite,  the  glorious  Antinous,  who  was  hero  drowned  in  the 
river,  has  entirely  disappeared,  with  the  exception  of  its  foun- 
dations, 'i'wenty-five  years  ago,  many  interesting  monumcnta 
were  still  standing,  hat  as  they  were,  unfortunately,  of  the 
white  ealcareons  stone  of  the  Arabian  Hills,  they  have  been 
long  since  burnt  for  lime.  Before  reaching  Antinoe  we  hod 
just  come  on  board,  after  a  long  walk  on  the  western  bank,  and 
the  light  wind  which  bore  us  toward  the  mountain  of  Shekh 
Abaddeh  was  too  pleasant  to  be  slighted ;  so  we  saw  nothing 
of  Adrian's  city  except  some  heaps  of  dirt.  The  splendid 
evening,  however,  which  bathed  the  naked  cliffs  of  the  moun- 
tain in  rosy  flame,  was  worth  more  to  us  than  any  amount  of 
marble  blocks. 

The  guide  book  saj's,  "  hereabouts  appears  the  doom  palm. 
mi  crocodiles  begin  to  be  more  frequently  seen."  The  next 
morning  we  found  one  of  the  trees,  but  day  after  day  we  vainly 
Bought  a  crocodile.  My  friend  recalled  a  song  of  Geibel's,  con- 
cerning a  Oerman  musician  who  played  his  violin  by  tjic  Nild 
(ill  the  crocodiles  came  out  and  danced  around  the  Pyramids 


i 


7e  JOCBKKT  TO   OSMTBiX  ATBIOA. 

&Dd  in  his  despair  would  also  have  purchased  a  Tiolin,  if  ao 
eould  have  been  found  io  Siout.  I  had  seen  alligators  on  th, 
Mississippi,  and  took  the  disappointment  more  complacently. 
T!ie  doum  palm  differs  from  the  columnar  date-palm  in  tha 
form  of  its  leaves,  which  are  fan-liko,  and  in  having  a  branching 
trunk.  The  main  stem  dividcB  a  few  feet  from  tiie  root,  eaoh 
of  the  branches  again  forming  two,  and  each  of  these  two  more, 
till  the  tree  receives  a,  broad,  rounded  top.  The  fruit  bangs 
below  in  clusters,  resembling  sraall  eocoa-nuts,  and  has  a  sort 
of  gingerbread  flavor,  which  is  not  disagreeable.  When  fully 
dry  and  hard,  it  takes  a  polish  like  ivory,  and  is  manufactured 
by  the  Arabs  into  beads,  pipe  bowls  and  other  small  articles. 
Wo  approached  tlio  niountain  of  Aboufayda  with  a  strong 
and  favorable  wind.  Here  the  Nile,  for  upward  of  ten  miles, 
washes  the  foot  of  lofty  prccipiees,  whose  many  deep  fissures 
and  sharp  angles  givo  thorn  the  appearance  of  moontains  in 
rain.  The  afternoon  sun  stone  full  on  the  yellow  rocke,  and 
their  Jagged  pinnacles  were  cut  with  wonderful  distinctnesa 
against  the  perfect  blue  of  the  sky.  This  mountain  is  con- 
sidered the  raoat  dangerous  point  on  the  Nile  for  boats,  and  the 
sailors  always  approach  it  with  fear.  Owing  to  its  deep  side- 
gorges,  the  wind  sometimes  shifts  about  without  a  moment's 
warning,  and  if  the  large  lateen  sail  is  caught  aback,  the  vessel 
is  instantly  overturned.  During  the  passage  of  this  and  other 
similar  straits,  two  sailors  sit  on  deck,  holding  the  sail  rope, 
ready  to  let  it  fly  in  the  wind  on  the  slightest  appearance  of 
danger.  The  shifting  of  the  sail  is  a  delicate  business,  at  such 
times,  but  I  found  it  bettor  to  trust  to  our  men,  awkward  aa 
thej  were,  than  to  confuse  by  attempting  to  direct  them.  At 
Djehel  Shekh  Said,  the  sailors  have  a  custom  of  throwing  tvt 


Appro  &0B  to  upper  botpt.  ^0 

or  thine  loaves  of  bread  on  the  water,  believing  that  it- will  be 
taken  up  b/  tnro  large  wbite  birds  and  deposited  on  tbc  tomb 
of  the  Shekh.  The  wind  favored  ua  iii  passiug  Aboufayda ; 
the  Cleopatra  dashed  the  foutu  from  the  rough  navea,  aod  in 
two  or  three  hours  the  Bouthern  corner  of  the  mountain  lay 
behind  us,  leanbg  away  from  the  Nile  like  the  shattered  pylon 
of  a  tompla 

Before  Bunset  we  passed  the  city  of  Manfalout,  wboM 
houses  year  by  year  topple  into  the  mining  flood.  The  side 
nest  the  river  shows  only  halvea  of  buildings,  the  rest  of 
which  have  been  washed  away,  la  a  few  years  the  tall  and 
airy  minarets  will  follow,  and  unless  the  inbabitanta  continue 
to  shift  their  dwellings  to  the  iuland  side,  the  city  will  entirely 
disappear.  From  this  point,  the  plain  of  Siout,  the  garden  of 
Upper  Egypt,  opened  wide  and  far  before  us.  The  spur  of 
the  Libyan  hills,  at  the  foot  of  which  the  city  is  built,  shot 
out  in  advance,  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  miles  distant,  but 
the  Nile,  loth  to  leave  these  beautiful  fields  and  groves,  winds 
hither  and  thither  iu  such  a  devious,  lingering  track,  that  you 
must  sail  twenty-fivo  miles  to  reach  £!  Hamra,  the  port  of 
Siout,  The  landscape,  broader  and  more  majestic  than  those 
of  Lower  Egypt,  is  even  richer  and  more  blooming.  The 
Desert  is  kept  within  its  proper  bouiida ;  it  is  no  longer  visibla 
&om  the  river,  and  the  hills,  whose  Long,  level  lines  frame  the 
view  on  either  side,  enhance  by  their  terrible  sterility  the 
luxury  of  vegetation  which  covers  the  plain.  It  is  a  boun- 
teous land,  visited  only  by  healthy  airs,  and  free  &om  the  pe» 
tileacc  which  sometimes  scourges  Cairo. 

The  wind  fell  at  midnight,  hut  came  to  us  again  the  next 
Aorning  at  sunrise,  and  brought  us  to  £1  Hamra  before  nooa 


90 

Our  men  were  in  btgli  spirits  at  having  a  duy  of  rest  bft 
fore  them,  the  contracts  for  boats  always  stipulating  for  a  lialt 
of  twonty-four  hours  at  Siout  acd  Esneh,  in  order  that  thej 
mny  procure  their  supplies  of  prOTisiona.  They  buy  wheat 
and  dourra,  have  it  ground  in  one  of  the  rude  mills  worked 
buffaloes,  and  bake  a  sufficient  quantity  of  loaves  to  last  tut^ 
or  three  weeks.  Our  men  hiid  also  the  inspiration  of  back 
aheesh  in  their  song,  and  their  dolorous  tove-melodics 
&om  shore  to  shore.  The  correctnesa  with  which  these  people 
sing  is  absolutely  surprising.  Wild  and  harsh  as  are  their 
Bongs,  their  choruses  are  in  perfect  accord,  and  even  ■when  at 
the  same  time  eserting  all  their  strength  at  the  poles  and  oars 
they  never  fail  in  a  note.  The  melodies  are  simple,  but 
without  expression,  and  all  are  pervaded  with  a  mournful 
notony  which  seems  to  have  been  caught  from  the  Desert. 
There  is  generally  an  improvisatore  in  each  boat's  crew,  who 
supplies  an  endless  cumber  of  lines  to  the  regular  chorus  of 
"  kay-haylao  sail .' "  So  far  as  I  could  understand  our  poet, 
there  was  not  the  least  meaning  or  connection  in  his  poetry, 
but  be  never  failed  in  the  rhythm.  He  sang,  for  instance 
"0  Alexandrian  I " — then  followed  the  chorus:  "  Hastei^ 
three  of  you  I" — chorus  again:  "  Hail,  Sidi  Ibrahim!"  luu 
BO  on,  for  an  hour  at  a  time.  On  particular  occasions,  bo  ad^-i 
ed  pantomime,  and  the  scene  on  our  forward  deck 
war-dance  of  the  Blackfeet.  The  favorite  pantomime  ia  tbrt' 
sf  a  man  running  into  a  hornet's  nest.  He  stamps  and  cries, 
improvising  all  the  while,  the  chorus  seeking  to  drown  hii 
voice.  He  then  throws  off  his  mantle,  cap,  and  sometimes  hii 
last  garment,  slapping  bis  body  to  drive  off  the  hornets,  ami 
howling  mth  pain.     The  song  winds  np  witJi  a  prolonged  eiy 


heat  _ 

tii«S 

tM 

loplef 

ieir 

jara 

t  IK*J 
10 

r. 

i. 

i 

8, 

ii 

.11 
>iid  M 

i 


8I0UT.  81 

which  only  ceases  when  every  long  is  emptied.  Eyen  wl^n 
most  mirthfully  inclined,  and  roaring  in  ecstasy  over  some  sil- 
ly joke,  our  men  always  laughed  in  accord.  So  sound  and 
hearty  were  their  cachinnatory  choruses,  that  we  involuntarily 
laughed  with  them. 

A  crowd  of  donkeys,  ready  saddled,  awaited  us  on  the  hank; 
and  the  hoys  hegan  to  fight  hefore  our  hoat  was  moored.  We 
chose  three  unpainted  animals,  so  large  that  our  feet  were  at 
least  three  inches  from  the  ground,  and  set  off  on  a  gallop  for 
Siout,  which  is  ahout  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  river.  Its 
fifteen  tall,  white  minarets  rose  hefore  us,  against  the  hack- 
ground  of  the  mountain,  and  the  handsome  front  of  the  palace 
of  Ismail  Pasha  shone  through  the  dark  green  of  its  emhosom- 
ing  acaoias.  The  road  follows  the  course  of  a  dam,  huilt  to 
retain  the  waters  of  the  inundation,  and  is  shaded  with  palms, 
sycamores  and  mimosas.  On  either  side  we  looked  down  upon 
fields  of  clover,  so  green,  juicy  and  June-like  that  I  was 
tempted  to  jump  from  my  donkey  and  take  a  roll  therem. 
Where  the  ground  was  still  damp  the  Arahs  were  ploughing 
with  camels,  and  sowing  wheat  on  the  moist,  fat  loam.  We 
crossed  a  hridge  and  entered  the  court  of  justice,  one  of  the 
most  charmingly  clean  and  shady  spots  in  Egypt.  The  town, 
which  is  huilt  of  sun-dried  hricks,  whose  muddy  hue  is  some- 
what relieved  hy  the  whitewashed  mosques  and  minarets,  is 
astonishingly  clean  in  every  part.  The  people  themselves  ap- 
peared to  he  orderly,  intelligent  and  amiahle. 

The  tomhs  of  the  City  of  Wolves,  the  ancient  Lycopolis, 
are  in  the  eastern  front  of  the  mountain  overhanging  the  city 
We  rode  to  the  Stall  Antar^  the  principal  one,  and  ther 
slimhed  to  the  summit.     The  tomhs  are  much  larger  thai 

4* 


}    CBHTRAL   AFRIOA. 

tho^e  of  licni-IIassan,  but  haro  been  almost  ruined  bj  Uie 
modern  Egyptians.  The  ennmiouB  square  pillars  wbich  filled 
their  halls  have  been  shattered  down  for  lime,  and  only  frag 
menta  of  the  capitals  still  liang  from  the  ceilings  of  solid  rock. 
The  sculptures  and  hieroglyphics,  which  arc  here  not  painted 
but  Bcuiptwred  in  intaglio,  are  also  greatly  defaced.  Tha 
second  tomb  called  by  the  Arabs  Stall  Hamam  (Pigeou  Sta- 
ble), retains  its  grand  doorway,  wbich  has  on  each  side  tbe  co 
losaal  figure  of  an  ancient  king.  The  sand  around  its  moutb 
is  filled  with  fragments  of  mommied  wolves,  and  on  our  way 
up  the  Mountain  we  scared  one  of  their  descendants  from  hia 
lair  iu  a  solitary  tomb.  The  Stahl  Hamam  is  about  sixty 
feet  square  by  forty  in  height,  and  in  its  rough  and  rained  as- 
peat  is  more  impressive  than  the  wore  chaste  and  elegant 
chambers  of  Beni-Hassaa  The  view  of  the  plain  of  Siout, 
seen  through  its  entrance,  has  a  truly  magical  effect.  From 
the  gray  twilight  of  the  hall  in  which  you  stand,  the  green  of 
the  fields,  the  purple  of  tbe  distant  mountains,  and  the  blua 
of  the  sky,  dazzle  your  ey&  as  if  tinged  with  the  broken  n-ja 
of  a  prism. 

From  the  summit  of  tbe  mountain,  which  we  reached  by 
scaling  a  crevice  in  its  white  cliffs,  we  overlooked  a  more  beau- 
tiful landscape  than  that  seen  from  the  Pyramid.  In  the 
north,  beyond  the  spires  of  Manfalout  and  the  crags  of  Abou- 
fayda,  we  counted  the  long  palm-groves,  receding  behind  one 
another  to  the  yellow  shore  of  the  Desert ;  in  front,  the  wind- 
ing Nile  and  the  Arabian  Mountains;  southward,  a  eea  of 
wheat  and  clover  here  deepening  into  dark  emerald,  there  pal- 
ing into  gold,  according  to  the  degree  of  moisture  in  tbe  soil, 
and  ceasing  only  bcoauae  tbe  eye  refused  to  follow;  while  be 


8I0UT— A    BATH.  83 

bind  OS,  Ofer  the  desert  hills,  wound  the  track  of  the  yearl;^ 
caravan  from  Dar-Fur  and  Kordofan.  Our  Arab  guide  point- 
ed out  a  sandj  plain,  behind  the  cemetery  of  the  Mamelukes, 
which  lay  at  our  feet,  as  the  camping-ground  of  the  caravan, 
and  tried  to  tell  us  how  many  thousand  camels  were  assembled 
there.  As  we  looked  upon  the  superb  plain,  teeming  with  its 
glory  of  vegetable  life  and  enlivened  by  the  songs  of  the  Arab 
ploughmen,  a  funeral  procession  came  from  the  city  and  passed 
slowly  to  the  burying-ground,  accompanied  by  the  dismal 
howling  of  a  band  of  women.  We  went  below  and  rode  be- 
tween the  whitewashed  domes  covering  the  graves  of  the 
Mamelukes.  The  place  was  bright,  clean  and  cheerful,  in 
comparison  with  the  other  Arab  burying^grounds  wc  had  seen. 
The  grove  which  shades  its  northern  wall  stretches  for  more 
than  a  mile  along  the  edge  of  the  Desert — ^a  picturesque  ave- 
nue of  palms,  sycamores,  fragrant  acacias,  mimosas  and  acan- 
thus. The  air  around  Siout  is  pregnant  with  the  rich  odor  of 
the  yellow  mimosa-flowers,  and  one  becomes  exhilarated  by 
breathing  it. 

The  city  has  handsome  bazaars  and  a  large  bath,  built  by 
Mohammed  Bey  Defterdar,  the  savage  son-in-law  of  Mohammed 
Ali.  The  halls  are  spacious,  supported  by  granite  columns, 
and  paved  with  marble.  Little  threads  of  water,  scarcely  visi- 
ble in  the  dim,  steamy  atmosphere,  shoot  upward  from  the 
stone  tanks,  around  which  a  dozen  brown  figures  lie  stretched 
in  the  lazy  beatitude  of  the  bath.  I  was  given  over  to  two 
Arabs,  who  scrubbed  me  to  desperation,  plunged  me  twice  over 
head  and  ears  in  a  tank  of  scalding  water,  and  then  placed  mc 
•inder  a  cold  douche.  When  the  whole  process,  which  occupied 
more  than  half  an  hour,  was  over,  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  pipe 


64  JOURNEY  TO   CRNTRAL   AFRICA* 

were  brought  to  me  as  I  lay  stretched  out  on  the  diyan,  white 
another  attendant  commenced  a  course  of  dislocation,  twisting 
and  cracking  all  my  joints  and  pressing  violently  with  both 
Lands  on  my  breast.  Singularly  enough,  this  removed  the  lan^ 
guor  occasioned  by  so  much  hot  water,  and  gave  a  wonderfiil 
elasticity  to  the  frame.  I  walked  out  as  if  shod  with  the  wingf 
of  Mercury,  and  as  I  rode  back  to  our  boat,  congraAulaled  onr 
donkey  on  tho  airy  lightness  of  his  load. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


£      NILE, 


Wb  hoar  mnoh  said  by  toarists  wLo  have  visited  Egypt, 
concerning  the  comparatiTb  pains  and  pleasures  of  life  on  tho 
Nile,  and  their  deeisions  are  as  Tarious  as  their  individual 
cbaraetera.  Four  out  of  every  five  complain  of  the  monotony 
and  tedium  of  the  voyage,  and  ponr  forth  touching  lamenta- 
tions over  the  annoyance  of  rats  aod  cockroaches,  the  impoesi 
bility  of  procuring  beef-steak,  or  the  difficulty  of  shooting 
nocodiles.     Some  of  them  ore  wholly  impermeable  to  the  inflo- 


lOmtlTXT  TO  OBKTtUt   iFRTOA. 


Our  territory,  to  be  Bare,  is  not  very  extensive.  The  C7«» 
patra  ia  a  ddkahUjeh,  aev-eotj  fuet  long  by  fen  broad.  She 
baa  two  abort  masts  in  the  bow  and  st^rn,  tlie  first  npbolding 
tbo  trifikect,  a  Iftteen  sail  nearly  seventy  feet  in  lengtb.  The 
latter  carries  the  belikon,  a  small  sail,  and  the  American 
ors.  Tbo  narrow  space  around  tbe  foremast  belongs  to  the  crei^ 
who  cook  their  meals  in  a.  small  brick  fumaco,  and  sit 
gunwale,  beating  a  dnina  and  taiuboarine  and  singing  for  hoiire 
in  interminable  choruses,  ivben  tbo  wind  blows  fair.  If  thera 
is  no  wind,  half  of  tbcm  are  on  shore,  tugging  us  slowly  along 
the  banks  with  a  long  tow-rope,  and  singing  all  day  long :  "  Aya 
hamam — ay&  hamdm  !  "  If  wo  strike  on  a  sand-bank,  they 
jump  into  tbe  river  and  put  their  shoulders  against  the  hull, 
singing:  " hay-haylee  sah  f  "  If  the  current  is  slow,  they  ship 
the  oars  and  pull  ua  up  stream,  singing  so  eomplieated  a,  refrain 
that  it  is  impossible  to  write  it  with  other  than  Arabic  chara<$- 
ters.  There  are  eight  men  and  a  boy,  besides  our  stately  raia, 
Ilassan  Abd  el-Sadek,  and  the  swarthy  pilot,  who  greets  of 
every  morning  with  a  whole  round  of  Arabia  salntations. 

Against  an  upright  pole  which  occupies  the  place  of  a  main* 
mast,  stands  our  kitchen,  a  high  wooden  box,  with  three  fur- 
naces. Here  our  cook,  Salame,  may  be  seen  at  all  times,  with 
the  cowl  of  a  blue  capote  drawn  over  his  turban,  preparing  tbe 
marvellous  dishes,  wherein  his  delight  is  not  less  than  our** 
Balame,  like  a  skilful  artist,  as  he  is,  husbands  his  resonrceB, 
and  each  day  astonishes  us  with  i:ew  preparations,  bo  that,  out 
of  few  materials,  be  has  attained  tbe  grand  climas  of  all  art — 
variety  in  unity.  Achmet,  my  faithful  dragoman,  has  his  Bt»- 
tion  here,  and  keeps  one  eye  on  the  vessel  and  one  on  the  kitcbi 
while  between  the  twc  he  does  not  relax  his  protecting  care  fif ' 


The 

re^-fl 
tl«.  ■ 


rof'B 


1BK    CADIff  89 

,  The  &p]iroacb  to  the  cabin  is  flaolccd  by  our  provision  cbesta 
wbtch  will  also  serve  as  a  breastwork  in  case  of  foreign  aggre» 
aion.  A  buge  filter -jar  of  porous  eartbcanorc  stands  againEt 
the  back  of  the  kitchen.  We  keep  our  fresh  butter  and  vege- 
tables in  a  box  under  it,  where  the  sweet  Nile-water  drips  cool 
And  clear  into  an  earthen  basin.  Our  bread  and  vegetables,  io 
an  open  basket  of  palm-blades,  are  suspended  bciiide  it,  and  the 
roof  of  the  cabin  supports  onr  poultrj-jarj  and  pigeon-house. 
Sometiues  (but  not  often)  a  leg  of  mutton  may  be  seen  hang- 
ing from  tlie  ridge-pole,  which  oxtonds  over  the  dock  as  a  sop- 
port  to  the  awning. 

The  cabin,  or  Mansion  of  the  Executive  Powers,  is  about 
twenty-five  feet  long.  Its  floor  is  two  feet  below  the  deck,  aad 
its  ceiling  five  feet  above,  so  that  we  are  not  cramped  or  crowd- 
ed in  any  particular.  Before  the  entrance  is  a  sort  of  portico, 
irith  a,  broad,  cushioned  seat  on  each  side,  and  sidc-awnings  to 
l^hut  out  the  sun.  This  place  is  devoted  to  pipes  and  mcdito- 
iion.  We  throw  up  the  awnings,  let  the  light  pour  in  on  all 
sides,  and  look  out  on  the  desert  mauntains  while  we  inhale  the 
iucense  of  the  East.  Our  own  main  cabin  is  about  ten  feet 
long,  and  newly  painted  of  a  brilliant  blue  color.  Abroad 
diTan,  with  cuahions,  extends  along  each  side,  serving  as  a  sofa 
by  day,  and  a  bed  by  night.  There  are  windows,  blinds,  and 
a  canvas  cover  at  the  sides,  so  that  we  can  regulate  our  light 
ud  air  as  we  choose.  In  the  middle  of  the  cabin  is  our  table 
Etnd  two  camp  stools,  while  shawls,  capotes,  pistols,  sabre  and 
gun  are  suspended  from  the  walls.  A  little  door  at  the  furthci 
end  opens  into  a  wash-room,  beyond  which  is  a  smaller  eabin 
with  beds  which  we  have  allotcd  to  Acbmet'a  use.  Oar  cook 
a  on  leek,  with  hia  head  against  the  provision  chest     Thv 


»0 


JOTIKNET  TO   CBKTRAL  i 


rais  and  pilot  sleep  on  the  TOof  of  our  cabin,  wbere  tlie  latter 
sits  all  day,  lidding  the  long  arm  of  the  rudder,  which  projcota 
forward  over  the  cabin  from  the  high  end  of  the  stern. 

Our  manner  of  life  ia  simple,  and  migbt  even  bo  called 
BocotonouB,  but  wc  have  never  found  the  greatest  variety  of 
landscape  and  incident  bo  tboroughly  enjoyable.  The  eoenerj 
of  the  Nile,  thus  far,  scarcely  changes  from  day  to  day,  in  iti 
forms  and  colors,  but  only  in  their  disposition  with  regard  to 
each  other.  The  shores  arc  either  palm-groves,  fields  of  cane 
and  dourra,  young  wheat,  or  patches  of  bare  sand,  blown  oat 
from  the  desert.  The  villages  are  all  the  same  agglomerationa 
of  mud-walla,  the  tombs  of  the  Moslem  saints  are  the  same 
white  ovens,  and  every  indi-vidual  camel  and  buffalo  reaemblea 
its  neighbor  in  picturesque  oglinesa.  The  Arabian  and  Libyan 
MountaioB,  now  sweeping  so  far  into  the  foreground  that  their 
yellow  cliffs  overhang  the  Nile,  now  receding  into  the  violet 
haze  of  the  horizon,  esbibit  little  dificrcacc  of  height,  hue, 
or  geological  formation.  Every  new  scene  is  the  turn  of 
a  kaleidoscope,  in  which  the  s^me  objects  are  grouped  in 
other  relations,  yet  always  characterized  by  the  most  perfect 
harmony.  These  slight,  yet  ever-renewing  changes,  are  to  ua 
a  source  of  endless  delight.  Either  from  the  pare  atmosphere, 
the  healthy  life  we  lead,  or  the  accordant  tone  of  our  spirits, 
we  find  ourselves  annsually  sensitive  to  all  the  slightest  touches, 
the  most  minute  rays  of  that  grace  and  harmony  which  bathei 
every  landscape  in  cloudlesa  sunshine.  The  various  groupings 
of  the  palms,  the  shifting  of  the  blue  evening  shadows  on  tha 
rose-hued  mountain  walls,  the  green  of  the  wheat  and  sngar- 
oane,  the  windings  of  the  great  river,  the  alternations  of  wind  and 
oalm  —each  of  these  is  enough  to  content  us,  and  to  give  eveiy 


I 


I 


VASIIBB  or  LIT1S0  VI 

iaj  a  different  charm  from  that  whioh  wont  tefore.  We  meet' 
contrary  winds,  calma  and  sand'banks  without  losing  ou> 
patience,  and  even  onr  excitement  in  the  swiftcess  and  grace 
with  which  our  Tcaael  acuda  before  the  north-wind  is  mingled 
with  a  regret  that  onr  jonrnej  is  drawing  ho  much  the  more 
swiftly  to  its  close.  A  portion  of  the  old  Egyptian  repoaa 
seems  to  be  iiifusod  into  out  natures,  and  lately,  when  I  saw 
my  face  in  a  mirror,  I  thought  I  perceived  in  ita  features  some- 
thing of  the  patience  and  reaignation  of  the  Sphinx. 

Although,  in  order  to  enjoy  this  life  as  much  as  possible, 
■we  subject  onraelves  to  no  arbitrary  rules,  there  is  sufEcicnt 
regularity  in  our  manner  of  living.  We  rise  before  the  sun, 
and  after  breathing  the  cool  morning  air  half  an  hour,  drink  a 
cup  of  cofiee  and  go  ashore  for  a  walk,  unless  the  wind  ia  very 
strong  ia  our  favor.  My  friend,  who  is  an  entbaaiaatic  sports- 
man and  an  admirable  shot,  takes  his  fowling-piece,  and  I  my 
sketch-book  and  pistols.  We  wander  inland  among  the  fields 
of  wheat  and  dourra,  course  among  the  palms  and  acacias  for 
game,  or  visit  the  villages  of  the  Fellahs.  The  temperature, 
which  is  about  60°  in  the  mornipg,  rarely  rises  above  75°,  so 
that  we  have  every  day  three  or  four  hours  exercise  in  the  mild 
and  pure  air.  My  friend  always  brings  back  from  one  to  two 
dozen  pigeons,  while  I,  who  practise  witk  my  pistol  on  such 
ignoble  game  as  hawks  and  vultures,  which  are  here  hardly  shy 
enough  to  shoot,  can  at  the  beat  hut  furnish  a  few  wing  fea- 
thers to  clean  our  pipes 

It  is  advisable  to  go  armed  on  these  excursions,  though 

there  is  no  danger  of  open  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  people. 

CertaiD  neighborhoods,  as  that  of  Beni  Hassan,  are  in  bad 

repute,  but  the  depredations  of  the  inhabitants,  who  have  been 

l^duumed  by  the  Goverument,  are  principajty  confined  to  thier 


)   OENTBAL  AVRICA. 


iDg  and  other  petty  oSeDCCB.     On 


I  fell  in  with  I  ' 


cDiupany  of  these  people,  who  demanded  my  tarlioosh,  shoel 
and  sliBwt,  and  would  bare  tolten  tliem  had  I  not  been  urmed. 
In  general,  we  liave  found  the  Fellahs  very  friendly  and  well 
disposed.  They  greet  us  on  our  morning  malka  with  "  Salw 
mat!"  and  " Sahah  cl Kheyrl"  and  frequently  accompany 
for  miles.  My  friend's  fowling-piece  often  brings  around  bim 
all  the  men  and  boys  of  a  village,  who  follow  bim  as  long  as  a 
pigeon  is  to  be  found  on  the  palm-trees.  The  certainty  of  bis 
shot  excitoa  their  wonder,  "  Wallah  I  "  they  cry;  "  erery 
time  the  Howadji  fires,  the  bird  drops."  The  fact  of  my  wear- 
ing a  tarboosh  and  white  turban  brings  upon  mo  much  Arabia 
couversation,  which  is  somewhat  embarrassing,  witb  my  impep-. 
feet  knowledge  of  the  language ;  but  a  few  words  go  a,  greai. 
way.  The  Srst  day  I  adopted  tbiu  bead-dre»s  (which  is  conve-' 
nient  and  ogreeablo  iu  every  reapeot),  the  people  saluted  m© 
with  "good  mrrning,  0  Sidll"  (Sir,  or  Lord)  instead  of  th», 
usual  "good  morning,  0  Howadji  I"  (i.  e.  merchant,  as  I 
Franks  are  rather  contemptuously  designated  by  the  Arabs). 

For  this  climato  and  this  way  of  life,  the  Egyptian  costume 
is  undoubtedly  much  better  than  the  European.     It 
cool,  and  does  not  impede  the  motion  of  the  limbs.     The  turban 
thoroughly  protoots  the  bead  against  the  sun,  and  shades  the 
eyes,  while  it  obstructs  the  vision  much  less  than  a  bat^brisv; 
The  broad  silk  shawl  which  holds  up  the  baggy  trowsers,  ahiek 
the  abdomen  against  changes  of  temperature  and  tends  to 
vent  dJarrh(ca,  which,  besides  ophthalmia,  is  the  only  ailment  tits 
traveller  need  fear.     The  latter  disease  may  be 
bathing  the  face  in  cold  water  after  walking  or  any  eseroiss 
irbicb  induces  perspiration.     I  have  followed  this  plan,  and 
though  my  eyea  are  exposed  dailv  to  the  fuU  blaze  of  thti  »au. 


I 


I 

tha 


PROGRAMME    OF    A    DAY  S   LIFB.  0 

6nd  them  growing  stronger  and  clearer.  In  fact,  since  leaving 
fche  invigorating  camp-life  of  California,  I  have  not  felt  tli^ 
sensation  of  health  so  purely  as  now.  The  other  day,  to  the 
great  delight  of  onr  sailors  and  the  inexhaustible  merriment  of 
my  friend,  I  donned  one  of  Achmet's  dresses.  Though  the 
short  Theban's  flowing  trowsers  and  embroidered  jacket  gave 
me  the  appearance  of  a  strapping  Turk,  who  had  grown  too 
fast  for  his  garments,  they  were  so  easy  and  convenient  in 
every  respect,  that  I  have  decided  to  un-Frank  myself  for  the 
remainder  of  the  journey. 

But  our  day  is  not  yet  at  an  end.  We  come  on  board 
about  eleven  o'clock,  and  find  our  breakfast  ready  for  the  tables 
The  dishes  are  few,  but  well  cooked,  aud  just  what  a  hungry 
man  would  desire — ^fowls,  pigeons,  eggs,  rice,  vegetables,  fruit, 
the  coarse  but  nourishing  bread  of  the  country,  and  the  sweet 
^ater  of  the  Nile,  brought  to  a  blush  by  an  infusion  of  claret. 
After  breakfast  we  seat  ourselves  on  the  airy  divans  in  front 
of  the  cabin,  and  quietly  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  a  shebook, 
filled  by  Achmet's  experienced  hand,  and  a  finjan  of  Turkish 
coiSea  Then  comes  an  hour's  exerdise  in  Arabic,  after  which 
we  read  guide-books,  consult  our  maps,  write  letters,  and  occupy 
ourselves  with  various  mysteries  of  our  household,  till  the 
noonday  heat  is  over.  Dinner,  which  is  served  between  four 
and  five  o'clock,  is  of  the  same  materials  as  our  breakfast,  but 
dififerently  arranged,  and  with  the  addition  of  soup.  My  friend 
aTers  that  he  no  longer  wonders  why  Esau  sold  his  birthright, 
D^w  that  be  has  tasted  our  pottage  of  Egyptian  lentils.  Coffee 
and  pipes  follow  dinner,  which  is  over  with  the  first  flush  of 
donset  and  the  first  premonition  cf  the  coolness  and  quiet  of 
eyenin^ 


94 


J0DBIIK7  TO  OXtlTRAI.   t 


We  Beat  ouiaelTeH  oa  deck,  and  drink  to  its  fiiloese  Ultra 
linim  of  this  indescribaljle  repose.  The  sun  goes  down  behind 
tie  Libjan  Desert  in  a  broad  glory  of  purple  aod  rosy  ligbts; 
the  Nile  is  calm  nad  unriiEQed,  the  palms  stand  as  if  sculptared 
in  jasper  and  malachite,  aud  the  torn  and  ragged  aides  of  the 
Arabian  Mountains,  ponring  through  a  hundred  fissures  th^ 
sand  of  the  plains  above,  burn  with  a  deep  crimson  lustra,  W 
if  smoulderiug  from  some  inward  fire.  The  splendor  soon 
passes  off  and  the;  stand  for  some  minutes  in  dead,  ash^  pale> 
ness.  The  sunset  has  now  dcepcucd  into  orange,  in  the  midst 
of  which  a  large  planet  sbinea  whiter  than  the  mooiL  A 
second  glow  falls  upon  the  mountains,  and  this  time  of  a  pal{\ 
but  intense  yellow  hue,  which  gives  them  the  effect  of  a  trans- 
parent painting.  The  palm-groves  are  dark  below  and  the  sky 
(lark  behind  them ;  they  alone,  the  symbols  of  perpetual  deso- 
lation, are  transfigured  by  the  magical  illumination.  Scarcely  j 
a  sound  disturbs  the  solemn  magnificence  of  the  hour.  Even  i 
our  full-throated  Arabs  are  silent,  and  if  a  wave  gurglea 
against  the  prow,  it  slides  softly  back  into  the  river,  ad  if  r& 
buked  for  the  venture.  We  speak  but  little,  and  then  mostly 
in  echoes  of  each  other's  thoughts.  "  This  is  more  than  men 
enjoyment  of  Nature,"  said  my  friend,  on  snoh  an  evenii^:  1 
"  it  is  worship." 

Speaking  of  my  friend,  it  is  no  more  than  just  that  I 
should  confess  how  much  of  the  luok  of  this  Nile  voyage  ii 
owing  to  him,  and  therein  may  be  the  secret  of  my  complete 
sat^^ffaction  and  the  secret  of  the  disappointment  of  others.  It 
is  morii  easy  and  yet  more  difficult  for  persons  to  harmouiia 
iviiile  travelling,  than  when  at  home.  By  this  I  mean,  that 
uicu  of  kindred  natures  and  aims  find  each  other  more  readily 


A 

I 

i 


MY   COHRADK. 


and  confide  in  eoct  other  more  freely,  while  the  least  jarring 
eloment  rapidly  drives  others  further  and  further  apart.  No 
oonfoBBional  so  oompletolj  reveala  the  whole  man  as  the  com" 
pauionship  of  travel.  It  is  not  possible  to  wear  the  conven- 
tional uULEks  of  Society,  and  one  repulsive  feature  is  often 
enough  to  neutralize  many  really  good  qualitiea.  On  lie  other 
band,  a  congeniality  of  soul  and  temperament  speedily  ripcng 
into  the  firmest  friendship  and  doubles  every  pleasure  which  ib 
mutually  enjoyed.  My  companion  widely  differs  from  me  ia 
R^,  in  station,  and  in  bis  expericncos of  life;  but  to  one  of 
those  open,  honest  and  loving  natures  which  are  often  found  in 
bifl  nativo  Sasony,  he  unites  a  most  warm  and  thorough  appre- 
ciation of  Beauty  in  Nature  or  Art,  We  harmonise  to  a  mir- 
acle, and  the  parting  with  him  at  Assouan  will  be  the  sorest 
pang  of  my  journey. 

My  friend,  the  Howadji,  in  whose  "Nile-Notes"  the 
Egyptian  atmosphere  is  eo  perfectly  reproduced,  says  that 
"Conscience  falls  asleep  on  the  Nile."  If  by  this  he  meanH 
that  artificial  quality  which  bigots  and  sectarians  call  Con- 
science, I  quite  agree  with  him,  and  do  not  blame  the  Nile  for 
ita  soporific  powers.  But  that  simple  faculty  of  the  soul,  na- 
tive to  all  men,  which  acts  best  when  it  acts  onconacionsly, 
and  leads  our  passions  and  desires  into  right  paths  without 
seeming  to  lead  them,  is  vastly  strengthened  by  this  quiet  and 
healthy  life.  There  ia  a  cathedral-! ike  solemnity  in  the  air  of 
£gypt;  one  feels  the  presence  of  the  altar,  and  ia  a  bettei 
man  without  his  will.  To  those  rendered  misanthropic  by 
disappointed  ambition — mistrustful  by  betrayed  confidcuoe — ■ 
despairing  by  unassuageable  sorrow — let  me  repeat  the  mott4 
n  bleb  heads  this  chapter. 


oe 


I  Iiaix!  CDiicarorcd  to  piotnre  our  mode  of  life  ae  fiuthfal]} 
and  minutely  as  possible,  bccauao  it  bearB  no  reBomblance  tc 
iTiivel  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Into  the  neart  of  a 
barbarous  continent  and  a  barbarous  land,  we  carry  with  ni 
every  desirable  comfort  and  luxury.  In  no  part  of  Europe  or' 
America  could  we  be  so  thoroughly  independent,  Tithont  nn--' 
dergoing  considerable  privationa,  and  wholly  toeing  that  aenso 
of  rest  which  is  the  greatest  enjoyment  of  this  journey.  We 
ore  cut  off  from  nil  comtnunioation  with  the  great  world  of 
politics,  merchandise  and  usury,  and  remember  it  only  through 
the  heart,  not  through  the  brain.  We  go  ashore  in  the  deli- 
eiouH  mornitiga,  breathe  the  elastic  air,  and  wander  through 
the  palra-grovea,  as  happy  and  care-freo  as  two  Adams  ii 
Paradise  without  Eves.  It  is  an  ejiiaode  which  will  flow  fovc 
ward  in  the  under-ourrcntB  of  our  natures  through  the  rest  of 
our  lives,  soothing  and  refreshing  us  whenerer  it  rises  to  the 
Burface.  I  do  not  reproach  myself  for  thia  paasive  and  aensn- 
ous  csiatence,  I  gi^'o  myself  up  to  it  unreservedly,  and  if 
Bouic  angular-souled  utilitarian  should  come  along  and 
mend  me  to  shake  off  my  laziness,  and  learn  the  conjugations 
of  Coptic  verbs  or  the  hieroglyphs  of  Kueph  and  Thoth,  I 
should  not  take  the  pipe  from  my  mouth  to  answer  him.  Hy 
friend  sometimes  laugbiogly  addresses  me  with  two  lines  of 
Hebel  s  qaaint  Allemanie  poetry  : 


i 

-f  " 

e 


(suoh  a  life,  young  blood,  best  befits  an  animal),  but  I  tell  him  I 
that  the  wisdom  of  the   Black  Foreat  won't  answer  for 
Nile.     If  any  one  persists  in  forcing  the  application,  I  pre&f' I 


OB8BRVATI0K    VS.  DEBCRIPTIOK. 

Deing  called  an  animal  to  changing  my  present  nabits.  An 
entire  life  so  spent  would  be  wretchedly  aimless,  bnt  a  few 
months  are  in  truth  "  sore  labor's  bath  "  to  every  wrung  heart 
and  overworked  brain. 

I  could  say  much  more,  but  it  requires  no  little  effort  to 
vn*ite  three  hours  in  a  cabin,  when  the  palms  arc  rustling  their 
tops  outside,  the  larks  singing  in  the  meadows,  and  the  odor  of 
mimosa  flowers  breathing  through  the  windows.  To  travel  and 
write,  is  like  inhaling  and  exhaling  one's  breath  at  the  same 
moment.  You  take  in  impressions  at  every  pore  of  the  mind^ 
and  the  process  is  so  pleasant,  that  you  sweat  them  out  again 
most  reluctantly.  Lest  I  should  overtake  the  remedy  with 
the  disease,  and  make  to-day  Labor,  which  should  be  Rest,  1 
shall  throw  down  the  pen,  and  mount  yonder  donkey  which 
stands  patiently  on  ^the  bank,  waiting  to  carry  me  to  Slont 
CDce  more,  before  starting  for  Thebes. 


lOURNKY  TO  CENTRAL  AVBUXJu 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

UPPER     EGYPT. 

OUlm— IfoaAtalns  and  Tombs— A  Night  Adveatord  in  Ekhmln—Cbanwtor  of  tkl 
Boatmen— Fair  Wind— Pilgrims— Egyptian  Agrtcnltnre— Sugar  and  Cotton— OiaU 
— Sheep — Arrival  at  Kenncb— A  Landscape — ^Tbe  Temple  of  Dendera— First  Im* 
prossions  of  Egyptian  Art— Portrait  of  Cleopatrar— A  Happy  Meeting— We  approMh 
Thebea. 

Oun  men  were  ready  at  the  appointed  time,  and  precisely 
iwenty-four  hours  after  reaching  the  port  of  Siont  we  spread 
our  sails  for  Kenneh,  and  exchanged  a  parting  salute  with  the 
boat  of  a  New  York  physician,  which  arrived  some  hours  after 
us.  The  north  wind,  which  had  been  blowing  freshly  during 
the  whole  of  our  stay,  failed  us  almost  within  sight  of  the  port, 
and  was  followed  by  three  days  of  breathless  calm,  during 
which  time  we  made  about  twelve  miles  a  day,  by  towing. 
My  friend  and  I  spent  half  the  time  on  shore,  wandering  in- 
land through  the  fields  and  making  acquaintances  in  the  vil- 
lages. We  found  such  tours  highly  interesting  and  refreshing, 
but  nevertheless  always  returned  to  our  floating  Castle  of  In- 
dolence, doubly  delighted  with  its  home-like  cabin  and  lazy  di- 
vans. Many  of  the  villages  in  this  region  are  built  among  the 
mounds  of  ancient  cities,  the  names  whereof  are  faithfully  enu- 
merated in  the  guide-book,  but  as  the  cities  themselves  haYB 


iiorTrrAins,  toubs  aiid  nriKS.  Of 

nbolly  disappeared,  we  were  spared  the  necessity  of  ecekicg 
for  tiicir  mina. 

On  tlie  third  night  after  leaving  Siout,  we  pasaed  the  vil 
lage  of  Gow  el-Kebir,  the  ancient  ATitaeopolis,  whose  heautiful 
temple  has  been  entirely  destroyed  during  the  last  twenty-five 
years,  partly  washed  away  by  the  Nile  and  partly  pulled  down 
to  furnish  materials  for  the  Pasha''s  palace  at  Siout.  Near 
this  the  famous  battle  between  Hercules  and  Antfeus  ia  re- 
ported to  have  taken  place.  The  fable  of  Antasus  drawing 
strength  from  the  earth  appears  t[uite  natural,  after  one  has 
seen  the  fatness  of  the  soil  of  Upper  Egypt.  We  ran  the 
gauntlet  of  Djebel  Sheth  Hereedee,  a  mountain  similar  to 
Aboufayda  in  form,  but  muah  more  lofty  and  imposing.  It 
has  also  its  legend :  A  miraculous  sorpent,  say  the  Arabs,  has 
lived  for  centuries  in  its  eaverna,  and  poasesaes  the  power  of 
healing  diseaees.  All  these  mountains,  on  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  Nile,  are  pierced  with  tombs,  and  the  openings  are 
sometimes  so  frequent  and  so  near  to  each  other  as  to  resem- 
ble a  colonnade  along  the  rocty  crests.  They  rarely  contain 
inBcriptious,  and  many  of  them  were  inhabited  by  hermits  and 
holy  mcB,  during  the  early  ages  of  Christianity.  At  the  moat 
accessible  points  the  Egyptians  have  eommenced  limcstono 
quarries,  and  as  they  are  more  concerned  in  preserving  piastres 
than  tombs,  their  venerable  ancestora  are  dislodged  without 
scruple.  Whoever  ja  interested  in  Egyptian  antiquities, 
should  not  postpone  his  visit  longer.  Not  only  I'urks,  but 
Europeans  are  engaged  in  the  work  of  demolition,  and  the  very 
sntiqnarians  who  profess  the  greatest  enthusiasm  for  these 
monaments,  are  ruthless  Vandals  towards  them  when  they 
DSTC  the  power. 


100 


We  dashed  past  the  mountain  of  Shekli  Hereedee  in  gnl 

laiit  stjle,  and  the  Ba»e  night,  after  dusk,  reached  Ekhmiii, 
the  ancient  Panopolia.  Thifl  was  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in 
I'lgjjit,  and  dedicated  to  the  Phallic  worship,  whose  first  sym- 
hoi,  the  obelisk,  has  now  a  purely  monumental  Bignificaneo. 
A  few  remnants  of  this  singnlar  ancient  faith  appear  to  bo  re- 
tained among  the  modern  inhabitants  of  Ekhmiu,  hut  only  in 
the  grossest  superstitions,  and  without  reference  to  the  ab- 
stract creative  principle  typified  by  the  Phallic  emblems. 
The  early  Egyptians  surrounded  with  mystery  and  honored 
with  all  religious  solemnity  what  they  regarded  as  the  highest 
human  miracle  wrought  by  the  power  of  their  gods,  and  in  a 
philosophical  point  of  view,  there  is  no  branch  of  their  com- 
plex faith  more  interesting  than  this. 

As  we  sat  on  the  hank  in  the  moonlight,  quietly  smoking 
our  pipes,  the  howling  of  a.  company  of  dervishes  sounded  from 
tho  town,  whose  walls  are  a  few  hundred  paces  distant  from 
the  river.  We  inquired  of  the  guard  whether  a  Frank  dare 
visit  them.  He  could  not  tell,  but  offered  to  accompany  me 
and  try  to  procure  an  entrance.  I  took  Achmet  and  two  of 
our  sailors,  doBscd  a  Bedonin  capote,  and  set  out  in  search  of 
the  dervishes.  The  principal  gate  of  the  town  was  closed,  and 
my  men  battered  it  vainly  with  their  clubs,  to  rouse  tho  guanL 
We  wandered  for  some  time  among  the  mounds  of  Panopolia, 
stumbling  over  blocks  of  marble  and  granite,  under  palma 
eighty  feet  high,  standing  clear  and  silvery  in  the  moonlight. 
At  last,  the  clamor  of  the  wolfish  dogs  we  waked  up  on  the 
road,  brought  us  one  of  the  watchers  outside  of  tho  walla, 
whom  we  requested  to  admit  us  into  the  city.  He  replied 
that  this  could  not  be  done.     "  But,"  said  Achmet,  "  here  u  i 


I 


I 


A  KIOBT  ADTEHIUBS.  10} 

Bs  Efiendi  who  haa  juEt  arrived,  and  must  visit  the  mollahs 
to-night ;  admit  him  and  fear  nothing,"  The  men  thercnpon 
oondncted  ns  to  another  gate  and  throw  a  few  pebbles  against 
the  window  above  it.  A  woman's  voice  replied,  and  preaentlj 
the  bolta  were  undrawn  and  wo  entered.  By  this  time  the 
dervishes  had  ceased  their  bowlings,  and  every  thing  was  aj 
still  aa  death.  We  walked  for  half  an  hour  through  the  de- 
serted streets,  visited  the  mosques  and  public  buildings,  and 
heard  no  sound  but  our  own  steps.  It  was  a  strangely  inter- 
esting promenade.  The  Arabs,  armed  with  clubs,  carried  a 
paper  lantern,  which  flickered  redly  on  the  arches  and  courts 
we  passed  through.  My  trusty  Tboban  walked  by  my  side, 
and  took  all  possible  trouble  to  fi.nd  the  retreat  of  the  der- 
vishes— but  in  vain.  We  passed  oat  through  the  gate,  which 
was  instantly  lecked  behind  us,  and  had  barely  reached  our 
vessel,  when  the  unearthly  song  of  the  Moslem  priests,  loudei 
aad  wilder  than  ever,  came  to  our  cars. 

The  prejudice  of  the  Mohammccians  against  the  Christiant 
is  wearing  away  with  their  familiarity  with  the  Frank  dresa 
and  their  adoption  of  Franfcish  vicea.  The  Prophet's  injunc- 
tion against  wine  is  heeded  by  few  of  hia  followers,  or  avoided 
by  drinldng  arakee,  a  liquor  distiUed  from  dates  and  often  fla- 
vored with  hemp.  Their  eouseience  is  generaUy  satisfied  with 
a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  and  the  daily  performance  of  the  pro- 
Bcribed  prayers,  though  the  latter  is  often  neglected.  All  of 
my  sailors  were  very  punctual  in  tliia  respect,  spreading  theii 
carpets  on  the  forward  deck,  and  occupying  an  hour  or  two 
every  day  with  genuflesions,  prostrations,  and  salutations  to- 
ward Mecca,  the  direction  of  which  they  never  lost,  notwith 
itAnding  the  windings  of  the  Nile.     In  the  cathedrals  of  Chris 


JODBMinr  TO  OXNTIEAI.  AmiOA. 


tinn  Europe  I  have  often.  Been  pantomimes  quite  as  anneoet 
sary,  performed  with  less  apparent  reverence.  The  people  oi 
Egypt  are  fully  as  honest  and  well-disposed  as  the  greatet 
part  of  the  Italian  peasantry.  They  sometimes  deaeive  in 
Bniall  things,  and  are  inclined  to  take  trifling  advantages,  but 
that  is  the  natural  result  of  living  under  a  government  whoao 
only  rule  is  force,  and  which  does  not  even  hesitate  to  use 
fraud.  Their  good  humor  is  ineshaustibie.  A  single  friendly 
word  wins  them,  and  even  a  little  severity  awukes  no  lasting 
feeling  of  revenge.  I  should  much  rather  trust  myself  alone 
among  the  Egyptian  Fellahs,  than  among  the  peasants  of  the 
Campagna,  or  the  boors  of  Carinthia.  Notwithstanding  om 
men  had  daily  opportunities  of  plundering  us,  we  never  missed 
a  single  article.  We  frequently  wont  ashore  with  our  drago- 
man, leaving  every  thing  in  the  cabin  exposed,  and  especially 
such  articles  as  tobacco,  shot,  dates,  &c,,  which  would  moal  i 
tempt  an  Arab,  yet  our  confidence  was  never  betrayed, 
often  heard  complaints  from  travellers  in  other  boats,  but  I 
am  satisfied  that  any  one  who  will  enforce  obedience  at  t 
start,  and  thereafter  give  none  but  just  and  reasonable  com 
mands,  need  have  no  diffieulty  with  hia  crew. 

The  nest  morning,  the  wind  being  light,  wa  walked  foM 
ward  to  El  Menscliieh,  a  town  about  nine  miles  distant  ft'om.  1 
Bkhmin.     It  was  market-day,  and  the  bazaar  was  arowdeil  I 
with  the  countrymen,  who   had  brought  their  stock  of  grmn*  1 
augar-cano  and  vegetables.     The  men  were  taller  and  more 
muscular  than  in  Lower  Egypt,  and  were  evidently  descended 
from  a  more  intelligent  and  energetic  stock.     They  looked  at 
US  cnriously,  but  with  a  aort  of  friendly  interest,  and  oooia 
teously  made  way  for  us  as  we  passed  through  the  uarroir  b* 


SOYPTIAN    AORICULTUllB.  10& 

• 

saar.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  increased  to  a  small  galo,  and 
bore  us  rapidly  past  Gebel  Tookh  to  the  city  of  Girgeh,  s4 
named  in  Coptic  times  from  the  Christian  saint,  George. 
Like  Manfalout,  it  has  been  half  washed  away  by  the  Nile, 
and  two  lofty  minarets  were  hanging  on  the  brink  of  the  slip- 
pery bank,  awaiting  their  turn  to  fall.  About  twelve  miles 
from  Girgeh,  in  the  Libyan  Desert,  are  the  ruins  of  Abydus, 
now  covered  by  the  sand,  except  the  top  of  the  portico  and 
roof  of  the  temple-palace  of  Sesostris,  and  part  of  the  temple 
of  Osiris.  We  held  a  council  whether  we  should  waste  the 
favorable  wind  or  miss  Abydus,  and  the  testimony  of  Achmet, 
who  had  visited  the  ruins,  having  been  taken,  we  chose  the 
latter  alternative.  By  this  time  Girgeh  was  nearly  out  of 
sight,  and  we  comforted  ourselves  with  the  hope  of  soon  see- 
ing Dendera. 

The  pilgrims  to  Mecca,  by  the  Kenneh  and  Kosseir  route, 
were  on  their  return,  and  we  met  a  number  of  boats,  crowded 
with  them,  on  their  way  to  Cairo  from  the  former  place. 
Most  of  the  boats  carried  the  red  flag,  with  the  star  and  cres- 
cent. On  the  morning  after  leaving  Girgeh,  we  took  a  long 
stroll  through  the  fields  of  Farshoot,  which  is,  after  Siout,  the 
richest  agricultural  district  of  Upper  Egypt.  An  excellent 
system  of  irrigation,  by  means  of  canals,  is  kept  up,  and  the 
result  shows  what  might  be  made  of  Egypt,  were  its  great  nat- 
ural  resources  rightly  employed.  The  Nile  offers  a  perpetual 
fountain  of  plenty  and  prosperity,  and  its  long  valley,  from 
Nubia  to  the  sea,  would  become,  in  other  hands,  the  garden  of 
the  world.  So  rich  and  pregnant  a  soil  I  have  never  seen 
Here,  side  by  side,  flourish  wheat,  maize,  cotton,  sugar-cane^ 
mdigo,  hemp,  rice,  dourra,  tobacco,  olives,  dates,  oranges,  and 


104  JOUBSKZ  TO   OXNTILU  AIWOA.  ■ 

bhe  TCgetablcE  aud  fruits  of  ueftrly  every  climate.     The  \rhe&^  ^ 
whiah,  in  NoTember,  we   found  young  and  green,  would  in 
MarcL  be  ripe  for  the  sickle,  and  the  people  were  catting  and 
threshing  fields  of  douna,  which  Ihcy  had  planted  towards  tha 
end  of  Bummer.     Except  where  Ihe  broad  meadows  arc  first  ra-'J 
claimed  from  the  rank,  tufted  grass  which  has  taken  posses'  ■ 
siou  of  them,  the  wheat  is  Bowed  upon  the  ground,  and  theo  ' 
ploughed  in  by  a  sort  of  crooked  wooden  beam,  shod  with  iron, 
and  drawn  by  two  camels  or  buffaloes,     I  saw  no  instance  in 
which  the  soil  was  manured.     The  yearly  deposit  made  by  the 
bountiful  river  seeras  to  be  sufficient.     The  natives,  it  is  true, 
possess   immense   numbers  of  pigeons,  and   every  village  is 
adorned  with  towers,  rising  above  the  mud  buta  like  the  py- 
lons of  temples,  and  inhabited  by  these  birds.     The  manure 
ootleeted  from  them  is  said  to  be  used,  but  probably  only  in 
the  culture  of  melons,  cucumbers,  and  other  like  vegetables  | 
with  which  the  gardens  are  stocked. 

The  fields  of  sugar-cane  about  Farshoot  were  the  richest  I 
saw  in  Egypt.  Near  the  village,  which  is  three  miles  from  the 
Nile,  there  is  a  steam  sugar-refinery,  established  by  Ibrabini 
Fasba,  who  seems  to  have  devoted  much  attention  to  the  cnl- 
ture  of  cone,  with  a  view  to  his  own  profit.  There  are  sever&l 
of  these  manufactories  along  the  Nile,  nud  the  most  of  them 
were  b  full  operation,  as  we  passed.  At  Kadamoon,  between 
ilinyeh  and  Slout,  there  is  a  large  manufactory,  where  the 
conimou  coarse  sugar  made  in  the  Fellah  villages  is  refined  and 
seut  to  Cairo.  We  made  use  of  this  sugar  in  our  household 
and  found  it  to  be  of  excellent  quality,  though  coarser  thiiD 
that  of  the  American  manufactories.  The  culture  of  aottoa 
Vaa  not  been  so  successfuL     The  large  and  handsome  mannlao 


I 


Ll 


VBOETABLSS   AND   GRAIN.  IOC 

toty  built  at  Kennehi  is  no  longer  in  operation,  and  the  fieldi 
which  we  saw  there,  had  a  forlorn,  neglected  appearance.  The 
plants  grow  loxnriantlj,  and  the  cotton  is  of  fine  quality  but 
the  pods  are  small  and  not  very  abundant.  About  Siout,  and 
in  Middle  and  Lower  Egypt,  we  saw  many  fields  of  indigo, 
which  is  said  to  thrive  well.  Peas,  beans  and  lentils  are  cul- 
tivated to  a  great  extent,  and  form  an  important  item  of  the 
food  of  the  inhabitants.  The  only  vegetables  we  could  procure 
for  our  kitchen,  were  onions,  radishes,  lettuce  and  spinage. 
The  Arabs  are  very  fond  of  the  tops  of  radishes,  and  eat  them 
with  as  much  relish  as  their  donkeys. 

One  of  the  principal  staples  of  Egypt  is  the  dourra  Qiolcus 
sorghum),  which  resembles  the  jzea  (maize)  in  many  respects. 
In  appearance,  it  is  very  like  broom-corn,  but  instead  of 
the  long,  loose  panicle  of  red  seeds,  is  topped  by  a  compact  cone 
of  grains,  smaller  than  those  of  maize,  but  resembling  them  in 
form  and  taste.  The  stalks  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high, 
and  the  heads  frequently  contain  as  much  substance  as  two  ears 
of  maize.  It  is  planted  in  close  rows,  and  when  ripe  is  cut  by 
the  hand  with  a  short  sickle,  after  which  the  heads  are  taken 
off  and  threshed  separately.  The  grain  is  fed  to  horses,  don- 
keys and  fowls,  and  in  Upper  Egypt  is  used  almost  universally 
for  bread.  It  is  of  course  very  imperfectly  ground,  and  unbolt- 
ed, and  the  bread  is  coarse  and  dark,  though  nourishing.  In 
the  Middle  and  Southern  States  of  America  this  grain  would 
thrive  well  and  might  be  introduced  with  advantage. 

The  plains  of  coarse,  wiry  grass  {halfeli),  which  in  manj 
points  on  the  Nile  show  plainly  the  neglect  of  the  inhabitants, 
who  by  a  year's  labor  might  convert  them  into  blooming  fields, 
are  devoted  to  the  pasturage  of  large  herds  of  sheep,  and  goats, 


JOCRNBT  TS   OSBTRAI.  ANUOA. 


and  §otoet!me8  droves  of  buffaloes.  The  slieop  ait  allb1&;k  <x 
dark-brown,  and  their  busLy  beada  reraiud  one  of  terriers. 
The  wool  is  rather  coarse,  and  when  roughly  spun  and  woven 
by  the  Arabs,  in  its  natural  color,  forma  the  mantle,  eomething 
like  a,  Spanish  poncho,  which  is  naually  the  Fellah''s  only  gar* 
ment.  The  mutton,  almost  the  only  meat  to  be  found,  is  gen- 
erally lean,  and  brings  a  high  price,  considering  the  abundance 
of  sheep.  The  flesh  of  buffaloes  ia  eaten  by  the  Arabs,  bnt  ii 
too  tough,  and  has  too  rank  a  flavor,  for  Christian  etomaehs. 
The  goats  are  beautiful  animals,  with  heads  as  slender  and 
delicate  ns  those  of  gaielUs.  They  have  short,  black  homa, 
curving  downward — long,  Bilky  ears,  and  a  peculiarly  mild  and 
friendly  eapreasion  of  countenance.  We  had  no  difficulty  m 
procuring  milk  in  the  villages,  and  aomotimes  fresh  butter, 
which  waa  more  agreeable  to  the  taste  than  the  sight.  The  mode 
of  churning  is  not  calculated  to  excite  one's  appetite.  The 
milk  is  tied  up  in  a  goat's  skin,  and  suspended  by  a  rope  to 
the  branch  of  a  tree.  One  of  the  Arab  housewivea  (who  are 
all  astonishingly  ugly  and  filthy)  then  stations  herself  on  ono 
side,  and  propel.-*  it  backward  and  forward  till  tho  process  is 
completed.  The  cheese  of  tlie  country  resembles  a  misture  of 
sand  and  slacked  lime,  and  has  an  abominable  flavor. 

Leaving  Farshoot,  wo  swept  rapidly  past  Haou,  the  ancient 
DiosjioHs  parva,  or  Little  Thebes,  of  which  nothing  is  left  but 
eomo  heaps  of  dirt,  sculptured  fragments,  and  the  tomb  of  n 
certain  Dionysiag,  son  of  a  certain  Ptolemy,  The  course  of 
the  mountains,  which  follow  the  Nile,  is  here  nearly  east  and 
west,  as  the  river  makes  a  long  curve  to  the  eastward  on  ap- 
proaching Keniieh.  The  valley  ia  inclosed  within  narrowtii 
bounds,  and  tho  Arabian  Mountains  on  the  north,  shooting  od 


4 


I 


KBNNEH.  10) 

into  bold  promontories  from  the  main  chain,  sometimes  rise 
firom  the  water's  edge  in  bluffs  many  hnndred  feet  in  height 
The  good  wind,  which  had  so  befriended  us  for  three  days,  fol- 
lowed us  all  night,  and  when  we  awoke  on  the  morning  of  J)» 
camber  4th,  our  vessel  lay  at  anchor  in  the  port  of  Kenneh, 
having  beaten  by  four  hours  the  boat  of  our  American  friend, 
which  was  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  swiftest  on  the  firer. 

Kenn^,  which  lies  about  a  mile  east  of  the  river,  is  cele- 
brated for  the  manufacture  of  porous  water-jars,  and  is  an  infe- 
rior mart  of  trade  with  Persia  and  India,  by  means  of  Kosseir, 
on  the  Ked  Sea,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  distant.  The 
town  is  large,  but  mean  in  aspect,  and  does  not  offer  a  siugle 
object  of  interest.  It  lies  in  the  centre  of  a  broad  plain.  We 
roda  through  the  bazaars,  which  were  tolerably  well  stocked 
and  crowded  with  hadjij  or  pilgrims  of  Mecca.  My  friend, 
who  wished  to  make  a  flag  of  the  Saxe-Coburg  colors,  for  his 
return  voyage,  tried  in  vain  to  procure  a  piece  of  green  cotton 
doth.  Every  other  color  was  to  be  had  but  greeu,  which,  as 
the  sacred  hue,  worn  only  by  the  descendants  of  Mohammed, 
was  nowhere  to  be  found.  He  was  finally  obliged  to  buy  a 
piece  of  white  stuff  and  have  it  specially  dyed.  It  came  back 
the  same  evening,  precisely  the  color  of  the  Shereef  of  Mecca's 
turban. 

On  the  western  bank  of  the  Nile,  opposite  Kenneh,  is  the 
site  of  the  city  of  Tentyra,  famed  for  its  temple  of  Athor. 
It  is  now  called  Bendera,  from  the  modem  Arab  villaga 
After  breakfast,  we  shipped  ourselves  and  our  donkeys  across 
the  Nile,  uid  rode  off  in  high  excitement,  to  make  our  first 
acquaintance  with  Egyptian  temples.  The  path  led  through  a 
palm  grove,  which  m  richness  and  beautv  rivalled  those  of  the 


i08  JOURHET  TO  OEMIRAl. 

Mexican  iierra  ealienU.  The  lofty  ahaftB  of  the  data  and  till 
vaulted  foliage  of  the  doum-palm,  blended  in  the  moat  pietu- 
rcsque  gronpage,  contrasted  with  the  lace-lilte  teslnre  of  tht 
(ioweriug  mimosa,  and  the  cloudy  boughs  of  a  kiud  of  gray  ey- 
]>res3.  TLe  tui'f  under  the  trees  was  soft  and  green,  and  between 
the  slim  trunks  \ce  looked  over  the  plain,  to  the  Libyan  Moun- 
tains— a  lolig  train  of  rosy  lights  and  violet  ahadowB,  Out  of 
this  lovely  wood  we  passed  between  raagni&ecnt  fields  of  dourn 
and  the  castor-oil  bean,  fifteen  feet  in  height,  to  a.  dyke  whidi 
crossed  the  meadows  to  Beodera.  The  leagues  of  rank  grass  on 
our  right  rolled  away  to  the  Desert  in  shining  billows,  and  the 
fresh  wesUwind  wrapped  us  in  a  bath  of  intosicnting  odora.  lo 
the  midst  of  this  green  and  peacefal  plain  rose  the  earthy 
mounds  of  Tentyra,  and  the  portico  of  the  temple,  almost  buried 
beneath  them,  stood  like  a  beacon,  marking  the  boundary  of  the 
Desert 

'U  e  giUoped  our  little  animals  along  tlio  dyke,  over  heaps 
of  dirt  and  broken  bricks,  among  which  a  number  of  Arabi 
were  burrowing  for  nitroua  earth,  and  dismounted  at  a  small 
pylon,  which  stands  two  jr  three  hundred  paces  in  front  of  the 
temple  The  huge  jxmbs  of  sandstone,  covered  with  sharply 
out  hierogljphiLS  and  figures  of  the  Egyptian  gods,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  smgle  block  bearing  the  mysterious  winged  globe 
and  serpent,  detained  us  but  a  moment,  and  we  hurried  down 
what  was  once  the  dromoa  of  the  temple,  now  represented  by  a 
doublewallofunbumt  bricks.  The  portico,  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  in  length,  and  supported  by  six  columns,  united  by  sereeni 
of  masonry,  no  stone  of  which,  or  of  the  columns  themselves,  ii 
uusculptuTcd,  is  massive  and  imposing,  but  struck  mo  as  being 
too  depressed  to  produce  a  very  grand  effeot.     What  was  my 


I 


Lk 


THE    THMPLE    OF   I 


DfitoniBhnioDt,  on  arriving  at  the  eatrancc,  to  find  that  1  Lad 
approached  tlio  temple  on  a  lerel  with  half  its  height,  and  that 
the  pavement  of  the  portico  was  aa  far  below  as  the  scrollfl  of 
its  eoniicc  were  above  me.  The  sis  colurnDs  I  Lad  seen  cover- 
od  three  other  rows,  of  nis  each,  all  adorned  with  the  most 
einborate  sculpture  and  eshibitiog  traces  of  the  brilliant  color- 
ing which  they  once  possessed.  The  entire  temple,  which  is  in 
an  exeellent  state  of  preservation,  except  nhere  the  hand  of  tha 
Coptic  Christian  has  defaced  its  sculptures,  was  cleaned  out  by 
order  of  Mohammed  All,  and  as  all  its  chambers,  aa  well  as 
the  roof  of  enormous  sand-stone  blocks,  pre  entire,  it  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  most  complete  relics  of  Egyptian  art, 

I  find  my  pen  at  fault,  when  I  attempt  to  describe  the  im- 
pression produced  by  the  splendid  portico.  The  twenty-four 
columns,  each  of  which  is  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  eight  feet  in 
diameter,  crowded  upon  a  surface  of  one  hundred  feet  by 
seventy,  are  oppressive  in  their  graodcur.  The  dim  light, 
admitted  through  the  half  closed  front,  which  faces  the  north, 
Bpreads  a  mysterious  gi0i,m  around  these  mighty  shafts,  crown- 
ed with  the  fourfold  visage  of  Athor,  still  rebuhiog  the  im- 
pious hands  that  have  marred  her  solemn  beauty.  On  the 
walls,  between  columns  of  hicrt^lypLics,  and  the  cartouclies  of 
the  Caesars  and  the  Ftolemies,  appear  the  principal  Kgyptiaii 
deities — the  rigid  Osiris,  the  stately  Isis  and  the  hawk-headed 
Orus.  Around  the  bases  of  the  columns  spring  the  leaves  of 
the  sacred  lotus,  and  the  dark-blue  ceiling  is  spangled  with 
stars,  between  tho  wings  of  the  divin-e  emblem.  Tbo  sculptures 
are  all  in  raised  relief,  and  there  is  no  atone  in  the  temple 
without  them,  I  cannot  explain  to  myself  tho  unusual  cmotioD 
T  felt  while  contemplating  this  wonderful  combination  of  s 


112  JOURNEY   TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

Thebes.  In  the  evening,  as  we  were  sweeping  along  by  mocm 
light,  with  a  fall  wind,  a  largo  dahahvyelh  came  floating  down 
the  stream.  Achmet,  who  was  on  the  look-out,  saw  the  Amer- 
ican flag,  and  we  hailed  her.  My  delight  was  unbounded,  to 
hear  in  reply  the  voice  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Degen,  of  New  York, 
who,  with  his  lady  and  two  American  and  English  gentlemen, 
were  returning  from  a  voyage  to  Assouan.  Both  boats  in* 
gtantly  made  for  the  shore,  and  for  the  first  time  since  leaving 
Germany  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  familiar  faces.  For  the 
space  of  three  hours  1  forgot  Thebes  and  the  north  wind,  bat 
towards  midnight  wc  exchanged  a  parting  salute  of  four  gang 
and  shook  out  the  broad  sails  of  the  Cleopatra,  who  leaned  her 
cheek  to  the  waves  and  shot  ofl*  Jke  a  sea-gull.  I  am  sure  she 
must  have  looked  beautiful  tc  my  friends,  as  they  stood  od 
deck  in  the  moonlight. 


AXBIVAL   AT   TBEBBS.  113 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THEBES THE   WESTERN   BAHK. 

Arrival  »;  Thebes— Ground-Plan  of  Uie  Remains— We  Cross  to  the  Western  Bank--* 
Gaides— The  Temple  of  Goorneh— Valley  of  the  Kings' Tombs— Belzonrs  Tomb— 
The  Races  of  Men — Vandalism  of  Antiqnarians— Bmce's  Tomb— Memnon — ^Tbi 
Grandratber  of  Sesostris— The  Head  of  Amunoph— The  Colossi  of  the  Plain— 
Memnonian  Masle — The  Statue  of  Remescs — The  Mcmnonlum — Beauty  of  Egyp- 
tian Art — More  Scrambles  among  the  Tombs— The  Bats  of  the  Assassecf— Medee* 
net  Abon— Sculptured  nistories— The  Great  Court  of  the  Temple — We  return  U 
Luxor. 

On  the  followiDg  evening,  about  nine  o'clock,  as  my  friend  and 
I  were  taking  our  customary  evening  pipe  in  the  cabin,  our 
vessel  suddenly  stopped.  The  wind  was  still  blowing,  and  I 
called  to  Achmet  to  know  what  was  the  matter.  "  We  have 
reached  Luxor,"  answered  the  Theban.  We  dropped  the  she- 
books,  dashed  out,  up  the  bank,  and  saw,  facing  us  in  the 
brilliant  moonlight,  the  grand  colonnade  of  the  temple,  the 
Fiolid  wedges  of  the  pylon,  and  the  brother-obelisk  of  that 
which  stands  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  in  Paris.  The 
wide  plain  of  Thebes  stretched  away  on  either  hand,  and  the 
beautiful  outlines  of  the  three  mountain  ranges  which  inclos€ 
it,  rose  in  the  distance  against  the  stars.  We  looked  on  the 
landscape  a  few  moments,  in  silence.  "  Come,"  said  my  friend, 
at  length, ''  this  is  enough  for  to-night.     Let  us  not  be  too 


Hi 


M  cntrntAL  i 


hasty  to  exbaust  what  h  in  stove 

out  caliin,  cloaed  the  blinds,  and  . 

Seeing,  and  beat  enjojing  tho  wonc 

Before  commencing  my  recital, 


ar  UB."     So  we  relarned  la  i 
rranged  our  plans  for  bwt.J 
ira  of  the  ^eat  Diospolis. 
[et  me  attempt  to  give  an 


outline  of  the  typography  of  Thebes.  The  course  of  the  Kile 
is  heia  nearly  north,  dividing  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  into 
two  almost  equal  parts.  On  approaching  it  from  Kcnneh,  the 
mounlaiu  of  Gooiueh,  which  abuts  on  the  river,  marks  the! 
commencement  of  the  western  division.  This  mountain, 
range  of  naked  limestone  crHg«,  terminating  in  a  pyramidal 
peak,  gradually  recedes  to  tlie  distance  of  three  miles  frooi  tha 
Nile,  which  it  again  approaches  farther  south.  Nearly  thi 
whole  of  the  curve,  wliich  might  be  called  the  western  wall  at 
the  city,  is  pierced  with  tombs,  among  which  are  those  of  tlw 
queens,  and  tho  grand  priestly  vaults  of  the  Assasseef.  I'hs 
Valley  of  the  Kings'  Tombs  lies  deep  in  the  heart  of  the 
range  seven  or  eight  miles  from  tho  river.  Afler  passing  the 
corner  of  the  mountain,  tbe  first  rniii  on  the  western  bank  ia 
that  of  the  temple-paUce  of  Goorueh.  More  than 
ther,  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  is  the  Memnonium,  or  tem- 
ple of  KemescB  tbe  Great,  between  which  and  the  Nile  tho  two- 
Memnonian  colossi  are  seated  on  the  plain.  Nearly  two  miid 
to  the  south  of  this  is  the  ^eat  temple  of  Medoenet  Abou,  ani 
the  fragments  of  other  edifices  are  met  with,  still  further  bo> 
yond.  On  the  eastern  bant,  nearly  opposite  Gooroch, 
the  temple  of  Karnak,  itbout  half  a  mile  from  the 
Eight  miles  easLwiirtl,  at  the  foot  of  the  Arabian  Mountain!^  it 
tbe  small  temple  of  Medannot,  which,  howevtr,  does  not  appear 
JO  have  been  included  in  tho  limits  of  Thebes.  Luxor  is  dt 
cectly  ou  the  bank  oi  the  Nile,  a  niilo  and  a  halt'  soulh  a 


I 

il 

I 


^rnak,  and  the  plain  extends  Eeveral  miles  Itejond  it,  before 
reaching  the  isolated  range,  whose  three  conical  peaks  ore  the 
landmarks  of  Thebes  to  vojagers  on  the  river. 

These  distances  convey  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  ancient 
city,  bat  fail  to  represent  the  grand  proportions  of  the  land- 
scape, so  well  fitted,  in  its  simple  and  majestic  outlines,  to  in- 
close the  most  wonderful  struclures  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
The  green  expanse  of  the  plain ;  the  airy  coloring  of  the  moun- 
tains ;  the  mild,  solemn  blue  of  the  cloudless  Egyptian  sky ; — 
iheso  arc  a  part  of  TLebes,  and  iuseparablo  from  the  remem- 

At  sunrise  we  crossed  to  the  western  bank  and  moored  otu 
boat  opposite  Qoorneb.  It  is  aclvisB.hle  to  commence  with  tho 
Tombs,  and  close  the  inspection  of  that  side  with  Alcdeenet 
Abou,  reserving  Karnak,  the  grandest  of  all,  for  the  last 
The  most  nnimportant  objects  in  Thebes  are  full  of  interest 
when  seen  first,  whereas  Karnak,  once  seen,  fills  one's  thoughts 
to  the  exclusion  of  every  thing  else.  There  are  Arab  guides 
for  each  bank,  who  are  ^uite  familiar  with  nil  the  principal 
points,  and  who  have  a  quiet  and  unobtrusive  way  of  directing 
the  traveller,  which  I  should  be  glad  to  see  introduced  into 
England  and  Italy.  Our  guide,  old  Achmet  Gourgor,  was  a 
tall,  lean  gray-beard,  who  wore  a,  white  turban  and  long  brown 
robe,  and  was  most  conscientious  in  his  endeavors  to  satisfy  us. 
We  found  several  horses  on  the  bank,  ready  saddled,  and 
choosing  two  of  the  moat  promisiog,  set  ofi'  on  a  stirring  gal- 
lop for  the  temple  of  Goorneh  and  the  Valley  of  the  Kings^ 
Tombs,  leaving  Achmet  to  follow  with  our  brcnkfast,  and  the 
Arab  boys  with  their  water  bottles. 

The  temple  of  Goorneh  was  built  for  the  worship  of  Aiiiuu, 


JOURNEI    TO   OENTRAL   AlrRIC& 

the  Thobaii  Jnpiter,  b;  Osirci  and  his  son,  Rcmcscs  the  Gmtn 
the  supposed  Scsostria,  nearly  fourteen  hundred  years  beforo 
the  Christian  era.  It  is  Email,  compared  with  the  other  ruins, 
but  iutereating  from  its  rude  and  massive  style,  a  remnant  of 
the  early  period  of  Egyptian  architecture.  The  two  pylons  id 
front  of  it  are  shattered  down,  and  the  dromos  of  spliinses  has 
entirely  disappeared.  The  portico  is  Bupporled  by  »  single 
row  of  ten  columns,  which  neither  resemble  each  other,  nor 
are  separated  by  equal  spaces.  What  is  most  singular,  is  the 
fact  that  notwithstanding  thia  disproportion,  which  is  also  ob- 
servable ia  the  doorways,  the  general  effect  is  harmonioua. 
Wc  tried  to  fathom  the  Siecret  of  this,  and  found  no  other  ei> 
planation  than  in  tho  lowucsa  of  the  building,  and  the  rougbi-J 
granite  blocks  of  which  it  is  built.  One  seeks  no  proportiofffl 
iu  a  natural  temple  of  rock,  or  a  cirque  of  Dniid  Btones. 
that  the  eye  requires  is  rude  strength,  with  a  certain  approa^ 
to  order.  The  effect  produced  by  thia  temple  is  of  s 
character,  barring  itB  historicu!  interest.  Its  dimensions  ara 
too  smnll  to  be  iuiposiug,  and  I  found,  after  passing  it  ecTCral 
times,  that  I  valued  it  more  as  a  feature  in  the  landscape, 
than  for  its  own  sake. 

The  sand  and  pebbles  clattered  under  the  hoofe  of  a 
horses,  as  we  galloped  up  the  gorge  of  Jliban  el  Molook,  ti 
"  Qates  of  the  Kings."  The  sides  are  perpendicular  cliffs  tt 
yellow  rock,  which  increased  in  height,  the  further  we  advam 
td,  and  at  last  terminated  in  a  sort  of  basin,  shut  in  by  prec 
pices  several  hundred  feet  in  height  and  broken  into  fantastii 
turrets,  gables  and  pionaclcs.  The  bottom  ia  filled  with  huj 
heaps  of  sand  and  broken  stones,  left  from  the  ox 
of  the  tombs  iu  the  solid  rock.    There  are  twenty-one  t«mtefl 


^ 


BELZONl's   TOMB.  117 

in  this  valley,  more  than  half  of  which  are  of  great  extent  and 
richly  adorned  with  paintings  and  sculptures.  Some  have 
been  filled  with  sand  or  otherwise  injured  by  the  occasional 
rains  which  visit  this  region,  while  a  few  are  too  small  and 
plain  to  need  visiting.  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  has  numbered 
them  all  in  red  chalk  at  the  entrances,  which  is  very  convenient 
to  those  who  use  his  work  on  Egypt  as  a  guide.  I  visited  ten 
of  the  principal  tombs,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  old  guide, 
who  complained  that  travellers  are  frequently  satisfied  with 
four  or  five.  The  general  arrangement  is  the  same  in  all,  but 
they  differ  greatly  in  extent  and  in  the  character  of  their  deco- 
ration. . 

The  first  we  entered  was  the  celebrated  tomb  of  Kemeses 
1,,  discovered  by  Belzoni.  From  the  narrow  entrance,  a  pre- 
cipitous staircase,  the  walls  of  which  are  covered  with  columns 
of  hieroglyphics,  descends  to  a  depth  of  forty  feet,  where  it 
strikes  a  horizontal  passage  leading  to  an  oblong  chamber,  in 
which  was  formerly  a  deep  pit,  which  Belzoni  filled.  This  pit 
protected  the  entrance  to  the  royal  chamber,  which  was  also 
carefully  walled  up.  In  the  grace  and  freedom  of  the  draw- 
ings, and  the  richness  of  their  coloring,  this  tomb  surpasses 
all  others.  The  subjects  represented  are  the  victories  of  the 
monarch,  while  in  the  sepulchral  chamber  he  is  received  into 
the  presence  of  the  gods.  The  limestone  rock  is  covered  with 
a  fine  coating  of  plaster,  on  which  the  figures  were  first  drawn 
with  red  chalk,  and  afterwards  carefully  finished  in  colors 
The  reds,  yellows,  greens  and  blues  are  very  brilliant,  but 
«eem  to  have  been  employed  at  random,  the  gods  having  faces 
sometimes  of  one  color,  sometimes  of  another.  In  the  furthest 
chamber,  which  was  left  unfinished,  the  subjects  are  only 


118 


Bketched  in  rc<l  chalk.     Some  of  tliem  bave  the  looe 
certain  lines  of  b.  pupil's  liand,  over  which  one  Bees  the  hold 
and  rapid  coireotions  of  the  master.     Many  of  tho  figures  ara 
remarkable  for  thoir  etrcngth  and  freedom  of  outline.     I  waa.  _ 
greatly  interested  in  a  procession  of  men,  representing  the  dilH 
ferent  nations  of  the  earth.     The  physical  peculiarities  of  Mfl 
Persian,  the  Jew  and  the  Ethiopian  are  therein  as  distinctlj' 
marked  as  at  the  present  day.     The  blacks  are  perfect  coqd- 
terparts  of  those  I  saw  daily  upon  the  Nile,  and  the  noses  of 
the  Jews  seem  newly  painted  from  originals  in  New  York. 
So  little  diversity  in  the  distingnishing  features  of  the  race, 
after  the  lapse  of  more  than  three  thousand  years,  ia  a-  Btroog 
argument  in  favor  of  the  new  ethnological  theory  of  the  sepaj 
rate  origin  of  different  races.     Whatever  ohjoctions  may  b^| 
urged  against  this  theory,  the  fact  that  the  races  have  not  m*- 
tcrially  changed  since  the  earliest  historic  times,  is  established 
by  these  Egyptian  records,  and  we  roQ6t  either  place  the  first 
appearance  of  Man  upon  the  earth  miny  thousands  of  yeara  iv 
advance  of  Bishop  Usher's  chronology,  or  adopt  the  conclus 
of  Morton  and  Agassiz. 

The  burial-vault,  where  Bclzoni  found  tho  alabaster  Bare 
phagus  of  the  monarch,  is  a  noble  hall,  thirty  feet  long  by  near!] 
twenty  in  breadth  and  height,  with  four  massive  pillar 
ing  a.  corridor  on  ono  side.  In  addition  to  the  light  of  o 
torches,  the  Arabs  kindled  a  large  bonfire  in  the  centre,  whi 
brought  out  in  strong  relief  the  sepulchral  figures  on  the  ueiling, 
painted  in  white  on  a  ground  of  dark  indigo  hue.  The  pillan 
and  walls  of  the  vault  glowed  with  the  vivid  variety  of  thei* 
colors,  and  the  general  effect  was  unspeakably  rich  and  gor>  J 
goons.     This  tomb  has  already  fallen  a  prey  to  worse  pltu>clraeis.v 


bruce'b  lOMB.  ne 

Ihan  the  Medea  and  I'ersiiina.  Bulzoiii  carriiid  off  llie  sarco- 
phagne,  CiiampoIlioD  eut  awaj  tbe  splendid  jamba  aod  arcLitrave 
of  the  eatrance  to  the  lower  chambers,  and  Lcpsius  liaa  fiiiislied 
by  splitting  the  pillars  and  appropria.tiDg  their  heautiftil  paiD^ 
iDgs  for  tho  Museum  at  Bcrlio.  At  one  spot,  inhere  the  latter 
hu  totally  miDcd  a  fiuc  doorway,  some  iudiguant  Frcnchmai: 
hu  written  in  red  chalk ;  "  Meurtre  commispaT  Lepsius."  In 
alt  the  tomba  of  Thebes,  wherever  you  see  the  moat  flagrant 
and  shameless  spoliations,  the  guide  Bays,  "  Lepsiua."  Wlic 
can  blame  the  Arabs  for  wantonly  defacmg  these  prefloua 
monaments,  when  such  an  example  is  set  them  by  the  Tanity 
of  European  antiquarians  ? 

Bruce's  Tomb,  which  extends  for  four  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  into  the  rock,  is  larger  thau  BoLzodI's,  but  not  so  fresh  and 
brilliant.  The  main  entrance  slopes  with  a  very  gradual  de- 
scent, and  liaa  on  each  side  a  number  of  small  chambers  and 
iiichea,  apparently  for  mummies.  Tbe  illustrations  in  these 
chambcra  are  somewhat  defaced,  but  very  curious,  on  account 
of  the  light  which  they  throw  upon  the  domestic  life  of  the 
Ancient  Egyptians.  They  represent  the  slaughtering  of  oxen, 
the  preparation  of  fowla  for  the  table,  the  kneading  and  baking 
of  bread  and  cakes,  as  well  as  the  implements  and  utensils  of 
the  kitchen.  In  other  places  the  field  laborers  arc  employed 
in  leading  the  water  of  the  Nile  into  canals,  cutting  dourra, 
threshing  and  carrying  the  grain  into  magazines.  One  room 
is  filled  with  fnmiture,  and  the  row  of  chairs  around  the 
base  of  the  walla  would  not  be  out  of  place  in  the  most  elegant 
modem  drawing-room.  The  Illustrated  Catalogue  of  the  Lon- 
don Exhibition  contains  few  richer  and  wore  graceful  palterns. 
In  a  chamber  nearer  the  royal  vaultj  two  old,  blind  tniostiels 


jouKNET  TO  oxsmii.  antiPA. 


sro  seen,  rlay'^g  fis  liarp  in  the  presence  of  the  King,  when 
thia  is  Bometinies  called  the  Harper's  Tomb.  The  pillars  d 
the  grand  hall,  like  those  of  all  the  other  tombs  w 
represent  the  monarch,  after  death,  received  into  the  presena"" 
of  the  gods — stately  figures,  with  a  culm  and  serious  aspect, 
and  lips,  irbich,  like  those  of  the  Sphinx,  seemed  closed  upon 
Bonic  awful  mystery.  The  absurdity  of  the  coloring  docs  not 
d         yl       ff  dblfdis,  whose  hard,  black  eye- 

b  1!  m     b   11    n      h  kct,  is  not  less  impressive 

h       h       m    Cgu  ea  d  or  granite. 

Th    d  1       y      d  p  f  h    hieroglyphics,  sculptured 

I      fill  d  h  bm         In  the  tombof  Amunoph 

III    wb    h  I         ed    I  d  y     hey  reaomhied  the  ciphers 

gr      d    p  1         h  q  sbarpcoss  and  regularity. 

0  1      h    p        p  1      mh      h  are  thus  beautified.     lu 

h         h     fig  h         mply  painted,  or   apparently 

nk  h    pi  hi  y  t  fresh,  by  prepared  pat- 

Th    1  Id  r  the  esact  resemblance 

f  1        p  f  fi  wh   h  vould  otherwise  require  a 

m  rv  11         li  U         h    p  f  the  artist.     In  some  un- 

finished chambers  I  detected  plainly  the  traces  of  these  pat- 
terns, where  the  oatlinee  of  the  figures  were  blunt  and  the  grain 
of  the  plaster  bent,  and  not  cut.  The  family  likeness  lu  the 
faces  of  the  monarchs  is  also  too  striking,  unfortunatelj-,  for  us 
to  accept  them  all  as  faithful  portraits.  They  are  all  apparent- 
ly of  the  same  age,  and  their  attributes  do  not  materially  difler 
This  was  probably  a  flattery  on  the  part  of  the  artists,  or  the 
effect  of  3  royal  Tauity,  which  required  to  be  portrayed  in  the 
freahncsa  of  youth  and  the  full  vigor  of  body  and  mind.  Illft^ 
first  faces  I  learned  to  recognize  were  those  of  Itcmesca  X 
the  siippOEeJ  Sesostris,  and  Amunoph  III 


fho  tomb  of  Memnoa,  as  it  was  called  by  the  Romans,  ia 
the  most  elegant  of  all,  in  its  proportions,  aad  lb  as  symmetri* 
cal  as  a  Qreciaa  temple.  On  the  vails  of  the  entrance  aM 
several  inHcriptiona  of  Greek  toiiriste,  wlio  visited  it  in  iho  era 
of  tbe  Ptolemies,  aod  epont  their  time  in  carving  their  nanies. 
like  Americana  nowadaja.  The  huge  granite  Barcophagija  in 
whiob  the  monarch's  mummy  was  deposited,  ia  broken,  ad  are 
those  of  the  other  tombs,  with  a  single  esception.  This  is  the 
tomb  of  Osirei  L,  the  grandfather  of  Seaoatria,  and  the  oldest 
in  the  valley.  I  visited  it  by  crawlLng  through  a  hole  barely 
large  enough  to  admit  my  body,  after  which  I  slid  on  my  back 
down  a  passage  nearly  choked  with  sand,  to  another  bole 
opening  into  the  burial  ehambcr.  Sere  no  impious  hand  had 
defaced  the  walls,  but  the  figures  were  as  perfect  and  tbe  color- 
ing as  brilliant  as  when  first  esecuted.  In  tbe  centre  stood 
an  immense  sarcophagns,  of  a  single  block  of  red  granite,  and 
tho  masaiTe  lid,  which  had  been  thrown  off,  lay  beside  it.  The 
dust  in  the  bottom  gave  out  that  peculiar  mummy  odor  percep- 
tible in  all  tbo  tambs,  and  in  fact  Ion?  after  one  has  left  them, 
for  the  clothes  become  saturated  witti  it.  The  guide,  delighted 
with  having  dragged  me  into  that  chamber,  buried  deep  in  the 
dumb  heart  of  the  mountain,  said  not  a  word,  and  from  tbe 
awful  stillness  of  tbe  place  and  the  phantasmagoric  gleam  of 
the  wonderful  figures  on  the  walls,  I  could  have  imagined  my. 
elf  a  neophyte,  on  the  threshold  of  the  Osirian  mysteries. 

We  rode  to  the  Western  Valley,  a  still  deeper  and  wider 
glen,  containing  tombs  of  tho  kings  of  the  foreign  dynasty  of 
Atin-He.  We  entered  the  two  principal  ones,  but  found  the 
paintings  rude  and  insignificant.  There  are  many  lateral  pas- 
sages and  chambers  and  in  some  places  deep  pita,  along  the 


jouRKBT'TO  canoAV 


edge  of  wLioli  we  were  oliliged  to  craw™  In  the  last  toinbt 
very  long  and  ateep  staircase  descenda  Into  the  rock.  Ab  w( 
were  groping  after  tlio  guide,  I  called  to  my  friend  to  'akocsre. 
as  there  was  but  a  single  step,  after  making  a  slip.  The  wordi 
were  Gcarcely  out  of  my  mouth  before  I  felt  a  tremendans. 
thamp,  followed  by  a  number  of  smaller  ones,  and  found  mysdf ' 
Bitting  in  a  heap  of  sand,  at  the  bottom,  some  twenty  or  thir^ 
feet  bolow.  Fortunately,  I  came  off  with  but  a  few  eligltl 
bruises. 

Eetorning  to  the  temple  of  Goorneli,  we  took  a  path  on 
the  plain,  through  fields  of  wlieat,  lupius  aud  lentils,  to  the  ti 
colossi,  which  we  had  already  seen  from  a  distance.'  The 
inimenso  sitting  figures,  fifty-three  feet  above  the  pla,ia,  whi^ 
has  buried  their  pedestals,  overlook  the  site  of  vaniahejl 
Thebes  and  assert  the  grandeur  of  which  they  and  Kamak  ani 
the  moat  striking  remaios.  They  were  erected  by  Amunoph' 
III.,  and  though  the  faces  are  totally  disfigui'cd,  the  full,  round, 
beautiful  proportions  of  the  colossal  arms,  shoulders  and  thigla 
do  not  belie  the  marvellous  sweetness  of  the  features  which  n 
still  see  in  bis  tomb.  Except  the  head  of  Antinous,  I  li 
of  no  ancient  portrait  so  beautifnl  as  Amunoph,  The  long  aB^ 
luxuriant  hair,  flowing  in  a  hundred  ringlets,  the  soft  grace  o 
the  forehead,  the  mild  serenity  of  the  eye,  the  fine  thin  lini 
of  the  nostrils  and  the  feminine  tenderness  of  the  full  lipfl 
triumph  over  the  cramped  rigidity  of  Egyptian  sculpture,  o 
charm  you  witJi  the  lightness  and  harmony  of  Greek  art. 
looking  on  that  head,  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the  subje^ 
overpowered  the  artist,  and  led  him  to  the  threshold  of  a  trv 
art.  Amuuoph,  or  Mcninon,  was  a,  poet  in  soul,  and  it  ii 
meet  th^it  his  statue  should  salute  the  rising  sun  with  a  sataA 
like  that  of  a  hirp-strmg. 


THB    MUSIC    OP    MWMVOV.  143 

llodern  rcaeux;}]  has  wholly  annihilated  this  beautiful  fable. 
HeiBBDn  now  sonnda  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  and  at  tho  com 
mand  of  all  traTellers  who  pay  an  Arab  five  piastres  to  climb 
into  Lifl  lap.  We  engaged  a  vender  of  modern  scarabei,  wto 
threw  ofi  hia  garments,  hooked  his  fingers  and  toos  into  the 
cracks  of  the  polished  granite,  and  soon  hailed  us  with  "Sa- 
laam !  "  from  tho  knee  of  tho  Qtatue.  Thero  is  a.  certain  stone 
on  Meranon's  lap,  which,  when  sharply  struck,  gives  out  a  cleaT 
nictallic  ring.  Behind  it  is  a  small  square  aperture,  invisible 
from  below,  where  one  of  the  priests  no  doubt  stationed  hiin- 
self  to  perform  tlie  daily  miracle.  Our  Arab  rapped  on  the 
arms  and  body  of  the  statue,  whicb  had  tho  usual  dead  sound 
of  atone,  and  rendered  the  musical  ring  of  the  sun-smitten 
block  more  striking.  An  avenue  of  sphinxes  once  led  from  the 
colossi  to  a  grand  temple,  the  foundatious  of  which  we  found 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  On  the  way  arc  the  frag- 
ments of  two  other  colossi,  one  of  black  granite.  Tho  enor- 
moQB  substructions  of  the  temple  BJid  the  pedestals  of  its  col- 
umns have  been  sufBcicntly  excavated  to  show  what  a  superb 
edifice  has  been  lost  to  the  world.  A  crowd  of  troublesome 
Arabs,  thrusting  upon  our  attention  newly  bakeu  cinerary  urns, 
newly  roasted  antique  wheat,  and  images  of  all  kinds  fresh 
from  the  maker's  baud,  disturbed  our  quiet  examination  of  the 
ruins,  and  in  order  to  escape  their  importunities,  wo  rode  tii 
Iho  Memnouium. 

This  edifioe,  the  temple-palace  of  Remeses  the  Great,  is 
Buppused  to  be  the  Mcmuouium,  described  by  Strabo.  It  is 
built  on  a  gentle  rise  of  land  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and 
looks  eastward  to  the  Nile  and  Luior,  The  grand  stono  py- 
lon which  stands  at  the   entranoe  of  its  former  avenue  of 


124  JOUKBET  TO 

Bpliinxea  baa  been  half  levelled  by  tbe  fury  of  tbe  Persian  oon- 
querorH;  and  the  colossal  granite  statue  of  Remesea,  in  the  firsl 
court  of  the  temple,  now  lies  ia  enormous  fragments  i 
podeslaL  Mere  dimensions  give  no  idea  of  tbis 
mass,  the  weight  of  which,  when  entire,  waa  nearly  nine  hun- 
dred tons.  How  poor  and  trifling  appear  the  modern  Btatuei' 
wbicb  we  call  oolossa),  when  measured  with  this,  one  of  whole 
toea  is  a  yard  in  length-  and  how  futile  tbe  appliances  of 
modem  art,  when  directed  to  its  transportation  for  a  distanea 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  I  The  architrave  at  eadi  end 
of  tbe  court  was  upheld  by  four  caryatidoe,  thirty  feet  id  height 
Tliough  much  defaced,  they  are  still  standing,  but  are  dwarfed 
by  the  mighty  limbs  of  Remeses.  It  is  difGcult  to  account  for 
the  means  by  wbicb  the  coloaaus  was  broken.  There  are  na 
marks  of  any  inatrumenta  which  oould  have  forced  such  a 
asunder,  and  the  only  plausible  conjecture  I  have  heard  is, 
that  the  stone  must  have  been  subjected  to  an  intense  beat  and 
afterwards  to  tbe  action  of  water.  The  statue,  in  its  sittbg 
position,  must  have  been  nearly  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  is  the 
largest  in  the  world,  though  not  ho  high  as  the  rock-hewn 
monolitha  of  Aboo-Simbel.  The  Tnrka  and  Arabs  have  out 
seyeral  mill-atones  out  of  ita  head,  without  any  apparent  dim!'- 
nution  of  ita  size. 

The  MemnoDiwn  differs  from  tbe  other  t«mples  of  Egypt 
in  being  alnioat  faultlesa  in  its  symmetry,  even  when  measured 
by  tbe  strictest  rulea  of  art.  I  know  of  Dotliing  bo  exquisite 
as  tbe  central  colonnade  of  its  grand  hall — a  double  row  of 
pillars  forty-five  feet  in  beigbt  and  twenty-three  in  oiroum- 
ference,  crowned  with  capitals  resembling  tbe  bcll-sbaped 
eoms  of  the  lotus.     One  must  see  them  to  comprehend 


1 
1 
I 


aped  ble»  ^| 
bend  hot  ^M 


I  MBUNONIUK. 


12S 


this  Bimple  form,  wlijae  expression  is  all  sveetoess  and  tcuder- 
ueBS  in  tho  flower,  softens  and  beautifies  tbc  solid  majesty  of 
tie  shaft.  In  spite  of  their  colossal  proportions,  there  U 
nothing  raossive  or  heavy  in  their  aspect  The  cup  of  the 
capital  currea  gently  outward  from  the  aliacua  on  which  the 
architrave  resta,  and  seems  the  natural  bloBsom  of  the  oo 
lumnar  stem,  Oo  either  side  of  this  perfect  colonnade  are  four 
rows  of  Osirida  pillars,  of  amaller  siae,  yet  the  variety  of  their 
form  and  proportious  only  enhances  the  harmony  of  the  whole. 
This  is  one  of  those  eoigmas  iu  architecture  which  puzzle  ono 
on  his  first  acquaintance  with  Egyptian  temples,  and  n-hich  he 
is  often  forced  blindly  to  accept  as  new  laws  of  art,  because  hia 
feeling  tells  him  they  are  true,  and  his  reason  cannot  satiafatv 
torily  demonstrate  that  they  are  false. 

We  waited  till  tie  yellow  rays  of  anuaet  fell  on  the  capi- 
tals of  the  Memnonium,  and  they  seemed,  like  the  lotus  flowers 
to  exhale  a  vapory  light,  before  we  rode  home.  All  night  we 
wandered  in  dreams  through  kingly  vaults,  with  starry  ceilinga 
and  illumiuated  walls;  but  on  looking  out  of  our  windows  at 
dawn,  we  saw  the  red  saddle-cloths  of  our  horses  against  the 
dark  background  of  the  palm  grove,  as  they  came  down  to  the 
boat.  No  second  nap  waa  possible,  after  such  a  sight,  and 
many  minutes  had  not  elapsed  before  wo  were  tasting  tho  cool 
morning  air  in  the  delight  of  a  race  up  and  down  the  shore. 
Our  old  guide,  however,  waa  on  liis  donkey  betimes,  and  called 
ua  off  to  our  duty.  We  passed  Gporueh,  and  ascended  the 
eastern  face  of  the  mountam  to  the  tomba  of  the  priests  and 
private  cltiiens  of  Thebes.  For  miSes  along  the  monntftin 
side,  one  sees  nothing  but  heaps  of  sand  and  rubbish,  vith 
nero  and  there  nn  Arab  hut,  built  againat  the  face  of  a  tomb, 


126 


jouRiiar  nj  OKHntii.  ^riuoii. 


wbose  chambers  .eerve  as  pigeon- houses,  and  stalls  for  assai 
The  earth  ia  filled  with  fragments  of  mummies,  and  the  hui> 
dagea  iu  which  they  were  wrapped ;  for  even  the  sanctity  of 
death  itself,  is  here  neither  respected  by  the  Arabs  nor  thi 
Europeans  whom  they  imitate  I  cannot  conceive  the  passira 
which  some  travellers  have,  of  carrying  away  withered  handl 
and  fleshless  legs,  and  disfiguring  the  abodes  of  the  dead  with 
their  insignificant  names.  I  should  as  soon  think  of  carving 
my  initials  on  the  back  of  a  livu  Arub,  as  on  these  veuerahls 
iiiouuraonts. 

The  first  tomb  we  entered  almost  cored  us  of  the  desire  ts 
visit  another.  It  was  that  called  the  Assasseef,  built  by  a 
wealthy  priest,  and  it  ia  the  largest  in  Thebes.  Its  ontn 
court  measures  one  hundred  and  three  by  seventy-sis  feet,  and 
Its  passages  extend  between  eight  and  nine  hundred  feet  into 
the  mountain.  We  groped  our  way  between  walla  as  black 
ink,  through  long,  labyrinthine  suites  of  chambers,  breathing 
a  deathlike  and  oppressive  odor.  The  stairways  seemed  to 
lead  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  on  either  hand  yawned 
pits  of  uncertain  depth.  As  we  advanced,  the  ghostly  vaultl 
rumbled  with  a  sound  like  thunder,  and  hundreds  of  noisome 
bats,  scared  by  the  light,  dashed  against  the  walls  and  dropped 
at  our  feet.  We  endured  this  for  a  little  while,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  entrance  to  some  darker  and  deeper  mystery,  were 
surrounded  by  the  animals,  who  struck  their  filthy  wingt 
igainst  our  faces,  that  nob  for  ten  kings'  tombs  would  we  have 
gone  a  step  further.  My  friend  was  on  the  point  of  vowing 
never  to  set  his  foot  ia  another  tomb,  but  I  persuaded  him  tc 
wait  until  wo  bad  seen  that  of  Amunopb.  1  followed  Ota 
guide,  who  etticed  me  by  &tttering  promises  into  a  great  manf 


I 


lr«DBBRET   ADOC — TflB  PTLOS. 

»»n4-fl,\iv  iiL'W.  Brd  wiien  he  was  lired  with  erawliug  in  tht 
dust,  ce^i  f'Ca  ?l  oai  water-carriera  in  advim«M,  who  dragged 
mo  in  and  wit  by  tbn  Iifcsl.i. 

The  temple  of  ])IedceD'!i  A.bou  is  almost  coaccaled  by  the 
ruins  of  a  Coptic  village,  ariuig  which  it  stands,  and  by  which 
it  is  partially  huried.  Tht  biitir  court,  pylon  and  main  hall 
of  the  Biualler  temple  rise  titcv^  vhc'  mounds  and  overlook  the 
plain  of  Thebes,  biit  scarcely  snt:s.'j  the  expectation  of  the 
traveller,  as  he  approaohea  You  Sifii  enter  an  inclosure  sur- 
rounded by  a  low  stone  wall,  uud  standia^  in  advance  of  the 
pylon.  The  rear  wall,  facing  the  cntranct-,  contains  two  sin- 
gle pillars,  with  boil-shaped  capitals,  which  lise  above  it  and 
stand  like  guards  before  the  doorway  of  the  p^'lon.  Here  was 
another  enigma  for  us.  Who  among  niodein  areliitccta  would 
dare  to  plant  two  single  pillars  before  a  pyramidal  gateway  of 
solid  masonry,  and  then  inclose  them  in  a  plain  wall,  rising  to 
half  their  height  ?  Yet  here  the  symmetry  of  the  shafts  is  not 
injured  by  the  wall  in  which  they  stand,  nor  oppressed  by  the 
ponderous  bulk  of  the  pylon.  Ou  the  contrary,  the  light  col- 
umns and  aprcading  capitals,  like  a  tuft  of  wild  roses  hanging 
from  the  crevice  of  a  rock,  brighten  the  rude  strength  of  the 
masses  of  stone  with  a  gleam  of  singular  loveliness.  What 
would  otlierwise  only  impress  you  by  its  size,  now  endears  it- 
self to  you  by  its  beauty.  Is  this  the  effect  of  chance,  or  the 
result  of  a  finer  art  than  that  which  flourishes  in  our  day  ?  I 
will  not  pretend  to  determine,  but  I  must  confess  that  Egjpt, 
m  whose  ruins  I  had  expected  to  Slid  only  a  sort  of  Larbai'ic 
grandeur,  has  given  me  a  new  insight  into  that  vital  Bcautj 
which  is  the  soul  of  true  Art. 

We  devoted  little  time  to  the  ruined  court  and  sanctuariei 


19B 


wbioli  follow  the  pjlon,  and  to  the  lodges  of  the  main  temple  I 
gtsnding  beside  them  like  watch-towers,  three  stories  inheighi.l 
The  majestic  pylon  of  the  great  temple  of  Remesea  III.  rotfl 
behind  theiu,  out  of  heaps  of  pottery  aud  unhurnt  bricks,  and 
the  colossal  figure  of  the  monarch  in  his  car,  borne  bj  two 
horses  iuto  the  midst  of  the  routed  enemy,  attracted  us  &om  i 
distance.     We  followed  the  esterior  wall  of  the  temple,  for  it* 
whole  length  of  more  than  ais  hundred  feet,  reading  the  sculp- 
tured history  of  hia  eonrjuests.     The  entire  outer  wall  of  the 
temple  preKents  a  series  of  gigantic  cartoons,  cut  in  the  blocks 
of  sandstone,  of  which  it  ia  built.     Rcmeees  is  always  the  cen- 
tral figure,  distinguished  from  subjects  and  foes  no  less  by  hii 
superior  stature  than  by  the  royal  emblems  which  uccompi 
him.     Here  we  see  heralds  sounding  the  trumpet  in  advauos  (4 
his  car,  while  his  troops  pass  in  review  before  him  ;  there,  wifli 
a  lion  walking  by  his  side,  he  sets  out  on  his  work  of  conqueib  ■ 
His  soldiers  storm  a  towa,  aud  we  see  them  climbing  the  inH'1 
with  ladders,  while  a  deaperate  hand-to-hand  conflict  ia  /.oiug 
on  below.     In  another  place,  he  has  alighted  from  hia  c  luiot 
and  stands  with  hia  foot  on  the  neck  of  a  slaughtered  kin^ 
Again,  his  vessels  attack  a  hostile  navy  on  the  sea.     One  d 
the  foreign  craft  beconica  entangled  and  is  capsized,  yet  while 
his  spearmen  hurl  their  weapons  among  the  dismayed  c 
the  sailors  rescue  those  who  are  struggling  in  the  flof^d.    AfU 
we  have  passed  through  these  stcange  and  stirring  piyturea,  i 
find  the  monarch  reposing  on  hia  throne,  while  hif  soldiers  de- 
posit before  him  the  hands  of  the  slaughtered,  and  his  scribe) 
present  to  him  lists  of  iheif  numbers,  and  his  generals  lead  tc 
him  long  processions  of  fettered  captivcB.     Again,  he  is  reprk  J 
tented  as  offering  a  gronp  of  subject  kings  to  Amun,  the  Th»l 


THE    INNER   COURT.  12ft 

ban  Japiter,  who  says  to  him  :  ''  Go,  my  cherished  and  chosen 
make  war  on  foreign  nations,  besiege  their  forts  and  carry  off 
their  people  to  live  as  captives."  On  the  front  wall,  he  holds 
in  his  grasp  the  hands  of  a  dozen  monarchs,  while  with  the 
ether  hand  he  raises  his  sword  to  destroy  them.  Their  faces 
express  the  very  extreme  of  grief  and  misery,  but  he  is  cold 
and  calm  as  Fate  itself. 

We  slid  down  the  piles  of  sand  and  entered  by  a  side-door 
into  the  grand  hall  of  the  temple.  Here,  as  at  Dendera,  a  sur- 
prise awaited  us.  We  stood  on  the  pavement  of  a  magnificent 
court,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  square,  around  which 
ran  a  colonnade  of  pillars,  eight  feet  square  and  forty  feet  high. 
On  the  western  side  is  an  inner  row  of  circular  columns,  twen- 
ty-four feet  in  circumference,  with  capitals  representing  the 
papyrus  blossom.  The  entire  court,  with  its  walls,  pillars  and 
doorways,  is  covered  with  splendid  sculptures  and  traces  of 
paint,  and  the  ceiling  is  blue  as  the  noonday  sky,  and  studded 
with  stars.  Against  each  of  the  square  columns  facing  the 
court  once  stood  a  colossal  caryatid,  upholding  the  architrave 
of  another  colonnade  of  granite  shafts,  nearly  all  of  which  have 
been  thrown  from  their  bases  and  lie  shivered  on  the  pavcF.ent. 
This  court  opens  towards  the  pylon  into  another  of  c^jnilar 
dimensions,  but  buried  almost  to  the  capitals  of  its  co7uiS)ns  in 
heaps  of  rubbish.  The  character  of  the  temple  is  totally  differ- 
ent from  that  of  every  other  in  Egypt.  Its  height  is  small  in 
proportion  to  its  great  extent,  and  it  therefore  losei  the  air^ 
lightness  of  the  Memnonium  and  the  impressive  grandeur  of 
Pendera.  Its  expression  is  that  of  a  massive  magnificence,  it 
I  may  use  such  a  doubtful  c-ompound :  no  single  epithet  "Wf 
tes  to  describe  it. 

6* 


80 


JOURNEY   TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 


With  Modeenet  Abou  finished  our  survey  of  the  westero 
divisiuii  of  Thebes — two  long  days  of  such  experience  as  the 
contemplation  of  a  lifetime  cannot  exhaust.  At  sunset  we  took 
aavaulage  of  the  wind,  parted  from  our  groom?  and  water- 
carriers,  who  wished  to  accompany  me  to  Khartoum,  and  crofl^ 
ed  tiie  Nile  to  Luxor. 


t  nAscme  giklb  or  Korpt. 


CnAPTER    X. 


THE      ALHE 


K  AGKAK, 


nior— Tli»  Oi»ii;e-Bl< 


Bto!«iiiji--Tho  Tem 


Klde— Kanuk  nadcr  the  Full  IiIiion--Fu'CH'el!  tu  Tbebes. 

Two  days  iii  the  tombs  of  the  Kiogs  and  the  temples  of  the 
Eemesides  aod  the  Oeirei  exhausted  us  more  thoroughly  than 
a  ■week  of  hard  labor.  In  addition  to  the  natural  and  eseiting 
emotion,  with  which  we  eontcmplatfld  those  romaina,  and  whioh 
we  would  not  have  represaed,  if  we  could,  we  puzzled  ourselves 
with  the  aecrets  of  Egyptian  architecture  and  the  mysteries  of 
Egyptian  faith.  Those  pregnant  days  were  followed  hy  sleep- 
less eights,  and  we  reached  Luxor  at  sunset  with  a  certain 
dread  of  the  morrow.  Our  mental  nerves  were  too  tensely 
strung,  and  we  felt  severely  the  want  of  some  relaxation  of  au 
opposite  eharacter.  The  course  which  we  adopted  to  freshen 
our  minds  for  Kamak  may  strike  a.  novice  as  eingular,  but  it 
was  most  effectual,  and  can  be  explained  on  the  truest  philo- 
BOpliical  principles. 

In  the  afternoon  Achmet  had  informed  xm  that  two  of  tba 
scli^brated  Atmeha,  or  daneuig-women  of  the  East,  who  ha4 


1S2  JOrnNBT  TO  C^-fTBAl   kntlOA. 

been  banished  to  Eaneli,  were  in  Luxor,  and  recommended  ni 
to  witness  their  performaiice.  This  was  a  welcome  proposition, 
and  the  matter  was  soon  arranged.  Our  rais  procured  a  large 
ronm,  had  it  cleared,  engaged  the  performers  and  musiciauAi 
and  took  the  cufihions  of  oar  cabin  to  make  us  a  stately  soife 
If  one  should  evguge  Castle  Garden,  and  hire  a  company  o( 
ballet  dancers  to  perform  for  his  special  amusement,  tlie  fad 
would  sliake  the  pillars  of  New- York  society,  arid  as  it  was,  1 
can  think  of  some  very  good  friends  who  will  condemn  oM 
proceeding  as  indiscreet,  and  unworthy  the  serious  aims  of 
traveL  As  I  have  no  apology  to  make  to  myself,  I  need  make 
none  to  tbem,  except  to  suggest  that  the  first  end  of  travel  la 
instruction,  and  that  the  traveller  is  fnlly  justified  in  pursuing 
this  end,  so  long  as  he  neither  injarea  liimself  nor  others. 

About  eight  o'clock,  accompanied  by  Achmet,  our  Theban 
guide,  the  rais  of  our  vessel,  and  our  favorite  sailor,  Ali,  we  set 
out  for  the  rendezvous.  Ali  was  the  most  gentlemaa-like  Fellah 
I  ever  saw.  Ilis  appearaoce  was  always  neat  and  orderly,  bat 
on  this  particular  evening  bis  white  turban  was  spracer  than 
ever,  and  his  blue  mantle  Lung  as  gracefully  onhia  shoulders  as 
the  cloak  of  a  Spanish  grandee.  He  followed  behind 
joieiogly  bearing  the  shebooka,  as  we  walked  under  the  moonlit' 
columns  of  Luxor.  We  passed  around  the  comer  of  the  teinpta' 
and  ascended  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  to  one  of  the  upper  chan^ 
bers,  It  was  a  room  about  thirty  feet  long  by  fifteen  widt) 
with  a  roof  of  palm-loga,  covered  with  thatch.  The  floor  rest- 
ed on  the  ceiling  of  the  ancient  sanctuary.  Our  boat-Iantemi 
of  oiled  paper  wore  already  suspended  from  the  roof,  and  a  fe* 
eandles,  stuck  in  empty  battles,  completed  the  illumination. 

We  were  politely  received  and  conducted  to  the  divan, 


1 


I 


A  TnCHT^CKKE   IS   tUXOK.  138 

formed  impromptu  of  a  largo  cafass,  or  ben-coop,  covered  with 
a  carpet  and  cusLiooa.  We  seated  ourselves  upon  it,  with  legs 
crosaeil  Moslam-wise,  while  onr  atteadants  ranged  theraselvca 
on  tLe  floor  on  the  left,  and  Ali  stood  on  the  right,  ready  to 
replcuisii  tlio  pipea.  Opposite  to  us  sat  the  two  Almclis,  with 
four  atteodant  dancers,  and  three  female  singers,  and  beside 
them  the  music,  consisting  of  two  drums,  a  tambourine,  and  a 
sqneakiag  Arab  violiu.  Our  crew,  shining  in  white  turbaua, 
wore  racged  near  the  door,  with  a.  Evtiiiber  of  invited  gnestB, 
BO  that  the  whole  company  anioimtcd  to  upwards  of  forty  per- 
eons.  On  our  entrance  the  Almehs  rose,  came  forward  and 
greeted  us,  touching  our  hands  to  tho  lips  and  forehead.  They 
then  sat  down,  drank  each  a  small  glass  of  arakee,  and  while 
the  drum  thumped  and  the  violin  drawled  a  monotonous  pre- 
lude to  the  dance,  we  had  leisure  to  scrutinize  their  dress  and 
features. 

The  two  famed  danseoses  bore  Arabic  names,  which  were 
translated  to  ns  as  the  0 range-Blossom  and  the  Apple-Blos- 
som. The  first  was  of  medium  size,  with  an  olive  complesion, 
and  regular,  though  not  handsome  features.  She  wore  a  white 
dress,  fitting  tike  a  vest  from  the  shoulders  to  the  hips,  with 
short,  flowing  sleeves,  under  which  a  fine  blue  gauze,  confined 
at  the  wrist  with  bracelets,  hung  like  a  mist  about  her  arms. 
Her  bead-dresa  was  a  small  red  cap,  with  a  coronet  of  gold 
coiuH,  under  which  her  black  hair  escaped  in  two  shining  braids, 
The  Apple-Blossom,  who  could  not  have  been  more  than  fifteen 
years  old,  was  email  and  slightly  formed,  dark-skinned,  and 
might  have  been  called  beautiful,  but  for  a  defect  In  one  of  her 
^es.  Her  dress  was  of  dark  crimson  eilk,  with  trowscrs  and 
BrmletA  of  white  gauze,  and  a  red  cap,  bo  covered  with  coini 


134 


jouitHsr  TU  (nimuLL  i 


Her  features  wore 
Dg,  thick,  Biliiy  bail 

re  its  gleaming  miM 
-eevGD,  and  white  aa 


that  it  Dearlj  resembled  a  belmet  of  goldea   scales,  with  t 

fringe  falling  on  each  side  of  her  face,  Tiiree  of  the  other 
aasistauta  were  dressed  in  white,  with  shawls  of  brilliant  pat- 
terns hound  around  the  waist.  The  fourth  was  a  Nubian  slave, 
named  Zalihfara,  whoso  shining  block  face  looked  woDderfollj  i 
picturesiiue  under  the  scarlet  mantle  which  enveloped  it  lilusj 
turban,  and  fell  in  long  folds  almost  to  her  feet.  Among  t])a 
singers  was  one  named  Bcniba,  who  was  almost  tlio  only  really 
beautiful  Egyptian  woman  I  ever 
large,  but  perfectly  regular;  and  h 
hung  loose  nearly  to  her  shoulders 
was  gathered  into  braida.  Her  teet 
pearls,  and  the  lids  of  her  large  black  eyes  were  stained  with 
liM,  which  gave  them  a  languishing,  melancholy  espression. 
She  was  a  most  consummate  actress ;  for  she  no  sooner  saw 
that  we  noticed  her  face  than  she  assumed  the  most  indifferent 
air  in  the  world  and  did  not  look  at  us  again.  But  during  the 
whole  evening  every  movement  was  studied.  The  shawl  was 
disposed  in  more  graceful  folds  about  her  head  ;  the  hair  was 
tossed  back  from  her  shoulders;  the  hand,  tinged  with  henna, 
held  the  jasmine  tube  of  her  pipe  in  a  hundred  different  atti- 
tudes, and  only  on  leaving  did  she  lift  her  eyes  as  if  first  aware 
of  our  presence  and  wish  us  "  huona  sera" — the  only  Italian 
words  she  knew — with  the  most  musical  accent  of  which  wJ 
Arab  voice  is  capable,  I 

Meanwhile,  the  voices  of  the  women  mingled  with  the 
shrill,  barbario  tones  of  the  violin,  and  the  prelude  passed  into 
a  measured  song  of  long,  unvarying  cadences,  which  the  drunU 
and  tambourine  accompanied  with  rapid  beats.  The  Orange- 
Blossom  and  one  of  her  <:ompanions  took  the  floor,  after  drink 


TRK  DAItOB.  135 

ing  another  glass  of  arakeo  and  ttgatoning  the  shawls  around 
their  hips  The  dance  commenced  with  a  slow  Biovoment, 
both  hands  being  lifted  ahove  the  head,  while  the  jingling  bits 
of  metal  on  their  fihawla  and  two  miniature  cymbals  of  braBS, 
l&Btened  to  the  thumb  and  middle  finger,  kept  time  to  the  mu- 
eio.  As  the  dancers  became  animated,  their  motions  were 
more  rapid  and  violent,  and  the  measure  was  marked,  not  in 
pirouettes  and  fljing  bounds,  as  on  the  boards  of  Frank  thea- 
tres, hut  by  a  moat  wonderful  command  over  the  muscles  of 
the  chest  and  limbs.  Their  frames  vibrated  with  the  music 
like  the  strings  of  the  violin,  and  aa  the  song  grew  wild  and 
stormy  towards  its  close,  the  movements,  had  they  not  accord- 
ed  with  it,  would  have  resembled  those  of  a  person  seized  with 
some  violent  corvoua  spasm.  After  this  had  continued  for  an 
incredible  length  of  time,  and  I  expected  to  seo  the  Almeha 
fait  exhausted  to  the  earth,  the  music  ceased,  and  they  stood 
before  as  calm  and  cold,  with  their  breathing  not  perceptibly 
hurried.  The  danco  had  a  second  part,  of  very  different  char- 
acter, StUl  with  their  lifted  hands  strlMng  the  little  cym- 
bals, they  marked  a  circle  of  springing  bounds,  in  which  their 
figures  occasionally  reminded  mc  of  the  dancing  nymphs  of 
Greek  sculpture.  Tiie  instant  before  touching  the  floor,  as 
they  hung  in  the  air  with  the  head  bent  forward,  one  foot 
thrown  behind,  and  both  arms  extended  above  the  head,  they 
were  drawn  oi>  the  background  of  the  dark  hall,  like  forma 
lakcn  from  the  frieze  of  a  temple  to  Bacchus  or  Pan. 

Eastern  politeness  did  not  require  us  to  cry  "  hrava  I"  oi 
"  encore  I"  so  we  merely  handed  our  pipes  to  Ali,  to  be  filled 
R  second  time.  Old  Achmet  Gourgar,  our  Theban  gaid^ 
■owever,  was  so  enraptured  that  he  several  times  ejaculated  ; 


: 


jocuNBr  TO  r 

"  tail)  hetear  / "  (very  good  indeed  I )  nnd  Ruis  Hassaa'e  dull 
&ce  beamed  all  over  'with  delight.  The  circle  of  white  tni- 
DaDcd  heads  in  the  rear  looked  on  complacently,  and  our  goard, 
who  stood  in  tUe  moonlight  before  tho  open  door,  almost  ft)rgot 
hiB  dutj  in  Lis  enjoyment  of  the  spectnale.  I  shall  never  for 
get  the  wild,  fantastic  picture  we  saw  that  night  in  the  nuM 
of  Lusor, 

The  Apple-Blossom,  who  followed  in  a  danoe  with  onft. 
immed  Bakhita,  pleased  nio  far  better.  She  added  a  thoasaitd 
graceful  embellishments  to  the  monotonous  soul  of  tbe  music; 
and  her  dance,  if  barbaric,  was  as  poetic  as  her  natiro  palm- 
trea  She  was  Lithe  as  a,  serpent,  and  agile  as  a.  young  pan- 
ther, and  some  of  her  movements  were  most  estraordinarj,  in 
the  nerve  and  daring  required  to  execute  them,  and  to  intro- 
duce them  without  neglecting  tho  rhythm  of  the  dance.  Mors 
than  once  she  sank  slowly  back,  bending  her  knees  forward,  till 
her  head  and  shoulders  touched  tbe  floor,  and  then,  quick  as  a 
flash,  shot  flying  into  the  air,  her  foot  alighting  in  exact  timo 
with  the  thump  of  the  drum.  She  Lad  the  power  of  moving 
her  body  from  side  to  side,  so  that  it  curved  like  a  snake  from 
the  hips  to  the  shoulders,  and  once  I  thought  tliat,  like  Lamia, 
she  was  about  to  resume  her  ancient  shape,  and  slip  out  of 
eight  through  some  hole  in  the  ruined  walls.  One 
dances  was  a,  sort  of  pantomime,  which  she  and  Bakhita 
panied  with  their  voices — clear,  shrill,  ringing  tones,  whidi 
never  faltered  for  a,  moment,  or  varied  a  hair's  breadth  from 
the  melody,  while  every  muscle  was  agitated  with  tbe  exer- 
tion of  her  movements.  The  song  was  pervaded  with  i 
Btrange,  passionato  iremolo,  unlike  any  thing  I  ever  beard  b» 
fore.      The  harden  was:  "I  nm  alone:   mv  family  and  mi 


I 


I 


THE    APPJ^-BLOSSOM.  13 i 

friends  are  all  dead ;  the  plague  has  destroyed  them.  Como^ 
then,  to  me,  and  be  my  beloved,  for  I  have  no  other  to  lov€ 
me.'^  Her  gestures  exhibited  a  singular  mixture  of  the  aban* 
don  men  t  of  grief,  and  the  longing  of  love.  While  her  body 
swayed  to  and  fro  with  the  wild,  sacl  rhythm  of*  the  words,  she 
raised  both  arms  before  her  till  the  long  sleeves  fell  back  and 
covered  her  face :  then  opening  them  in  wistful  entreaty,  sang 
the  last  lino  of  the  chorus,  and  bringing  her  hands  to  her  fore- 
head, relapsed  into  grief  again.  Apparently  the  prayer  is  an- 
swered, for  the  concluding  movement  expressed  a  delirious  joy. 

We  listened  to  the  music  and  looked  on  the  dances  for 
more  than  two  hours,  but  at  length  the  twanging  of  the  violin 
and  the  never-ending  drum-thumps  began  to  set  our  teeth  on 
edge,  and  we  unfolded  our  cramped  legs  and  got  down  from 
the  divan.  The  lantern  was  unswung,  the  candle-ends  taken 
from  the  empty  bottles,  the  Almchs  received  their  fees  and 
went  off  rejoicing,  and  we  left  the  chambers  of  Luxor  to  the 
night-wind  and  the  moon. 

The  guide  of  the  Eastern  bank,  a  wiry  young  Bedouin, 
was  in  attendance  next  morning,  and  a  crowd  of  horses  and 
asses  awaited  us  on  the  shore.  I  chose  a  brown  mare,  with  a 
small,  slender  head  and  keen  eye,  and  soon  accustomed  myself 
to  the  Turkish  saddle  and  broad  shovel-stirrups.  The  temple 
of  Luxor  is  imbedded  in  the  modem  village,  and  only  the 
front  of  the  pylon,  facing  towards  Kamak,  and  part  of  the 
grand  central  colonnade,  is  free  from  its  vile  excrescences. 
For  this  reason  its  effect  is  less  agreeable  than  that  of  the 
Memnonium,  although  of  much  grander  proportions.  Its  plan 
is  easily  traced,  nevertheless,  and  having  been  built  by  onlj 
two  monarchs,  Remeses  the  Great  and  Ainunoph  IIL — or,  to 


nso  their  more  familiar  titles,  SesostriB  and  Slemnon—  it  ia 
less  bewildering,  in  a  historical  point  of  view,  to  tho  unatudiEd 
tourist,  than  most  of  the  other  temples  of  Egypt,  The  san* 
tuary,  which  ataods  nearest  the  Nile,  ia  still  protected  by  thg 
ancient  atone  quay,  though  the  river  haa  made  rapid  advances, 
and  threatens  finally  to  undenuine  Luxor  as  it  has  already  un- 
dermined the  templea  of  Antfcopolia  and  Antinoij,  I  rode  into 
what  were  once  the  aacred  chambera,  but  the  pillars  and  seulp- 
tures  were  covered  with  filth,  aud  the  Araba  had  built  in^ 
around  and  upon  them,  like  the  clay  nesla  of  the  cliff-sparrow. 
The  peristyle  of  majeatio  Oairide  pillars,  in  front  of  the  po^ 
tico,  aa  well  as  the  portico  itself,  are  buried  to  half  their  depth, 
and  so  aurrounded  by  hovela,  that  to  get  an  idea  of  their  ar- 
rangement you  muat  make  the  tour  of  a  number  o^  hcQ-houaeB 
and  aaaes'  stalla.  The  pillars  are  now  employed  as  drying- 
posts  for  the  buffalo  dung  which  the  Araba  use  as  fuel. 

Proceeding  towarda  tke  entrance,  the  nest  court,  which  is 
tolerably  free  from  incumbrances,  contains  a  colonnade  of  two 
rows  of  lotus-crowned  columns,  twenty-eight  feet  in  circum- 
ference. They  still  uphold  their  architroves  of  giant  b!ocki 
of  sandstone,  and  rising  high  above  the  miserable  dwellings  of 
the  village,  are  visible  from  every  part  of  the  plain  of  Thebea. 
Tho  English  Vice-Consul,  Muatapha  AgLa,  occupies  a  house 
between  two  of  theae  pillars.  We  returned  the  visit  he  had 
paid  us  on  our  arrival,  and  were  regaled  with  the  everlasting 
coffee  and  ahebook,  than  which  there  ia  no  more  grateful  re- 
freshment. He  gave  us  the  agreeable  news  that  Mr.  Murray 
was  endeavoring  to  persuatle  the  Pasha  to  have  Kamak  cleared 
of  its  rubbiah  and  preserver]  from  further  spoliation.  If  I  po» 
Bcsaed  despotic  power — and  I  thea  wished  it  for  the  fliet  timt 


I 


—I  should  certainly  make  despotic  use  of  it,  in  tearing  down 
■ome  dozeoB  of  villages  and  setting  s<ime  thousaads  of  Copts 
and  Fellahs  at  work  in  exhuming  wliat  thoir  ancestors  havt 
mutilated  and  buried.  Tbo  world  caonot  spare  these  remaina 
Tear  down  Koman  mius  if  yon  will ;  level  Cyclopean  walls 
build  bridges  with  the  stones  of  Gothie  abbejs  and  feudal  for- 
treBsea ;  but  lay  no  Land  on  the  glory  and  grandeur  of  Egypt, 

In  order  to  ascend  the  great  pylon  of  the  temple,  we  were 
obliged  to  pass  through  a  school,  in  wbieh  thirty  or  forty  little 
Luxofiana  were  conning  their  scraps  of  the  Koran.  They  im- 
mediately surroanded  us,  holding  up  their  tin  slates,  scribbled 
with  Arabic  characters,  for  our  inspec  tion,  and  demanded  back- 
Bheeah  for  their  proficiency  The  gray-bearded  pedagogue  tried 
to  quiet  them,  but  could  not  prevent  several  from  foilowiog 
us.  The  victories  of  Eemesea  are  sculptured  on  the  face  of 
the  towers  of  the  pylon,  but  his  colossi,  solid  figures  of  granite, 
which  sit  on  either  side  of  the  entrance,  have  been  much  de- 
faced. The  lonely  obelisk,  which  stands  a  little  in  advance, 
on  the  left  hand,  is  more  perfect  than  its  Parisian  mate.  From 
this  stately  entrance,  an  avenue  of  colossal  sphinxes  once  es- 
tended  to  the  Ptolemaic  pylon  of  Karaak,  a  distance  of  a  mile 
and  a  half.  The  sphinxes  have  disappeared,  but  the  modem 
Arab  road  leads  over  its  site,  through  fields  of  waste  grass. 

And  now  we  galloped  forward,  through  a  long  procession 
of  camels,  donkeys,  and  Desert  Arabs  armed  with  spears 
towards  Karnak,  the  greatest  roin  in  the  world,  the  crowning 
trimnph  of  Egyptian  power  and  Egyptian  art.  Except  a 
broken  stone  here  and  there  protruding  through  the  soil,  the 
plain  13  as  deaolate  as  if  it  had  never  been  conscious  of  a 
faouton  dwelling,  and  only  on  reaching  the  vicinity  of  the  mud 


;OURHEV    TO    CKKTRAL    AFRICA. 


Nnmlet  of  Karnak,  can  the  tmveller  raaliic  that  he  is  in  Thebw 
Here  tLe  carael-path  drops  into  a,  broad  excavated  avenue, 
lined  with  fragmentB  of  sphiniea  and  shaded  by  starveling 
acacias.  As  you  advance,  tLe  spbinses  are  better  preserved 
and  remain  seated  on  their  pedestals,  but  tbej  bavc  all  been 
decapitated.  Though  of  colossal  proportions,  they  are  seated 
so  close  to  each  other,  that  it  must  have  required  nearly  tve 
thousand  to  form  the  double  row  to  Luxor.  The  avenue  final- 
ly reaches  a  single  pylon,  of  majestic  proportions,  built  by  one 
of  the  Ptolemies,  and  covered  with  profuse  hieroglyphica. 
Passing  through  this,  the  sphinxes  lead  you  to  another  pylon, 
followed  by  a  pillared  court  and  a  temple  bnilt  by  the  later 
Remesidea,  This,  I  thoaght,  while  my  friend  was  measuring 
the  girth  of  the  pillars,  is  a  good  beginnmg  for  Karnat,  but  it 
is  certainly  innoh  loss  than  I  expect.  "  Tdol  minlienncc/" 
(come  this  way  I)  called  the  guide,  as  if  reading  my  mind,  and 
led  roe  up  the  Leaps  of  rubbish  to  the  roof  and  pointed  to  the 

Ah,  there  was  Kamak  I  Had  I  been  blind  up  to  tliia 
ar  Lad  the  earth  suddenly  heaved  out  of  Ler  breast  tbe  remaina 
of  the  glorious  temple  ?  From  all  parts  of  the  plain  of  Thebes 
I  had  seen  it  in  the  distance — a  huge  propylon,  a  shattered 
portico,  and  an  obelisk,  rising  above  the  palms.  Whence  this 
wilderness  of  ruins,  spreading  so  far  as  to  seem  a  city  rather 
than  a  temple — pylon  after  pylon,  tumbling  into  enormous 
cubes  of  stone,  long  colounadca,  supporting  fragments  of  Titan^ 
ic  roofs,  obelisks  of  red  granite,  nnd  endless  walls  and  avenues, 
branching  out  to  isolated  portals  ?  Yet  they  stood  as  silently 
iijuid  tbe  accumulated  rubbish  of  nearly  four  thousand 
tnd  the  eunshioe  threw  its  yellow  lustre  as  serenely  01 


timojfl 
maiM^ 


dcBpoiled  sanctuaries,  as  if  It  had  never  been  otherwiae,  sinoa 
the  world  began.  Figures  are  of  no  use,  in  deseribing  &  placa 
like  tbie,  but  since  I  must  use  them,  I  maj  say  that  tlie  length 
of  the  ruins  before  us,  from  west  to  cast,  was  twelve  hundred 
feet,  and  that  the  total  cireumfercnce  of  Kttmak,  including  ita 
nameroua  pybc,  or  gateways,  is  a  mile  and  a  half. 

We  mounted  and  rode  with  faat-teating  beartB  to  the  west- 
ern  or  main  entrance,  facing  the  Nile.  The  two  towers  of  the 
propjlon — pyramidal  masses  of  solid  stone — are  three  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  feet  in  length,  andtbeone  which  is  least  ruined, 
is  nearly  one  hundred  feet  in  height.  On  each  side  of  the  sculp- 
tured portal  connecting  them,  is  a  tablet  left  by  the  French 
army,  recording  the  geographical  position  of  the  principal 
Egyptian  t«raples.  We  passed  tbr»ugh  and  entered  an  open 
court,  more  than  three  hundred  feet  sr[uarc,  with  a  corridor  of 
immense  pillars  on  each  side,  connecting  it  with  the  towers  of 
a  second  pylon,  nearly  as  gigantic  as  the  first.  A  colonnade 
of  lofty  shafts,  leading  through  the  centre  of  the  court,  once 
united  the  two  entrances,  but  they  have  all  been  hurled  down 
and  lay  as  they  fell,  in  long  lines  of  disjointed  blocks,  except 
one,  which  holds  its  solitary  lotus-bell  against  the  sky.  Two 
mutilated  colossi  of  red  granite  still  guard  the  doorway,  whose 
lintel-stones  are  forty  feet  in  length.  Climbing  over  the  huge 
fragments  which  have  fallen  from  above  and  almost  blocked  up 
tJie  passage,  we  looked  down  into  the  grand  hall  of  the  temple. 

I  knew  the  dimensions  of  this  hall,  beforehand ;  I  knew  the 
number  and  size  of  the  pillars,  but  I  was  no  more  prepared  for 
Ihe  reality  than  those  will  be,  who  may  read  this  account  of  it 
and  afterwards  visit  Karnak  for  themselves.  It  is  tlie  groat 
good-luok  of  travel  that  many  things  must  be  seen  to  be  knowib 


142 


TO  OIirtRAL   APBIOA. 


Nothing  could  have  contpenaated  for  the  Iobb  of  that  a\e> 
whelming  confusion  of  awe,  astoniahment,  and  delight,  which 
camo  npou  me  lilco  a  flood.  I  looked  down  an  avenue  of  twelvi 
pillars — sis  on  each  side— eaoli  of  which  was  thirty-sis  feet  m 
eircumfercuce  and  nearly  eighty  feet  in  height.  Crushing  a» 
were  theBc  ponderous  masses  of  sculptured  stone,  the  spreading 
bell  of  the  lotus-blosBoms  which  crowned  them,  clothed  them 
with  an  ntmoaplicre  of  lightness  and  grace.  In  front,  over  the 
top  of  another  pile  of  eoloaaa!  blocks,  two  obelisks  rose  sharp 
and  clear,  with  every  emblem  legible  on  their  polished  gidet, 
On  each  side  of  the  main  aisle  are  seven  other  rows  of  columnB 
— one  hundred  and  tv^eni^-tuv,  in  all — each  of  which  is  about 
fifty  feet  high  and  twenty-seven  in  circumference.  They  ha.Te 
the  Osirjde  form,  without  capitals,  and  do  not  range  with  the 
pentral  shafts.  In  the  efforts  of  the  conquerors  to  overthrow 
them,  two  have  been  hurled  from  their  placea  and  thrown 
against  the  neighboring  ones,  where  they  still  lean,  as  if  weaiy 
with  holding  up  the  roof  of  massive  sandstone.  I  walked  alone 
through  this  hall,  trying  to  bear  the  weight  of  its  unutterable 
majesty  and  beauty.  That  I  had  been  so  oppressed  by  Den- 
dera,  seemed  a  weakness  which  I  was  resolved  to  conquer,  and 
I  finally  succeeded  in  looking  on  Karnak  with  a  calmness  moH 
Mmmensurate  with  its  sublime  repose — but  not  by  daylight. 

My  ride  back  to  Laxor,  towards  evening,  was  the  next 
beat  thing  after  Karuak.  The  little  animal  I  rode  had  becomfl 
excited  by  jumping  over  stones  and  sliding  down  sand-heaps ' 
our  guide  began  to  show  his  Bedouin  blood  by  dashing  at  fiJ. 
giillop  teward  the  pylons  and  reining  in  bia  horse  at  a.  bound; 
tad,  to  conclude,  I  became  infected  with  a  lawless  spirit  that 
eoald  not  easily  be  laid.     The  guide's  eyes   sparkled  when  1 


BEDOtUlT  EIVERSIONS.  148 

proposed  a  Face.  We  left  my  friend  and  the  water-eairiera, 
bounded  across  the  aveoue  of  sphiDxca,  and  took  a  smooth  path 
leading  toward  the  Desert.  My  ma.re  needed  hut  a  word  and 
a  jog  of  the  iron  slirrup.  Away  we  flew,  our  animals  stretdi- 
ing  tLemsolves  for  a  loug  heat,  craening  the  dry  dourra-stalka, 
clearing  the  watcr-dit«hcs,  and  ecatteriog  on  all  sides  the  Arah 
laborers  we  met.  After  a  glorious  gallop  of  two  or  throe  miles 
my  antagonist  was  fairly  distanced  ;  but  one  race  would  not 
content  him,  so  we  Lad  a  second,  and  finally  a  third,  on.  the 
beach  of  Lusor.  The  horses  holouged  to  huu,  and  it  was  a 
matter  of  indifferoiice  which  was  the  swiftest ;  he  raoed  mere- 
ly for  the  delight  of  it,  and  so  did  I. 

The  same  gallant  mare  watt  ready  for  mo  at  night.  It  waa 
precisely  full  moon,  and  I  Lad  determined  on  Tlaitiog  Karnak 
again  before  leaving.  There  waa  no  one  but  the  guide  and  I, 
he  armed  with  his  long  spear,  and  I  with  my  pistols  in  my 
belt.  There  was  a  wan  haze  in  the  air,  and  a  pale  halo  around 
the  moon,  on  each  side  of  which  appeared  two  faint  mock- 
moons.  It  waa  B  ghostly  light,  and  the  fresh  north-wind, 
Cuming  up  the  Nile,  rustled  solemnly  in  the  palm-trees.  V^e 
trotted  silently  to  Karnak,  and  leaped  our  horses  over  the  frag- 
ments until  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  first  obelisk.  Here  we 
dismounted  and  entered  the  grand  hall  of  pillars.  There  was  no 
Bound  in  all  the  temple,  and  the  guide,  who  seemed  to  compre- 
hend my  wish,  moved  behind  me  as  softly  aa  a  shadow,  and 
spoke  not  a  word.  It  needs  this  illumination  to  comprehend 
Kamak.  The  unsightly  rubbish  has  disappeared :  the  rents  in 
the  roof  are  atoned  for  by  tlie  moonlight  they  admit ;  the  frag* 
raents  shivered  from  tlie  lips  of  the  mighty  capitals  are  only 
the  crumpled  edges  of  the  flower ;  a.  ma7C  of  shadows  hides  tbt 


r    TO    CENTRAL    AFRICA. 

deaolation  of  the  courta,  bat  every  pillar  aud  obelisk,  pylon  and 
propylon  is  glorified  by  the  moonlight.  The  soul  of  Karnak 
is  soothed  and  traoquilUzecl.  Its  halls  look  upon  yon  no  longer 
with  an  aspect  of  pain  and  hnmiliatiou.  Every  stone  seems  to 
say :  "  I  am  not  fallen,  for  I  bave  defied  the  ages.  I  am  a 
part  of  that  grandeur  which  has  never  seen  ita  peer,  and  I  shall 
for  ever,  for  the  world  baa  need  of  me." 

1  climbed  to  the  roof,  and  sat   looking  down    into  the 

hushed  and  awful  colonnaiies,  till  I  was  thoroughly  penetrated 

with  their  august  and  sublime  expression.     I  should  probably 

icd  all  night,  im  amateur  colossus,  with  my  hands 

my  knees,  had  not  the  silence  been  disturbed  by  two  arri- 
of  romantio  tonrista — an  Englishman  and  two  Frenohmen. 
We  esehanged  salutations,  and  I  mounted  the  restless  mare 
again,  touched  ber  side  with  the  stirrup,  and  sped  back  to 
Luior.  The  guide  galloped  beside  me,  occasionally  hurUng 
his  spear  into  the  air  and  oatching  it  as  it  fell,  delighted  with 
my  readiness  to  indulge  his  desert  whims.  I  foond  the  oa{h  i 
tain  and  sailors  all  ready  and  my  friend  smoking  his  pipe  DC  J 
deek     In  half  an  hour  we  b&d  left  Thebes. 


THR  TSUFLX   or  BBilMOHTia. 


CHAPTER     XI 


■Xcr  linipio  or  UcrmDDlb— Einsh  ud  lU  Tginpto— Tlie  Oovemn— El  K^  bj  Tonb 
riibt-ThoToinplo  of  Ed/on— The  Qnuxlw  DTTIjotnl  SU^oU— OmlMB— Apfimrt 
DJ  K  dMo— Gbtuigs  In  lie  Bcrncrf  inil  laliihlUDts— A  Mirage -Arrlvilnl  AWKun. 

OuB  journey  from  Thebes  to  Assouan  occupied  six  days,  in- 
cliiiliug  a  lialt  of  tTfcuty-four  hours  at  Esneh.  We  left  Luxor 
on  tlie  nigLt  of  December  Sth,  but  the  westward  curve  of  the 
Nile  brbught  us  in  opposition  with  tlic  wind,  and  the  next  day 
at  noon  we  had  only  reached  Erment,  the  aneicnt  Hermontia, 
in  ^ght  of  (be  three  peaks  of  the  Theban  hills.  We  left  our 
men  to  tug  the  boat  along  ehoro,  And  wandered  off  to  the 
monads  of  the  old  city,  still  graced  with  a  small  temple,  or 
lying-in  hoaso  of  the  goddess  Rcto,  who  ia  here  represented  as 
^vtng  birth  to  the  god  Hor-pire.  The  sculptures  in  the  dark 
chambers,  now  used  as  stalls  for  asses,  were  evidently  intcnd- 
ed  only  for  the  priesthood  of  the  teniple,  and  are  Bot  repeated, 
fts  are  those  of  other  temples,  in  tho  halls  open  to  the  publio 
Not  with  standing  tho  great  license  which  the  Egyptian  fuith 
assumed,  its  symbols  are,  La  general,  scrupulously  fruarded 
from  all  low  and  unworthy  forms  of  representation. 

The  group  of  pillars  in  the  outer  court  charmed  us  by  the 


14Q 


TO   OKimUll  AXltlCI 


ricboess  aod  Tarietj  of  their  designs.  So  two  capitals  arc  of 
Bimilar  paltern,  while  ia  their  comhioations  of  the  papjrus,  the 
1i)tus  and  the  palm-leaf,  the;  harmDnize  odc  with  another  aui) 
as  a  whole.  The  abacas,  between  the  capital  acd  the  archi- 
trave, is  BO  high  OS  almost  to  rcsomblc  a  eecond  shaft.  Il 
Karaak  and  the  Memnoaium  it  ia  narrow,  and  lifts  the  pon- 
derous beam  just  enough  to  prevent  its  oppressing  the  lighlneM 
of  the  capita!.  I  was  so  delighted  with  the  pillars  of  Hermon- 
tis  that  I  scarcelj  knew  whether  to  call  this  peculiarity  a  grace 
or  a  dtftet.  I  have  never  seen  it  employed  in  modern  archi- 
tecture, and  judge  therefore  that  it  has  either  been  condemned 
bj  our  rules  or  that  our  architects  .have  not  the  skill  and  dar- 
ing of  the  Egyptians. 

We  reached  Esneh  the  samo  night,  but  were  obliged  to  ro- 
main  all  the  next  day  in  order  to  allow  our  sailors  to  bake 
their  bread.  We  employed  the  time  in  visiting  the  temple, 
the  only  remnant  of  the  ancient  Latopolis,  and  the  palace  of 
Abbas  Fash  a,  on  the  bank  of  the  Nile.  The  portico  of  the 
temple,  half  buried  in  rubbish,  like  that  of  Dendera,  which  it 
rusembles  in  design,  is  exceedingly  beautiful.  Each  of  iu 
twenty-four  columns  is  crowned  with  a  different  capital,  so- 
chaste  and  elegant  in  their  execution  that  it  is  impossible  to 
give  any  one  the  preference.  The  designs  are  mostly  copied 
from  the  doum-patm,  the  date-palm,  and  the  lotus,  but  the 
cane,  the  vine,  and  various  water-plants  are  also  introduced. 
The  building  dates  from  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies,  and  its 
Mulptures  are  unintercstiog.  We  devoted  all  our  time  to  tho 
study  of  the  capitals,  a  laijrinth  of  beauty,  in  which  we  were 
soon  sQtanglcd.  The  Governor  of  Esneh,  All  Effendi,  a.  most 
friendly  and  agreeable  Arab,  accompanied  db  through  the  tent- 


I 


I 


pie,  aad  pointed  out  all  the  fishes,  birds  aod  crocodiles  ho 
could  find.  To  him  they  were  evidently  the  most  iatereeling 
IhiDgB  in  it  He  asked  me  how  old  the  building  was,  and  hy 
wLom  it  had  been  erected.  On  leaving,  we  accepted  hia  invi- 
tation to  partake  of  coffee  and  pipes.  The  visit  took  place  in 
diie  form,  with  many  grave  salutations,  which  we  conscien- 
tiously imitated.  Achmet  had  returned  to  otir  boat,  and  my 
Bmall  stock  of  Arabic  was  soon  eshansted,  but  we  managed  to 
eschangT  all  the  necessary  common-places. 

Tho  day  of  leaving  Esneh,  we  reached  El  Kab,  the  ancient 
Elenthjas,  whose  rock-tombs  are  among  the  most  curious  in 
Egypt.  We  landed  at  twilight,  provided  with  candles,  and 
made  our  way  through  fields  of  wiry  half  eh  grass,  and  through 
a  breach  in  the  brick  wall  of  the  aacient  town,  to  the  Arabian 
Desert,  It  was  already  dark,  hut  our  guide,  armed  with  bin 
long  spear,  stalked  vigorously  forward,  and  brought  us  safely 
up  the  mountain  path  to  the  entrances  of  the  sepulchres. 
There  are  a  large  iinmbor  of  these,  but  only  two  are  worth 
visiting,  on  account  of  the  light  wliich  tJiey  throw  on  the  social 
life  of  the  Egyptians.  The  owner  of  the  tomb  and  his  wife — 
a  red  man  and  a  yellow  woman — arc  hero  seen,  receiving  the 
delighted  guests.  Seats  are  given  them,  and  each  m  presented 
with  an  aromatic  fiower,  while  the  servants  iu  tho  kitchen 
hasten  to  prepare  savory  dishes;  In  other  compartments,  all 
(ho  most  minute  processes  of  agrioiilture  are  representeii  with 
wonderful  fidelity.  So  little  change  has  taken  place  in  three 
thousand  years,  that  liey  would  answer,  with  scarcely  a  cor- 
rection, as  ilJustratioLB  of  the  Eellak  agriculture  of  Modem 
Egypt 

The  ncit  morning  we  walked  ahead  to  the  temple  of  EdI'ou, 


TO    UENTRiL   AFRICA. 

sbootiDg  a  few  brace  of  fat  partridges  by  the  way,  and  scartnf 
two  large  jackals  from  their  laira  in  the  thick  ^rass.  Th( 
Hupcrb  pyloa  of  the  temple  rose  above  the  earthy  mounds  of 
ApolHnopolis  like  a  doiible-truncatGd  pyramid.  It  is  in  an 
entire  state  of  preservation,  with  all  its  internal  chambers,  pas- 
eagcB  and  stairways.  The  eiterlor  is  sculptured  with  colossal 
figures  of  the  gods,  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  from  the  base 
of  the  portal  to  the  soroll-like  coroice  of  the  pylon,  la  more 
than  a  hundred  feet.  Tlirougb  the  door  we  entered  a  large  open 
court,  surrounded  by  a  colonnade.  The  grand  portico  of  the 
temple,  buried  nearly  to  the  tops  of  its  pillars,  faced  us,  and 
wo  could  only  judge,  from  the  designs  of  the  capitals  and  the 
girth  of  the  shaft,  the  imposing  elTect  which  it  must  have  pro* 
duccd  on  those  who  entered  the  court.  The  interior  is  totallyi 
filled  with  rubbish,  and  a  whole  village  of  Arab  huts  standa  oit< 
the  roof 

A  strong  nind  carried  us,  before  sunset,  to  the  qoarriee  of! 
Djcbel  Silsileh,  the  "  Mountain  of  the  Chain,"  where  the  Nlh 
is  compressed  between  two  rugged  sandstone  hills.  The  nvex 
is  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  broad,  and  tho  approach 
to  this  rocky  gateway,  a.fler  so  many  weeks  of  level  allnviili 
plain,  is  very  striking.  Here  are  the  sandstone  quarries  whence 
tho  huge  blocks  were  cat,  to  build  ihe  temples  and  shape  ths 
colossi  of  Thebes.  They  lie  on  the  eastern  bank,  close  to  tba 
river,  and  tho  ways  down  which  the  stones  were  slid  to  tho 
vessels  that  received  thom,  arc  still  to  be  seen.  The  atone  in 
of  a  pale  reddish-brown  color,  and  a  very  line  and  clear  graia 
It  appears  to  have  been  divided  into  squares  of  tho  proper  site, 
uid  cut  from  above  downward.  The  shapg  of  many  of  tba 
ennrmous  blocks  may  be  easily  traced.     In  one  place  the  rock 


i 


has  been  ronghly  hewn  into  a  sort  of  f«niple,  supported  by  pil- 
lare  thirty  feet  square,  and  villi  an  entrance  as  grand  and  rude 
SB  a  work  of  the  Titans. 

In  the  morniDg  we  awoke  in  th-e  shadow  of  Onihos,  which 
Gtatids  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  Nile,  into  which  its  temple  to 
Isis  has  fallen.  Little  now  lemaius  of  the  great  temple  to 
Savak,  the  eroeodile-hcaded  god,  the  deity  of  Omhoa,  hut  its 
double  portico,  supported  by  thirteen  pillars,  buried  nearly 
waist-deep  in  the  sands.  The  aspect  of  these  remaiuB,  seatad 
on  the  lonely  promontory  commanding  the  coarse  of  the  river 
and  the  harveBt-land  of  the  opposite  shore,  while  the  stealthy 
Desert  approaches  it  from  behind,  and  year  by  year  heaps  the 
sand  higher  against  the  shattered  sanctuary,  is  sadly  touching, 
Wo  lingered  and  lingered  around  its  columns,  loth  to  leave  the 
rained  grace  which  a  very  few  years  will  obliterate.  Two  such 
foes  as  the  Nile  and  the  Desert  make  rapid  progress,  where  no 
human  hand  is  interposed  to  stay  them.  As  we  sailed  away,  a 
large  crocodile,  perhaps  Savak  himself,  lay  motionless  on  a 
sand-bank  with  his  long  snout  raised  in  the  air. 

We  were  two  days  in  sailing  from  Omhoa  to  Assouan, 
owing  to  a  dead  calm,  the  first  in  two  weeks.  The  nights  were 
very  cool,  and  the  mid-day  temperature  not  too  warm  for  com- 
fort. One  morning  my  thermometer  stood  at  40°;  the  Arab§ 
complained  bitterly  of  the  cold,  and,  wrapped  in  their  woolen 
mantles,  crawled  about  the  deck  as  languidly  as  benumbed  Sics. 
At  noon  the  mercury  did  not  often  rise  above  75°  in  the 
shade  As  we  approach  Nubia,  the  scenery  of  the  river 
undergoes  a  complete  change.  The  rugged  hills  of  black  sand- 
stone and  granite  usurp  the  place  of  the  fields,  and  leave  hut  & 
narrow  strip  of  cultivable  land  on  either  side.     The  Arabs  are 


150 


JOtJRNET  TC   CEOTHAL  J 


darker  and  show  the  blood  of  the  desert  tribes  in  their  featnreB 
They  are,  however,  esceediogiy  friendly.  The  day  before 
reaching  Assouan,  we  walked  ahead  of  our  boat  and  wer* 
obliged  to  wait  two  or  three  hours.  We  had  a  retiirae  of  boys, 
whc  pummelled  one  anotber  aa  to  which  should  pick  up  th* 
pigeons  we  shot.  The  successful  one  came  bounding  back  with 
a  face  sparkling  with  deligbt,  and  kissed  the  bird  and  touched 
it  to  hig  forehead  aa  he  gave  it  to  us.  As  we  were  resting 
under  the  palm-trecB,  my  friend  regretted  that  we  had  not 
brought  our  shebooks  along  with  ua.  One  of  the  Arabs,  guess- 
ing his  wish  from  the  word  "shehook,"  instantly  ran  off  and 
Hcoured  the  dourra-fields  until  bo  found  a  laborer  who  owned 
a  pipe.  He  brought  the  man  back,  with  the  sickle  in  his  hand 
and  a  corn-stalk  pipe  of  very  indifferent  tobacco,  which  be 
grarely  presented  to  my  friend.  Before  returning  onboard  we 
saw  a  wonderful  mirage.  Two  small  lakes  of  blue  water,  glit- 
tering in  tbc  sun,  lay  spread  in  the  yellow  sands,  appareDtly 
not  more  than  a  mile  distant.  There  was  not  the  least  sign 
of  vapor  in  the  air,  and  aa  we  were  quite  unacquainted  with  the 
appearance  of  the  mirage,  we  decided  that  the  lakes  were  Nile- 
water,  left  from  the  inundation.  I  pointed  to  them  and  asked 
the  Arabs:  "la  that  water?"  "No,  nol"  they  all  eselaimed: 
"that  ia  no  water — that  is  a  la}ir Shaytan  J "  {a  river  of  the 
Devil). 

The  white  tomb  of  a  Moslem  saint,  sparkling  in  the  noon 
day  Bun,  on  the  summit  of  a  bill  overlooking  the  Nile,  finally 
announced  our  arrival  at  the  Nubian  frontier.  We  now  beheld 
the  palms  of  Assouan  and  the  granite  cliffs  beyond — which 
we  had  been  so  impatient  to  reach,  a  few  hours  before — with 
regret,  almost  with  dread.     This  was  our  point  of  separatioit 


I 


I 


eforc — with     M 
separatioit     H 


THE   NUBIAN   FBONTlBtt.  161 

My  patliTHiy  was  through  those  desolate  hills,  into  the  heart 
of  Nubia,  into  the  Desert,  and  the  strange  countries  beyond, 
where  so  few  had  been  before  me.     The  vestibule  was  passed : 
Egypt  lay  behind  me.     The  long  landscape  of  the  Nile  was 
but  the  dromos  to  that  temple  of  African  life,  whose  adytum 
was  still  far  in  advance,  deep  in  the  fiery  tropical  silence  of 
Ethiopia.     While  my  blood  thrilled  at  the  prospect,  and  the 
thirst  of  adventure  and  discovery  inspired  me  as  the  wind  of 
the  Desert  inspires  the  Arab  charger,  I  could  not  part  with  in- 
difference from  the  man  who  had  shared  with  me  the  first  au- 
gust impression,  the  sublime  fascination  of  Egypt.     Nor  was 
the  prospect  of  a  solitary  voyage  back  to  Cairo  at  all  cheering 
to  him.     Achmet  would  of  course  accompany  me,  and  the  cook, 
Salame,  who  knew  barely  twenty  words  of  French  and  Italian, 
must  perforce  act  as  dragoman.     My  friend  was  therefore  com- 
pletely at  the  mercy  of  the  captain  and  crew,  and  saw  nothing 
but  annoyance  and  embarrassment  before  him.     I  had  much 
trust  in  Rais  Hassan's  honesty  and  good  faith,  and  was  glad 
to  learn,  several  months  afterwards,  ultat  his  conduct  had  con- 
firmed it. 


159  JOUBNST  rO  CSNTBAL  AF&ZOA. 


CHAPTER    XII 

PHIL^     AND      THE     CATARACT. 

ktk  Official  Tislt— Acbmet's  Dexterity— The  Island  of  Elephantine— Nabian  Clildrtt— 
TriptoPhileB—Llnant  Bey— The  Island  of  Philse— Scnlptnres— The  N«gr»Bae6— 
Breakfast  In  a  Ptolemaic  Temple— The  Island  of  Blggeh— Backsheesh— The  Catand 
—The  Granite  Quarries  of  Assouan- The  Travellers  separate. 

"  Where  Nile  reflects  the  endless  length 
Of  dark-red  colonnades.*'- Maoaulat. 

We  had  scarcely  moored  our  vessel  to  the  beach  at  Assou 
an,  before  a  messenger  of  the  Governor  arrived  to  ask  if  there 
was  an  American  on  board.  He  received  the  information,  and 
we  were  occupied  in  preparing  ourselves  for  an  excursion  to 
the  island  of  Elephantine,  when  Achmet  called  to  us :  "  The 
Governor  is  coming."  We  had  no  time  to  arrange  our  cabin 
for  his  reception ;  he  was  already  at  the  door,  with  two  attend 
ants,  and  the  most  I  could  do  was  to  clear  sufficient  space  for 
a  scat  on  my  divan.  His  Excellency  was  a  short,  stout,  broad- 
faced  man,  with  large  eyes,  a  gray  beard  and  a  flat  nose.  He 
wore  a  semi-European  dress  of  brown  cloth,  and  was  blunt 
though  cordial  in  his  manners.  His  attendants,  one  of  whom 
was  the  Captain  of  the  Cataract,  wore  the  Egyptian  dress, 
with  black  turbans.     They  saluted  us  by  touching  their  hands 


to  tlie  lips  and  forehead,  and  ne  responded  iu  similar  manner, 
after  whieli  the  Governor  inquired  after  our  health  and  we  in- 
quired after  his,  I  delivered  my  letter,  and  while  he  was  occu- 
pied Id  reading  it,  Aohmet  prepared  the  coffee  and  pipoa 
Lucltiiy,  we  had  three  shebooks,  the  best  of  which,  having  an 
amber  month-piece,  was  presented  to  the  Governor.  I  waited 
for  the  coffee  with  some  trepidation,  for  I  knew  we  had  but 
two  Turkish  _/in;'aiis,  and  a  Frank  cup  was  out  of  the  question. 
However,  Achmet  was  a  skilful  servant.  He  presented  the 
cups  at  such  intervals  that  one  was  sure  to  be  empty  while  the 
other  was  full,  and  artfully  drew  away  the  attention  of  our 
guests  by  his  ceremonious  presentations ;  so  that  not  only  they 
but  both  of  us  partook  twice  of  coffee,  without  the  least 
embarrassnicnt,  and  I  believe,  had  there  been  ten  persona 
instead  of  five,  he  would  have  given  the  two  cups  the  effect  of 


After  the  Governor  had  OKpreased  hia  pleasure  in  flowing 
Oriental  phrases,  and  promised  to  engage  me  a  boat  for  Koros- 
ko,  he  took  his  leave  and  wo  crossed  in  a  ferry  barge  to  Ele- 
phantine. This  is  a  small  but  fertile  island,  whose  granite 
foundations  are  fast  anchored  in  the  Nile.  It  once  was  cover- 
ed with  cstensive  ruins,  bnt  they  have  all  been  destroyed  ex- 
cept a  single  gateway  and  an  altar  to  Amun,  both  of  red  gran- 
ite, and  a  sitting  statue  of  raarble.  The  southern  part  is  en- 
tirely covered  with  the  ruioa  of  a  village  of  unburnt  brick,  from 
the  topmost  piles  of  which  we  enjoyed  a  fine  view  of  the  pic- 
turesque environs  of  Assouan.  The  bed  of  the  Nile,  to  the 
south,  was  broken  with  isles  of  dark- red  granite  rock,  the  same 
formation  which  appears  in  the  jagged  crests  of  the  mountain! 
beyond  the  city.     Scattered  over  them  were  the  tombs  of  holj 


>   CENTRAL  AVSICA. 


^ 


men,  dating'  from  the  times  of  the  Saracens.  A  thin  palm- 
grore  Bomewhat  concealed  the  barren  aspect  of  tlie  city,  bu* 
our  glances  passed  it,  to  rest  on  the  distant  hills,  kindling  in 
the  setting  sun. 

The  island  is  inhabited  by  Nubians,  and  some  twenty  oi 
thirty  children,  of  from  six  to  t«n  years  of  age — the  boys  entire- 
ly naked,  the  girls  wearing  the  r^ihad,  a  narrow  leathern  girdle^ 
around  the  loins — surrounded  us,  crying  "JacisAecsft/"  and 
offering  for  sale  bits  of  agate,  coins,  and  fragments  of  pottery. 
Some  of  them  had  cunning  but  none  of  them  intelligent  faces, 
and  their  large  black  eyes  had  an  astonishingly  precocious  ex- 
pression of  sensuality.  We  bought  a  few  trifles  and  tried  U> 
dismiss  them,  but  their  numbers  increased,  so  that  by  the  time 
we  had  made  the  tour  of  the  island  we  had  a  retinue  of  fitly 
followers,  I  took  the  branches  of  henna  they  offered  me  and 
switched  the  most  impudent  of  them,  but  they  seemed  then  to 
consider  that  they  had  a  rightful  claim  to  the  backsheesh,  and 
were  more  importunate  than  ever.  As  we  left,  they  gathered 
on  the  shore  and  sang  us  a.  farewell  chorus,  but  a  few  five  pan 
pieces,  thrown  among  them,  changed  the  harmony  into  b 
nctamble  and  a  fight,  in  wtich  occupation  these  lovely  childrM 
of  Nature  were  engaged  until  we  lost  sight  of  them. 

The  nest  day  we  visited  Philie.  We  took  donkeys  and  a 
guide  and  threaded  the  diemal  valley  of  Saracenic  tombs  south 
of  the  town,  into  a  pass  leading  through  the  granite  hills. 
The  landscape  was  wintry  in  its  bleakness  and  ruggodncM 
The  path  over  which  we  rode  was  hard  sand  and  gravel,  and ' 
on  both  sides  the  dark  rocks  were  piled  in  a  thousand  wonder 
ful  combinations  On  the  surface  there  is  no  appearance  of 
regular  strata,  but  ralher  of  some  terrible  convulsion,  whut 


165 


ims  brokea  Uie  Immense  massej  and  thrown  tliem.  confusedly 
together.  RusBcgger  noticed  that  the  structure  of  the  primi- 
tive strata  of  Assouan  was  exactly  similar  to  that  of  Norther 
Lapland.  The  varieties  of  landscape,  in  different  climates, 
depend  therefore  upon  the  difference  of  vegetation  and  of  atnios- 
pheric  ofiect,  rather  than  that  of  geological  forma,  which  al- 
nnys  preserve  their  identity.  Dr.  Kauo  also  found  in  the 
bleak  hills  of  Greenland  the  same  structure  which  he  had 
observed  in  the  Ghauts  of  tropical  India. 

After  three  or  four  miles  of  this  travel  the  pass  opened 
upon  the  Nile,  juat  above  the  Cataract,  At  the  termination 
of  the  portage  is  a  Nubian  village,  whose  plautationa  of  doum 
and  date-palms  and  acacias  are  dazzling  in  their  grcequesB, 
from  contrast  with  the  bleak  pyramids  of  rock  and  the  tawny 
drifts  of  the  Lybiau  sands  on  the  western  bank.  We  rode 
down  to  the  port,  where  a  dozen  trading  vessels  lay  at  anchor, 
and  took  a  large  boat  for  Philse.  The  Governor  of  Assouan 
was  there,  and  His  Excellency  showed  me  the  vessel  ho  had 
engaged  for  me — a  small  and  rather  old  daha/jiyeh,  but  the 
bast  to  be  had.  The  price  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  piastres 
for  the  trip — about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles — besides 
something  for  the  men.  Achmet  attributed  this  moderate  do- 
mand  to  the  effect  of  a  timely  present,  which  had  been  deli- 
cately conveyed  into  the  Governor's  hands  the  night  before- 
There  was  a  tall  gentleman,  in  the  ofEcial  Egyptian  costumo, 
in  company  with  the  Governor.  Achmet  said  he  was  a  French 
engineer  in  the  sori'ice  of  Abbas  Pasha,  and  I  afterwards 
learned  that  ho  was  none  other  than  N.  Linant,  or  Linanl 
Bey  whose  same  is  so  well  known  through  his  connection 
Kith  the  exploration  of  Petra,  and  of  the  antiquities  in  Ethio- 


TO   OBNTRAT,  Antic  1. 


pii     H. 

ffreeted  uf 


accompanied  by  his  wife,  a  FreLch  lady,  wlic 


Qurteously,  and  two  daughters  of  semi-Abysaiuiui 
origin.  The  latter  were  dressed  in  Oriental  coatmae,  but  un- 
reilcd,  M.  Linant  is  a  tall,  grave  person,  about  fifty  years  o. 
age.  He  wore  a  creBcont  of  diamonds  on  his  breast,  and  hia 
features  expressed  all  the  dignity  and  repose  of  one  who  had 
become  thoroughly  naturalized  in  the  East, 

As  the  wiod  curried  us  out  iuto  the  dtream,  we  Baw  the 
towers  of  the  temple  of  Isis,  on  Philse,  through  a  savage  gorge 
of  the  river.  The  enormous  masses  of  dark  granite  were  piled 
on  either  side  to  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet,  taking  in 
some  places  the  forma  of  monoliths  and  sitting  colossi,  one  of 
which  appeared  so  lightly  balanced  on  the  loose  summit  that  ■ 
strong  gale  might  topple  it  down  the  steep.  The  current  in 
the  narrow  channel  was  so  Tiolont  that  we  conld  malte  no  head- 
way, but  a  Nubian  boy,  swimming  on  a  palm-log,  carried  a 
rope  to  the  shore,  and  we  were  at  length  towed  with  much  labor 
into  the  more  tranquil  basin  girdling  Philae.  The  four  lofty 
towers  of  the  two  pylons,  the  eide  corridors  of  pillars  and  the 
exterior  walls  of  the  temple  seem  perfectly  preserved,  on  ap- 
proaohing  the  island,  the  green  turf  of  whose  banks  and  the 
grouping  of  its  palms  quite  conceal  the  ruins  of  a  miserable 
mud  village  which  surrounds  the  structures.  FhiUe  is  the 
jewel  of  the  Nile,  but  these  ruins  are  an  unsightly  blotch, 
which  takes  away  half  its  lustre.  The  setting  is  neverthelesa 
perfect.  The  basin  of  bla-ck,  jagged  mountains,  folding  on  all 
sides,  yet  half-disclosing  the  avenues  to  Egypt  and  Nubia; 
the  hem  of  emerald  turf  at  their  feet,  sprinkled  with  duster* 
»f  palm,  and  here  and  tkere  the  pillar  or  wall  of  a  temple; 
Ibo  ring  of  the  bright  river,  no  longer  turbid  aa  m  LowH 


\ 


I 


THE    TBMPL'BS    0^    PH1L«.  ISl 

Egjpt ;  of  these  it  ia  the  centre,  ns  it  was  onee  the  radiant 
focus  of  their  beauty. 

The  temple,  which  belangs  to  the  en  of  the  Ptolemies,  ami 
is  little  more  than  two  thouaaad  jears  old,  was  huilt  hy  various 
monarchs,  aud  ia  very  irregular  iu  ita  plan.  Inatoad  of  pre- 
serring  a  fised  dirflctioa,  it  follows  the  curve  of  the  island,  ana 
itfl  various  corridors  aud  pylons  have  been  added  to  each  other 
with  BO  little  regard  to  proportion,  that  the  building  ia  much 
more  agreeable  wheu  viewed  aa  a  collection  of  detached  parta, 
than  aa  a  whole,  Froni  ita  locality,  it  has  suffered  compara- 
livcly  little  from  the  ravnguB  of  man,  and  might  be  restored  to 
almoat  ita  original  condition.  The  mud  which.  Coptic  Chris- 
tians  plastered  over  the  walls  of  its  sanctuaries  has  concealed, 
but  not  defaced,  their  richly-eolored  sculptures,  and  the  palm- 
Icaf  and  lotus  capitals  of  ita  portico  retain  the  first  brilliancy 
of  their  green  aiid  blao  tinta.  The  double  corridor  of  thirty, 
sii  columns,  iii  front  of  the  teraple,  reaching  to  the  southern 
end  of  the  island,  has  never  been  finished,  some  of  the  capitals 
last  erected  being  unsculptured,  and  others  eshibitiog  various 
stages  of  completion.  In  Egypt  one  so  accuatoma  himaelf  to 
looking  back  four  thousand  years,  that  Piiihe  SEema  hut  of  yes- 
terday. The  Gothic  Cathedrals  of  the  Middle  Ages  are  like 
antediluvian  remains,  compared  with  its  apparent  newness  and 


led  tbo  interior  chambers  with  the  aid  of  a  torch, 
Bod  I  also  esplored  several  secret  passages,  incloBcd  in  the 
ihickness  of  the  walls.  The  sculptures  are  raised  on  the  face 
of  the  stone,  and  painted  in  light  and  brilliant  colors.  They 
represent  Isia  and  Oairis,  with  their  offspring,  the  god  Horua, 
which  three  oiins'ituted  the  Trinity  woishipped  in  Philse.     lo 


158 


JODRKKT  TO   CnUTRAL  APHICA. 


one  place  Isis  is  Beea  giTiDg  Buck  to  the  infant  god — a  group 
whicb  bore  a  singular  re&emblance  to  some  painting  I  huTD 
seen  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  The  gods  are  hero  painted  of 
fair,  Greek  complcsion,  and  not,  as  in  the  oldest  tombs  and 
temples,  of  a  light  rod.  Their  profiles  are  ajmmetricai  sod 
even  beautiful,  and  the  emblems  bj  which  they  are  Burround- 
cd,  arc  dravra  and  colored  in  adnnrable  taste.  Those  friends 
of  the  African  K ace,  who  point  to  Egjpt  as  a  proof  of  what 
that  race  has  accomplished,  aro  wholly  mistaken.  The  only 
negro  features  represented  in  Egyptian  sculpture  are  those  of 
slaves  and  captives  taken  in  the  Ethiopian  wars  of  the  Phv 
raohs.  The  temples  and  pyramids  throughout  Nubia,  as  far 
as  the  frontiers  of  Dar-Fflr  and  Abyssinia,  all  bear  the  hiero- 
glyphs of  these  monarchs,  and  there  is  no  evidence  in  all  tha 
valley  of  the  Nile  that  the  Negro  Race  ever  attained  a  higliet 
degree  of  civilization  than  ia  at  present  eihibited  in  (>on^  and 
Ashantcc. 

East  of  the  great  temple  is  a  square,  open  building,  whosa 
four  sides  are  rows  of  columns,  supporting  an  architrave,  and 
united,  at  about  half  their  height,  by  screens  of  stone.  The 
capitals  are  all  of  different  design,  yet  eshihit  the  same  ex- 
quisite harmony  which  charmed  us  in  Ilcmiontis  and  Esuehi 
The  screens  and  pillars  were  evidently  intended  to  have  beeo 
covered  with  sculpture,  ami  a  roof  of  sandstone  blocks  was  to 
have  been  added,  whieh  would  have  made  the  structure  as  pe^ 
feet  OB  it  is  unique.  The  square  block,  or  abacus,  interposed 
between  the  capital  and  architrave,  is  even  higher  than  in  ths 
pillars  of  Uermontis,  and  I  was  equally  puzzled  whethi 
call  it  a  grace  or  a  defect  There  was  one  thing, 
which  certainly  did  give  a  grace  to  the  building,  and 


I 


;,  however  ^H 

L  that  wM  H 


"BACKSHEaaH!"  159 

onr  breakfast,  which  we  ate  oa  a  Wock  large  enough  to  have 
made  an  altar  for  the  Thchan  Jupiter,  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
of  silent  Arabs.  They  contemplated  the  rnina  of  our  cold 
fbwis  with  no  less  interest  than  did  wo  those  of  the  temples  of 
Philfe. 

Before  retuming,  we  crossed  to  the  island  of  Biggeh, 
where  two  pillaTs  of  a  temple  to  Athor  stand  sentry  before  the 
door  of  a  mud  hut,  and  a  red  graaitc  colossus  is  lucky  in 
having  no  head,  since  it  is  spared  the  sight  of  such  desecra 
tion.  The  children  of  Biggeh  fairly  drove  us  away  with  the 
ei'ies  of  "  iackskees/i  / "  The  hideous  word  had  been  rang  in 
our  ears  since  leaving  Assouan,  and  when  we  were  again  saluU 
ed  with  it,  on  landing  at  the  head  of  the  Cataract,  patience 
ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  My  friend  took  his  cane  and  I  the 
etick  of  my  donkey-driver,  and  since  the  naked  pesta  dared 
not  approach  near  enough  to  get  the  backsheesh,  they  finally 
seased  to  demand  it.  The  word  is  in  every  Nubian  mouth, 
and  the  very  boatmen  and  camel-drivers  as  they  passed  us  said 
"  backsltee^"  instead  of  "good  morning."  As  it  was  impoa- 
eible  to  avoid  hearing  it,  I  used  the  word  in  the  same  way, 
and  cordially  returned  the  greeting.  A  few  days  previous,  aa 
we  were  walking  on  shore  near  Esueh,  a  company  of  lahorera 
in  a  dourra-field  began  the  cry.  I  responded,  holding  out  my 
band,  whereupon  one  of  the  men  pulled  off  his  white  cotton 
cap  (his  only  garment),  and  offered  it  to  me,  saying :  "  If  you 
are  poor,  take  it." 

We  walked  down  to  the  edge  of  the  Cataract  and  climbed 
i  rock,  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  principal  rapid. 
There  is  nothing  like  a  fall,  and  the  passage  up  and  down  ia 
attended  with  little  peril.     The  bed  cf  the  Nile  is  fiUea  with 


JOURNEY    TO    { 


granite  maBses,  around  whicK  the  swift  current  roars  nod 
foa^mB,  and  I  can  tmagioe  that  tbe  descent  miiat  Itg  Ter;  cx- 
citiDg,  though  perhaps  1«s3  ao  than  that  of  the  Kapids  of  tha 
St,  Lawrence.  Boats  arc  towed  up,  under  the  superintendence 
of  one  of  the  raia,  or  captains  of  the  Cataract  There  are  foui 
of  those  officers,  with  a  bodj  of  about  two  hundred  men.  The 
}  from  two  to  four  hundred  piastres,  according  to  the 
itize  of  the  boat.  One  third  of  the  money  is  divided  among 
the  captains,  and  the  remainder  falls  to  the  portion  of  the  men. 
This  also  includes  the  desceot,  and  travellers  going  to  the 
Second  Cataract  and  back,  pay  half  the  fee  on  returning. 

Ob  the  following  morniog  we  visited  the  ancient  granita 
quarries  of  Assouan,  Tbey  lie  in  the  hilla,  south  of  the  town, 
1  ft  mile  from  the  river.  I  never  saw  a  mora 
magnificent  bed  of  roolt.  Its  color  is  a  light  red,  flecked  with 
L,  and  its  grain  is  very  fine  and  nearly  as  solid  aa  por> 
phyry.  An  obelisk,  one  hundred  feet  long  and  twelve  feet 
square  at  tho  base,  still  lies  in  the  quarry,  having  been  abaa- 
doned  on  account  of  a  slight  fissure  near  its  summit.     Groove*' 

e  afterward  cut,  for  the  purpose  of  separating  it  into  block^ 
but  for  some  reason  or  other  tho  design  was  not  carried  oat 
In  many  parts  of  the  quarry  the  method  employed  by  tho.' 
I  to  detach  th«  enormous  masses,  is  plainly  to  be 
Been.  A  shallow  groove  was  first  sunk  along  the  line  of  &bo- 
tore,  after  which  mortices  about  three  inches  wide  and  foni 
0  cut  at  short  intervals,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
wooden  wedges.  These  having  been  driven  firmly  into  their 
sockets,  were  saturated  with  water,  and  by  their  expansion 
forced  the  solid  grain  asunder. 

We  rode  back  to  the  <Jleopatra  with  heavy  hearts.     Ever}, 


I 


i 


tiling  IiDil  been  prep&red  for  our  departure,  my  ^iead  for  Cairn 
and  Ocrmany,  and  I  for  the  Nubiaa  Desert  and  White  Nile. 
The  Governor  of  Asaonan  had  despatched  a  letter  Ut  the  Gov 
ernor  of  Korosko,  asking  him  to  have  camels  ready  for  the 
Desert,  on  my  arrival,  my  own  letters  to  my  friends  were  fin- 
ished, my  equipage  had  been  transferred  to  the  shore,  ajid 
oamete  had  arrived  to  transport  it  around  the  Cataract  to  the 
Nubian  village,  where  my  lioat  was  in  readiness.  Our  hand- 
Bome  sailor.  All,  begged  so  hard  to  be  allowed  to  accompany 
me,  that  I  finally  agreed  to  take  him  as  a  servant,  and  he  was 
already  on  duty.  Aehmet  was  nearly  as  cheerful  as  he,  not- 
withstanding he  had  just  written  to  his  family  to  say  that  he 
was  going  tu  Soudfiu,  and  had  given  up,  as  he  afterwards  in- 
formed me,  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  Egypt  again.  The  Amer- 
ican flag  was  run  down,  and  the  Sase-Coburg  colors — green 
and  white — hoisted  in  its  stead.  We  had  a  parting  visit  from 
the  Governor,  who  gave  me  another  letter  to  Korosko,  and  wo 
then  sat  down  to  a  breakfast  for  wliioh  we  had  no  appetite. 
The  eamela  were  loaded  and  sent  off  in  advance,  under  Ali'a 
charge,  but  I  waited  until  every  man "  was  on  board  the  good 
old  vessel  ond  ready  to  push  off  for  Cairo,  The  large  maic 
nail  was  unshipped  and  laid  over  the  cabin,  and  the  stem-saii 
only  to  he  used  when  the  south-wind  blows,  hoisted  in  its 
place.  The  tow-rope  was  wound  up  and  stowed  away,  and  the 
Urge  cars  hung  in  the  rowlocks.  Finally,  every  sailor  was  at 
bia  post ;  the  moment  came,  and  we  parted,  as  two  men  seldom 
part,  who  were  strangers  six  weeks  before.  I  goaded  my  don- 
key desperately  over  the  sands,  hastened  the  loading  of  my 
effeets,  and  was  speedily  afloat  and  alone  on  the  Nubian  Nile 


LesI  Evi-Blng  on 

We  jaEsed  to  the  weet  of  the  island  of  Ei^eh,  when,  the  9 
rent  ia  leas  rapid,  aud  a  gentle  iiortli  wiud  soou  carried  s 
Iwaj  from  Philas.  Dari  mountainB  of  porphyry  rock  inologrf 
tho  river,  and  the  solitutlQ  of  the  shores,  hroken  only  by  lh« 
creuking  vf  an  occusioual  sakia,  or  irrigating  wheel,  mado  me 
feel  keenly  the  loneliness  of  my  eituation.  Achmet,  who  nov 
bccau.e  cook  as  well  as  dragoman,  served  mc  up  three  fowl^, 


BDSIAM  BOBNKRr.  16* 

oootcd  in  different  Etjles,  for  dinner — partly  as  an  eameBt  of 
hia  skill,  and  partly  to  dispel  my  waat  of  spirits.  But  tlie  fra- 
grant pipe  wiiicli  followed  dinner  was  the  true  promoter  of  pa- 
tienca  and  "  Patience,"  says  the  Arab  poet,  "  is  the  key  of 
Oontoat-''  Mj  boat  was  a  small,  slow  craft,  and  Rais  Iloree- 
dce,  the  captain,  the  most  indolent  of  Nubians.  His  weak, 
femiuiue  face  showed  a  lack  of  character,  which  Aohmet  soon 
turned  to  advantage,  by  taking  the  command  into  hia  own 
hands.  The  wind  was  barely  strong  enough  to  obviate  the 
necessity  of  towing,  and  my  three  sailors  sat  on  the  bow  all 
day,  singing:  " andtrbuddee /  andivhuddee ! "  as  we  lazily 
ascended  the  river. 

Those  who  do  not  go  beyond  Thebes  are  only  half  acquaint- 
ed with  the  Kile.  Above  Esneb,  it  is  no  longer  a  broad,  iMy 
current,  watering  endless  fields  of  wheat  and  groves  of  palm, 
bounded  in  the  distance  by  level  lines  of  yellow  mountain-walla. 
It  is  narrower,  clearer  and  more  rapid,  and  its  valley,  after 
the  first  scanty  field  of  wheat  or  doarra,  strikes  the  foot  of 
broken  and  rocky  ranges,  tbrougb  the  gaps  in  which  the  winds 
of  the  Desert  have  spilled  its  sands.  There  is  not  the  same 
pale,  beautiful  monotony  of  color,  but  the  landscapes  are  full 
of  striking  contrasts,  and  strongly  accented  lights  and  shadows. 
Here,  in  Nubia,  these  characteristics  are  increased,  and  thi 
Nile  becomes  a  river  of  the  North  under  a  Sonthern  sun.  The 
mountains  rise  on  cither  hand  from  the  water's  edge ;  piles  of 
dark  sandstone  or  porphyry  rook,  sometimes  a  thousand  feet  in 
height,  where  a  blade  of  grass  never  grew,  every  notch  and  jag 
in  their  crests,  every  fissure  on  their  sides,  revealed  in  au 
stmoapbere  ao  pure  and  crystalline,  that  nothing  but  one  of  oui 
cQondless  mid-winter  days  can  equal  it.      Their  hue  near  at 


104 


jouBim  TO  mumuL  Africa. 


[lanil  ia  a,  glowing  brown;  in  the  diBtance  an  intense  violet 
©n  tlie  western  bank  tbey  are  lower ;  and  the  sand  of  that  vast 
Desert,  which  stretches  imbroken  to  the  Atlantic,  has  heaped 
itself  over  their  shouldera  and  poured  long  drifts  and  rills  eTCQ 
Lu  the  water.  In  color  it  is  a  tawny  gold,  almost  approach- 
ing a  salmon  tint,  and  its  glow  at  Bnnrise  equals  that  of  the 
§now-fields  of  the  Alps, 

The  arable  land  is  a  mere  hem,  a  few  jarda  in  breadth  on 
either  side  of  the  river.  It  supports  a  few  scattering  date- 
palms,  which  are  the  principal  dependence  of  tho  NnbiaiiB. 
They  are  tased  at  the  rate  of  a  piastre  and  a  half  each,  annu- 
ally,  the  trees  being  counted  every  five  years  by  a  GoTernment 
officer  appointed  for  that  purpose.  If  half  of  them  should  die 
in  the  mean  time,  the  tax  remains  the  same  until  the  nest 
count.  The  trees  are  seven  years  in  coming  to  maturity,  afl«r 
which  tbey  produce  dates  for  seven  years,  and  then  gradually 
decay.  They  are  male  and  female,  and  are  generally  planted' 
BO  that  the  pollen  may  be  blown  from  the  male  to  the  femalfl 
flowers.  In  some  parts  of  Egypt  this  impregnation  is  artifi- 
oially  produced.  The  banks  are  planted  with  wheat,  beans  and 
a  species  of  lupin,  from  which  broad  is  made,  and  wherever  a 
little  shelf  of  soil  is  found  along  the  base  of  the  mountains,  the 
creaking  sakiaa  turn  day  and  night  to  give  life  to  patebea  of  dour 
ra  and  cotton.  In  a  rough  shed,  protected  from  the  sun  by  pall 
mats,  a  cow  or  buffalo  walks  a  weary  round,  raising  the  wa 
tthiuh  ia  conveyed  in  small  channels,  built  of  clay,  lo  all 
Lumerous  beds  into  which  the  field  is  divided.  These  are  fiO-' 
ed,  in  regular  succesBion  to  the  depth  of  two  inches,  and  the& 
left  to  stand  until  dried  by  the  sun.  The  process  ia  oontini 
until  the  grain  is  nearly  Tipe.     The  sakias  pay  a  tax  of  thi 


i 


ARRIVAL  AT  KOROBKt), 


16B 


hundredpiastrCEa  jear,  lericd  in  lica  of  a  groiuid  tiix,  wliioli  tlig 
Egyptians  pay.  With  all  their  labor,  the  iDhabitants  scarcely 
produce  enough  to  support  Ihemaelves,  and  tlie  children  are 
Rent  to  Cairo  at  an  early  age,  where  they  become  honse-aer 
rants,  and  like  the  Swiss  and  Savoyards,  send  home  a  portion 
of  their  earnings.  Thia  part  of  Nubia  is  inhabited  by  the 
Kencws  tribe,  who  speak  a  language  of  their  own.  They  and 
their  language  are  designated  by  the  general  name  of  Baruhra 
(nearly  equivalent  to  "  barbarians  ")  by  the  Arabs.  They  are 
more  stupid  than  the  Egyptian  Fellabs,  but  their  character  for 
truth,  and  honesty  is  superior.  In  my  walks  on  shore,  I  found 
them  Tcry  friendly,  and  much  less  impudent  than  the  Nubians 
about  Assooan. 

The  northern  part  of  Nubia  is  rich  in  Egyptian  remains, 
but  I  hastened  od  without  visiting  tbem,  passing  the  temples 
ofDabfid,  Eaiabshee,  Bahkcli,  Dendoor  and  Sebooa.  which 
looked  at  me  invitingly  from  the  western  bank.  Near  DcDdoor 
I  crossed  the  Tropic  of  Caneer,  and  on  the  fourth  afternoon 
aft«r  leaving  Assouan,  RaJs  Hereedec  pointed  out  in  the  dis- 
tance the  mountain  of  Korosko,  the  goal  of  the  voyage,  I  was 
charmed  with  the  near  prospect  of  desert  life,  but  I  fancied 
Achmet  was  rather  grave,  since  all  beyond  was  an  unknown 
region  to  him.  The  sharp  peak  of  the  mountain  grsdualty 
drew  nearer,  and  at  dusk  my  boat  was  moored  to  a  palm-tree, 
in  front  of  the  village  of  Koroako. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour,  I  received  a  visit  from  the  Gov 

emor,  Moussa  Effendi,  who  brought  nae  good  news.     A  caravan 

had  just  arrived  from  Sennaar,  and  camels  were  in  readiness 

r  the  journey  to  Berber,  in  Ethiopia.     This  was  very  lucky, 

for  mcrcbaut-B  are  frequently  detained  at  Korosko  twenty  ei 


a 


168  JOURKET  10  OK!«TKAI.  ATXICA. 

thirly  Aays,  and  I  had  anticipated  a  delay  of  at  leaBt 
1  also  learned  that  Dr.  Knoblecher,  the  ApoBtoIio  Vicar  of  tht 
Catholic  MiaaioDB  in  Central  Africa,  Lad  left  for  Khartoum 
about  twenty  days  previous.  The  Governor  was  profuse  in  his 
offers  of  assistance,  stating  that  as  Shekh  Abou-Moliomined,  a 
ciiief  of  the  Abahdeh  tribe,  through  whoso  territories  my  road 
lay,  was  then  in  Koroeko,  ho  wonld  be  enabled  to  maki 
»rraogement  for  my  safety  and  oonvenience. 

Early  the  next  morning  my  equipage  was  caken  ashi 
and  my  tent  pitched  for  the  Grst  time,  under  a  clump  of  pali 
trees,  overlookiog  the  Kile.  Leaving  Ali  to  act  as  guard,  1 
took  Achmet  and  walked  up  to  the  village  of  Korosko,  which 
is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  at  tho  foot  of  the 
lofty  Djebel  Korosko.  The  Governor's  mansion  was  a  mud 
hut,  differing  from  the  other  huts  in  sizo  only.  His  Excellcii 
cy  received  me  cordially,  and  immediately  sent  for  Sbekh 
Ahou-Mohammed,  with  whom  the  contract  for  camels  must  be 
made.  The  Shekh  was  a  tall,  imposing  personage,  with  a 
dark-brown  corapleiion,  bat  perfectly  straight  and  regular  fea- 
tures, lie  was  accompanied  by  a  superb  attendant — an  Abab- 
doh,  sis  feet  two  inches  in  height,  with  sliarp,  symmetrieal 
features,  and  a  fine,  fierce  eye.  His  hair  was  raised  perpendicu- 
larly from  his  forehead,  but  on  each  aide  hung  down  in  a  great 
nnmber  of  little  twists,  sraearod  with  mutton-fat  and  castor-oiL 
His  long  cotton  mantle  was  wrapped  around  him  I'.ke  a  Greek 
ehlamys,  and  his  bearing  was  as  manly  and  majestic  as  that  of 
an  Ajas  or  a  Diomed.  There  was  some  controversy  about  the 
number  of  camels;  Achmet  and  I  had  decided  that  we  should 
not  require  more  than  ftve,  and  the  Shekh  insisted  that  VI 
should  take  more  .but  finally  agreed  to  furnish  us  with  six,  in- 


I    XOK    OAHBLBi 


n 

L 


olading  one  for  t]ie  guide,  at  the  price  paid  by  officers  of  tlie 
Qovemment — nioety  piastres  (four  dollars  aod  fifty  cents)  each, 
to  El  Mekhejref,  the  capital  of  Dar  Berber,  a.  journey  of  four 
teeo  days.  This  included  the  serricca  of  camel- driverB,  and 
oil  other  expenses,  except  the  biro  of  the  guide,  whose  foe  ^saM 
that  of  a  camel — ninety  piastres.  Mercbanta  who  travel  thia 
route,  pay  according  to  the  neight  of  their  loadf,  and  frequent- 
ly tana  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
piastres. 

Soon  after  returning  to  my  tent,  I  was  again  visited  by  the 
Governor,  who  found  my  choice  Lataltieh  very  acceptable  tohia 
taste.  I  therefore  presented  him  with  two  or  three  pounds  of 
it,  and  soma  gunpowder,  which  he  received  in  a  way  that  made 
ine  sure  of  bis  good  ofSoes.  Sbekh  A bou- Mohammed  also 
came  down,  inspected  my  baggage,  and  was  satisfied  that  tht 
camels  would  not  be  overloaded.  He  declaredjhowever,  that  the 
four  geerhehs,  or  water-Bkins,  which  I  had  brought  from  C:uro, 
would  not  be  sufficient,  and  as  none  were  to  be  purchased  in 
Korosko,  loaned  me  four  more  for  the  journey,  on  my  agreeing 
to  pay  him  half  their  value,  I  also  puid  him  for  the  camels,  he 
giving  a  formal  receipt  therefor,  which  was  intrusted  to  the 
guide,  to  be  delivered  to  the  (Jovernor  of  Berber,  on  our  arri- 
val there.  Three  Bhort,  black  Arabs  of  the  Bisharee  tribe,  with 
iinmenso  bushy  heads  of  twisted  and  greased  hair,  were  pre- 
sented to  me  as  the  camel-drivers.  After  receiving  their  share 
of  the  money  (for  the  camels  belonged  to  them),  tbey  squatted 
down  together  and  occupied  an  hour  or  two  in  counting  and 
dividing  it,  One  of  them  then  took  a  long  palm-rope,  and 
went  into  the  desert  to  catch  the  animals,  while  the  others  re- 
iDtuDcd  tt  oBnint  in  arranging  the  baggage  into  HCDarato  load& 


JOUKTUT  TO 


Tne  caravan  from  SeanaBT  bronght  tirelyc  giraffeB,  y 
had  been  captured  in  the  foreatB  of  the  Blue  Nile,  as  a  preeenl 
from  Lattif  Pasha,  Governor  of  Soudan,  to  Abbas  Paaha. 
They  were  in  good  condition,  notwithstanding  the  toilsome 
march  across  the  Nubian  Desert.  Tho  officer  who  had  tiioiH 
in  charge  informed  me  that  they  made  frequent  efforts  t^^ 
escape,  and  one  of  them,  which  brote  from  its  keeper's  hold, 
was  only  recaptured  after  a  oliaae  of  several  hours.  Four 
large  tradiDg-boats  were  in  readiness,  to  convey  them  to  As- 
souan, and  the  graceful  creatures  stood  on  the  bank,  with  their 
heads  almost  tonching  tho  crowns  of  the  dEte-treea,  looking 
with  wonder  on  the  busy  seene  below.  For  a  ioog  time  thej 
refused  to  enter  the  unsteady  barges,  but  at  last,  trembliog 
with  fear,  they  were  forced  on  board  and  floated  away,  their 
slim  necks  towering  like  masts  in  the  distance. 

There  was  a,  small  tent  on  the  bank,  pitched  not  fax  from 
mine.      Its  occupant,  a  one-ejed,  olive-faced  young  man,  in 
Egyptian  costume,  came  to  pay  ine  a  visit,  and  I  foaitd  that 
he  was  a  son  of  M.  Liuant,  by  a  former  Abyssinian  wife.     He 
was  then  making  his  second  trip  to  Soud;iu,  as  a  mcrcliant,  uii 
a  capital  of  twenty.five  thousand  piastres,  which  bis  father  Lail 
given  him.     Although  he  only  required  twelve  camels,  ho  bad 
been  cigbt  days  in  Korosko  waiting  for  them,  and  was  still    _ 
waiting  when  I  left     He  was  aocompanied  by  a  young  FrenohcJ 
man,  who  was  one  of  the  grandest  liars  I  ever  met.     He  td4H 
mo  with  a  grave  face,  that  he  bad  travelled  from  Algiers  to 
Egypt  through  the  Great  Sahara,  and  had  on  one  oocasioo 
gone  eight  days  without  water,  and  the  thermometer  one  hun- 
dred ar.d   twenty.five   degrees  in  tho  shade  I      The  son  of  the 
former  Mek  (kingj  of  SLendy — the  same  fierce  old  savage  vhs 


L    COSTCMlt. 


burned  to  death  Ismail  Pasba  and  Lis  soldiers — v/hb  also  id 
Korosko,  and  visited  me  during  the  day.  He  held  some  office 
under  Government,  which  made  him  responsihle  for  the  scctt- 
rity  of  travellers  and  merohandiso  in.  the  Desert,  and  his  pres' 
enee  probahly  facilitated  my  arrangcmentB.  He  was  a  ntrik- 
iDgly  handsome  man,  and  wore  a  superb  Cashmere  shawl 
twisted  around  his  head  as  a  turhan. 

The  water-akias  were  soaked  in  the  Nile  all  day,  to  pre- 
pare them  for  use.  Achmet,  backed  by  the  Govemor'a  au- 
thority, ransacked  the  village  for  further  supplies  of  provisions, 
but  the  place  waa  miserably  poor,  and  he  only  succeeded  ia 
procuring  two  pounds  of  butter,  a  few  fowls,  aad  some  bread. 
There  were  pigeons  in  abundance,  however,  and  he  cooked  a 
Boffioient  number  to  last  us  two  or  three  days.  The  fowls 
were  placed  in  a  light  cafass,  or  coop,  to  be  carried  on  the  top 
of  the  baggage.  Ali,  proud  of  his  new  station,  worked  faith- 
fully, and  before  night  nil  our  preparations  were  completed. 
I  ihcD  sent  for  a  barber,  had  my  hair  shorn  close  bo  the  skin, 
and  assumed  the  complete  Egyptian  costume.  I  wa^  already 
accustomed  to  the  turhan  and  shawl  around  the  waist,  and  the 
addition  of  a  light  silk  sidree,  or  shirt,  and  trowsers  which 
contained  eighteen  yards  of  muslin,  completed  the  dress,  which 
in  its  grace,  conveoienee,  and  adaptation  to  the  climate  and 
habits  of  the  East,  is  immeasurably  superior  to  the  Frank  cos- 
t'jme.  It  allows  complete  freedom  of  the  limbs,  while  th« 
jiost  sensitive  parts  of  the  body  are  thoroughly  protected  from 
ehanges  of  temperature.  The  legs,  especially,  are  even  lesi 
fettered  by  the  wide  Turkish  trowsers  than  by  a  Highland  kilt, 
uid  they  fold  themselves  under  you  naturally  and  comfortably 
in  thu  characteristic  attitude  of  the   Orientals.     The  turban 


h. 


JOURSKY  TO   CXKTRAL  i 


3  hot  and  cmubrooB,  is  in  nality  cool,  and  ii 

the  fierceBt  aun  that  ever  blazed. 


fflucu  appears 
pervious 

After  dinner,  I  seated  myself  at  the  tent  door,  wrapped  t  ] 
my  capoto,  and  gave  myself  up  to  the  pipe  of  meditatioa  It  ' 
was  a  splendid  starlit  evening.  Not  a  blade  of  the  palm- 
Icavea  was  stirring,  and  the  only  sounds  I  heard  were  the  lael' 
ancholy  droue  of  salcias  along  the  river,  and  the  cry  of  iLa 
jackal  amoug  the  hills.  The  Nile  had  already  become  lay 
home,  endeared  to  me  not  more  by  the  grand  assd^iatioas  of 
its  eldest  human  history  than  by  the  rest  and  the  paticuce 
which  I  bad  breathed  iu  its  calm  atmosphere.  Now  I  was  lo 
leave  it  for  the  untried  Desert,  and  the  strange  regions  beyond, 
whore  I  should  find  its  aspect  changed.  Would  it  still  give 
me  the  same  health  of  body,  the  same  peace  and  contentment 
of  soul?  "  Aehraet,"  said  I  to  the  Theban,  who  was  sitting 
not  far  off,  silently  smokiag,  "we  are  going  into  strange  coua- 
tries — have  you  no  fear  ?  "  "  You  remember,  master,''  he  an- 
swered, "  that  wc  left  Cairo  on  a  lucky  day,  and  why  shooldll 
tear,  elnee  all  things  are  ia  the  hands  of  Allah  ?" 


172 


JOUBNKT  TO 


one  travels  ia  a  aouth-weaterly  direction  nearly  to  Dongols, 
thence  south  to  Edabbe,  in  lat,  18°,  aflor  which  his  course  a 
liortU-cast  aa  far  as  lat.  19°  30',  where  he  again  resimiea  the 
general  southern  direction.  The  termini  of  thia  imnienBe 
I'lirTO,  called  bj  the  ancients  the  "  elbows"  of  the  Nile,  an 
Korosko  and  Abou-Hammed,  in  southern  Nubia.  About 
ninety  miles  above  the  former  place,  at  Wadi  Haifa,  is  Iha 
BCBond  cataract  of  the  Nile,  the  Southern  Thule  of  Egyptian 
tourists.  The  river,  betneen  that  point  and  Dongola,  is  so 
broken  by  rapids,  that  vessels  can  only  pass  during  the  inun 
dation,  and  then  with  great  difficulty  and  danger.  The  exi- 
gencies of  trade  have  established,  no  doubt  since  the  earliest 
tiraca,  the  shorter  route  through  the  Desert.  The  distance  be- 
tween Korosko  and  Abou-ITamnied,  by  the  river,  is  more  than 
six  hundred  miles,  while  by  the  Desert,  it  is,  according  to 
my  reckoning,  only  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  miles.  The 
former  caravan,  route  led  directly  from  Assouan  to  Berber  and 
Shendy,  and  lay  some  distance  to  the  eastward  of  that  from 
Korosko.  It  is  the  same  travelled  by  Bruce  and  Burekhardt, 
but  is  now  almost  entirely  abandoned,  sineo  the  countries  of 
Soudiin  have  been  made  tributary  to  Egypt.  It  lies  throu^ 
a  chain  of  valleys,  inhabited  by  the  Ababdeh  Arabs,  and  ao- 
cording  to  Burekhardt,  there  are  trees  and  water,  at  short  in- 
tervals, for  the  greater  part  of  the  way,  The  same  travellet 
(bus  describes  the  route  from  Korosko  :  "  On  that  road  ths 
traveller  finds  only  a  single  well,  which  is  situated  midway, 
four  long  days  distant  from  Berber  and  as  many  from  Seboc» 
Tnear  Korosko].  A  great  inconvenience  on  that  road  is  that 
neither  trees  nor  shrubs  are  anywhere  found,  wheace  thi 
camels  are  much  distressed  for  food,  and  passengers  are  oblig 
ed  to  carry  wood  with  them  to  dress  their  meals." 


17» 


3  the  morning  of  the  21st  of  December,  the  water-ekiai 
were  filled  from  the  Nile,  the  baggage  carefully  divided  into 
separate  loads,  the  unwilling  camels  received  their  burdens, 
and  I  mounted  a  dromedary  for  the  first  time.  My  little  cara- 
van consisted  of  sis  camels,  including  that  of  the  guide.  A> 
it  was  put  in  motion,  the  Governor  and  ShekL  Abou-Hoham- 
med  wished  mc  a  safe  journey  and  tlie  protection  of  Allah, 
We  passed  the  miserable  hamlet  of  Korosko,  turned  a  cornet 
of  the  mountain-chain  into  a  narrow  stony  valley,  and  ia  a  few 
minutOd  lost  sight  of  the  Nile  and  his  belt  of  palms.  Thence- 
forth, for  many  days,  the  only  green  thing  to  be  Been  in  all  the 
wlldBmeflB  was  myself.  After  two  or  three  hours'  travel,  we 
paftsed  an  encampment  of  Arabs,  where  my  Biahareea  added 
another  camel  for  tiicir  own  supplies,  and  two  Nubians,  mount- 
ed on  doniteya,  joined  us  for  the  mareh  to  Berber.  The  first 
day's  journey  lay  among  rugged  hills,  thrown  together  confuB- 
edly,  with  no  apparent  system  or  direction.  They  were  of  jet 
blaek  sands  tone,,  and  reacrahlcd  imraense  piles  of  coke  and  an- 
thracite. The  small  glens  and  basins  inclosed  in  this  chaoa 
were  filled  with  glowing  yellow  sand,  which  in  many  places 
Btreamed  down  the  crevices  of  the  black  rocks,  like  rivulets  of 
fire.  The  path  was  strewn  with  hollow  globes  of  hard,  blaek 
Btonea,  precisely  resembling  cannon-balls.  The  guide  gave 
me  one  of  the  bIzo  of  a  rifle-bullet,  with  a  seam  around  the 
centre,  as  if  cast  in  a  mould,  Tho  thermometer  showed  a 
temperature  of  eighty  degrees  at  two  p.  m.,  but  the  beat  waa 
tempered  by  a  pure,  fresh  breeze.  After  eight  hours'  travel,  1 
made  my  first  camp  at  sunset,  in  a  little  hollow  inclosed  bj 
mountains,  where  a  gray  jackal,  after  being  twice  shot  at,  cam* 
sod  looked  into  the  door  of  tie  tent. 


lU 


I  orarrBAi  Itrida. 


I  found  dromcdarj-riding  not  st  all  difficult.  One  sita  Ofl 
ft  very  lofty  seat,  with  bis  feet  crossed  over,  the  animal's  ahoul 
ders  or  resting  od  his  Deck.  The  body  ia  obliged  to  rock  back- 
ward and  forward,  on  account  of  the  long,  awingiDg  gait,  and 
as  there  is  no  etay  or  fulcrum  except  a  blunt  pommel,  aroand 
which  the  legs  are  crossed,  some  little  power  of  equilibrium  i; 
necessary.  My  dromedary  was  a  strong,  stately  beast,  of  ■ 
light  cream  color,  aud  so  even  a  gait,  that  it  would  bear  the 
Arab  test :  that  is,  one  might  drink  a  cup  of  coffee,  while  go- 
ing on  a  full  trot,  without  spilling  a  drop.  I  found  a  great 
advantage  in  the  use  of  the  Orieutal  costume.  My  trowsers 
allowed  the  legs  perfect  freedom  of  motion,  and  I  soon  learned 
BO  many  different  modes  of  crossing  those  members,  that  no 
day  was  suEEcient  to  exhaust  them.  The  rising  and  kneeling 
of  the  animal  is  hazardous'  at  first,  as  his  long  legs  double  to- 
gether like  a  carpenter's  rule,  and  you  are  thrown  backwards 
and  tjien  forwards,  and  then  backwards  again,  but  the  trick  of 
it  is  soon  learned.  The  soreness  and  futigue  of  which  many 
travellers  complain,  I  never  felt,  and  I  attribute  much  of  it  tc 
the  Frank  dress.  I  rodo  from  eight  to  ten  hours  a  day,  read 
and  even  dreamed  in  the  saddle,  and  was  at  night  as  fresh  and 
unwearied  as  when  I  mounted  in  the  morning. 

My  caravan  was  accompanied  by  four  Arabs.  The  guide, 
Eyoub,  was  an  old  Ababdoh,  who  knew  all  the  Desert  between 
the  Red  Sea  and  the  Nile,  as  fur  south  as  Abyssinia.  The 
camol-drivers  were  of  the  great  Bishoree  tribe,  which  estpcds 
from  Shendy,  in  Ethiopia,  through  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
Nubian  Desert,  to  the  frontiers  of  Egypt.  They  owned  the 
burden  camels,  which  they  urged  along  with  the  cry  of  "  Va-  _ 
bo  I    Shekh  Abd-cl  Radar  ["    and  a  shrill  barbaric  song,  i 


S    CAUEt-DRIVBBS    AND    I 

velraiii  of  which  was :  "  0  Prophet  of  God,  help  tLe  camels  and 
bring  us  eafoly  to  our  joiomey'a  end  1 "  They  were  very  sns- 
ceptible  to  eold,  and  b.  temperature  of  50°,  wliich  wo  frequent- 
ly had  in  the  morning,  made  them  tremble  like  aspen  leaves, 
and  thay  were  aometimea  HO  benumbed  that  they  could  acarcely 
load  the  camela.  Thcj  were  proud  of  tbeir  enormous  hends 
rfhair,  which  they  wore  parted  on  both  temples,  the  middle 
portion  being  drawn  into  an  upright  mass,  six  inches  in  height, 
while  the  aide  divisiona  hung  over  the  cars  ia  a  multitude  of 
little  twists.  These  love-locks  thej  anointed  eveiy  marning 
with  auet,  and  looked  as  if  they  had  slept  in  a  hard  frost,  until 
the  heat  had  melted  the  fat.  I  thought  to  Matter  one  of  them 
as  he  performed  the  operation,  by  OKclaimicg  "  Beautiful ! " — 
but  he  auawered  coolly ;  "  You  apeak  truth :  it  is  very  beauti- 
ful." Through  the  central  mass  of  hair  a  wooden  shewer  was 
atuck,  in  order  to  scratch  the  head  without  disturbing  the 
arrangement.  They  wore  long  sworda,  carried  in  a  leathern 
scabbard  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  sometimefi  favored  ua  with 
a  war-dance,  which  consisted  merely  in  springing  into  the  air 
with  a  brandished  sword  and  turning  around  once  before  com- 
ing down.  Their  names  were  El  Emeem,  Hossayn  and  AIL 
We  called  the  latter  Shekh  All,  on  account  of  his  hair.  He 
wore  nothing  but  a  ragged  cotton  clout,  yet  owned  two  camels, 
had  a  tent  in  the  Desert,  and  gave  Achmet  a  bag  of  dollars  to 
carry  for  him.  I  gave  to  E!  Emeem,  on  account  of  his  shrill 
Toice,  the  nickname  of  Wis:  (wild  goo.ie),  by  which  he  was 
thenceforth  called.  They  were  all  very  devout,  retiring  a  short 
distance  from  the  road  to  say  their  prayers,  at  the  usual  hours 
and  performiEg  the  prescribed  ablutions  with  sand,  instead  of 
ivater. 


1^6 


SOURNST  TO   DISTRAL  AFRICA. 


r 


On  the  second  morning  we  passed  through  a  gorge  in  tht 
black  hills,  and  entered  a  region  called  El  Biban,  or  "  Tla  , 
Gates."  Here  the  mountaiua,  though  still  grouped  in  the  eaiW 
disorder,  were  more  open  and  ga,vc  room  to  plains  of  sand  s8« 
Erni  miles  in  length.  Th<i  Darrow  opening,  through  which  the 
road  passes  from  one  plain  to  another,  gave  rise  to  the  name 
The  mountains  aro  higher  than  on  the  Nile,  and  present  tlii 
most  wonderful  configurations — towers,  fortresses,  walls,  pyra- 
mids, temples  in  ruin,  of  an  inky  blackness  near  at  hand,  but 
tinged  of  a  deep,  glowing  violet  hue  in  the  distance.  Towards 
noon  I  saw  a  mirage — a,  lake  in  which  the  broken  peaks  were 
reflected  with  great  distinctness.  One  of  the  Nubians  who  was 
with  US,  pointed  out  a  spot  where  he  was  obliged  to  climb  the 
rocks,  the  previous  summer,  to  avoid  being  drowned.  During 
the  heavy  tropical  rains  which  sometimes  fall  here,  the  huo- 
dreds  of  pyramidal  hills  pour  down  such  floods  that  the 
cannot  immediately  drjnk  them  up,  and  the  valleys  are  turni 
into  lakes.  The  man  described  the  roaring  of  the  waters, 
down  the  clefts  of  the  racks,  as  something  terrible.  In  sum 
mer  the  passage  of  tho  Desert  is  much  more  arduous  than  in 
winter,  and  many  men  and  camels  perish.  The  road  was 
strewn  with  bones  and  carcasses,  and  I  frccjueutly  counted  twen- 
ty dead  camels  within  a  stone's  throw.  The  sUine-beaps  whick 
are  seen  on  all  the  spurs  of  the  hills,  as  landmarks  for  cawi 
vans,  have  become  useless,  since  one  could  And  his  way  by  th<:1 
bones  in  the  sand.  My  guide,  who  was  a  great  believer 
afrites  and  devils,  said  that  formerly  many  persons  lost  tht 
way  and  perished  from  thirst,  all  of  which  was  the  work  (rf 
svil  spirits. 

My  next  camp  was  ia  the  midst  of  a  high  circular  plui^ 


hutt-  ^ 
somtM 

irnelfl 


AK   nHSXPKOTKD   TISIT.  Ill 

sarroondeil  by  liondreds  of  black  pcalcs.  Hore  I  bud  an  nncx 
pected  visit.  I  was  Bitting  in  my  tent,  about  eiglit  o  clockj 
wben  I  heard  the  tramp  of  dromedaries  outside,  and  a  strange 
Toica  Hiiying:  ana  wahed  Infjlces:  (I  am  anEoglisliinau).  It 
proved  to  be  Capt.  Peel,  of  the  British  Nayy,  (son  of  the  ]at« 
Sir  Robert  Peel),  who  was  returning  from  a  journey  to  Kbar- 
toam  and  Kordofan.  He  was  attended  by  a  single  guide,  and 
carried  only  a  water-skin  and  a  basket  of  bread.  Ho  had 
traYelled  nearly  day  and  night  since  leaving  Berber,  and  would 
finish  the  journey  from  that  place  to  Korosko — a  distance  of 
four  hundred  miles— in  seven  days.  He  spent  an  hour  with 
me,  and  then  pushed  onward  through  "  The  Gates "  towards 
the  Nile.  It  bad  been  his  inteutian  to  peuetrate  into  Dar- 
Frir,  a  country  yet  unvisited  by  any  European,  but  on  reach- 
ing Obeid,  the  Capital  of  Kordofan,  his  companion,  a  Syrian 
Acub,  fell  sick,  and  be  was  himself  attacked  with  the  agua 
This  decided  him  to  return,  and  he  bad  left  bis  baggage  and 
servants  to  follow,  and  was  making  for  England  with  all  speed. 
He  was  provided  with  all  the  necessary  instruments  to  make 
bis  travel  useful  iu  a  scientific  point  of  view,  and  the  failure 
of  his  plans  is  much  to  be  regretted,  I  was  afterwards  inform- 
ed by  M.  Linant  that  he  met  Capt.  Peel  on  the  following  day, 
and  supplied  him  with  water  enough  to  reach  the  Nile. 

Towards  noon,  on  the  third  day,  we  passed  the  last  of  the 
"  Gates,"  and  entered  the  Bahr  hela  Ma  (River  without 
Water),  a  broad  plain  of  burning  yellow  sand.  The  gateway 
is  very  imposing,  especially  oa  the  eastern  side,  where  it  is 
Droken  by  a  valley  or  gorge  of  Tartarean  blackness.  As  we 
passed  the  last  peak,  my  guide,  who  bad  ridden  in  advance 
iiamounted  beside  what  seemed  ^o  be  a  collection  of  graves— 


118 


>  CaSTK&L  ATXICA. 


little  ridgep  of  sand,  with  rough  head  and  foot  stones.  lie  Ed 
by  one  whieh  he  had  just  made.  As  I  came  up  he  infonneii 
me  that  all  traTcllcra  wbo  crossed  the  Nubian  Desert,  for  the 
Grst  time,  are  here  eipected  to  paj  a  toll,  or  fee  to  the  guide 
aud  camel  luen.  "  But  what  if  I  do  not  choose  to  pay?"  I 
BEkod  "  Then  you  will  immediately  perish,  aad  ho  buried 
hfero.  The  graves  are  those  of  pereoDS  who  refused  to  pay.' 
As  I  had  no  wish  to  oceupy  the  beautiful  mound  he  had  heap- 
ed for  me,  with  the  thigh-bones  of  a  camel  at  the  head  aud 
foot,  I  gave  the  men  a  few  piastres,  and  passed  the  plaoe.  Hi 
then  plucked  up  the  botics  and  threw  them  away,  and  restoi^fl 
the  Baud  to  its  original  I-eveL'  ^ 

The  Bahr  hda  Ma  spread  out  before  ns,  glittering  in  the 
bot  BUD,  About  a  mile  lo  the  eastward  lay  (apparectly)  a  bke 
of  blue  water.  Reeds  and  water-])lants  grew  oa  its  margin, 
aud  its  smooth  surface  reflected  the  rugged  outline  of  the  hills 
beyond.  The  >Vatt:rieBs  River  ia  about  two  miles  in  breadlh, 
and  appears  to  have  been  at  oue  time  the  bed  of  a  large  stre-aoii    I 


*  Burckhardt  gives  the  luUowing  atcuitot  of  llii^  bqhig  i;\istDm,  iaUl^ 
travels  ia  Nubia;  "In  two  hours  and  a  hulf  we  cnnie  to  a  plain  on  lie 
top  of  the  mountain  eiJled  Akabd  d  Binal,  tJie  liocka  of  Uie  Girls.   Here 
the  Arabs  wlio  serve  as  guides  Ihrougb  these  mountnins  bave  devised  ■ 
singiilBr  mode  of  extorting  presents  from  the  traveller;  tliey  alight  al 
certain  spots  in  the  Ainbet  el  Eenat,  and  beg  a  present;  if  it  is  refused, 
tbey  collect  a  heap  of  sand,  arrd  mould  it  into  the  farm  of  a  dimiauliia 
tomb,  and  then  placing  a  atone  at  each  of  the  extremities,  Ihcy  «p 
prisa  (he  traveller  that  hia  tomb  ia  mai!e;  meaning,  that  hen cefonmrd, 
there  will  be  no  seenrity  for  him,  in  this  rocky  wilderness.     Most  [ler. 
tons  pay  a  trifling  contribution,  ratlier  Ihan  have  their  graves  made  bs.     , 
fore  their  eyes;  there  were,  however,  several  lomba  o(  this  descriptini 
dispersed  over  the  plain." 


THK  ItlTBR  WrmOWT  TTATEH.  1V8 

It  crosses  qU  tlie  caravan  rentes  in  the  desert,  and  is  Bupposod 
to  extend  from  the  Nile  to  the  Eed  Sea.  It  may  have  been 
the  outlet  for  the  river,  before  its  waters  forced  a  passage 
through  the  primitive  chains  which  cross  its  bed  at  Assouan 
end  Kalabshee.  A  geological  exploration  of  this  part  of  Afri- 
ca could  not  fail  to  produce  Tery  interesting  results.  Beyond 
the  Balir  hela  Ma  extends  the  broad  central  plateau  of  the 
Desert,  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  tLe  sea.  It  is  a  vast  react 
of  yellow  sand,  dotted  with  low,  isolated  hills,  whiuh  la  some 
places  are  based  on  large  beds  of  light-gray  eandstone  of  an 
nmiBuatly  fine  and  even  grain.  Small  towers  of  stone  have 
been  erected  on  the  hills  nearest  tbe  road,  in  order  to  guide 
the  couriers  who  travel  by  night.  Near  one  of  them  the  guide 
pointed  out  the  grave  of  a  merchant,  who  had  been  murdered 
there  two  years  previous,  by  his  three  slaves.  The  latter  es- 
caped into  the  Desert,  but  probably  perished,  as  they  were 
never  heard  of  aftermarda.  In  the  smooth,  loose  sand,  I  had 
an  opportunity  of  reviving  my  forgotten  knowledge  of  track' 
ography,  arid  soon  learned  to  distinguish  the  feet  of  hyenas, 
foxes,  ostriehcB,  lame  camels  and  other  animals.  The  gaide 
assured  me  that  there  were  devils  in  the  Desert,  but  one  only 
sees  them  when  he  travels  alone. 

On  this  plain  the  mirage,  which  first  appeared  in  the  Dihan, 
presented  itself  under  a  variety  of  wonderful  aspects.  Thence- 
forth, I  saw  it  every  day,  for  hours  together,  and  tried  to  de- 
duce some  rules  from  the  charaot-er  of  its  phenomena.  Ii 
appears  on  all  sides,  except  that  directly  opposite  to  the  sun,  but 
rarely  before  nine  a.  m.  or  after  three  p.  m.  The  color  of  the 
apparent  water  is  always  precisely  that  of  the  sky,  and  this  ii 
K  good  test  to  distingaish  it  from  real  water,  wliicb  la  iDTari 


180 


JOURKST  TO   CBKTRAL  AFRICA. 


ably  of  a  deeper  liuc.  It  is  Been  on  a.  gravelly  as  well  lu;  ( 
Handy  Biirface,  acd  often  fills  with  shining  pools  the  Blight  dfr 
proaaions  ia  the  soil  at  the  bases  of  the  hills.  Where  it  extendi 
to  the  horizon  there  ia  no  apparent  line,  and  it  then  becomei 
nn  inlet  of  the  sky,  as  if  the  walls  of  heaven  were  molting  down 
and  flowing  in  upon  the  earth.  Sometimes  a  whole  luoontiuD 
chain  is  lifted  from  the  horizon  and  hung  in  the  air,  with  its 
reflected  image  joined  to  it,  base  to  base.  I  frequently  saw, 
during  the  forenoon,  lakes  of  sparkling  blue  water,  apparently 
not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  The  waves  ripple  in  the  wind; 
tall  reeds  and  water-planta  grow  on  the  margin,  and  the  Desert 
rocks  behind  cost  their  shadows  on  the  surface.  It  ia  impoBsi- 
ble  to  believe  it  a  delusion.  Tou  advance  nearer,  and  sudden- 
ly, yon  know  not  how,  the  lake  vanishes.  There  is  a  grayish 
film  over  the  spot,  hut  before  you  have  decided  whether  the 
film  is  in  the  air  or  in  your  eyes,  that  too  disappeurD,  and  yoa< 
Bee  only  the  naked  sand.  What  yon  took  to  be  reods  and 
water-plants  probably  shows  itself  as  a  streak  of  dark  gravel. 
The  most  probable  esplanation  of  the  mirage  which  I  could 
think  of,  was,  that  it  was  actually  a  reflection  of  the  eky  upon 
a  stratum  of  heated  an-,  next  the  sand, 

I  found  the  Desert  life  not  only  endurable  but  very  aj 
able.  No  matter  how  wai-m  it  might  be  at  mid-day,  the  night 
were  always  fresh  and  cool,  and  the  wind  blew  strong  from  th 
north-west,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  The  temper*-, 
ture  varied  from  60° — 55°  at  C  a.  m.  to  80''— 85°at  2  p.tt 
The  extremes  were  47°  and  100°,  So  great  a  change  of 
perature  every  day  was  not  so  unpleasant  as  might  be  suppofr' 
td.  fn  my  case.  Nature  seemed  to  make  a,  special  provision 
'n  irder  to  keep  the  balaace  right     During  the  hot  bourH  of 


I 


the  day  I  never  mifiered  iDCOnveDiQiice  from  the  heat,  hut  up 
to  B5''  felt  Bufficientlj  cool.  I  seemed  to  absorb  tlw  rays  at 
the  snii,  and  ns  night  came  oii  nod  the  temperature  nf  the  ail 
fell,  that  of  my  skin  rose,  till  at  last  I  glowed  throngh  and 
through,  like  a  lire  coal,  It  was  a  peculiar  seasalion,  which  I 
never  experienced  before,  but  was  rather  pleasant  thau  otbcr- 
wiee.  My  face,  however,  which  was  alternately  exposed  to  iha 
heat  radiated  from  the  Band,  and  the  keen  morning  wind,  couli 
not  accommodate  itself  to  ao  much  contraction  and  expansion. 
The  skin  cracked  aad  peeled  off  more  than  once,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  rub  it  daily  with  butter.  I  mounted  my  dromedary 
with  a  "  shining  morning  face,"  until,  from  alternate  buttering 
and  burning,  it  attained  the  bus  and  crispness  of  a  well-basted 
partridge. 

I  soon  fell  into  a  regular  daily  routiue  of  travel,  whleh, 
daring  all  my  later  experiences  of  the  Desert,  never  became 
monotonous,  I  rose  at  dawu  every  morning,  bathed  my  eyes 
with  a  handful  of  the  precious  water,  and  drank  a  cup  of 
coffee.  After  (lie  tent  had  been  struck  and  the  camels  laden, 
I  walked  aheat.  for  two  hours,  often  so  far  in  advance  that  I 
lost  sight  ana  nearing  of  the  caravan.  I  found  an  unspeak* 
able  fascination  in  the  sublime  solitude  of  the  Desert.  I  often 
beheld  the  sun  rise,  vrhcn,  within  the  wide  ring  of  the  horizon, 
there  was  no  other  living  creature  to  be  seen.  He  came  up 
like  a  god,  in  awful  glory,  and  it  would  have  been  a  natural 
act,  had  I  cast  myself  npon  the  sand  and  worshipped  him. 
The  sudden  change  in  the  coloring  of  the  landscape,  on  his  ap- 
pearance— the  lighting  up  of  the  dull  sand  into  a  warm  golden 
hue,  and  the  tintings  of  purple  and  violet  on  the  distant  por- 
phyry hills — ^waa  a  morning  miracle,  which  I  never  beheld 


182  JOUKHBY    TO 

witiiout  awe.  The  richness  of  this  noloring  made  the  Dewrt 
beautiful ;  it  was  too  brilliant  for  dcaolation.  The  scenery,  si 
far  from  depressing,  inspired  and  exhilarated  inc.  I  never 
felt  the  seuRiition  of  physical  health  and  streiigtli  in  such  pi't' 
fecttan,  and  was  ready  to  shout  from  morning  till  night,  fr«n 
the  overflow  of  happy  spirits.  The  air  is  an  elixir  of  life — u 
Bweet  unci  pure  and  refreshing  as  that  which  the  firet  Man 
breathed,  on  the  momirg  of  Crealion.  You  inhale  the  una- 
dulterated elements  of  the  atmosphere,  for  there  are  no  esbi- 
lations  from  moist  earth,  vegetable  matter,  or  the  smokes  and 
steams  which  arise  from  the  abodes  of  men,  to  stain  its  purity 
This  air,  even  more  than  its  silence  and  EoSitude,  is  the  secret 
of  oue'fl  ftttaehraent  to  the  Desert.  It  is  a  beautiful  illuatra- 
tiop  of  the  compensating  care  of  that  Providence,  which  leaves 
Dono  of  the  waste  places  of  the  earth  without  some  atoning 
glory.  Where  all  tlie  pleasant  aspects  of  Nature  are  wanting 
— where  there  is  no  green  thing,  no  fount  for  the  thirsty  lip, 
scarcely  the  shadow  of  a  rock  to  shield  the  wanderer  in  tha 
blazing  noon — God  haa  breathed  npon  the  wildemoss  his 
sweetest  and  tenderest  breath,  giving  clearness  to  the  eye, 
strength  to  the  frame,  and  the  most  joyona  exhilaration  to  dta 
spirits. 

Achmct  always  insisted  on  my  taking  a  sabre  as  a  prote» 
tiou  against  the  hjenaa,  but  I  was  never  so  fortunate  as  to  sea 
more  than  their  tracks,  which  crossed  the  path  at  every  stop. 
I  saw  occasionally  the  footprints  of  ostriches,  but  they,  as  well 
■s  the  giraffe,  are  source  in  this  Desert.  Towards  noon,  Acli- 
met  and  I  made  a  halt  in  the  shadow  of  a  rock,  or  if  no  rock 
was  at  hand,  on  the  bare  sand,  and  took  our  breakfast.  One'i 
daily  bread  is  never  sweeter  than  in  the  Desert.     The  rest  of 


1 


VRaiRT  SCBNKBT.  l8l 

tlie  day  I  jogged  blong  patiently  besido  tho  hBggngo  camela, 
and  at  sunset  hulted  for  the  niglit.  A  divaii  on  the  sand,  end 
A  well-flUed  pipe,  gave  me  patience  wLilQ  dinner  -was  prepar- 
ing, and  afterwards  I  made  the  ne<:essflry  entries  in  my  Jonp- 
nal.  I  had  no  need  to  conrt  Bleep,  after  being  rocked  all  day 
on  the  dromedary. 

At  the  cloae  of  the  third  day,  we  encamped  oppoaito  a 
monntiun  which  Eyonb  called  Djebel  Khattah  (tho  Monntjun 
of  Wood),  The  Bohr  XJmttab,  a  river  of  saad,  similar  to 
the  Bfthr  bela  Ha,  and  probably  a  branch  of  it,  creased  oar 
path.  I  here  discovered  that  tho  water-skins  I  had  hired 
from  Shekh  Aboa-Mohammed  were  leaky,  and  that  onr  eight 
skins  were  already  reduced  to  fonr,  while  the  Arabs  had  en- 
tirely exhausted  their  supply.  This  rnndcrcd  strict  cconomj 
necessary,  as  there  was  but  a  single  wcl!  on  the  road.  Until 
noon  the  next  day  we  journeyed  over  a  vast  plain  of  sand,  in- 
terrupted by  low  reefs  of  black  rock.  To  the  south-east  it 
stretched  unbroken  to  the  sky,  and  looking  in  that  direction, 
I  saw  two  hemispheres  of  yellow  and  blue,  sparkling  ^a  11  over 
with  light  and  heat,  bo  that  the  eje  winked  to  behold  them 
The  oolooynth  (called  by  the  Arabs  murrdr),  grew  in  many 
places  in  the  dry,  hot  sand.  The  fruit  resembles  a  melon,  and 
is  io  intensely  bitter  that  no  animal  will  eat  it.  I  made 
breakfast  under  tho  lee  of  an  isolated  rock,  crowned  with  a 
beacon  of  camel-bones.  We  here  naet  three  Abiibdchs,  armed 
with  long  spears,  on  their  way  to  Korosko.  Soon  after  mid- 
day the  plain  was  broken  by  low  ranges  of  hilla,  and  we  saw  in 
front  and  to  tlie  east  of  us  many  blue  mo uu tain-chains.  Our 
'oad  approached  one  of  them — a  range,  several  miles  in  length, 
tlie  highest  peak  of  which  reached  an  altitude  of  a  thousand 


164 


louKNKr  (o  OSDTHAL  ArnicA. 


feet.  The  sides  were  preoipitonB  and  formed  of  vertical  atrotn 
but  ihe  Croats  were  ogglomcratioDS  of  loose  stones,  as  if  shakflE 
out  of  some  enormous  coal-scuttle.  The  glens  and  gorges  wore 
blank  as  ink  ;  no  speck  of  any  other  color  rt'lieTod  tlie  terribls 
gioom  of  this  singulur  group  of  hills.  Their  aspect  was  niii^ 
laorc  than  sterile :  it  was  infernal.  The  name  given  to  then 
hy  the  guide  was  Djilet  e'  Djtndee,  tbe  meaning  of  which  I 
eould  not  learn.  At  their  foot  I  found  a  few  thorny  ehnibB, 
the  first  sign  of  vegetation  since  leaving  Korosko. 

"We  encamped  half  aa  hour  before  sunset  on  a  gravelly 
plain,  between  two  spurs  t>f  the  savage  bills,  in  order  that  oui 
camels  niigbt  browse  on  the  shrubs,  and  they  were  only  too 
ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  permission.  They  snapped  of! 
the  hard,  dry  twigs,  studded  with  cruel  thorns,  and  devoured 
them  as  if  their  tongues  were  made  of  cast-iron.  We  were 
now  in  the  haunts  of  the  gazelle  and  the  ostrich,  but  saw 
Dothing  of  them.  Shekh  AU  taught  me  a  few  words  of  tte 
Bisharee  language,  asking  for  the  English  words  in  return, 
and  was  greatly  delighted  when  I  translated  okam  (camel), 
into  "0  camel!"  "Wallah!"  said  he,  "your  language  is 
the  same  as  ours."  Tbe  Bisharee  tongue  abounds  with, 
vowels,  and  is  not  unmusical.  Many  of  the  substantives  com- 
menee  with  o — as  omek,  a  donkey ;  oilia,  a,  cow  ;  ogana,  a  gv 
lelle.  The  plural  changes  o  into  a,  as  okam,  camels ;  amek,. 
donkeys,  &o.  The  language  of  the  Ababdchs  is  different  from 
that  of  the  Bishdrces,  but  probably  sprang  from  the  same 
original  stock.  Lepsius  considers  that  the  Kenoos  dialect  of 
Nubia  is  an  original  African  tongue,  having  no  adinily  with 
any  of  the  Shemitio  languages. 

On  tbe  fifth  day  we  left  the  plain,  and  entered  a  connlry 


I 


THE   WELLS    OF   MURR-hIt.  182 

of  broken  mountain-ranges.  In  one  place  the  road  passed 
througli  a  long,  low  hill  of  slate  rock,  by  a  gap  which  had  beer 
purposely  broken.  The  strata  were  vertical,  the  laminad  vary 
ing  from  one  to  four  inches  in  thickness,  and  of  as  fine  a  quali- 
ty and  smooth  a  surface  as  I  ever  saw.  A  long  wady,  or  val 
ley,  which  appeared  to  bo  the  outlet  of  some  mountain-basin, 
was  crossed  by  a  double  row  of  stunted  doum-palms,  marking 
a  water-course  made  by  the  summer  rains.  Eyoub  pointed  it 
out  to  me,  as  the  half-way  station  between  Korosko  and  Abou« 
Hammed.  For  two  hours  longer  we  threaded  the  dry  wadys. 
shut  in  by  black,  chaotic  hills.  It  was  now  noonday,  I  was 
very  hungry,  and  the  time  allotted  by  Eyoub  for  reaching  Bit 
Murr-hdt  had  passed.  He  saw  my  impatience  and  urged  his 
dromedary  into  a  trot,  calling  out  to  me  to  follow  him.  We 
bent  to  the  west,  turned  the  flank  of  a  high  range,  and  after 
half  an  hour's  steady  trotting,  reached  a  side-valley  or  cul-de- 
sac,  branching  off  from  the  main  wady.  A  herd  of  loose 
camels,  a  few  goats,  two  black  camePs-hair  tents,  and  half  a 
dozen  half-naked  Ababdehs,  showed  tbat  we  had  reached  the 
wells.  A  few  shallow  pits,  dug  in  the  centre  of  the  valley,  fur- 
nished an  abundance  of  bitter,  greenish  water,  which  the 
oamels  drank,  but  which  I  could  not  drink.  The  wells  are 
called  by  the  Arabs  el  morra,  "  the  bitter."  Fortunately,  I 
bad  two  skins  of  Nile-water  left,  which,  with  care,  would  last 
to  Abou-Hammed.  The  water  was  always  cool  and  fresh, 
though  in  color  and  taste  it  resembled  a  decoction  of  old  shoes. 
"We  found  at  the  wells  Capt.  PeePs  Syrian  friend,  Churi^ 
who  was  on  his  way  to  Korosko  with  five  camels,  carrjung  the 
Captain's  baggage.  He  left  immediately  after  my  arrival,  or 
I  might  have  sent  by  him  a  Christmas  greeting  to  friends  at 


186 


TODBSBT  xo  tmnsAL  atbhu. 


home.  Buring  the  afternoon  three  slave-merctanta  irrived,  la 
four  dfiya  from  Abou-IIanimed.  Their  caravan  of  a  linm 
and  fifty  slarea  was  on  the  way.  Tlicy  were  tall,  strong,  hand- 
I  mwi,  dark-brown  in   oomplesion,  but  witli  regular  fea- 


tnreB.  They  were  greatly  pleased  with  my  Bketch-boot,  but  ] 
retreated  hastily  when  I  proposed  making  a  drawing  of  them. 
I  thea  called  Ejoub  into  my  tent,  who  willingly  enougli  Bat  1 
for  the  rough  sketch  which  heads  this  chapter.  Achmet  did  I 
hia  host  to  give  lue  a  good  Chrialmas  dinner,  but  the  pigeonf  I 
were  all  gone,  and  the  few  fowls  which  remiiined  were  so  spirit-  1 
less  from  the  heat  and  jolting  of  the  camel,  that  their  slangb-  J 
i^;r  anticipated  their  natural  death  by  a  very  short  lime..  J 
nevertheless,  I  produced  a  cheery  illumination  by  the  tent-  I 
lanterns,  and  made  Eyoub  and  the  Bishirees  happy  with,  a  1 
botlle  of  arakec  and  some  haudfuUa  of  tobacco      The  wind  I 


HBETIHQ  «ABi.Til(B. 


ffliietled  drearily  aroiuid  my  tent,  but  I  glowed  like  fire  froni 
the  oozing  out  of  the  heat  I  had  absorbed,  and  the  Arabs  with 
ont,  st^utitted  around  their  fire  of  camel's  dniig,  sang  the  wild 
monotonous  songs  of  the  Desert. 

We  left  Mflrr-hiU  at  aunrise,  on  the  morning  of  the  sistli 
day.  I  wolhed  ahead,  through  the  foldings  of  the  black  moun- 
tains, singing  as  I  went,  from  the  inspiration  of  the  brilliant 
eliy  and  the  pure  air.  In  an  hour  and  a  half  the  pass  opened 
on  a  broad  (Jain  of  sand,  and  I  waited  for  my  cararan,  as  the 
day  was  growing  hot.  On  cither  eide,  as  we  continued  our 
journey,  the  blue  lakes  of  tho  mirage  glittered  in  the  sun. 
Several  isolated  pyramids  rose  above  tho  horizon,  far  to  tho 
East,  and  a  purple  mountain-range  io  front,  apparently  two  or 
three  hours  distant,  stretched  from  east  to  west.  "  We  will 
breakfast  in  the  shade  of  those  mountains,"  I  said  to  Aehmct, 
but  breakfast-time  came  and  they  aeemed  no  nearer,  so  I  sat 
down  in  the  sand  and  made  my  meaL  Towards  uooa  we  met 
large  caravans  of  camels,  coming  from  Berber.  Some  were 
laden  with  gum,  but  the  greater  part  were  without  burdens,  as 
they  were  to  be  sold  in  Egypt.  In  the  course  of  the  day  up- 
wards of  a  thousand  passed  us.  Among  the  persons  we  met 
was  Capt.  Peel's  cainass,  or  janissary  (vrhom  he  had  left  in 
Kliartonm),  on  his  return,  with  five  camels  and  three  slaves, 
which  he  had  purchased  on  speculation.  He  gave  sueh  a  dis- 
mal account  of  Soudan,  that  Achmet  was  quite  gloomy  for  the 
rjst  of  the  day 

The  afternoon  was  intensely  hot,  the  thermometer  standing 

Rt  ]  00^,  but  I  felt  little  annoyance  from  the  heat,  and  used  nn 

protection  against  it     The  sand  was  deep  and  tbe  road  a  wea- 

,  ry  one  for  the  camclfi,  but  the  mouutiiius  which  seemed  so  near 


>  OXKTIIAI.  AI'RIOA. 


at  haud  in  tlie  morning  were  not  yet  reaohei  We  pushed  tat- 
ward  ;  the  sun  went  down,  and  the  twilight  was  over  before  wb 
encamped  at  their  base.  The  tent  was  pitched  by  the  light  of 
the  oreaeeiit  moon,  which  hung  ocer  a  pitchj-black  peak  I 
had  dinner  at  the  fashionable  Lour  of  seven,  Acbmet  woa 
obliged  to  make  soup  of  the  water  of  Milrr-hAt,  which  had  so 
ubominable  taste.  I  was  bd  drowsy  that  before  my  pipe  vai 
finished,  I  tumbled  upon  my  mattresa,  and  was  unconscioBS 
until  midnight,  when  I  awoke  with  the  sensation  of  swimming 
in  a  river  of  lava,  Ejouh  called  the  mountain  Kab  el  Kafati 
— an  absurd  name,  witbout  meaning — but  I  suapect  it  is  the 
same  ridge  which  crosses  the  caravan  route  from  Shendy  to 
Assouan,  and  which  is  called  Djebcl  Shigre  by  Bnico  ud  _ 
Burekhardt. 

The  tent  was  struck  in  the  morning  starlight,  at  whi 
time  the  thermometer  stood  at  55°.     I  walked  alone  thro 
the  mountains,  which  rose  in  conical  peaJta  to  the  height  b 
near  a,  tiiousaud  feet.      The  path  was  rough  and  stony  until  If 
reached  the  outlet  of  the  pass.     When  the  caravan  came  up,  ] 
found  that  the  post-courier  who  luft  Korosko  two  days  a 
us,  had  joined  it.     lie  was  a  jct-blaok,  bare-headed  i 
logged  Bishiree,  mounted  on  a  dromedary,     lie  remained  w 
us  all  day,  and  liked  our  company  so  well  that  ho  e 
with  uB,  in  preference  to  continuing  his  journey.     On  leaTiag 
the  mountain,  we  entered  a  plaiu  of  coarse  gravel,  aboundiiig 
with  pebbles  of  agate  and  jasper.      Another  range,   whici- 
Eyoub  called  Djebcl  Dlghlee,  appeared  in  front,  and 
ed  it  about  noon.     The  day  was  again  hot,  the  mercury  ri3in|H 
to  95°,     It  took  us  nearly  an  hour  to  pass  Djebcl  Dighle^M 
bejrond  whlob  the  plam  atretcbed  away  to  the  Nile,  interrnp* 


Tine  MOUNTAIN    or  MOERAT.  ISU 

cd  berc  and  tliere  by  a  distant  peak.  Far  in  adrance  of  ub  Ibj 
Djtbel  Mokrat,  the  limit  of  the  nest  day's  journey.  From  its 
top,  said  Eyoub,  one  may  see  the  palm-groTes  along  the  Nile. 
We  eacaroped  on  the  opea  plain,  not  far  from  two  black  pyra- 
uidul  bills,  ia  the  flusb  of  a  superb  sunset.  Tbe  ground  was 
trayorsed  by  broad  strata  of  gray  granite,  wbicb  lay  on  tbe 
Burface  in  buge  boulders.  Our  camels  here  found  a  few  buncb- 
OS  of  dry,  yellow  graaa,  which  had  pierced  tbe  gravelly  soil. 
To  tbe  aonth-east  was  a  mountain  called  by  the  Arabs  Djebel 
Nogara  (the  Mountain  of  tbe  Drum),  because,  as  Eyoub  de- 
clared, a  devil  who  bad  bis  resideni^  amoug  its  rocks,  frequent- 
ly beat  a  drum  at  night,  to  scare  tbe  passing  caravans. 

The  stars  were  sparkling  freshly  and  clearly  when  I  roso, 
on  tbe  morning  of  the  eighth  day,  and  Djebel  Mokrat  lay  like 
a  faint  shadow  on  the  eouthem  horizon.  The  sun  revealed  a 
few  isolated  peaks  to  tbe  right  and  left,  but  merely  distant 
isles  on  tbe  vast,  smooth  ocean  of  tbe  Desert.  It  was  a  rap- 
ture to  breathe  air  of  such  transcendent  purity  and  sweetness. 
I  breakfasted  on  the  immense  floor,  sitting  in  the  sun,  and  then 
jogged  on  all  day,  in  a  heat  of  90^,  towards  Djebel  Blokriit, 
which  seemed  as  far  off  as  ever.  The  sun  went  down,  and  it 
wa-s  still  ahead  of  us.  "  That  is  a  Djebel  Shaytan,'^  I  said  to 
Eyoub ;  "  or  rather,  it  is  no  mountain ;  it  is  an  afritc."  "  0 
Effeudil"  said  tte  old  man,  "don't  speak  of  afritee  here. 
There  are  many  in  this  part  of  tbe  Desert,  and  if  a  man  travels 
alone  hero  at  night,  one  of  them  walks  behind  him  and  forces 
him  to  go  forward  and  forward,  until  he  has  lost  his  path." 
We  rode  on  by  tbe  light  of  the  moon  and  stars — silently  at 
first,  but  presently  Sbekh  Ali  began  to  sing  his  favorite  Bong 
tif  "  YaMah  salaameh,  el-kamdu  liUUhfdk  belameh,"  and  on* 


100 


JODBKn  TO  CKStBAL  AmtOA. 


of  the  KeDooB,  to  bc^ile  the  way,  recited  in  a  cbantiiig  ttd 
copious  pnssKgea  from  the  Koran.  Among  other  things,  hx 
relat-ed  the  history  of  Joseph,  which  Achmet  traDslated  to  me. 
The  whole  story  would  bo  too  long  to  repeat,  but  portions  of  ii 
arc  interesting. 

"  After  Joseph  had  been  thrown  into  the  well,"  continued 
the  Kenoos,  "  a  cararan  of  Arabs  came  along,  and  began  to 
draw  water  for  the  camela,  when  one  of  the  men  said;  '0 
Shekh,  thcro  is  Bomething  in  the  well'  'Well,'  said  the  Sbekh, 
'  if  it  be  a.  man,  be  belongs  to  me,  but  if  it  be  goods,  you  moy 
have  them.'  So  they  drew  it  up,  and  it  was  Joseph,  and  the 
Shekh  tools  him  to  Cairo  and  sold  bim  to  Aaeez  (Potiphar). 
[I  omit  liis  account  of  Potipbar'a  wife,  which  could  not  well  h» 
repeated.]  When  Joseph  was  in  prison,  he  told  what  was  tht. 
meaning  of  the  dreams  of  Sultan  Faraoon's  baker  and  bntler, 
who  were  imprisoned  with  bim.  Tbo  Sultan  himself  soon 
afterwarda  had  a  dream  about  Heven  fat  cows  eating  seven  lean 
ones,  which  nobody  could  esplain.  Then  the  jailer  went  to 
Faraoon,  and  said  :  'Here  is  Joseph,  in  jail — ho  can  toll  yoa 
all  abont  it.'  Faraoon  Bsid ;  '  Bring  him  here,  then.'  So  thej 
put  Joseph  in  a  hath,  washed  bim,  shaved  his  head,  gave  him 
a  new  white  turban,  and  took  bira  to  the  Sultan,  who  eaid  to 
him :  '  Can  you  esplain  my  dream  ? '  '  To  he  sure  I  can,'  said 
Joseph,  'but  if  I  tell  you,  you  must  make  me  keeper  of  youi 
magazines.'  'Very  well:'  said  Faraoon.  Then  Joseph  told 
how  the  seven  fat  cows  meant  seven  years  when  the  Nile  would 
have  two  inundations  a  year,  and  the  seven  lean  cows,  seven 
years  afterwards  when  it  would  have  no  inundation  at  all ;  ani) 
he  Bald  to  Faraoon  that  since  he  was  now  magazine-keeper,  he 
ahoald  take  from  all  the  country  as  far  aa  Assouan,  during  the 


I  THE  SSSKBT. 


191 


I     ' 

L 


aevea  fbt  years,  enough  wheat  and  dourra  and  bciuis,  to  last 
daring  the  seven  lean  ones."  The  narrator  might  hava 
added  that  the  breed  of  fat  kine  has  never  been  restored,  all 
the  cattle  of  Egypt  being  undoubted  dcBcendants  of  the  lean 
Btock. 

Two  hours  after  sunset,  we  JciUed  Djebel  Mokrat,  aa  tlie 
Arabs  saj  :  that  is,  turned  its  corner.  The  weary  camels  wera 
let  loose  among  Bojae  clumps  of  dry,  rustling  reeds,  and  I 
stretched  myself  out  on  the  sand,  after  twelve  hours  in  the 
saddle.  Our  water  was  nearly  exhausted  by  this  time,  and 
the  provisions  were  reduced  to  hermitfi'  faro — bread,  rice  and 
dates.  I  bad,  however,  the  spice  of  a  savage  appetite,  which 
was  no  sooner  appeased,  than  I  fell  into  a  profound  sleep,  I 
could  not  but  admire  the  indoniitahle  pluck  of  the  little  don- 
keys owned  by  the  Kenoos.  These  animals  not  only  carried 
provisions  and  water  for  themselvea  and  their  masters,  the 
whole  distance,  but  the  latter  rode  them  the  greater  part  of  the 
way;  yet  they  kept  up  with  the  camels,  plying  their  little  legs 
as  ambitiously  the  last  day  as  the  first.  I  doubt  whether  a 
horse  would  have  accomplished  as  much  nader  similar  circum- 
ptancea. 

The  next  morning  we  started  joyfully,  in  hope  of  seeing 
the  Nile,  and  even  Kyoub,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Ko* 
rosko,  helped  to  load  the  camels.  In  an  boor  we  passed  the 
mountain  of  Mokrat,  hut  the  same  endless  plain  of  yellow 
gravel  extended  before  ua  to  the  ho.izon.  Eyoub  had  promised 
that  we  should  reach  Ahou-Hammed  in  half  a  day,  and  even 
pointed  out  some  distant  blue  mountains  in  the  south,  as  being 
beyond  the  Nilt  Nevertheless,  we  travelled  nearly  till  noon 
without  any  change  of  scenery,  and  no  more  appearance  of  rivei 


than  the  abundant  streams  of  the  mirage,  on  all  sideB.  I  ilrwik 
my  last  cup  of  water  for  breakfast,  and  then  continued  my  march 
in  the  burning  sun,  with  rather  dismal  epirits.  Finally,  the 
Dcaert,  which  had  been  risbg  sinco  we  left  the  luountain,  be- 
gan to  dceccnd,  and  I  saw  EOmethiog  like  round  granite  bould- 
ers lying  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon.  "  EfFendi,  see  the  douin- 
trees !  "  cried  Eyoub.  I  looked  again  :  they  were  doum-palmB, 
and  80  broad  and  green  that  they  must  certainly  stand  near 
water.  Soon  we  descended  into  a  hollow  in  the  plain,  looking 
down  which  I  saw  to  the  south  a  thick  grore  of  trees,  and  over 
tlieir  tops  the  shining  SiUrface  of  the  Nile.  "  Ali,"  I  called- to 
my  sailor-servant,  "look  at  that  great  hahr  skayian  /  "  The 
son  of  the  Nile,  who  had  never  before,  In  all  his  life,  been  more 
than  a  day  out  of  sight  of  its  current,  was  almost  beside  him- 
Bclf  with  joy.  "WaUali,  master,"  berried,  "that  is  no  river 
of  the  Devil :  it  is  the  real  Nile — the  water  of  Paradise."  It 
did  my  heart  good  to  see  his  extravagant  delight.  "If  you 
were  to  give  me  five  piastres,  master,"  said  he,  "I  would  not 
drink  the  bitter  water  of  Hiirr-hdt."  The  guide  made  me  a 
salutation,  in  his  dry  way,  and  the  two  Nubians  greeted  me 
with  "  a  great  welcome  to  you,  0,  Efi'endi  1 "  With  every  step 
liie  valley  unfolded  before  me — such  rich  deeps  of  fanlitc  foli- 
age, such  a  glory  in  the  green  of  the  beans  and  lapins,  such 
radiance  beyond  description  in  the  dance  of  the  sunbeams  oa 
the  water  I  The  landscape  was  balm  to  my  burning  eyes,  aad 
Ihe  mere  sight  of  the  glorious  green  herbage  was  a 
delight,  in  vhich  I  rioted  for  the  rest  of  the  day 


imptuent  oa  lljB  Nile— Taiab  nf  no  Baglbb 

r— The  Valley  of  Wld  ABaa-Tlie  eleienUi 
'fl  reach  El  Mck- 


ACHUET  and  I  began  to  feel  thirat,  Bo  n-e  hnrried  on  in  ad- 

▼aneo,  to  the  mud  hamlet  of  Abou- Hammed.  We  dismounted 
on  ihe  bank  of  the  river,  where  we  were  received  by  a  dark 
Ahnbdeh,  who  was  officiating  in  pliice  of  the  Governor,  and  in- 
vited me  to  take  posaeBsion  of  Ihe  lalter'a  house.  Achmet 
gave  him  a  lar^e  wooden  bowl  and  told  him  to  fill  it  from  the 
Nile,  aud  we  would  talk  to  him  afterwards.     I  shall  nf  ver  for- 


ISi  JOimSET  TO  CESTHAL  AFRICA. 

get  the  luxury  of  that  long,  deep  draught.  Rfj  body  absorbed 
the  water  as  rapidly  as  the  hot  sand  of  the  Desert,  and  1  drank 
at  leaft  a  quart  wilLout  feeling  satisfitd.  I  preferred  my  teni 
to  the  Governor'^  house,  and  had  it  pitched  where  I  could  look 
out  on  the  river  and  the  palms.  Abou-HamnieJ  is  a  misiTable 
village,  inhabited  by  a  few  hundred  Ababdehg  and  Bishireesi 
the  Desert  liere  extended  to  tlie  water's  edge,  wliile  the  oppo- 
site banka  were  aa  greeu  as  emerald.  There  was  a  lai^  mud 
forlre:a,  with  round  bnslions  at  tho  cornets,  to  the  west  of  tLe 
village.  It  formerly  btilonged  lo  an  Abubdeb  Sbckli,  but  was 
then  descried. 

lo  the  aflernoou  I  crossed  lo  tbe  island  of  Mokr&t,  which 
lies  opposite.  The  vessel  wa^  a  sort  of  a  canoe,  made  of  pieces 
of  the  doum-[)alm,  tied  together  with  ropes  and  plastered  with 
mud.  My  oarsmen  were  two  boys  of  fifteen,  half-nalied  fellowa 
with  long,  wild  liair,  y«t  very  strong  aud  symmetrical  Jimba 
and  handsome  features.  I  landed  in  the  shudo  of  the 
palms,  uiid  walked  for  lialf  an  hour  along  the  shore,  through 
patches  of  dourra  and  colton,  watered  by  the  creaking  mills. 
The  whole  island,  which  is  upwards  of  twenty  miles  long,  ia 
level  and  might  he  made  productive,  but  the  natives  only  cul- 
tivate a  narrow  strip  along  the  water.  The  trees  were  doum 
and  dale  palm  and  acacia,  and  I  saw  in  the  distance  others  of 
a  rich,  dark  green,  which  appeared  lo  be  sycamore.  The  hip- 
popotamus is  found  here,  and  the  boatmen  showed  me  the 
enurmous  tracks  of  three,  which  hitd  made  havoc  among  their 
bcaD-patchcB  the  day  before.  As  I  was  reluming  to  the  boitt 
I  mot  three  natives,  tail,  strong,  stalely  men.  I  greeted  ihera 
wiiii  "Peace  be  with  you!"  and  they  answered  "Peace  be 
with  you,"  at  the  same  time  offering  their  hands.  We  lalkeU 
for  eome  time  in  broken  Arabic,  and  I  have  rarely  seen  such 


goo<I-will  expressed  in  savage  features.  In  fact,  all  tlie  faces  I 
now  saw  were  of  a  Buperior  stamp  to  that  of  tlie  Egyptians. 
Tbey  expressed  nut  onlj  more  strength  and  iodependence,  but 
more  kindness  and  gentleness. 

I  proiureU  a  leaa  sheep  for  eight  piastres,  nnJ  after  Ach- 
met  haii  chosen  the  host  part*  for  my  dinner,  I  gave  the  re- 
mainder In  Eyoub  and  the  Bialiarees.  Tlic  cameln  were  driven 
down  lo  tlj3  rii'cr,  but  only  three  drank  out  of  the  six.  I  took 
my  svai  in  the  shade  of  the  tent,  and  looked  ut  the  broad  blna 
current  uf  the  ^ile  for  hours,  without  being  wearied  of  the 
scene,  d'oups  of  tall  Uisharces  stood  at  a  respectable  dis- 
tance, gazing  upon  me,  for  a  Frank  tnivellei'  was 
eight.  In  iliu  evening  I  attempted  to  reduce  my  de.-c 
perature  by  a  bath  in  the  river,  but  I  had  become  S' 
to  cold  that  tho  water  made  me  shudder  in  every  nerve,  and  it 
required  a  double  portion  of  pipes  and  cofiee  to  restore  mj 
natural  warmth. 

I  left  Abou-Hammed  at  noon  tlie  next  day,  having  been 
detiuned  by  some  government  tax  oa  camels,  which  my  l)isli&- 
reea  were  called  upon  to  pay.  Our  road  foUuwed  the  liver,  occ»« 
elonally  taking  to  tl)e  Desert  fur  a  ehort  distance,  to  cut  ofi*  ■ 
bend,  but  never  losing  sight  of  the  dark  clum[)E  of  palms  and 
the  vivid  coloiiug  of  the  grain  oa  the  weeieru  bunk.  The 
scenery  boje  a  very  diffci-ent  slump  from  ilial  of  EgypL  Tha 
colors  were  darker,  richer  and  sirongei',  ihe  light  more  intenso 
and  gloning,  and  all  fonnsof  vegetable  and  animal  life  peuo- 
trjled  iiith  n  more  full  and  iinpasrioued  expression  of  life. 
The  greeii  of  ihe  fields  actually  seemed  to  throb  under  the 
fiery  gush  of  sunshine,  and  the  [>alnt-leaves  to  thijll  and  trem- 
Ue  in  the  hot  bine  air.    The  people  were  glorious  barbarians— 


JOORNET    TO    OeWTllAI.    A 


I 


large,  lull,  full-limbed,  willi  open,  warm,  inlelllgent  face; 
lustrous  blnck  eyes.  Tiiey  dress  with  more  iieatuess  than  the 
Kgjptian  Fellahs,  and  their  long  hair,  ihough  pj'ofusely  Bmeared 
with  suet,  is  arranged  with  Eoinc  tast«  and  ulothea  theif 
heads  better  tlian  Ihe  dirty  cotton  akull-cap.  Among  those 
Bflw  at  Abou-Harnmcd  were  two  youths  of  about 
who  ivere  wonderfully  beautiful.  One  of  them  played  a 
of  coarse  reed  flnle,  and  the  other  a  rade  stringed  instrumen^f 
which  he  called  a  tambour.  He  was,  a  superb  fellow,  with 
purest  Blraight  Egyptian  features,  and  large,  brilliant,  melting 
black  eyes.  Every  posture  of  his  body  expressed  a  grace  the 
moat  striking  because  it  was  wholly  unstudied.  I  have  nerer 
eeen  human  forms  superisr  to  these  two.  The  first,  whom  I 
named  the  Apollo  Abahdese,  joined  my  caravan,  for  tjie  joui«- 
ney  to  Berber.  He  carried  with  him  all  his  wealth — a  flute,  a 
Bword,  and  a  lieavy  shield  of  hippopotamus  hide,  Hi-i  features 
were  as  perfectly  regular  as  the  Greek,  but  softer  and  rounder 
in  outline.  His  limbs  were  without  a  fault,  and  the  light  poise 
of  his  head  on  the  slender  neck,  the  fine  play  of  his  shoulder- 
blades  and  the  maseles  of  his  back,  as  he  walked  before  me, 
wearing  only  a  narrow  clolh  around  his  loins,  would  have 
charmed  a  sculptor's  eye.  He  walked  among  my  camel-driv- 
ers as  Apollo  might  have  walked  among  the  other  ehephords 
of  King  Admetus.  Like  the  god,  his  implement  was  the  flute; 
he  was  a  wandering  miiiBtrel,  and  earned  his  livelihood  by  play- 
ing at  the  festivals  of  the  Ababdehs.  His  name  was  Eesa,  the 
Arabic  for  Jesua.  I  should  have  been  willing  to  take  several 
shades  of  his  complexion  if  I  could  have  had  with  them  his 
perfect  ripeness,  roundness  and  symmetry  if  body  and  limb. 
Ha  luld  me   tbit  he  smoked  no  tobacco  and  drank 


m 


EKCAUPMBXT  OX  THB  NILE. 


kee,  but   oaly  water  and  milk  —  a  true  offshoot  of  tLe  goldsE 


mped  fur  ihe  night  in  a  clualer  of  doum-p 
Bear  the  Nile.  Tlie  soil,  even  to  iho  edge  of  the  millet-patche» 
which  L-overed  the  hank,  was  a  loose  white  Band,  and  shona 
like  snow  under  the  moon,  while  the  douin-leaves  rustled  with 
as  dry  and  sliarp  a  sound  as  bai'e  boiigh.^  under  a  northern  skj. 
TLe  wind  blew  fresh,  bat  we  were  sheltered  by  a  little  riae  of 
land,  and  tlie  tent  stood  firm.  The  tenipei'ature  (72°)  waa 
delicious  ;  the  stars  sparkled  radiHiilly,  and  the  song  of  crickets 
among  the  millet  reminded  me  of  home.  No  sooner  had  wo 
encamped  than  Eesa  ran  off  to  some  huts  which  he  spied  in 
tlie  distance,  and  told  the  natives  that  they  must  immediately 
bring  all  their  sheep  and  fowls  to  the  Effendi.  The  poor  peo- 
ple came  to  inquire  whether  they  must  part  with  their  stock, 
and  were  verj-  glad  when  they  found  that  we  wanted  nothing, 
I  look  only  two  cucumhers  whicli  an  old  man  hrought  and 
humbly  placed  at  my  feet. 


i 


"i9S  JOCHSKY    TO    CEMTBAI, 

Tlic  nexl  morning  I  wnlked  abeail,  'ollowing  the  river  bank, 
but  ihe  camels  took  n  shorter  road  through  the  Desert,  aaS 
piiased  me  unobserved.  A-ller  walking  two  hours,  I  sought  for 
Ihem  in  every  direction,  and  finally  came  upon  Ali,  who  viae 
doing  liis  beat  to  hold  my, dromedary  down.  Ko  sooner  Lad  1 
Btrudilled  tht!  beait  than  he  ro~e  and  set  off  on  a  fwingiug  gul- 
lop  to  rejoin  the  caravan.  During  the  day  our  i-oad  led  along 
tliD  edge  of  tlie  Desei't,  sometimes  in  tlie  sand  and  insmetimea 
over  gravelly  soil,  covered  with  palclies  of  thorny  shrubs.  Until 
I  reaehed  the  village  of  Abou-IIa^hym,  in  the  evening,  there 
was  no  mark  of  cultivation  on  tlie  eastern  hank,  tbough  I  saw 
in  places  the  signs  of  fields  wliich  bad  long  since  been  de^rt- 
ed.  I  passed  several  burjing-grounda,  in  one  of  which  ihe 
guide  showed  nie  ibe  giave  of  Mr.  Melly,  an  English  genlle- 
inan  wlio  died  there  about  a  year  previous,  on  his  return  to 
Egypt  with  his  family,  after  a  journey  to  Khartoum.  Hta 
tomb  wa$  merely  an  oblong  mound  'of  unburnt  brick,  with  a 
roBgh  stone  at  ihe  bead  «nd  foot.  It  had  been  strictly  r^ 
spected  by  tlie  natives,  who  infortned  me  that  large  sums  wen 
given  to  them  to  keep  it  in  order  and  walcb  it  at  night.  Tbef 
also  told  me  that  after  his  death  there  wa^  great  dilficulty  in 
procuring  a  shroud.  The  only  muslin  in  the  neighborhood  was  a 
piece  belonging  to  an  old  Sliekh,  who  had  kept  it  many  years,  in 
anticipation  of  his  own  death.  It  was  ssicred,  having  been  sent 
to  Mecca  and  dipped  in  the  holy  well  of  Zemzem.  In  this  the 
body  was  wrapped  and  laid  in  the  earth.  The  grave  was 
dreary  spot,  out  of  sight  of  the  river,  and  surrounded  by  desert 

We  bad  a  strong  norlh-wind  all  day.     The  sky  was  cIoiid> 
Ifss,  but  a  fine  vliite  film  filled  the  air,  and  the  distant  mona 


1 


biins  had  llic  pale,  blue-giay  liiiCof  mu  Kngliiili  laodacape.  The 
IJi^hil^ce3  wrapped  theniselvea  cb^eiy  in  llieir  inautles  as  thej 
walked,  but  Eeaa  ouly  lightened  the  doih  urouud  Lis  kiiua, 
and  allowed  tree  play  to  his  glorious  limbs.  He  informed  iiiu 
Ihut  he  was  on  his  way  to  Berbev  to  make  prepiii-ationa  tor  Ilia 
marriage,  which  ivaa  to  take  phice  in  anotber  moon.  He  oiid 
Hossayo  explained  to  me  how  tljo  Ababdeba  would  then  come 
t<^eilier,  ft;nat  on  camel's  flesh,  and  duute  tlieir  s word-dunces. 
"  1  shall  go  to  your  wedding,  loo,"  1  said  lo  Eesji.  "  Will  you 
indeed,  O  £ffeudil".lie  cried,  with  delight:  "  thmi  I  shall  kill 
my  she-camel,  and  give  you  the  lest  piece."  i  asked  whether 
I  should  bo  kindly  received  among  Ibo  Ababdehs,  and  Kyoub 
declared  that  ibe  men  would  bo  gliid  to  aee  me,  but  that  the 
women  were  afraid  of  Franks.  ■-  But,"  (taid  Acbmet,  "  the 
Effendi  is  uo  Frank."  "^  How  is  this?"  suid  Eyouh,  turning 
lo  me.  *'Achmet  is  right,"  I  unswefcd :  "  1  am  a  while  Arab, 
from  India."  **  liut  do  you  not  speak  the  Frank  language, 
when  you  talk  with  each  other  ?  "  "  No,"  said  Achmet,  "  we 
talk  Hindustance."  "  O,  praised  b«  Alluli  I "  cried  Hoasayu, 
dapping  his  bands  with  joy  :  "  praised  be  Allah,  that  you  are 
an  Arab,  like  ourselves ! "  and  there  was  such  pleasure  in  the 
£ices  of  all,  that  I  immediately  repented  of  having  deceived 
Ibem.  Tbej  assured  me,  however,  that  the  Ababdehs  would 
not  only  admit  me  into  ibeir  tribe,  but  that  1  might  have  tiie 
liandsomest  Abtdidiyeh  that  could  ha  found,  lor  a  wife.  Hoa- 
iOja  had  already  asked  Achuiet  to  marry  the  eldest  of  his  two 
daughters,  who  was  iben  eleven  years  old. 

I  passed  the  last  evening  of  the  year  1851  on  tbe  I)ank  of 
the  Nile,  near  Abou-Uasbym.  There  was  a  wild,greea  island 
DQ  tbe  Mream,  and  reefs  of  black  rock,  wbicb  broke  the  current 


JOVRKSr  TO   QBHTRAL  AFRICA. 


into  rapiJs.  The  opposite  shore  was  green  and  lovely  cron 
with  groups  of  pnlms,  between  whoso  etema  I  bad  glimpsal  J 
of  blue  nwuiitrtius  far  lo  the  south  and  west  The  lerupenn  1 
ture  was  mild,  And  the  air  full  of  tho  aroma  of  mitno^a  bios-  J 
Bonis.  When  night  came  on  I  enjoyed  ihe  splendid  moon 
Blarlighl  of  this  tropica,  nnd  watched  tho  Southern  Cross  rise  I 
above  the  horizon.  The  inhabilanta  of  the  viilago  beat  their  I 
wooden  drums  luslily  all  night,  to  scare  the  hippopotami  away  J 
from  their  bean-fields.  My  dream  before  waking  was  of  an  [ 
immense  lion,  which  I  had  lamed,  and  which  walked  beside  | 
me — a  propitioua  omen,  said  the  Arabs. 

The  morning  was  so  cold  that  the  Bisharees  were  very  h 
guid  in  their  movements,  and  even  I  was  obliged  to  don  my 
capote.  Ecsa  helped  tho  men  in  all  the  freedom  of  his  naked 
limbs,  and  showed  no  signs  of  nurabuess.  Tho  village  pf 
Abou-Hashym  extends  for  three  or  four  miles  along  the  rive^ 
and  looked  charming  in  the  morning  BUD^bi^e,  with  its  bright 
fields  of  wheat,  cotton  nnd  dourra  spread  out  in  front  of  the 
lidy  day  houses.  The  men  were  at  work  among  the  grain, 
directing  the  course  of  ihe  water,  and  shy  chilJren  tended  the 
herds  of  black  goats  that  browsed  on  the  ihoi'ns  akii-ling  the 
Desert.  The  people  greeted  me  very  cordially,  and  when  1 
Blopped  lo  wait  for  the  camels  an  old  man  came  runniDg  up  to 
inquire  if  I  bad  lost  the  wny.  The  western  bank  of  the  rivei 
is  still  richer  and  more  thickly  populated,  and  the  large  town 
of  Bedjem,  capital  of  the  Beyooda  country,  lies  just  opposite 
Abou-Hasbym.  After  leaving  the  1  ttc  |  lace  our  road  b  erved 
Btill  more  frooi  the  Nile,  nnd  took  a  str  ght  ourse  o  er  a 
rolling  desert  tract  of  stones  and  tl  on  s  to  avo  d  a  ery  long 
curve  of  the  stream.     The  air  w  is  atdl  strong  fro  i  tl  e  north, 


and  the  same  gray  vapor  tempered  tbe  sunshine  and  toned 
down  tho  brilliant  tints  of  the  landscape. 

We  passed  aeveral  small  buryiog-groutida  in  wbieh  nianj 
of  tlie  graves  were  decked  witli  small  white  iiags  otuok  on 
poles,  and  others  had  bowls  of  water  placed  at  tlie  head — ii 
nuslora  for  which  I  could  get  no  explanation.  Near  El  Bagh 
ejr,  where  wo  struck  the  river  again,  we  met  two  Bedouins, 
who  had  turned  merchants  and  were  tnking  u  drove  of  camels 
to  Egypt.  One  of  Ihem  bad  tbe  body  of  a  gazelle  whifh  he 
had  sliot  two  days  befojc,  banging  at  his  saddle,  and  offered  to 
sell  to  me,  but  the  Hesh  iiad  become  too  dry  and  hard  for  my 
leeth.  Ali  gucceeded  in  buying  a  pair  of  fowls  for  three  pias- 
tres, and  brought  me,  besides:,  some  doom-nuts,  of  the  lust 
year's  growth.  I  could  make  no  impTession  on  them  until  the 
rind  had  been  pounded  with  stones.  Tbe  taste  was  like  that 
of  dry  gingerbread,  and  when  fresh,  must  be  very  agreeable. 
In  the  fields  I  noticed  a  new  kind  of  grain,  the  heads  of  which 
resembled  rice.  Tlio  nalivos  called  it  doohhn,  and  said  that  it 
nras  even  more  nutritious  than  wheat  or  dourra,  though  not  so 
palatable. 

I  signalized  Mew-Tear's  Day,  1852,  by  breaking  my  ther- 
mometer, which  fell  out  of  my  pocket  as  I  was  mounting  my 
dromedary.  It  was  impossible  lo  rophice  it,  and  one  point 
wherein  my  journey  might  have  been  useful  was  thus  lost. 
The  variations  of  temperature  at  different  hours  of  the  day 
were  very  remarkable,  and  on  leaving  Korosko  I  had  com- 
menced a  r  icord  which  I  intended  to  keep  during  the  whole  of 
my  stay  in  Central  Africa.*     In  the  evening  I  found  in  the 

•  The  Ibllowing  record  of  the  tempcraluro,  from  tha  time  of  Ieavin| 
Korosko  Co  tbe  date  of  tha  Hccidcat  which  deprived  ma  of  the  th  vnma 


k 


^^V                  109                            JOCIUtET   TO  CBKTBAI,  AFRIUA. 

^^H               Nile  a  dsh  utmut  four  fuet 

ong, 

which  had  just  been  killed  by 

^^H               a  crocodile.     It  was  lying 

near 

the  water's  edge,  and  as  I  do- 

^^H               ecendcd  (lie  bunk  lo  examin 

eit, 

wo  slender  black  serpents  bUJ 

^^"                 awiiy  from  before  my  feet. 

Wii  struck  thti  tent  ear 

y  the  next  morning,  and  entered 

1                          on    (be    akaba,   or  pass    of  the 

Wady  eNtomar    (Valley  of 

^^H                 Ai^es).     It  waa  a  barren, 

Btony  tract,  interaected  with  long 

^^H               hollows,  which  produced  a 

growth  of  thorns  and  a  hard,  diy 

^^V               grnss,  the  blades  of  whici 

cut 

the  fingers  that  attempted  to 

pluck  it.      We  passed  two  fibort  raiigea  of  low  hiUs,  whidi 

Bhoired  the  Bume  atnita  of  coul-bliick  (^bale,  as  in  Ibe  Nubian 

Desert     The  alcala  takes 

its  name  fi-om  the  numbers  of  wild 

assea  which  are  found  in  it. 

These  bt-aats  are  reniarkablj'  shy 

and  fleet,  but  ore  sotnetin: 

69  killed  and  eaten  by  the  Arabs. 

We  kept  a  sharp  lookKiut,  but 

saw  nothing  more   than  theii 

eler,  Is  intereBting,  as  it  sbows 

.v.- 

tion  Mly  eqnal  to  that  of  out  ow 

TX.« 

12«.                           2p.« 

KorOEkD,                   Dec,  ei3t 

59° 

75"                               80= 

"23 

55= 

75=  (BahrbelaUa)  B6« 

"      2* 

64= 

70=                               78" 

7B=                           8B» 

«                   »    as 

60= 

91=                         100= 

4t                            u      27 

65= 

-                                 9!P 

«                            "23 

69= 

—                                 00" 

OP 

—                    w 

Tha  NilB                  "     30 

69' 

-                                 88" 

u                            "31 

iV 

T8=                           81= 

•                J«Q.  lat,  1853 

iT' 

70'                           «• 

^^^^^^^^^ri^^^H 

SOS 


Arabs,  travelling  on  foot  or  on  doiikej'9.  Tlio  women  were 
unveiled,  Rod  wore  the  eame  cotton  mantle  as  the  men,  reach- 
ing from  the  tvaist  to  the  knees.  They  were  all  tolerably  old 
and,  unlike  the  men,  were  excessively  ugly.  An  Ababdeh, 
riding  on  bis  droroedary,  joined  company  with  us.  He  w&B 
Dakud  to  the  loin^,  ^ Irongly  and  gi'^cefully  built,  and  siit  erect 
on  li!a  high,  narrow  saddle,  ns  if  he  and  hi^  animal  were  one— 
a  eort  of  cum  el-centaur.  His  haii'  was  profuse  and  bushy,  but 
of  a  fine,  ailky  lexlnre,  and  "sliort  Numidian  curl,"  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  crisp  wool  of  llie  genuine  negro. 

In  the  afLernoon  vie  reached  the  Nile  again,  at  his  Elev- 
enth  Cataract.  For  a  spnce  of  two  or  three  miles  hid  bed  ia 
filled  with  moFses  of  biiick  rock,  in  some  places  forming  dams, 
over  which  the  current  roars  in  its  swift  descent.  Tlie  ea^lem 
bank  ia  desert  and  uninhabited,  but  the  western  delighted  the 
eye  with  the  green  brilliance  of  ilj  Seldii.  In  a  patch  of  desert 
gnaa  we  started  a  large  and  beiiuiiful  gazelle,  spotted  like  a 
fellow-deer,  I  i-ode  lowai'da  it  and  upproacbed  within  thirty 
yards  befure  it  moved  away.  At  sunsft  we  reached  a  village 
called  Ginnayiietoo,  the  commencement  of  the  Berber  country. 
The  inhabitants,  wlio  dwelt  mostly  in  lents  of  palm-matting, 
were  very  friendly.  As  I  was  lying  in  ray  lent,  in  the  even- 
ing, two,  who  appeared  to  be  the  principal  peraoits  of  the  place, 
came  in,  enluted  me  with  "  Peace  be  with  you  1"  and  asked 
for  my  health,  to  which  I  replied:  "Very  good,  Allah  be 
praised  !"  Each  of  them  then  look  my  hand  in  his,  pressed  il 
Co  his  lips  and  forehead,  and  quietly  retired. 

We  resumed  our  march  tiirough  a  dry,  rolling  country, 
grown  with  Ihoms,  acacias  in  flower,  and  occasional  doum- 
Irees.     Beyond  the  Nile,  whose  current  was  no  longer  to  bfl 


i04  JODBHBT   TO    CENTBAL   AFKICA. 

seen,  slretuiied  the  long  mountain  of  Berber,  which  we  fii'tl 
discerned  ihc  6aj  previons,  when  crowing  [he  rise  of  tb«' 
Wadj  el-liomar.  The  opposite  bank  was  a  sea  of  vivid  greeii|. 
as  far  as  the  i-je  could  read).  Kt;nr  tliB  water  ihe  bean  and 
lupin  flourjalieil  in  thick  clusCers  ;  behind  them  extended  iidds 
of  cotton,  of  a  rich,  dark  I'cliage ;  and  still  bej'ond,  (all  runka 
of  dourra,  heavy  with  ripening  heads.  Irland-like  gioops  of 
date-trees  and  doum-palms  studded  this  rich  bed  of  vegetation, 
and  the  long,  Iduo  ^lope  of  tlie  mountain  gave  a  ci'owDiag 
charm  to  tbe  landscape  Aa  we  approached  the  capital  of 
Berber,  the  villages  on  our  right  becnmu  more  frequent,  but 
our  path  still  Ly  over  liic  dry  plain,  shiminering  wilh  the  lakea 
of  the  mirage.  We  passed  a  score  of  huge  vultures,  which 
had  so  gorged  themselves  with  the  carcase  of  a  camel,  that 
they  could  scarcely  move  out  of  our  way.  Among  them  were 
aeveral  white  hnwk^,  a  company  of  crows,  and  one  tall  black 
elork,  nearly  five  feet  in  lieighl,  which  walked  about  vrilh  the 
deUbet'ate  pase  of  a  staid  clergyman.  Flocks  of  quail  rose 
before  our  very  feet,  and  a  lai-ge  gray  dove,  with  a  pecnliai 
cooing  note,  iviia  veiy  abundant  on  the  irees. 

My  shayian  of  a  guide,  Eyoub,  wanted  to  alop  at  a  village 
called  El  Khaspa,  which  we  readied  at  two  o'clock.  El  Me- 
kheyref,  he  said,  was  far  ahi-ad,  and  we  could  not  ™'it  there  ;  ha 
would  give  us  a  sheep  for  out'  dinner;  the  Efiendi  must  prove 
his  hospilality  (but  all  at  the  Elfeiidi's  expense),  and  many 
other  weighty  reasons  —  but  it  would  not  do.  I  pushed  on 
ahead,  made  inquiries  of  the  natives,  and  in  two  hours  saw  be- 
fore me  the  mud  fortre&s  of  El  Mekheyref.  The  camel-men, 
who  were  very  tired,  fiom  the  long  walk  from  Korosko,  would 
wiUicgly  have  stopped  at  El  Kbassn,  but  vrhcn  I  pointed  out 


I 


b. 


THE  OABAYAK  BROKE&   UP.  101 

Berber,  and  Achmet  told  them  they  could  not  deceive  me,  for 
I  had  the  truth  written  in  a  book,  they  said  not  a  word. 

We  entered  the  town,  which  was  larger,  oleaner  and  hand- 
somer than  any  place  I  had  seen  since  leaving  Siout.  Ar- 
naout  soldiers  were  mixed  with  the  Arabs  m  the  streets,  and 
we  met  a  harem  of  Cairene  ladies  taking  a  walk,  under  the 
escort  of  two  eunuchs.  One  of  them  stopped  and  greeted  us, 
and  her  large  black  eyes  sparkled  between  the  folds  of  her  veil 
OS  she  exclaimed,  in  great  apparent  delight :  "  Ah,  I  know  you 
come  from  Cairo  I"  I  passed  through  the  streets,  found  a 
good  place  for  my  tent  on  the  high  bank  above  the  water,  and 
by  an  hour  before  sunset  was  comfortably  encamped.  I  gave 
the  men  their  backsheesh — forty-seven  piastres  in  all,  with 
which  they  were  well  satisfied,  and  they  then  left  for  the  tents 
of  their  tribe,  about  two  hours  distant.  I  gave  Eesa  some 
trinkets  for  his  bride,  which  he  took  with  '^  God  reward 
jroa  I "  pressed  my  band  to  his  lips,  and  then  went  with  theou 


3  CBMTBAI.  AFRIQ^ 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


ECEPTION     IN     BE 


1  Widdlog—U;  RecepHoD  by  tl 


1  MLUlBrj  Gmoraor— AchniBt— Tin  Bridcgiomn— 1  I 
laj— Kiir— The  floy'i  VWIi— The  CMI  flOTBiM^  J 
VUit— UdJDE  ia  3U1<— Tlw  Don^olen  StalUon-A  1 


LD  Flag — Dfipartun 


L— Tha  Piiii*  of  Be;*!^ 


I  WAS  sitiing  jit  my  lenl-doar  at  dusk,  after  a  luxurious  dinnm 
of  fowls  and  melons,  when  we  suddeoly  Leard  a  great  sound  of 
drums  and  Arab  singing,  with  repeated  discharges  of  musket- 
ry. The  people  told  us  that  a  marriage  was  being  celebrated, 
and  proposed  that  I  should  go  nnd  lake  part  in  the  festivitie& 
I  therefore  partly  resumed  my  Frank  dress,  and  told  Achmet 
ihat  ho  must  no  longer  represent  me  as  a  Turk,  since,  in  the 
conquered  countricii  of  Soudan  the  ruling  race  is  eves  more 
unpopular  than  the  Franks.  "  Well,  mastei,"  said  he ;  "  but 
I  must  at  least  make  you  an  American  Bey,  because  some 
rank  is  necessary  in  these  countries."  He  took  a  lantom,  and 
we  set  out,  in  the  direciion  of  the  noises. 

As  we  passed  ihe  mosque,  a  priest  informed  ua  that  tb»  J 
wedding  was  at  the  Governor's  house,  and  that  the  bridegroom  ] 
was  ibe  son  of  a  former  Governor's  laekeel,  or  deputy. 


MARRIAOB  FEaTIVTTIBS.  SOT 

drums  guided  ua  to  a  spacious  court-yard,  at  the  door  of  which 
Blood  guards  in  festive  dresses.  The  court  was  lighted  by  a 
targe  open  brazier  of  charcoul,  fastened  on  the  end  of  a  liigh 
pole,  and  by  various  colored  lanleTns.  Long  bc-nehea  ivrt 
ranged  ncroaa  the  central  space,  facing  the  Govemor'a  caflti- 
eion,  and  upoa  them  sat  many  of  ibe  inhabitants  of  the  town. 
listening  to  tht!  music.  Tile  Arnaout  soldier.'',  in  their  pictu- 
resque dressL-s,  were  srjuatted  around  tlic  walls,  iheir  yata- 
ghans and  loug  guns  gleaming  in  the  mooolight.  The  musi* 
cians  eat  on  a  raised  platform,  beside  the  steps  leading  to  the 
door.  There  were  half  a  dozen  drums,  aome  Arab  Hiites,  and 
a  chorus  of  atrong-lunged  singei-s,  w  ho  chanted  a  wild,  barbaric 
epithalamium,  in  perfect  time  and  accord.  The  people  all  Mu- 
luted  UB  TOspoctfuUy,  and  invited  ua  to  cuter.  The  Albauiaa 
guards  ushered  ua  into  a  lofty  room,  roofed  with  palm-iogs, 
which  were  carefully  ehoaen  for  their  size  and  straighlness. 
A  broad,  cuahioned  divan  ran  around  two  aides  of  the  apart- 
ment. Here  tat  the  military  Governor,  with  his  principal  ofift- 
cers,  while  richly-^iressed  6oldiei-a  etood  in  wailing.  An  im- 
mense glass  lantern  gave  light  to  this  striking  picture. 

The  Governor,  who  was  called  Tagheshir  Bey  (although 
he  held  the  lower  nmk  of  a  Sii?ijul'),  was  an  Albanian,  and 
commander  of  the  Egjptiitn  troops  in  Bei'her  and  Shendy. 
He  received  mc  with  great  kindness,  and  made  room  for  me 
btside  him  on  the  divan.  He  was  a  tall,  stately  man,  about 
fifty  yeara  of  age;  iii.-  face  waa  remarkably  handsome,  with  a 
mild,  benevolent  expression,  and  he  had  the  manners  of  n  fin- 
iahed  gentleman.  On  my  Icf'i  hand  was  one  of  bis  offii'era, 
also  a  toll,  fur-capped  Albanian.  I  prcseiilcd  both  of  the  dig- 
nitaries with  cigars,  foi  which  they  Eceracd   to  have  a  grcal 


■08 


JOUHXKy  TO  OEXTBAI^  AFRICA. 


relish.  CoiTee  soon  appeared,  seiTed  by  negro  slaves,  in  riijl^ 
blue  dresses,  iind  then  the  Bey's  stiebook,  ivith  a  muulh-pico 
studded  wiih  diamonds,  was  filled  for  me.  The  elnves  present- 
ly returned,  with  Irti'ge  glass  cups  filled  with  delicious  sherbet, 
which  tliey  offered  upon  gold-fringed  napkins.  Achmet,  being 
Beated  on  the  other  side  of  tlie  Governor,  was  mistaken  by  the 
attendants  for  the  Americun  Bey,  not  with  standing  his  diirk 
complexion,  and  served  first.  I  could  not  but  ndmirc  llie 
couilly  ense  of  his  manners,  which  belonged  ralher  to  the  bom 
eon  of  a  Pasha  tiian  to  I  he  poor  orphan-boy  of  LuKor,  indebt- 
ed only  Id  hi^  honesty,  quick  sense,  and  Ihe  kindness  of  aa 
English  lady,  for  a  better  fute  than  tliat  of  the  common  Fel- 
lahs of  Egj-pt.  Yet  with  all  the  respect  which  he  knew  so 
well  bow  to  command,  his  dcvolion  to  me,  aa  a  servant,  waa 
unchanged,  and  he  was  na  unremitting  in  his  attentions  aa  if 
soul  and  body  had  been  given  him  eipressly  for  my  use. 

The  Bey,  learning  that  I  was  bound  fur  Khartoum,  sent  a 
Boldier  for  the  sliekh  of  the  harbor,  wliom  he  commanded,  in 
my  presetice,  to  procure  a  boat  for  me,  and  see  that  it  was 
ready  to  sail  the  next  day.  The  only  boats  iti  this  region  ara 
rough,  open  crafis,  but  tbe  sliekh  promised  to  erect  a  tent  of 
palm-mats  on  the  poop,  to  serve  as  a  cabin.  Soon  after  ha 
left  the  bridegroom  appeared,  led  by  an  attendant,  as  he  wan 
totally  blind.  He  was  a  handsome  youth  of  eighteen,  and  in 
hia  air  there  was  a  charming  mixture  of  the  bridegroom's  dig- 
nity and  the  boy's  bashfuiueaa.  He  was  simply,  but  very 
tastefully  dressed,  in  a  blue  embroidered  jacket,  while  silk 
shirt,  while  shawl  fringed  with  gold,  full  white  trowsera  and 
red  slippers.  He  was  led  to  the  Governor,  kissed  his  hand 
and  begged  him  to  ask  me  if  he  might  not  be  allowed  to  iiavt'm 


t'b  coubtbby. 


dinner  prepared  for  me.  The  officers  asked  me  whether  I 
knew  of  any  remedy  for  his  bliadnesa,  but  as  I  found  that  the 
sight  had  been  destroyed  by  cataract,  I  told  them  there  was 
no  help  for  hiin  nearer  than  Cairo.  The  ceremonies  were  all 
over,  and  the  bride,  after  the  entire  t'otiBumniiition  of  the  nup- 
tials, had  goiii!  to  her  tiilher'a  hou~c,  to  rtmain  four  days. 

The  Bey,  finding  that  I  was  nut  »  merehant,  asked  Auhmet 
what  rank  I  held,  and  the  latter  answered  that  in  my  own 
country  it  was  something  between  n  Bey  and  a  Fasha.     Be- 


fore  we  lef^  three  soldiers 
as  I  ftfier wards  leiiriied, 
whips  over  the  poui 
the  cargo  from  the  hold  of 
harbor  had  seleL-tcd  for  me. 
hundred  la.'hes,  unte.' 


bad 


re  sent  down  to  the  river,  and, 
naiued  all  uight,  standing  with 
'ho  wi?re  fmployed  in  removing 
!  vessel,  wliicli  the  shekh  of  the 
The  rala  was  threatened  with  a 
■rj  thing  ready  by  the  next 


day.  On  leaving,  I  gave  a  medjid  to  the  servant?,  as  a  gra- 
tuity is  expected  on  such  occasions.  The  Bey  sent  nie  one  of 
his  Arnaouls  to  carry  the  lantern,  and  insi.<ted  on  stationing  a 
guard  near  my  lent.  Two  aoldievs  came  soon  afterwards,  who 
sat  npon  my  camp-cbesls  and  smoked  my  tobacco  until  morn- 
ing, Hany  of  the  soldiers  were  sla,Ye3,  who  received  only  fif- 
teen piastres  a  month,  beside  their  rations.  The  Arnaouts 
were  paid  one  hundred  and  tweniy-Sve  piastres,  and  thirty-five 
piastri'H  addiiional,  provided  they  furnished  their  own  equip- 
ments. As  1  pulled  off  my  turban  and  threw  myself  on  my 
mattress,  I  involuntarily  contrasted  my  position  with  that  of 
the  pievious  evening.  Then,  1  slept  in  the  midst  of  a  clus- 
ter o'."  Arab  huts,  a  simple  Ilowadji,  among  camel  -  drivers. 
Now,  I  was  an  American  Bey,  in  my  lent  overlooking  tba 
Nile,  watched  by  a  guard  of  honor  sent  me  by  the  commando? 


JODRKKT   TO    CBNTSAI. 


Jl   bonM  tS      f 


of  !he  military  forcea  in  Berber  and  Sbendy. 
Etiiiopian  hospitality !  For  here  was  at  lost  ibe  true  Etliia 
pia,  beyond  the  confioes  of  Mubiii ;  beyond  the  ancient  Capital 
of  Queen  Candace  ;  beyond,  not  only  the  first  and  seoond,  hut 
Iho  eleventh  cataract  of  the  Nile,  and  not  far  distant  from 
"  tlie  aleep  of  utmost  Axum6," 

ing  brought  with  it  no  less  pleasant  experiences. 
Seated  at  the  door  of  my  lent,  indolently  amohing,  lulled  bj 
g  of  the  Nile  and  cheered  by  the  brightness  of 
the  green  eea  that  bathed  liia  western  shore,  I  enjoyed  the  first 
complete  ^e^iiince  leaving  Kgypt.  The  ten)|jcrature  was  likf 
that  of  an  American  June,  and  my  pulse  beat  so  full  and  warn^ 
my  whole  body  was  so  filled  with  a  sense  of  ticali!i,of  atrengtb 
in  repoai-,  of  pure  phyaical  Batiafaction,  that  I  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  happy.  Mj  pleasure  was  disturbed  by  a 
Arab,  who  came  up  with  two  beautiful  goats,  whidi  I  supposed-, 
he  wanted  to  sell,  but  when  Acbmet  returned  from  tlie  bazaaiv  I 
I  found  that  they  were  a  present  from  the  Bey. 

As  I  was  sitting  at  breakfa.4t,  an  hour  later,  I  heard  Ach'  I 
met  talking  loudly  with  some  one  on  the  outside  of  tbe  tenl^  J 
and  called  to  him  to  know  what  was  the  matter.     He  stated  J 
that  an  oRiccr  Lad  just  arrived  to  announce  the  Bey's  approocl:^  I 
but  that  he  had  ordered  him  to  go  back  and  say  tliat  I  was  at  I 
breakfast,  and  ihe  Bey  must  not  come  for  half  an  hour.     "  You  I 
bavo  done  a  Teiy  rude  thing,"  I  said;  for  I  felt  annoyed  that  \ 
the  Bey  should  receive  such  a  roessnge,  as  coming  from  i 
"Don't  be  alarmed,  laaater,"  he  coolly  replied  ;  "(he  Boy  IB 
now  certain  that  you  are  of  higher  rank  Ihun  be."     Fortunate- 
ly, I  had  a  hand-iome  tent,  the  best  of  tobacco,  and  pure  Mocbn 
GoITee,  so  that  I  could  coDiply  with  the  rcquiailes  of  Eastern  i 


ho'pilality  in  a  manner  worlLy  of  my  Bnpposed  rank.  The 
lent  was  put  in  order,  and  I  arranged  n  ilivan  on  one  aide, 
made  of  my  caipet,  mattresi,  and  cajiole.  The  two  lantern- 
polea,  bound  together,  formed  a  m&^U  wiiich  I  planted  at  the 
door,  and  then  run  up  the  American  flag.  The  preparations 
were  scarcely  compleied  before  tlie  Bey  appeared,  galloping 
up  on  a  Euperb,  jul-black  stallion,  wiiL  half  a  dozen  oSicerj  in 
attendance.  As  he  dismounted,  I  advanced  to  receive  him. 
According  lo  Arab  etiquette,  the  highest  in  rank  enters  first, 
and  true  to  Achmet'e  prediction,  llie  Bey,  after  faking  my 
Land,  requested  me  to  precede  him.  I  declined,  out  of  cour- 
tesy to  him,  and  after  a  polite  controversy  on  the  snbject,  he 
passed  bis  arm  affection alely  around  tny  waist,  and  we  went  in 
side  by  side.  Achmet  had  excellent  cofiee  and  sherbet  in 
readiness,  but  the  Bey  preferred  my  cigars  to  the  shebook, 
As  he  sat  beside  me  on  the  divan,  I  thought  I  had  rarely  seen 
a  nobler  countenance.  He  had  an  unusually  clear,  lai'go  haze] 
eye,  a  long  but  not  prominent  nose,  and  the  lines  of  fifty  years 
had  sofiened  and  subdued  an  expression  which  may  have  been 
fierce  and  fearless  in  bis  younger  days.  He  was  from  a  village 
near  Farga,  in  Albania,  and  was  delighted  when  I  told  liim 
that  not  long  previous,  1  bad  sailed  past  the  shores  of  hta 
native  land. 

Ho  had  no  sooner  taken  his  leave  than  the  Civil  Governor, 
ad  interim,  Jliistapha  Kashif,  arrived,  attended  by  his  chief 
secretary,  Mahraoud  EfTendi,  Mustapha  was  an  Anatoliao, 
small  in  stalnre,  and  quite  withered  and  wasted  by  the  torrid 
climate  of  Berber.  Hia  skin  had  a  dark  unhealthy  hue,  and 
his  eyes  a  filmy  glare,  which  I  attribnted  to  other  causes  than 
lbs  diseased  liver  of  which  he  complained.     Ho  immediately 


JOUKintT  TO  OXniBAI.  SWSICA.. 


Bsked  for  arakee,  and  when  I  told  him  that  it  was  bad  for  Hm'  ' 
liver,  said  it  was  the  onlj  thing  which  did  him  good.  Mah- 
niDud  Effendi,  who  was  a  good-humored  Turk,  made  himself 
quite  at  hoRte.  I  showed  tlicm  my  sketches,  wiih  which  the; 
were  greiitly  diverted.  A  remark  of  the  Giovemor  gratified 
toe  exceedingly,  ns  it  showed  that  idl  the  attcnlioti  I  receivat 
was  paid  me,  not  on  account  of  my  supposed  rank,  bnt  (VoOl' 
the  fact  of  my  being  the  first  American  who  had  ever  visitdl' 
the  place.  "  I  have  been  in  this  country  isventy-four  years,* 
suid  he,  "tind  in  alt  that  time  only  some  French  and  two  of 
three  German  and  EiiglisU  travellers  have  passed  through. 
You  are  the  first  I  have  seen  from  Yenkee-Doonea.  [Tluj 
Bonnds  very  much  like  Yjiukee-Doodtedom,  but  is  in  reality  the 
Turkish  for  "  New  World."]  You  must  not  go  home  with  An 
nnfiivorable  account  of  us."  He  liad  once,  when  in  Alexan- 
dria, visited  an  Americiin  man-of-war,  which,  it  appeared,  hod 
left  a  strong  impression  upon  his  mind.  After  mentioning  the 
circumstance,  ho  iisked  me  how  many  vessels  there 
Navy.  1  had  mastered  the  Arabic  language  sufficiently 
know  llie  necessity  of  exnggeriition,  and  aaswered,  without 
itation,  that  there  were  -one  hundred.  "Oh  no!"  said  Ml 
tapha,  turning  to  Mahraoud,  the  Secretary :  "  His  Excellei 
is  entirely  too  modest.  I  know  very  well  that  there  a 
hundred  vessels  in  the  American  Navy ! "  I  Lad  falli 
below  the  proper  mark;  but  Achmot  tried  to  straighten  the 
niaiter  by  saying  tliat  I  meant  one  hundred  shipa-of-the-line, 
and  did  not  include  the  frigalos,  sloops-of-war,  brigs,  and 

VCttCB. 

Before  the  Governor  ]iad  finished  his  visit,  there  was  a 
onlside  of  the  lent,  and  presently  the  Chief  Mollah — the  li 


I 


I 


THE  aoTXRSOK'S  STAIXIOIT. 


piieat  of  the  mosque  of  Berber— made  hia  app(  aranee.  Ho 
was  n  tall,  dark-Bkinned  Arab  of  between  fifty  and  sixty  years 
of  Hge,  and  wore  a  long  robe  of  the  color  sacred  lo  Miihomet, 
with  a  turban  of  the  same,  under  which  the  ends  of  a  scarf  of 
white  gauzo,  embroidered  with  Arabic  cliaracters  iu  gold,  bung 
on  both  sidtB  of  hia  face,  Hia  manner  was  quiet  and  dignified, 
to  a  dugree  which  I  never  saw  excelled  by  any  Christian 
divine.  He  refuaed  the  pipe,  but  took  cofiee  aad  sherbet, 
holding  the  former  two  or  three  times  aliernnlely  to  each  eye, 
vhile  he  mnnnured  a  fonn  of  prajcr.  He  wna  very  much 
delighted  with  my  sketi^hea,  and  I  wa^  beginning  lo  feel  inler- 
caled  in  his  remarks,  wiien  ibe  Governor's  servant  appeared, 
leading  a  splendid  chestnut  stallion,  with  a  bridle  of  scarlet 
silk  cord,  and  trappings  of  cloth  of  the  same  royal  color.  He 
was  brought  in  order  that  I  might  take  a  ride  ihrougli  the  city. 
"  But,"  said  I  to  Achmet,  "  I  cannot  go  until  tbis  priest  has 
left."  "  You  forget  your  high  rank,  0  master  I "  said  the 
Gimning  dragoman  ;  "  go  without  fear,  and  1  will  Like  charge 
of  the  priest."  Without  more  ado,  I  took  a  hasty  leave  of  tbe 
mollah,  and  swung  myself  into  the  s.tddle.  The  animal  shot 
off  like  &  bolt  from  a  cross-bow,  leaving  tlie  Governoi'  to  fol- 
low in  my  wake,  on  his  favorite  gray  ass.  On  reaching  the 
mosque,  I  waited  for  him,  and  we  entered  tbe  bazaars  to- 
getliei".  He  insbted  on  my  preceding  bim,  and  at  his  com- 
mtuid  all  the  merchants  rose  and  remained  standing  until  we 
passed.  All  eyes  were  of  course  fixed  upon  rae,  and  I  had 
Bome  difficulty  in  preserving  a  serious  and  dignified  counte- 
nance, as  I  thought  of  my  cracked  nose  and  Abyssintau  com- 
plexion. Two  of  the  Governor's  sliives  attended  me,  and  ona 
of  them,  who  bad  a   remarkably  insolent  and  scornfi.l  expres 


IM 


JOCItirXT  TO  CENTRAI.  AmOA. 


sioii,  was  ilie  only  person  ivhu  did  not  seem  impressed  bj  nfm 
presence.  The  fellow's  face  was  disagreeable  to  me ;  he  wil^ 
the  death's-head  at  my  banquet. 

The  stallion  was  a.  noble  beost,  so  full  of  blood  and  firt  ] 
that  it  was  worth  a  month's  journey  through  the  Deaert  to  bv 
stride  him.  lie  was  small,  and  his  limbs  were  scarcely  lung 
enough  for  the  bi'eadth  of  his  chest  and  the  fulnesa  of  his 
flanks.  He  liad,  however,  the  slender  bead  and  brilliant  eye 
of  the  Arub  breed,  and  his  powerful  neck  expressed  a  fine  dis- 
ilain  of  other  horses.  He  waa  of  the  best  Dongolese  slock, 
but  resembled  in  many  points  the  famed  Anatolian  breed  of 
Asia  minor.  He  pranced  and  caracoled  impatiently  as  I 
forced  him  to  accommodate  his  pace  to  that  of  the  ignoble  ass. 
"  Let  him  run ! "  said  the  Governor,  as  we  reached  a  broad 
open  square  near  the  outskirts  of  the  cily.  I  slackened  llie 
rein,  and  he  diished  away  with  a  swiftness  that  almost  stopped 
my  breath.  I  am  but  an  ordinary  rider,  but  owing  to  the 
Turkish  saddle,  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  a  firm  Beat  and 
controlling  tho  powerful  steed.  We  visited  Ike  mud  fortress 
of  Berber,  wliicli  is  a  square  structure,  with  a  bastion  at  each 
comer,  having  embrasures  for  three  cannon,  and  the  Goventoi 
gave  me  to  understand  that  they  made  a  mighty  sound,  every 
time  they  were  fired.  He  then  took  me  to  the  house  of  a 
French  merchant,  with  a  name  something  like  D'Arfou.  The 
merchant  was  absent  in  Cairo,  but  a  black  slave  gave  us 
admittance.  We  took  seats  in  a  cool  portico,  admired  the 
Frenchman's  handsome  gray  donkey  and  his  choice  cows,  looked 
out  the  windows  upon  his  garden,  planted  with  fig,  orange, 
banar.a  and  pomegranate  trees,  and  were  finally  served  willi 
coffee,  presei;teJ  in  heavy  silver  serfs.     A  slave  then  appeared, 


it  BIDE  TBBOHQH  THE  CITT.  91S 

bringing  his  child,  a  pretty  boy  of  two  years  oM,  born  of  on 
Abyssinian  mother.  He  reruaed  to  ba  taken  into  the  Gov- 
ernor's arms,  and  contemplated  me,  his  Frank  rehitivG,  wi^ 
much  mora  satisraction.  M.  D'Arfou's  house — altLough  tha 
walls  were  mud,  the  floors  gravel  and  the  roof  palm-logs — 
was  cool,  roomy  and  pleasant!  and  for  that  region,  where  one 
cannot  easily  have  marble  pavements  and  jasper  fountains,  was 

Wo  mounted  again,  and  the  Governor  took  me  through  the 
city,  to  its  Bouthem  exti-emity.  It  is  more  than  a  mile  in 
length,  and  contains  about  twenty  thousand  inbabilanls.  The 
bouses  are  all  of  mud,  which,  though  unsightly  in  appearance, 
is  there  wi  good  as  granite,  and  the  streets  are  broad,  clean, 
and  unmolested  by  dogs.  I  was  well  pleased  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  place.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Nubians,  of  the 
different  tribes  between  Berber  and  Dungolo,  mixed  with  a 
few  Ababdehs,  Bishiirecs,  and  other  Desert  Arabs.  Though 
■cantily  dressed,  they  seemed  contented,  if  not  with  their  mas- 
ters, at  least  with  their  condition.  Among  the  crowd  that 
gathered  to  sec  us,  I  recognized  Eesii,  arrayed  in  a  new,  snow- 
while  garment,  and  looking  like  a  bronze  Ganymede.  He 
gnzed  at  me  wistfully,  as  if  uncertain  whether  he  should  dare 
to  speak,  but  I  hailed  him  at  once  with :  "  Salaamat,  ya 
Seta  I "  and  he  replied  proudly  and  joyfully.  After  our  tour 
was  over,  the  Governor  took  me  to  his  house,  which,  afler  that 
of  the  Fasha,  was  the  finest  one  in  the  place.  His  reception- 
room  was  cool,  with  a  broad  divan,  upon  which  we  stretched 
ourselves  at  ease,  sharing  the  single  pillow  between  ua.  The 
attendants  were  dressing  in  an  adjoining  room,  and  presently 
appeared  in  all  the  splendor  of  snow-white  turbanB  and  trow 


SIS  JOCBKKT  TO  CEDTRAt.  ATKlOA. 

ten,  I  was  presented  with  a  pipe,  and  as  a  great  treat, 
tie  of  tlie  mar^lic  cordial  of  Scio  was  brouglit.  Tlie  Govomi 
insialed  on  my  Jrinliing  iLrec  small  glasses  of  it,  three  bei 
the  ftjrtunnie  number.  At  tlja  juncture  Achraet  appeared,  lo' 
my  great  relief,  for  my  whole  Btoct  of  Arabic  was  exhausted. 
We  were  about  to  leare,  but  the  Governor  declared  that  it 
was  impossible.  It  would  be  disgraceful  to  him,  should  wa 
not  take  diuner  in  his  house,  aud  in  order  that  we  might  ui 
be  delayed,  he  ordered  it  to  be  served  at  once.  I  was  willii 
enough  lo  make  uae  of  thia  opportunity  of  partak 
Arab  dinner.  First,  a  alave  appeared,  and  gave  each  of  as  a 
napkin,  which  we  spread  over  our  knees.  He  was  followed  by 
another,  who  bore  a  bi'ass  ewei',  and  a  pitcher  from  which  ha 
poured  water  over  our  hands.  A  small  stand  upholding  a 
large  circular  piece  of  tin,  was  then  placed  before  us.  A  cov- 
ered diali  stood  in  the  centre,  and  a  rampart  of  thin  whenten 
cakes,  resembling  Mexican  tortillas,  adorned  the  circumference. 
The  cover  uas  removed,  disclosing  a  thick  anu|),  with  balls  of 
dough  and  meal.  We  toot  the  ebony  spoors,  and  now  behold 
the  Governor,  Achmel  and  I  dipping  fraternally  inlo  the  same 
bowl,  and  politely  stirring  tlie  clioice  lumps  into  each  other's 
spoons.  Mustaplia  was  in  the  mo?t  hilnrious  humor,  but  his 
four  dark  attendants  stood  befoie  us  as  solemn  as  Death.  I 
thought  then,  and  still  think,  tbat  they  hated  him  cordially. 
The  soup  was  followed  by  a  dish  of  kib&bs,  or  small  pieces  of 
meat,  fried  in  grease.  These  we  picked  out  wiih  our  fingers, 
and  then,  tearing  tbe  wheat  cakes  into  slices,  sopped  up  [be 
Bauee.  About  ten  different  compounds  of  meat  and  vegetables 
followed,  each  unlike  any  thing  I  ever  tasted  before,  but  all 
quite  palatable.     Tho  cnly  nrticlus  I  was  able  to  detect  in  tb< 


■"sV 


J 


ill 


trbole  diuner,  were  matton-cutlets,  egg-plants  and  sour  milk. 
Each  dish  was  brought  on  separately,  and  we  all  three  atn 
therefrom,  either  with  spoona  or  fingers.  When  the  repast  was 
finished,  water  was  brought  again,  and  we  washed  our  ban  dp 
and  quietly  awaited  the  pipes  aud  coffee.  When  we  arose  to 
leare,  Achniet  was  nbout  to  give  the  customary  medjid  to  the 
servants,  hut  the  Governor  prevented  hiiu.  Nevertheless,  ho 
found  au  opportunity  as  I  was  raOMntiug,  to  slip  it  into  the 
band  of  the  scornful  bUto,  who  took  it  without  relaxing  the 
Kcnwl  upon  his  features.  I  pranced  back  to  my  tent  upon  the 
chestnut  stallion,  from  which  Z  parted  with  more  regret  than 
from  its  owner. 

By  thia  time,  every  thing  was  in  reatiinesB  for  my  depap. 
tare.  The  Bailors,  who  had  worked  all  night  with  the  whips 
of  the  Albanian  soldiers  bung  over  tlieir  hacks  (unltnown  to 
me,  or  I  should  not  have  permitted  it),  had  brought  the  vessel 
to  the  hauk  below  iiiy  teat,  and  tho  Bey  had  sect  me  bis  prom* 
ificd  letter  to  the  Governor  of  Shendy,  The  pleasures  of  roy- 
alty were  now  over,  and  I  had  to  deal  with  Home  of  its  pftins. 
All  the  officers  and  servants  who  Lad  been  employed  for  my 
benefit  expected  backsheesh,  and  every  beggar  in  tho  place 
came  to  taste  the  bounty  of  the  foreign  king.  When  Achmet 
went  to  the  bazaars  to  purchase  a  few  neeessaricB,  be  over- 
heard the  people  saying  to  one  another,  "  That  is  the  inter- 
preter of  the  strange  king,"  and  many  of  them  rose  and  r* 
uiaiucd  standing  until  he  bad  passed.  Ali,  who  bad  spent  tho 
whole  da?  apparently  in  bunting  for  chickens  and  pigeons,  but 
Eblis  knew  for  what  in  reality,  was  assailed  on  all  sides  with 
inquiries :  "  Who  is  this  that  has  come  among  na  ?  What 
high  rank  does  he  possess,  that  he  receives  sneb  honor?" 
10 


JOOTlItET  TO   CEimiAL    AFRICA. 


All,  who  had  known  me  merely  as  a  Howadji,  was  somewhat 
perplcsed  how  to  expUin  Ihe  matter,  but  got  out  of  his  diffi- 
culty by  declaring  that  I  yiaa  the  son  of  the  great  king  of  all 
11  le  Franks. 

I  shall  not  soon  forgot  that  noble  old  Albanian,  Yagheahir 
Boy,  Achmet,  who  paid  him  a  parting  visit,  and  was  received 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  conceived  a  strong  affection  for 
him.  The  Bey,  on  learning  that  I  waa  ready  to  leave,  sent 
word  to  me  that  he  would  bring  a  comjiany  of  his  Arnaouta 
down  to  the  bank  of  the  Nile,  and  salute  my  flag.  "  It  is  the 
first  time  that  flag  has  been  seen  here,"  said  ho  to  Achmet, 
"  and  I  must  have  it  properly  honored."  And  truly  enough, 
when  we  were  all  embarked,  and  I  had  given  the  EtnrB  and 
stripes  to  the  Ethiopian  winds,  a  company  of  about  fifty  sol- 
diers ranged  themselves  along  the  high  bank,  and  saluted  ths 
Bag  with  a  dozen  rattling  voUcya. 

As  I  Bailed  away  I  returned  the  salute  with  my  pistols, 
and  the  soldiers  fired  a  parting  volley  after  me  for  good  luck 
on  the  voyage,  hut  so  recklessly  that  I  heard  the  sharp  whistle 
of  the  bullets  quite  close  to  the  vessel.  I  felt  more  grateful  to 
the  Bey  for  this  courtesy  than  for  his  Lindness  to  myself 
But  Berber  was  soon  left  behind  ;  lot-  '^  wind  woe  fair,  and 
l»ore  me  southward,  deeper  into  4fr'«%. 


I 


VOKniTliTS    TRITXI- 


CHAPTER     XVII. 

THE      R  T  H  I  O  F  I  A  H      NILS. 

f^irtunala  Travel— Tlie  AmerlcB— EthiupliD  Scaneiy—Tbe  AtbaiiRlnr-DuDH— a 
Melon  rolcb— AgTicultars— Tli«  InbabltonU— Chanp  of  EccDety— Tlie  Itnt  Htp- 
pcpotainus— CroqoilllHi— EfftctorMjifnp— ThoKnia  mid  SilloiB— Arabs  In  Ethla 
l-lii— OrnsioesUI  Scars— Ik«blr—Thii  SUve  Baklilla— We  Apprmeli  Ueiol. 

Tilr  Is  Uiil  lind  as  evenlcK  ikles, 


Tub  voyage  from  Berber  to  Kliartonm  was  nnotLer  link  id  my 
chain  of  fortunate  travel  The  Ethiopian  Nile  seemed  to  me 
more  beautiful  than  the  Egyptian ;  at  least,  the  vegetation  was 
richer,  the  air  milder  and  sweeter,  the  water  purer,  and  to 
crown  all,  the  north-wind  unfailing.  Day  and  night  there  wb8 
a  fresh,  steady  breeie,  carrying  na  smoothly  against  the  cur- 
rent, at  the  precise  rate  of  speed  which  is  moat  pleasant  in  a 
nailing  craft — three  to  four  miles  an  hour.  The  temperature 
was  that  of  an  American  June,  the  nights  deUeioualy  mild  and 
iiweet,  and  the  full  moon  shone  with  a  splendor  unknown  in 
northern  latitudes.  I  was  in  perfect  health  of  body,  and  suf- 
fered no  apprehension  or  ansiety  far  the  future  to  disturb  m} 
happy  frame  of  mind. 

El  Mefcheyref  looked  very  picturesque  in  the  soft  clew 


820 


TO  OKSrnAl.  AFRICA. 


light  of  the  last  afternoon  Tiour,  aa  I  sailed  away  from  it 
Bey'a  mansion  and  tlie  mosque  rose  conspieuously  atove  tha  I 
long  Hues  of  clay  walla,  and  groups  of  luxuriant  date-trees  in  I 
the  gardens  supplied  the  place  of  minarets  and  spires,     Bi 
shores,  above  the  city,  were  in  a  liigh  state  of  cultivation,  a 
T  passed  many  thriying  villages  before  dusk.     Even  under  iht  I 
moon,  the  corn-fiolds  on  cither  hand  were  green  and  bright^    11 
was  installed  in  a  temporary  eahin,  formed  of  my  tent-eanvas,  I 
stretched  over  a  frame  of  palm-aticks,  erected  on  the  ni 
poop-deck.     Achmet  and  Ali  took  possession  of  the  hold,  which  I 
they  occupied  as  kitchen  and  store-room.     The  rais,  sailors,  | 
and  the  two  beautiful  sheep  which  the  Bey  gave  me,  were  g 
ed  on  the  forecastle.     On  this  first  evening,  the  men,  fatigned 
by  their  estra  labors  on  my  accomit,  were  silent,  and  I  was 
left  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  scene.     The  waves  rippled 
pleasantly  against  the  prow  of  the  America  ;    the  frogs  and 
crickets  kept  up  a  concert  along  the  shore,  aud  the  xikzak,  or 
crocodile-bird,  uttered  hia  sharp,  twittering  note  at  intervals. 
Uours  passed  thus,  before  I  was  willing  to  close  my  eyes. 

The  landscapes  next  morning  were  still  more  beautiM. 
The  Nile  was  as  broad  as  in  Lower  Egypt,  flowing  betweeu 
banks  of  the  moat  brilliant  green.  Long  groves  of  palms  be- 
hind the  shore,  shut  out  from  view  the  desert  tracts  beyond, 
and  my  voyage  all  day  was  a  panorama  of  the  richest  suit 
scenery.  Early  ia  the  forenoon  I  passed  the  mouth  of  the  At*  J 
Lara,  the  ancient  Astaboras,  and  the  first  tributary  stream  I 
whicli  the  traveller  meets  on  his  journey  from  the  Mediteira- 
i:ean.  Its  breadth  is  about  one-third  that  of  the  main  river, 
but  the  volume  of  water  must  be  in  a  much  smaller  proportioa 
The  water  ia  a  clear,  bright  green,  and  its  junction  with  th(  j 


TBK  ATDARA   RrTSR.  221 

(krker  Nile  is  dUtinetly  marked.  I  could  look  up  the  Albarv 
For  about  a.  mile,  to  where  it  curved  out  of  eight  between  high 
green  banka  covered  with  flowering  mimoaas.  It  waa  a  charm- 
ing piece  of  river  scenery,  and  I  longed  to  follow  the  stream 
upward  through  the  wild  domains  of  the  Hallecgaa  and  Har 
deodoas,  through  the  forests  and  jungles  of  Takka  and  Schaii- 
galla,  to  where,  an  impetuous  torrent,  it  foams  through  the 
Alpine  highlands  of  Saraen,  under  the  eternal  snows  of  Abba- 
Jaret  and  Auiba-Hai,  In  Abyssinia  it  bears  the  name  of  Ta- 
caize,  but  afterwards  through  the  greater  part  of  its  course,  is 
called  the  Atbara  (and  the  country  it  waters.  Bar  Atbara),  ex- 
cept at  its  junction  with  the  Nile,  where  the  natives  name  it 
El-hahr  Mogran. 

Two  or  three  hours  later  we  reached  the  large  town  of  Da- 
rner, which  gives  its  name  to  the  point  of  land  between  the 
two  rivers.  It  is  a  quarter  of  a  mite  from  the  shore,  and  ia  a 
ooUcction  of  mud  buildings,  scattered  through  a  grove  of  sont 
trees.  My  sailors  stopped  to  get  some  mats,  and  I  climbed 
the  bank  to  look  at  the  place,  hut  there  was  nothing  in  tba 
view  to  tempt  me  to  enter.  During  the  day  we  stopped  at  an 
island  in  the  river,  to  buy  some  vegetables.  Two  men  were 
guarding  a  largo  patch  of  ripe  melons  and  cucumbers,  behind 
which  eitended  fields  of  dourra,  divided  by  hedges  of  a  kind 
of  shrub  cypress,  all  overgrown  with  a  purple  convolvulus  in 
Bower,  and  a  wild  gourd-vine,  with  bright  yellow  blossoms. 
In  wandering  through  the  luxuriant  mazes  of  vegetation,  I 
came  upon  a  dwelling  of  tho  natives — a  nest  or  arbor,  scooped 
out  of  a  thick  olamp  of  shrubs,  and  covered  with  dry  branches, 
It  reaembled  the  milpas,  or  brush-huts  of  the  Mosican  ranehe- 
ros.     The  only  furniture  was  a  frame  of  palm-sticks,  serving 


JOnRNzr  TO   CENTRAL  AFHICA 


IB  a  dhiiii,  ftiid  four  stonea,  arranged  so  ae  to  form  a  fire-plaofl 
On  rcturtiing  to  tlie  shof'C,  I  found  Aclimet  in  dispute  nilli 
the  two  men.  Ho  had  taken  aomo  melons,  for  which  ho  offer- 
ed Ihem  two  and  o,  half  piastreB.  They  demanded  more,  baf 
as  he  had  purchased  melons  for  less  in  El  Mekheyref,  he  ro 
fused,  and  giving  them  the  money,  took  the  melons  perforce 
''  Well,''  said  they,  "  you  are  our  masters,  and  we  must  suh- 
mit ;"  hut  they  would  sell  no  more  to  my  sailors.  The  latter, 
however,  procured  a  bowl  of  treacle,  made  of  dates,  and  some 
Bour  milk,  at  imother  hut,  and  were  contented  therewith.  Tha 
bean-fielda  along  the  shore  had  joat  heen  trampled  down  by  a 
hippopotamua,  whose  huge  foot-printa  we  saw  io  the  soft  mud 
near  the  water. 

All  day,  we  Bailed  between  thores  of  vegetation,  of  the 
ripest  green.  Both  banks  of  the  river,  through  this  region, 
are  studded  with  water-wheels,  whose  creaking  ceaaes  not  by 
day  nor  by  night.  It  was  pleasant  to  Bee  the  strings  of  jars 
ascending  and  descending,  and  to  hear  the  cool  plashing  of  the 
precious  blood  of  the  Nile,  as  it  poured  into  the  branching 
veins  which  are  the  life  of  that  teeming  soil.  The  wheels 
were  turned  by  oxen,  driven  by  Dinka  sJaves,  who  sang  to- 
□iferouB  melodies  the  while,  and  the  water  was  conveyed  to 
Gelds  distant  From  the  river  in  the  hollow  trunks  of  the  doum- 
tree. 

There,  where  I  expected  to  sail  through  a  wilderness,  I 
found  a  garden.  Ethiopia,  might  become,  in  other  hands,  the 
richest  and  most  productive  part  of  Africa.  The  people  are 
industrious  and  peaceable,  and  deserve  better  masters.  Theii 
dread  of  the  Turks  is  extreme,  and  bo  is  their  hatred.  I  Btop> 
pcd  one  evening  at  a  little  village  on  the  western  bank      Th( 


I 


4 


I 


238 


viilors  were  sent  to  the  houses  to  procure  fowls  and  eggs,  and 
»fter  a  long  time  two  men  appeared,  bringing,  as  they  aaid,  the 
only  cliickea  in  the  place.  Thej  came  up  slowly,  stooped  and 
touched  the  groimd,  and  then  laid  their  hands  on  their  heads, 
signifying  that  they  were  aa  dust  before  my  feet,  Achmet 
paid  them  the  thirty  paras  they  demanded,  and  when  they  saw 
that  the  supposed  Turks  had  no  dispoBition  to  cheat  them,  they 
went  back  and  brought  more  fowls.  TraveUers  who  go  by  the 
land  routes  give  the  people  an  excellent  character  for  hospital- 
ity. I  was  informed  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  buy  any- 
thing, even  when  double  tho  value  of  the  article  is  tendurod, 
but  by  asking  for  it  aa  a  favor,  they  will  cheerfully  give  what- 
ever they  have. 

When  I  crept  out  of  my  tent  on  the  third  morning,  the  fea- 
tures of  the  scenery  were  somewhat  changed.  A  blue  chain 
of  hills,  which  we  had  passed  in  the  night,  lay  behind  us,  and 
a  long,  graceful  mountain  range  rose  on  the  right,  broken  by  a 
pass  which  was  cut  through  it  at  right  angles  to  its  course. 
The  mountains  retreated  out  of  my  horizon  during  the  fore- 
noon, but  in  the  afternoon  again  approached  nearly  to  the 
wator'a  edge,  on  the  eastern  bank.  They  were  of  a  dark-red 
color,  exhibiting  a  broken,  mound-like  formation.  We  passed 
several  islands  during  the  day — beds  of  glorious  vegetation. 
The  sakias  were  turning  at  intervals  of  a  hundred  yards  or 
less,  and  the  rustling  folds  of  wheat  and  dourra  seemed  bnrst- 
ing  with  the  fulness  of  their  juices.  I  now  began  to  notice 
that  warm  vermilion  tinge  of  tlio  clouds,  which  is  frequently 
exhibited  near  the  Equator,  but  ia  nowhere  so  striking  as  in 
Central  Africa,  Lying  heavily  along  the  horizun,  in  the  warm 
hours  of  the  day,  they  appeared  to  glow  with  a  dead,  xmould- 


224  lOVKKET    TO  OEBTRAL  AFRICA. 

eriDg  fire,  like  brands  wbioh  &re  Boft  white  ashes  on  tbe  eni 
Bide,  bat  living  coals  witbio. 

On  the  same  day  I  saw  the  first  bippopotamns.  The  niec 
discerned  bim  abont  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off,  as  ho  came  up  to 
breathe,  and  called  my  attention  to  bim.  Our  vessel  was  nui 
towards  bim,  and  the  sailors  shouted,  to  draw  his  attention: 
"  How  is  your  wife,  oldloy?"  "  Is  yonr  son  married  yet?" 
and  other  like  esclamatioas.  They  insisted  upon  it  that  hia 
curiosity  would  be  excited  by  this  means,  and  be  would  allor 
DS  to  approach,  I  saw  bim  at  last  within  a  hundred  yards,  bat 
only  the  enormoas  bead,  which  was  more  than  three  feet  in 
breadth  across  the  ears.  He  raised  it  with  a  tremendons  anon, 
openiug  bis  hnge  mouth  nt  the  same  time,  and  I  thought  I  had 
never  seen  a  more  fright fal-looking  monster.  He  came  up  ui 
our  wake,  after  we  bad  passed,  and  followed  ns  for  some  time, 
Directly  afterwards  we  Kpied  five  crocodiles  on  a  sand-bank 
One  of  them  was  of  a  grayish -yellow  color,  and  npward  of 
twenty  feet  in  length.  We  approached  quietly  to  within  a  few 
yards  of  them,  when  my  men  raised  their  poles  and  sbouted, 
Tho  beasts  started  from  their  sleep  and  dashed  qniekly  into 
the  water,  the  big  yellow  one  striking  so  violently  against  onr 
hull,  that  I  am  sure  be  went  off  with  ahead-ache.  The  natives 
have  many  superstitions  concerning  the  hippopotamusj  and  re- 
lated to  me  some  astonishing  csamples  of  his  canning  and 
gagaeity.  Among  others,  tbcy  asserted  that  an  Arab  woman, 
at  Abou-Hammed,  went  down  to  the  river  to  wash  some  clothes, 
snce  upon  a  time.  She  laid  tbe  garments  upon  some  smooth 
Btonea,  and  was  engaged  in  trampling  them  with  her  feet,  when 
a  huge  hippopotamus  thnist  bis  bead  ont  of  tbe  river,  and  tftei 
watebing  her  for  some  time,  made  for  the  shore.     Tbe  womin 


Red  in  terror  leariDg  tlie  clothea  beblnd  her ;  whtireopon  tlie 
beast  immediately  took  her  place,  and  pomided  away  so  rig- 
orously with  his  feet,  that  in  a.  short  time  there  was  not  left 
»  fragment  as  big  as  your  Land. 

On  making  inquirioa  for  the  ruins  of  Meroe,  which  we  were 
then  approaching,  the  raiB  only  knew  that  there  were  some 
"heioot  kadeem"  (ancient  boasea)  near  the  village  of  Bedjer- 
owiyeh,  which  we  would  probably  reach  that  night.  As  I  found 
on  my  map  a  name  which  nearly  corresponded  to  that  of  the 
Tillage,  I  bad  no  doubt  that  this  was  Meroe,  and  gare  orders 
that  the  boat  should  bait  until  the  next  day.  The  rais  was 
greatly  surprised  at  my  knowing  the  names  of  all  the  towns 
along  the  river,  seeing  that  I  had  never  been  there  before.  I 
showed  him  my  map,  and  told  him  that  I  knew  from  it,  the 
name  of  every  mountain,  every  vOIage,  and  every  river,  from 
Cairo  to  Abyssinia.  The  men  crowded  around  and  inspected 
it  with  the  utmost  astonishment,  and  whon  I  pointed  out  to 
them  the  location  of  Meeea,  and  read  them  the  names  of  all 
the  villages  aa  far  as  Khartoum,  they  regarded  it  with  an  ex- 
pression of  reverential  awe.  "  Wallah  !"  esclaimed  the  rais; 
"  this  is  truly  a  wonderful  Frank ! " 

My  rais,  whose  name  was  Bakbid,  belonged,  with  bis  meu, 
to  the  Nubian  tribe  of  Mahass,  below  Dongola.  They  were 
tall,  well-formed  men,  with  straight  features  and  high  cheek- 
bones, but  the  lips  were  thicker  than  those  of  the  Arab  tribes 
of  Ethiopia.  The  latter  are  of  almost  pure  Sheraitte  blood, 
and  are  descended  from  families  which  emigrated  into  Africs 
from  the  Hedjaz,  seven  or  eight  centuries  ago.  This  accounts 
hi  the  prevalence  and  purity  of  the  Arab  language  in  tbeaa 
regions.  The  descendants  of  the  Djaaleyn,  or  tribe  of  Bern 
10* 


E26  roURMBT   TO  CKNfBAL  AFKIOA. 

&oreish,  of  Tcmen,  are  still  to  be  foand  in  tbe  conntrj  of 
Atbara,  and  there  are  those  in  Ethiopia,  who  claim  to  be 
sceiidatits  from  the  line  of  the  Abbaaides  and  the  Oinmiad< 
There  has  been  very  little  icterraixture  with  the 
beyond  Sennaar,  who  are  looked  upon  as  little  better  than  wild 
beasts.     The  Arabic  language  ia  spoken  from  the  Red  Sea  to 
the  borders  of  Dar-Fflr  and  Bornou,  and  according  to  Burok- 
bardt,  the  prevalent;  idioms  are  those  of  Hcdjaz,  in  Arabia. 
The  distinction  between  the  descendants  of  tbe  old  Arab  stock, 
and  those  who,  like  the  Ababdebs  and  Biehiirecs,  belong  to  the 
native  African  races,  is  obvious  to  tbe  moat  careless  observer, 
Tbe  latter,  however,  must  not  be  confoanded  with  the  Negro 
race,  from  which  tbey  differ  still  more  widely. 

Raia  Bakhid  bad  with  him  a  eon  named  Ibrahim — a 
of  twelve.  His  head  was  ahavea  so  as  to  leave  a  circular 
of  hair  on  tbe  crown;  large  silver  rings  bung  from  bis  ( 
and  eaeb  cheek  was  adorned  with  four  broad  scars — three  t 
zontal,  and  one  vertical, — which  were  produced  by  gaahlng  tha 
akin  with  a  knife,  and  tlien  raising  the  flesh  so  as  to  prevent 
the  edges  from  uniting.  All  tbe  Nubian  tribes  are  scarred  in 
the  same  way,  frequently  upon  the  breast  and  back  as  well  as 
the  face,  and  the  number  and  position  of  the  marks  is  goncrally 
a  token  of  the  particular  tribe  to  which  the  person  beIong& 
The  slaves  brought  from  the  mountains  of  FazogI,  on  the 
Abyssinian  frontier,  have  a  still  greater  profusion  of  these  bar- 
baric ornaments.  I  had  another  Mabassco  on  board-  a  fellow 
of  five  and  twenty,  named  Beshir,  who  kept  all  tbe  others  in  a 
continual  laugh  with  bis  droll  sayings.  He  spoke  the  dialect 
of  hia  tribe,  not  a  word  of  which  I  could  understand,  but  hii 
boe  and  voice  were  so  comical,  that  I  laughed  iuvoluntarilj. 


\ 


'4 

loii-^l 

,  .1,=  " 


THE   BIAVS  BAKHITA.  28l 

whenever  Le  spote.  He  was  a  graceless  follow,  given  to  all 
sorts  of  debaucliery.  and  was  never  so  happy  aa  when  he  could 
drbk  his  fill  of  otn  biliil,  (the  "  mother  of  nightingalea,")  ai« 
the  beer  of  the  country  is  called,  because  he  who  driuka  it, 
Bings. 

Another  curious  character  was  an  old  woman  named  Bak- 
hita,  a  slave  of  the  owner  of  the  vessel,  who  acted  aa  cook  for 
the  aailors.  She  aat  sriuatted  on  the  forward  deck  all  day, 
hideously  and  nakedly  ugly,  but  performed  her  dutiea  ao  regu 
larly  and  with  such  a  contented  face,  laughing  heartily  at  all 
the  jokes  which  the  men  made  at  her  expense,  that  I  aoou  learn- 
ed to  tolerate  her  presence,  which  was  at  first  diagustmg.  She 
was  a  native  of  the  mountains  of  I>ar-Fur,  hut  had  been  captur 
ed  by  the  slave-hunters  when  a  child.  She  was  in  Shendy  oa 
the  night  when  Ismail  Pasha  and  his  soldiers  wire  burned  to 
death  by  Mek  Nemr,  in  the  year  1  822.  But  with  all  my  ques- 
tioning, she  could  give  no  account  of  the  scene,  and  it  was  a 
marvel  that  she  remembered  it  at  all.  Life  was  to  her  a 
blank  page,  and  what  one  day  might  write  upon  it,  the  nest 
day  erased.  She  sat  from  morning  till  night,  grinding  the 
dourra  between  two  flat  stonea.  precisely  as  the  Mesisan  women 
grind  theit  maize,  occasionally  rubbing  her  hands  upon  her 
woolly  head  to  rid  them  of  tlio  paste.  Her  only  trouble  was 
my  white  sheep,  which,  in  its  search  after  food,  would  deliber- 
ately seize  her  mealy  top-knots  and  begin  to  chow  them.  Her 
yells,  at  such  times,  were  the  signal  for  a  fresh  attack  of  Bo- 
shir's  drollery.  Yet  old,  and  ugly,  and  imbruted  aa  she  was,  no 
Fraukish  belle,  whoae  bloom  ia  beginning  to  wane,  could  have 
been  more  sensitive  about  her  a^.  I  was  delighted  to  find 
this  touch  of  vanity  in  her;  it  wa-s  the  only  trace  of  feminint 


esB 


nature  sLe  erer  betrayed.  Beshir'a  declaration  that  she  was  ■ 
linndrod  and  fifty  years  old,  roused  her  to  fury.  She  rose  up, 
turned  to  me  witli  a  face  so  hideously  distorted  that  I  could 
not  laugh  at  it,  and  jelled  out :  "  Look  at  me,  0  my  lord  1  and 
tell  me  if  this  son  of  a  dog  speaks  the  truth  1 "  "  He  lies, 
Bakhita,"  I  anBwercd ;  "  I  should  say  that  you  were  not  mora 
than  thirty  years  eld,"  The  fury  of  her  face  was  instantly  re- 
placed by  a  simper  of  Tacity  which  made  it  even  more  hideous; 
but  from  that  time  Bakhita  considered  me  as  her  friend.  Bo- 
ehir,  who  never  missed  an  opportunity  of  hailing  the  people  on 
shore,  called  out  one  day  to  a  damsel  who  came  down  to  the 
river  for  water  :  "  Here  is  your  sister  on  board."  The  ami- 
able maiden,  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  comparison,  rejoined 
"Ami  sister  to  a  hyena?" — a  compliment,  ovet  which  the 
old  woman  chnckled  for  a  long  time. 

The  wiud  fell  at  sanset,  when  we  were  about  acven  mileB 
from  Mcroe,  and  while  the  sailors  moored  the  boat  to  the  shore 
and  built  a  fire  to  cook  the  head  and  ribs  of  my  sheep,  I  climb- 
ed the  bank,  to  get  a  sight  of  the  country.  As  far  as  I  could 
sec,  the  soil  was  cultivated,  principally  with  cottou  and  dourra. 
The  cotton  was  both  in  flower  and  pod,  and  was  of  escellcnt 
q^uality.  Aohmct  and  I  visited  a  water-mill,  under  the  charge 
of  a  Dinka  slave,  who  came  up  humbly  and  kissed  our  hands. 
We  commanded  him  to  go  on  with  his  work,  when  he  took  hia 
Beat  on  the  beam  of  the  wheel  and  drove  bis  cows  around,  to 
tho  accompaniment  of  a  laud,  shrill  song,  which,  at  a  distanot 
harmonized  strangely  with  the  cry  of  the  jackal,  in  ^e  de^erte 
ftway  beyond  the  rirer. 


I 


CHAPTER    XV  lit. 


if  Meri>l— Walk  A 


Bue—KeavctJaiu. 


A  LIGHT  breeze  sprang  up  hood  after  midniglit,  and  whea  I 
aroBe,  at  aanrUe,  we  were  approaching  the  village  of  Bedjer- 
owiyeK  By  the  time  coffee  was  ready,  the  America  was  moor- 
ed at  the  landing-place,  and  Rais  Bakhid,  who  was  faiuUiar 
with  all  the  localities,  stood  in  waiting.  Achmet,  with  Beshir 
itiid  another  Bailor,  also  accooipanied  mc.  Wo  crossed  some 
Gelds  of  cotton  and  dookhn  to  the  village,  which  waa  a  cluster 
of  tokuls,  or  circular  huts  of  mud  and  sticks,  tn  a  grove  Cif 
Bont  trees.  The  rais  tried  to  procure  a  donkey  for  me,  but  the 
people,  who  took  me  for  an  Egyptian,  and  appeared  very  tlmo- 
roxte  and  humble,  denied  having  any,  although  I  saw  two  half- 
Btarvod  beasts  among  the  trees.  We  therefore  set  out  on  foot, 
toward  a  range  of  mountains,  about  five  miles  distant. 

The  disooTery  of  the  ruins  of  Meroti  is  of  comparatively 
recent  date,  and  it  ie  only  within  a  Tory  short  time  that  tbeii 


JOTTItlTET   TO   CEimiAL   ATRICA. 


Inin  t^hnrnuiei'  and  plitco  in  Elliiopian  hiiilory  liave  Ix 
roclorjly  establislieJ.  [lofkins,  Cailliaud  and  Ferlini  were  the 
(ii'st  to  direct  ihe  nttcntion  of  antiqiinmns  lo  this  quarter,  and 
the  later  und  moi-e  complete  researches  of  Lepsius  leave  room 
Tor  little  more  lo  bo  diacovered  concerning  them.  It  is  re- 
marlcable  that  both  Brace  and  Bnrekhardt,  who  travelled  t^ 
(and  from  Berber  to  Slicudj,  iiiiled  to  see  the  ruine,  whidi 
luuRt  have  been  Tisible  from  the  road  they  followed.  The  for* 
mcr,  in  fact,  speaks  of  the  broken  pedestals,  earvod  etones  and 
pottery  which  are  scattered  over  the  plain,  and  sagely  says. 
"  It  is  impossible  to  avoid  risking  a  gueas  that  this  ia  the  an- 
eieat  city  of  Meroii" — but  he  does  Eot  mention  the  gronpg  of 
pyramids  wliich  are  no  conspicuous  a  feature  in  the  landscape. 

Our  path  led  over  a  plain  covered  with  thorny  shrabs  at 
Grst,  but  afterwards  hard  black  gravel,  and  wc  had  not  gone 
uiore  than  a  mile  before  the  raia  pointed  out  the  pyramids  rf 
the  ancient  Ethiopian  city.  I  knew  it  only  from  its  mentioir 
in  history,  and  had  ncvor  read  any  description  of  its  remains; 
consequently  I  was  surprised  to  see  before  me,  in  the  vapory 
morning  air,  what  appeared  to  be  the  tuIdb  of  pyls  and  porti- 
cos, as  grand  and  lofty  as  those  of  Karnak.  Bising  between 
us  and  the  mountains,  they  had  an  imposing  efiect,  and  I  ap- 
preached  them  with  excited  antieipations.  As  we  advanced, 
however,  and  the  morning  vapors  melted  away,  I  found  tlutt' 
they  derived  mueb  of  thair  apparent  height  from  the  hill  upon. 
wliich  they  are  built,  and  that,  instead  of  being  the  shattered 
parts  of  one  immauBe  temple,  they  were  a  group  of  separata 
pyramids,  standing  amid  the  ruins  of  others  which  have  bean 
lompletely  destroyed. 

We  reached  them  after  a  walk  of  about  four  miles. 


i 


TUB   PTRAMTtlB. 

Htand  upjn  a  narrow,  creaceDt-sbapcd  hill,  which  risea  forty  oi 
Sftj  feet  from  the  plain,  presenting  its  I'onvex  front  to  the 
Nilu,  while  toward  the  east  its  hollow  curve  embraces  a  small 
valley  lyiug  between  it  mid  the  mountain  range.  Its  ridge  ia 
crowned  with  a  long  line  of  pyramids,  standing  eo  close  to  each 
other  that  their  bases  almost  meet,  but  presenting  no  regular 
plan  or  association,  except  in  the  direction  of  their  faces.  None 
of  them  retains  its  ape:,  and  they  are  all  more  or  less  ruined, 
tliough  two  are  perfect  to  within  a  few  eoursea  of  the  top.  I 
climbed  one  of  the  highest,  from  which  I  could  overlook  the 
whole  group,  as  well  as  another  cluster,  which  crowned  the 
summit  of  a  low  ridge  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  opposite. 
Of  those  among  which  I  stood,  there  were  sixteen,  in  different 
degrees  of  ruin,  besides  the  shapeless  stone-heaps  of  many 
more.  They  are  all  built  of  fine  red  sandstone,  in  regular 
courses  of  masonry,  the  spaces  of  which  are  not  filled,  or  cased, 
as  in  the  Egyptian  pyramids,  escept  at  the  corners,  which  are 
covered  with  a  narrow  hem  or  moulding,  in  order  to  give  a 
smooth  outline.  The  stones  are  ahout  eighteen  inches  high, 
and  the  recession  of  each  course  varies  from  two  to  four  inches, 
K>  that  the  height  of  the  structure  is  always  much  greater  than 
the  breadth  of  the  base.  A  peculiarity  of  these  pyramids  is, 
that  the  Bides  are  not  straight  but  curved  lines,  of  different 
degrees  of  convexity,  and  the  breadth  of  the  eoursea  of  stone 
is  adjusted  with  the  utmost  nicety,  so  as  to  produce  this  form. 
They  are  small,  compai-ed  with  the  enormous  piles  of  Gizeh 
kud  Dashoor,  but  singularly  graceful  and  elegant  in  appcaruDoe 
Not  one  of  the  group  is  more  than  seventy  feet  in  height,  noi 
when  complete  could  have  exceeded  one  hundred. 

All  or  nearly  all  have  a  small  cbomber  attached  to  the  ex- 


132 


JOURNX7.  iro   OKXTBAL  AFRIGl. 


P 


tcrior,  exactly  ag&inst  the  centre  of  their  eaetcro  sides,  but 
passage  leading  into  tbe  interior;  acd  from  the  traces  of  Dr. 
I.epsiuB's  labors,  by  which  I  plainly  saw  that  be  Lad  attempt- 
ed in  vain  to  find  an  entrance,  it  is  evident  that  tbey  are  mun-^ 
\y  solid  piles  of  masonry,  and  that,  if  they  were  intended 
tombs,  the  bodies  nere  deposited  in  the  outer  chambers,  S( 
of  these  cliarabcrs  are  entire,  eseept  thereof,  aiid  their 
are  profusely  sculptured  with  hieroglyphics,  somewhat  blnrred' 
and  worn  down,  from  the  effect  of  the  summer  rains.  Tbeit 
entrances  resembled  the  doorways  of  temples,  on  a  miniature 
scale,  and  tbc  central  stones  of  two  of  them  were  BCalptured 
with  the  sacred  winged  globe.  I  saw .  ott  the  jumb  of  another 
a  figure  of  the  god  Ilonis.  The  chambers  wore  quite  smaU,, 
and  not  high  enough  to  allow  me  to  stand  upright.  The  ecu^< 
tnres  have  a  very  different  character  from  those 
of  Thebes,  and  their  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Ftolenuus 
period  was  evident  at  tbo  first  glance.  The  only  cartouches  of 
monarcha  which  I  found  were  so  obliterated  that  I  could  not 
identify  thorn,  but  the  figure  of  One  of  the  kings,  grasping  in 
one  hand  the  hair  of  a  group  of  captives,  while  with  the  other 
he  lifts  a  sword  to  slay  them, ;  bears  a  stril^ing  resemblance  to 
that  of  Ptolemy  Euergotes,  on  the  pylon  of  the  temple  at 
Edfou.  Many  of  the  stoues  in  the  vast  Leaps  which  lie  scat- 
tered over  tbe  hills,  are  covered  with  sculptures.  I  found  on 
some  the  winged  globe  and  searabeiis,  while  others  retained  tiie 
scroll  or  fillet  which  usually  covers  the  sloping  oornera  of  a 
pylon.  On  the  northern  part  of  the  hill  I  found  scvei-al  blocki 
of  limestone,  which  exhibited  a  procession  of  seilptunid  figures 
brilliantly  colored. 

The  last  structure  on  the  soutbcrn  extremity  of  the 


mor» 
arred  ■ 

I 


the  bill  in  I 


ratlier  a  tower  than  a  pyr.imid,  conaiating  of  a  bigh  base  oi 
foundation,  upon  which  ia  raised  a  &qnnrB  building,  tho  corners 
presenting  a  very  slight  slope  towards  the  top,  which  is  coye^ 
ed  with  ruiuB,  indicating  that  there  was  triginallj  another  and 
narrower  etory  upon  it.  When  complote,  it  must  have  borne 
conaiderahle  rescuiblance  to  the  Assyrian  towers,  the  remains 
of  which  arc  found  at  Nineveh.  Oa  this  part  of  the  hill  there 
are  many  small  detached  chamhers,  uU  facing  the  eiut,  and  the 
remains  of  a  large  building.  Here  Lepsius  appears  to  have 
expended  moat  of  hia  Lihora,  and  the  heaps  of  etone  and  rub- 
biiih  he  haa  left  behind  him  prevent  one  from  getting  a  very 
clear  idea  of  the  original  disposition  of  the  huildiogs.  Ho  haa 
quarried  oue  of  the  pyramids  down  to  its  base,  without  finding 
any  chamber  within  or  pit  beneath  it.  My  rais,  who  was  at  o 
loas  to  comprcheod  the  object  of  my  visit,  spoke  of  Lepaiua  aa  a 
great  Frank  astrologer,  who  had  kept  hundreds  of  the  people  at 
work  for  many  days,  aud  at  last  found  in  the  earth  a  multitude 
of  chiekeua  and  pigeona,  all  of  solid  gold.  He  then  gave  the 
people  a  groat  deal  of  haeksheesh  and  wont  away,  taking  the 
goldeu  fowls  with  him.  The  moat  iuferostiog  object  be  haa 
revealed  is  a  vaulted  room,  about  twenty  feet  long,  which  the 
rai'B  pointed  out  as  the  place  where  the  treasures  were  foimi 
It  is  possible  that  he  here  referred  to  the  discoveries  made 
about  twenty  years  ago  by  Ferlini,  who  excavated  a  great 
(quantity  of  rings  and  other  oruamcEits — Greek  and  Roman,  aa 
well  aa  Ethiopian — which  arc  now  in  the  Museum  at  Berlin. 
TliG  ceiling  of  this  vault  is  on  the  true  principle  of  the  arch, 
with  a  keystone  in  the  centre,  which  circumstance,  aa  well  at 
.he  character  of  the  sculptures,  would  seem  to  fix  the  age  of 
the  pyramids  at  a  Lttle  more  than  tn-o  thouaand  years. 


JODRVBr  70   (nHTRAL    LTOIOA. 


^ 


I  took  a  Eketch  of  this  remark&ble  cluster  of  rains  froin 
their  northern  end,  and  afterwards  another  from  the  valley  ba 
low,  whence  each  pyramid  appears  distinct  and  separate,  nC 
one  covering  the  other.  The  raia  and  sailors  were  puzzled 
what  to  make  of  my  inspection  of  the  place,  but  finally  con 
eluded  that  I  hoped  to  find  a  few  golden  pigeons,  which  the 
Franl;  astrologer  had  not  carried  away,  I  next  visited  the' 
eastern  group,  which  consists  of  tea  pyramids,  moi 
lapidated,  and  the  ruined  foundations  of  six  or  eight  moi 
The  largoat,  which  I  ascended,  consists  of  thirty-five  coursei 
of  stone,  and  is  about  fifty-three  feet  in  height,  eight  or  ten 
feet  of  the  apex  having  been  hurled  down.  Each  side  of  the 
apex  is  aeveateea  paces,  or  about  forty-two  feet  long,  and  the 
angle  of  ascent  is  consequently  much  greater  than  in  the  pyra- 
mids of  Egypt.  On  the  slope  of  the  hill  are  the  substructiona 
of  two  or  three  large  buildings,  of  which  eufficient  remains  ta 
show  the  disposition  of  the  chambers  and  the  location  of  Aat 
doorways.  Towards  the  south,  near  where  the  valley  incIoBed 
between  the  two  groups  opens  upon  tho  plain,  ore  the  remains 
of  other  pyramids  and  buildings,  and  some  large,  fortress-like 
ruins  arc  seen  on  the  som'nuts  of  the  mountains  to  the  East. 
I  would  willingly  have  visited  them,  but  the  wind  was  blowing 
fresh,  and  the  rais  was  impatient  to  get  hack  to  his  vesseL 
Many  of  tiio  atones  of  the  pyramids  are  covered  with  rude  at- 
tempts at  sculpturing  camels  and  horses ;  no  doubt  by  the 
Arabs,  for  they  resemble  a  school-boy's  first  drawings 
slate— straight  sticks  fur  legs,  S(parcs  for  bodies,  and  tri&ngh 
for  humps. 

Leaving  the  ruins  to  the  company  of  the  black  goats 
B  browsing  on  the  dry  grass,  growing  in  bunches  at  thf 


the.  _ 


BITK   or  THE   ANCIBNT  onT. 


eBfltern  base,  1  WEkllced  to  anotLer  group  of  pyramids,  which  laj 
a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  aouth-west,  towards  the  Nile.  As  vt 
approached  tbem,  a  herd  of  beautiful  gray  gazelles  started 
from  among  the  stones  and  bounded  anay  into  the  Desert, 
''These  were  the  tents  of  the  poor  people,"  said  the  rais, 
pointing  to  the  pyramids :  "  the  Frank  found  no  golden  pi- 
geons here."  They  were,  in  fact,  smaller  and  more  dilapidated 
than  the  others.  Some  had  plain  burial  chambers  attached  to 
tbcir  eastern  sides,  but  the  sculptures  were  few  and  insignifi- 
cant. There  were  sixteen  in  all,  more  or  less  ruined.  Scat- 
tering mounds,  abounding  with  fragments  of  bricks  and  build, 
ing-stonos,  extended  from  these  ruins  nearly  to  the  river's  bank, 
a  distance  of  more  than  two  miles;  and  the  foundations  of 
many  other  pyramids  might  be  seen  among  them.  The  total 
number  of  pyramids  in  a  partial  state  of  preservation — some 
being  nearly  perfect,  while  a  few  retained  only  two  or  three  of 
the  lower  courses — ■which  I  counted  on  the  site  of  Meroe,  was 
forty-two.  Besides  these,  I  noticed  the  traces  of  forty  oi 
fifty  others,  which  had  been  wholly  demolished.  The  entire 
nnmber,  however,  of  which  Meroii  could  boast,  in  its  prime, 
was  one  hiindred  and  ninety-six.  The  mounds  near  the 
flTcr,  which  cover  an  estent  of  between  one  and  two  miles, 
point  ont  the  site  of  the  city,  the  capital  of  the  old  Uierarohy 
of  Meroe,  and  the  pyramids  are  no  doubt  the  tombs  of  iti 
kings  and  priests.  It  is  rather  singular  that  the  city  lias  been 
BO  completely  destroyed,  as  the  principal  spoilers  of  Egypt, 
the  Persians,  never  penetrated  into  Ethiopia,  and  there  is  no 
evidence  of  the  stones  having  been  used  to  any  estent  by  the 
Arabs,  as  building  materials. 

The  examination  of  Meroi'  has  solved  the  doubtful  ^[uefr 


JOVRKBT  TO  CBNIBJU.  iJBIOX, 


tion  of  an  Ethiopian  civilization  i 
Hoskios  and  Cailliaud-,  who  attributed  a  great  antiquitj  to  the 
ruioa,  were  mialed  by  tLo  fact,  discovered  by  LepsiuSj  that  the 
Ethiopian  moDarchs  adopted  as  their  own,  and  placed  apou 
their  tomba  the  uomens  of  the  earlier  Fliaraoha.  It  ia  nan 
established  beyond  a  doubt,  that,  bo  far  from  being  the  oldest, 
these  are  tic  latest  remains  of  Egyptian  art ;  their  inferiority 
displays  ita  deoadeuce,  and  not  the  rude,  original  type,  whence 
it  sprang.  Starting  from  Mem])hia,  where  not  only  the  oldest 
Egyptian,  but  the  oldest  human  records  yet  discovered,  are 
found,  the  era  of  civilization  becomes  later,  as  you  ascend  the 
Nile.  In  Nubia,  there  are  traces  of  Thothmes  and  Amunoph 
III.,  or  about  fifteen  ceutories  before  the  Christian  era; 
Napata,  the  ancient  capital  of  Ethiopia,  we  cannot  get  bcyt 
King  Tirhaka,  eight  centuries  later;  while  at  Merotf,  there  a 
no  evidence  which  can  fiz  the  date  of  the  pyramids  earlier  d 
the  first,  or  at  furthest,  the  second  century  before  Chi 
Egypt,  there  [ore,  was  not  civilised  from  Ethiopia,  but  Ell 
pia  from  Egypt. 

Tlie  sculptures  at  Meroii  also  establish  the  important  f 
that  the  ancient  Ethiopians,  though  of  a  darker  complex 
than  the  Egyptians  (aa  tiiey  are  in  fact  represented,  in  Ec, 
tian  sculpture),  were,  like  them 
caaian  race,*     Whether   tiicy  wi 


n  ofiahoot  of  the  great  Cno- 
;  originally  emigrants  ttama 


*  In  the  Letters  of  Lcpsiu?,  vihicli  were  not  pablished  until  nfUt 
my  return  from  Afiica,  I  finti  the  foUowing  passage,  tlic  trutli  of  wliicb 
ia  BU)iported  by  all  tLe  erideaee  we  possess:  'Tlie  EtliJopJEin  naint 
com^irehended  much  that  was  disBimilar,  among  the  ancients.  The  ao; 
dent  population  of  the  whole  Kile  YoUey  as  far  aa  EbarMum,  aoJ  fm 
bapa,  also,  along  the  Blue  Kiver,  aa  well  as  the  tribes  of  the  I 


THE   CACCASIAK   HACB    IN  ETHIOPIA. 


237 


Northern  India  and  the  regions  about  CashmcrOj  as  the  Egjp 
tiaas  are  sapposed  to  have  been,  or,  like  the  Beni  Koreish  at 
a  later  period,  crossed  over  from  the  Arabian  Peninsula,  is  not 
BO  easily  determiDcd.  TLo  theory  of  Pococke  and  other 
scholars,  based  on  the  presumed  autiquity  of  Tileroe,  that  here 
was  the  first  dawning  on  African  soil  of  that  earliest  Indian 
GiviliicatioD,  nliieh  afterwards  eulminatcd  at  Memphis  and' 
Thebes,  is  OTOrthrown ;  bnt  we  have  what  is  of  still  greater 
wgnificance — the  knowledge  that  the  highest  Clrilization,  in 
every  age  of  the  world,  has  been  developed  by  the  race  tc 
which  we  belong. 

I  walked  slowly  baek  to  the  boat,  over  the  desolate  plain, 
striving  to  create  from  those  shapeless  piles  of  ruin  the  splea>  ' 
dor  of  whieh  they  were  once  a  psjt.  The  sun,  and  the  wind 
and  the  mountains,  and  the  Nile,  were  what  they  had  ever 
been ;  but  whore  the  kings  and  priests  of  Meroe  walked  in 
the  pomp  of  their  triumphal  processions,  a  poor,  submiaaive 
peasant  knelt  before  me  with  a  gourd  full  of  goat's  milk ;  and 
if  I  had  asked  him  when  that  plain  had  been  inhabited,  ha 
would  have  answered  me,  like  Chidhar,  the  Prophet :  ■'  A« 
thou  seest  it  now,  bo  has  it  been  for  ever  I" 


Ihfl  east  of  the  Kile,  and  the  Abyasinian  nations,  were  in  former  ti 
probably  even  more  distiactlj  separated  frointha  oegroee  than  new, 
bdoDgoil  to  the  Caucaaiaa  KacB." 


UwDUElt  on  tfaa  EtbloplBii  mhk 


CHAPTER    XIS. 

ETHIOPIAN      mOHTs'      BNTErtTAl 

'Hid  Landscnpcs  of  Etiiiopla — Uj  Evenings  boldo  tbd  NLlo — Ejiperioiusce  of  tha  A 
blsn  Nlgbci— Tbo  Slory  i>f  Ills  Sallmu  ZobeLdeud  tho  'Waad-«gtMr— Cb 
of  Uie  Arabian  Tales-Bollglon. 

•*  For  It  vtjL  In  tbe  tnld^n  prim 
Of  good  Uirodn  Al-Itascliid."- 

WiTU  mj  voyage  on  the  Etliiopiaa  Sile  a  tiroad  of  n 
was  woven,  which,  in  the  Oriental  mood  tliat  had  now  bccot 
native  to  me,  greatly  added  to  the  charm  of  the  journey.     My 
nights'  entertainments  were  better  than  the  Arahian.      Tha 
moon  was  at  the  fall,  and  although,  during  the  day,  a  light 
north-wind  filled  mj  eails,  it  invariahly  fell  calm  at  sonite^ 


and  remained  so  for  two  or  tliree  houre.  During  the  aft«T>i 
noon,  r  lay  stretolied  on  my  carpet  on  the  deck,  I  (oting 
through  half-closed  eyes  on  the  glittering  river  and  hia  banta. 
The  wealern  ahore  waa  one  long  bower  of  Paradise — ao  green, 
BO  bright,  so  heaped  with  the  deep,  cool  foliage  of  majcatio 
Bjruumorea  and  endless  clusters  of  palms.  I  had  seen  no  socli 
beautiful  palms  since  leaving  Minyeb,  in  Lower  Egypt. 
There  they  were  taller,  but  had  not  the  eseeeding  riehneaa  and 
glory  of  these.  The  sun  shone  hot  in  a  cloudless  blue  heaven, 
and  the  air  was  of  a  glassy,  burning  clearnesa,  like  that  which 
dwella  in  the  inmost  heart  of  fire.  The  colors  of  tlio  landscape 
were  as  if  enamelled  on  gold,  ao  intense,  so  glowing  in  their  in- 
toxicating depth  and  splendor.  When,  at  last,  the  wind  fell — 
except  a  breeze  just  strong  enough  to  shake  the  creamy  odor 
oat  of  the  purple  bcan-bloasoma — and  the  aun  went  down  iu  a 
bed  of  pale  orange  light,  the  moon  came  :ip  the  other  side  of 
heaven,  a  broad  disc  of  yellow  fire,  and  bridged  the  glasay 
Nile  with  her  beams. 

At  such  times,  I  selected  a  pleaaant  apot  oa  tbo  western 
bank  of  the  river,  where  the  paluis  were  loftiest  and  most 
thickly  clustered,  and  had  the  boat  moored  to  the  shore, 
Achmet  then  spread  my  earpet  and  piled  my  cushions  on  the 
shelving  bank  of  white  sand,  at  the  foot  of  the  trees,  where,  aa 
I  lay,  I  could  aee  the  long,  feathery  leaves  high  above  my 
head,  and  at  the  same  time  look  upon  the  broad  wake  of  the 
moon,  as  she  rose  beyond  the  Nile.  The  sand  was  as  fine  and 
Boft  ns  a  bed  of  down,  and  retained  an  agreeable  warmth  from 
ihc  annBhino  which  had  lain  npon  it  all  day.  Aj  wo  rarely 
salted  near  a  village,  there  was  no  sound  to  disturb  the  balmy 
repose  of  the  scene,  except,  now  and  then,  tbo  wbino  of  a  jackal 


S40 


jaaRintr  to  ocKTHAii  jItbic*. 


b 


pronliug  along  the  edge  of  the  Deaert  AchmGt  cri 
legs  beside  me  on  the  sand,  and  Ali,  who  at  such  times  had 
specla!  charge  of  my  pipe,  aat  at  my  feet,  ready  to  replenish  il 
aa  oflan  aa  occasion  required.  My  boatmen,  after  gathering  dry 
palm-leaves  and  tho  reainoua  branehea  of  the  mimosa,  kindled 
a  firo  beside  6onie  neighboring  patch  of  dookhn,  and  squatted 
around  it,  smoking  and  chatting  in  subdued  tones,  that  their 
gossip  might  not  disturb  my  meditations.  Their  white  tur- 
bans and  lean  dark  faces  were  brought  out  in  strong  relief 
by  the  red  fire-light,  and  completed  the  reality  of  a  picture 
which  nas  more  beautiful  than  dreams. 

On  the  first  of  these  eTonings,  after  my  pipe  had  been  filled 
for  the  third  time,  Achmet,  finding  that  I  showed  no  disposi- 
tion to  break  the  silence,  and  rightly  jud^ng  that  I  would 
rather  listen  than  talk,  addreaaod  me.  "  Master,"  Baid  he,  "I 
know  many  stories,  such  as  tho  slory-tetlors  rehite  in  the  cof- 
fee houses  of  Cairo.  If  joa  will  give  me  permlsaion,  I  will 
tell  jou  some  which  I  think  you  will  End  diverting.'"  "  Br- 
oellent  I "  said  I;  "nothing  will  please  me  better,  provided 
yon  lell  them  in  Arabic.  This  will  be  more  agreeable  to  both 
of  ua,  and  whenever  I  cannot  uuderetand  your  words,  I  will 
interrupt  you,  and  you  shall  explain  them  aa  well  ae  you  can, 
in  English."  He  immediately  commenced,  and  while  those 
evening  calms  lasted,  I  had  such  a  living  e:sperience  of  t&e 
Arabian  Nights,  as  would  have  seemed  to  me  a  greater  marvd. 
thin  any  they  describe,  had  it  been  foreshown  to  my  boyish 
'■'iaion,  when  I  first  hung  over  the  charmed  pages.  There,  in 
lay  African  mDod,  the  most  marvellous  particulars  seemed 
i^uite  real  and  natural,  and  I  enjoyed  those  flowers  of  Eastern 
r'>DiaDCC  with  a  lest  onkiinwn  before.     After  my  recent  recep 


i 


lion  as  n  king  of  tbe  Fraaka,  in  the  capital  of  Berber,  it  was 
not  difEcult  to  tmagino  nijaelf  Sliahriar,  tlio  Sultan  of  the  In- 
dies, eapeciollj  as  the  moon  showed  mo  my  turbaned  shadon 
on  the  Band.  If  the  amber  mouth.-piecQ  of  my  pipe  was  not 
Btudded  with  jewels,  and  it  the  zcrf  which  held  my  cofiee-eap 
was  brass  instead  of  gold,  it  was  all  the  same  by  moonlight 
Acbmct,  Eealed  on  the  sand,  a  little  below  my  throne,  was 
Slioherazade,  and  AH,  kneeling  at  my  feet,  her  sister,  Dinar- 
Eade ;  though,  to  speak  candidly,  ray  imagination  could  not 
stroteh  quite  so  far.  In  this  respect,  Shahriar  had  greatly  the 
advantage  of  me,  I  bitterly  felt  the  difference  between  my 
dusky  vizier,  and  his  vizier's  daughter.  Nor  did  All,  who  lis- 
tened to  the  storiea  with  great  interest,  expressing  his  satisfao- 
tion  occasionally  by  a  deep  guttural  chuckle,  ever  surprise  me 
by  saying :  "  If  you  are  not  asleep,  my  sister,  I  beg  of  you  to 
recount  to  me  one  of  those  delightful  storiea  you  know." 

Nevertheless,  those  nights  possessed  a  charm  which  sepa- 
rates them  from  all  other  nights  I  have  known.  The  stoiiee 
resembled  those  of  the  Arabian  tale  in  being  sometimes  pro- 
longed &om  one  day  to  another.  One  of  them,  ia  fact,  waH 
"  Ganem,  the  Slave  of  Love,"  but,  as  told  by  Achmet,  differ- 
ing ilightly  from  the  English  version.  The  principal  story, 
however,  was  new  to  me,  and  as  I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  ever 
been  translated,  I  may  he  pardoned  for  telling  it  as  it  was  told 
to  me,  takmg  the  liberty  to  substitute  my  own  words  for  Ach- 
met's  mixture  of  Arabic  and  EnglisL.  I  was  too  thoroughly 
given  up  to  the  pleasant  illusion,  to  note  down  the  story  at  the 
time,  and  I  regret  that  many  peculiarities  of  expression  have 
escaped  nie,  which  tJicn  led  me  to  consider  it  a  genuine  product 
of  the  ago  which  produced  tlie  Thousand  and  One  Nights. 
11 


142 


JDinUIST  TO  CKKTRAL  AVKICA, 


"  You  already  know,  my  Mttster,"  Aclunet  began,  "  tbi 
m;inj  hundred  yeara  ago  all  the  people  of  lalani  were  governed 
by  a  oaliph,  whose  capital  was  Baghdad,  and  I  doubt  not  that 
you  have  heard  of  the  great  Caliph,  Huroun  Al-Raschid,  who 
certainly  was  not  only  tie  wisest  man  of  his  day,  but  the 
wisest  that  haa  been  known  since  the  days  of  our  Prophet, 
Mohammed,  whose  name  be  exalted  1  It  rarely  happens  that 
a.  wise  and  great  man  ever  finda  a  wife,  whose  wisdom  is  any 
match  for  his  own ;  for  as  the  wise  men  whom  Allah  seudi 
upon  the  earth  are  few,  so  are  the  wise  women  atill  fewer. 
But  herein  was  the  Caliph  favored  of  Heaven.  Since  the  days 
of  Balkia,  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  whom  even  the  prophet  Solo- 
mon could  not  help  but  honor,  there  was  no  woman  equal  in 
virtue  or  iu  wisdom  to  tbe  Sultana  Zubeydch  (Zobeide).  The 
Caliph  never  failed  to  consult  her  on  all  important  matt^m, 
and  her  prudence  and  intelligence  were  united  with  his,  in  tli*.  I 
government  of  his  great  empire,  even  as  the  sun  and  moon  arc  M 
sometimes  seen  shining  ia  the  heavens  at  the  same  time. 

''  IJut  do  not  imagine  that  Harouu  Al-Baschid  and  the 
Sultana  Zubeydeh  were  destitute  of  faults.  None  except  the 
Prophets  of  God — may  tlicir  names  be  extolled  for  ever ! — were 
ever  entirely  just,  or  wise,  or  prudent.  The  Caliph  waa  aub- 
ject  to  fits  of  jealousy  and  mistrust,  which  frequently  led  him 
to  commit  acta  that  obliged  him,  afterwards,  to  eat  of  the  bit- 
ter fruit  of  repentance ;  and  as  for  Zubeydeh,  with  all  hei 
wisdom  alio  had  a  sharp  tongue  in  her  head,  and  was  often  h 
little  discreet  as  to  aay  things  which  brought  upon  her  the  dili] 
pleasure  of  the  Commander  of  the  FaithfuL 

"  It  chanced  that,  once  upon  a  time,  they  were  both  aeatoill 
iu  a  window  of  the  kareetn,  which  overlooked  one  of  the  BtreetV' j 


)  TDX    WQOJKIUXTIK. 

of  Baghdad,     The  Caliph  waa  in  an  ill-hnmor,  for  a  bcauiifb] 

Georgian  slave  whom  Lis  vizier  had  recently  broaght  liim,  haa 
disappeared  from  the  horem,  and  he  saw  in  this  the  work  of 
Zubejdeh,  who  was  always  jealous  of  any  rival  to  her  beauty. 
Now  as  they  were  sitting  there,  looking  down  into  the  street, 
a  poor  wood-eutter  come  along,  with,  a  bundle  of  sticks  upon 
his  head.  Hia  hody  was  lean  with  poverty,  and  his  only 
clothing  was  a  tattered  cloth,  bound  around  his  waist.  But 
the  most  wonderful  thing  was,  that  in  passing  through  the 
wood  where  he  had  collected  his  load,  a  serpent  had  seized 
hira  by  the  heel,  but  his  feet  were  so  hardened  by  toil  that 
they  resembled  the  hoofa  of  a  camel,  and  he  neither  felt  the 
teeth  of  the  serpent,  nor  knew  that  he  was  still  dragging  it 
after  him  as  he  walked.  The  Caliph  marvelled  when  he  be- 
held this,  bnt  Zubeydeh  exclaimed  :  '  Sec,  0  Commander  of 
the  Paithfull  there  is  the  man's  wifel'  'What  I'  exclaim- 
ed Ilarouu,  with  sudden  wrath  ;  '  Is  the  wife  then  a  serpent 
to  the  man,  which  stings  him  none  the  less  because  he  does  not 
feci  it?  Thou  serpent,  because  thou  hast  stung  me,  and  be- 
cause  thou  hast  made  Bport  of  the  honest  poverty  of  that  poor 
creature,  thoa  ahalt  take  the  serpent's  place  !'  Zuboydeh  an- 
swered not  a  word,  for  she  knew  that  to  speak  would  hut  in- 
crease the  Caliph's  anger.  Harouu  clapped  his  hands  thrice, 
and  presently  Mesrour,  hia  chief  eunuch,  appeared.  '  Here 
Wesrour  1 '  said  he,  '  take  this  worn  aa  with  thee,  follow  yonder 
wood-cutter,  and  present  her  tn  him  aa  hia  wife,  whom  the  Ca- 
liph hath  ordered  him  to  accept,' 

"  Mesrour  laid  his  hands  upoa  hia  breast  and  bowed  his  head, 
in  token  of  obedience.  He  then  beckoned  to  Zubeydeh,  who 
rose,  covered  herself  with  a  veil  and  a  feridjee,  such  as  is  woro 


144  lOVBUMY  TO 

by  the  wives  of  the  poor,  and  followed  him,  'When  thoj 
oveilakon  the  inwd-eutter,  Mesronr  delivered  to  him  the  lai 
Bag()  of  the  Caliph,  and  presented  to  him  the  veiled 
'  Tliere  is  no  God  but  Ood  I '  said  the  poor  man  ;  '  but  h( 
cao  I  support  a  wife — I,  who  can  scarcely  live  by  my  own  It- 
bors?'  'Dost  thou  dare  to  disobey  the  Commander  of  iJi* 
Faithful?'  cried  Mesrour,  in  such  a  Eavage  tone,  that  the  nun 
trembled  from  head  to  foot ;  but  Zubcydeh,  speaking  for  tha 
Grst  time,  said  :  '  Take  me  with  thee,  0  Han  I  since  it  is  the 
Caliph's  wilh  I  will  serve  thee  faithfully,  and  perhaps  the 
hnruea  of  thy  poverty  may  be  lightened  through  me.'  Tha 
man  thereupon  obeyed,  and  they  proceeded  together  to  hiii 
house,  which  was  in  a  remoto  part  of  the  city.  There  were  but 
two  miserable  rooms,  with  a  roof  which  was  beginning  to  fall  in, 
from  decay.  The  wood-cutter,  having  thrown  down  his  handle, 
\rent  out  to  the  bazaar,  purchased  some  rice  and  a  little  salt, 
^nd  brought  a  jar  of  water  from  tho  fountain.  This  was  all  he 
could  afford,  and  Zubcydeh,  who  had  kindled  a  fire  in  the 
mean  time,  cooked  it  and  placed  it  before  him.  But  when  he 
would  have  had  her  raise  her  veil  and  sit  down  to  eat  with  Lim, 
she  refused,  saying;  '  I  have  promised  that  I  shall  not  increase 
the  burden  of  thy  poTerty,  Promise  me,  in  return,  that  thini 
wilt  never  seek  to  look  upon  ray  face,  nor  to  enter  that  roonij 
which  I  have  chosen  for  my  apartment  I  am  not  wil 
learning,  0  Man  I  and  if  thou  wilt  respect  my  wishes,  it 
bo  well  for  thee,' 

"  The  wood-cutter,  who  was  not  naturally  deficient  in  intel- 
ligence, porccived  from  the  words  of  Zubeydeh  that  she  was  a 
superior  person,  and,  judging  that  he  could  not  do  better  than 
k)  follow  her  counsel,  promised  at  once  all  that  ebe  dcBiredt 


room. 
:tboi« 


THU  SXn.tA.TIA    J 


2iS 


Bhe  then  declared,  tLat  as  she  intended  to  take  charge  of  hii 
hooBehold,  he  must  give  to  her,  every  eveoing,  all  tlte  moDey 
be  had  received  for  his  wood  during  the  day.  The  man  con- 
Bouted  to  thiB  likewise,  produced  a  handful  of  copper  coinii, 
which  altogether  amounted  to  only  one  piastre — but  you  must 
know,  my  master,  that  a  piastre,  in  the  days  of  Haroun  Al- 
Baschid,  was  four  or  five  times  as  much  as  it  is  now-a-dayB, 
Thus  they  lived  together  for  several  weeks,  the  wood-cuttei 
going  to  the  forest  every  day,  and  paying  his  gams  every  night 
into  the  hands  of  Zubeydeh,  who  kept  his  miserable  house  clean 
and  oomfortable  aod  prepared  his  food.  She  managed  things 
with  so  much  economy  that  she  was  enabled  to  save  two  paras 
every  day,  out  of  the  piastre  which  he  gave  her.  When  sha 
bad  amassed  twenty  piastres  in  this  way,  she  gave  them  to  the 
wood-cutter,  saying:  '  Go  now  to  the  market  and  buy  thee  an 
ass  with  this  money.  Thou  canst  thus  bring  homo  thrice  as 
muob  wood  as  before,  and  the  ass  can  subsist  upon  the  grass 
which  he  finds  in  the  forest,  and  which  coBts  thee  nothing.* 
'By  Allah  I'  esclaimed  the  wood-cutter;  'thou  art  a  won- 
derful woman,  and  I  will  obey  thee  in  every  thing.' 

"  He  forthwith  did  as  Zubeydeh  ordered,  and  was  now  en- 
abled to  give  her  three  or  four  piastres  every  evening.  She 
presented  bim  with  a  more  decent  garment,  and  added  butter 
to  his  pillau  of  rice,  but  still  preserved  such  a  strict  economy, 
that  iu  a  short  time  he  was  master  of  three  asses  instead  of 
one,  and  was  obliged  to  hire  a  man  to  assist  him  in  cutting 
wood.  One  evening,  as  the  asses  came  home  with  their  loads, 
Zubeydeh  remarked  that  the  wood  gave  out  a  grateful  fra- 
grance, like  that  of  musk  or  ambergris,  and  upon  esamining  it 
more  closely,  she  found  that  it  was  a  most  precious  article—* 


S4G 


jonnsKif  TO 


m 


in  fact,  Ihat  it  had  been  cut  from  one  of  thoee  spicy  trees  ffhid 
sprang  up  where  the  tears  of  Adam  fell  upon  the  Earth,  as  H 
bewailed  his  espulsion  from  Paradise.  For  at  that  time  tl 
juices  of  the  fruits  of  Paradise  still  remained  in  hia  body,  a 
Ilia  tears  were  flavored  by  them — which  waa  the  cause  of  all 
the  spices  that  grow  in  the  lands  of  Serendib  and  India.  Zu- 
bejdeh  asked  of  the  wood-cutter  :  '  To  whom  dost  thou  sell  this 
wood?'  and  from  his  answer  she  found  that  it  was  all  purchased 
by  some  Jewish  merchanta,  who  gare  him  no  more  for  it  than 
for  the  common  wood  with  which  she  cooked  his  rice.  'The 
accursed  Jews  I '  she  erclaimed :  '  Go  thou  to  them  immedi- 
ately, and  threaten  to  accuse  them  before  the  Cadi  of  defraud- 
ing a  son  of  the  Faith,  unless  they  agree  to  pay  thee  for  this 
wood  henceforth,  twelve  times  as  much  as  they  hare  paid 
before ! ' 

"The  man  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the  Jewish  merchai 
who,  when  they  Baw  that  their  fraud  had  been  di 
greatly  alarmed,  and  immediately  agreed  to  pay  him  all  that 
he  demanded.  Tho  wood-cutter  now  brought  home  every 
night  three  donkey-loada  of  the  precious  wood,  and  paid  to 
Zubcydeb  from  one  to  two  hundred  piastres.  She  was  sodna 
able  to  purchase  a  better  houpo,  where  s!ie  not  only  gave  tbf  1 
man  more  nouriahing  food,  but  sent  for  a  teacher  to  instruct 
nim  how  to  read  and  write.  He  had  so  improved  in  appear- 
anee  by  this  time,  and  had  profited  so  well  by  the  wise  eonver- 
eation  of  Zubeydch,  that  lie  was  quite  like  another  person,  and 
those  who  had  known  hiin  in  bis  poverty  no  linger  recogniKed 
him.  For  this  rea.wn,  tbe  Caliph,  who  Boon  repented  of  hif 
■nger  towards  Zuheydeh  and  made  every  effort  to  recover  her, 
waa  unabU  to  find  any  trace  of  him.     Mesrour  sought  day  and 


lantM 

i 


THE    SULTANA    1 


I    TOOD-TUTTBR. 


24'! 


Dight  tnrougli  the  streets  of  Baghdid,  but  as  Zubeydeh  nevei 
left  tiie  wood-cutter's  house,  all  his  search  was  in  vain,  aiid  tha 
Caliph  was  like  one  distracted. 

"  One  day,  as  the  mood-cutter  was  on  his  way  to  the  forest 
he  was  met  by  three  persons,  who  desired  to  hire  his  assea  foi 
the  day.  '  But,'  said  he.  '  I  make  my  living  from  the  wood 
which  the  asses  carry  to  the  city.'  '  What  profit  do  you  make 
upon  each  load  ? '  asked  one  of  the  men,  '  If  it  is  a  good 
load,  I  often  make  fifty  piastres,'  anawered  the  wood-cutter 
'  Well,'  said  the  men,  '  wo  will  give  you  two  hundred  pias- 
tres as  the  hire  of  each  ass,  for  one  day,'  The  wood-cutter, 
who  had  cot  expected  such  an  extraordinary  offer,  was  about 
to  accept  it  at  once,  when  he  rcflectod  that  he  had  obeyed  ia 
all  things  the  advice  of  Zubeydab,  and  ought  not  to  take  such 
a  step  without  her  consent.  He  thereupon  requested  the  men 
to  wait  while  he  returned  home  and  consulted  his  wife,  '  You 
have  done  right,  0  my  lord  1 '  said  Zubeydeh ;  '  I  commend 
your  prudence,  and  am  quite  willing  that  you  should  accept 
the  offer  of  tbo  men,  as  the  money  will  purchase  other  asaea 
and  repay  you  for  the  loss  of  the  day'a  profit,  if  the  persona 
should  not  return.' 

"  Now  the  three  men  were  three  celebrated  robbers,  who  had 
umassed  a  vast  treaaure,  which  they  kept  concealed  in  a  cave 
ia  one  of  the  neighboring  mountains.  They  hired  the  donkeys 
in  order  to  transport  this  ti-easure  to  a  barque  in  which  they 
had  taken  passage  to  Bassora,  where  they  intended  to  estab- 
lish themselves  as  rich  foreign  merchants.  But  Allah,  who 
governs  all  things,  allows  the  plans  of  tha  wicked  to  prosper 
fur  a  time,  only  that  he  may  throw  them  into  more  utter  ruic 
at  the  last.     The  robbers  went  to  their  secret  cave  with  the 


JOURNEY   TO 


cat  Backs  of  ^| 
wert 

to  of  ^^ 

In    .)    ^ 


b 


donkeys  and  loaded  them  iritli  all  their  spoils — gicat 
gold,  of  rubies,  diamonds  and  emeralds,  which  the  beaats  v/en 
floarcely  strong  cnongh  to  carry.      On  their  way  to  the  rivei 
)»elow  Baghdad,  where  the  boat  was  waiting  for  them,  two  of 
them  stopped  to  drink  at  &  well,  while  tbo  other  went 
the  asaea.     Said  one  of  tlie  twain  to  the  other :    "  Lei 

irade,  that  we  may  havo  the  greater  treasure."  Ho  at 
agreed,  and  they  had  do  sooner  overtaken  the  third  rob- 
ber, than  the  first,  with  one  stroke  of  his  sabre,  made  his  head 
fly  &om  his  body.  The  two  then  proceeded  togetlier  for  a 
short  distance,  when  the  nnrdcrei-  said  :  '  I  nnist  have  more 
than  half  of  the  treaaore,  because  I  killed  our  comrade.'  'If 
you  begin  by  claiming  more  than  half,  you  will  in  the  end 
claim  the  whole,'  said  the  other  robber,  who  refused  to  agreq. 
They  presently  set  upon  each  other  with  their  swords,  and 
after  fighting  for  some  time,  both  of  them  received  so  mnnj 
wounds  that  they  fell  dead  in  the  road. 

"The  asses,  finding  that  no  one  was  driving  them  any 
longer,  took,  from  habit,  the  road  to  the  wood-cutter's  house, 
where  thej  arrived  safely,  with  the  treasure  upon  their  backs 
Great  was  the  amazement  of  their  master,  who,  at  Zubeydeh'e 
command,  carried  the  heavy  sacks  into  the  house.  But  when 
he  had  opened  one  of  them,  and  the  splendor  of  the  jewels  filL- 
ed  the  whole  room,  Zubcydeh  exclaimed:  'God  is  great t 
Now,  indeed,  I  see  that  my  conduct  is  acceptable  to  Him,  and 
that  His  baud  hurries  my  design  more  swiftly  to  its  comple- 
tion.' But,  as  she  knew  not  what  had  happened  to  the  rob 
bcrs,  and  supposed  that  the  owner  of  the  treasure  woidd  haTe 
his  loss  proclaimed  in  the  bazaars,  she  determined  to  keep  thl 
Hsoka  closed  for  the  space  of  a  moon,  after  which,  according  t* 


I 


THK  SDUFASA  AND  nUI  -VOOD-CUTTBR, 

the  law,  they  would  become  her  property,  if  they  bad  Dot  been 
olaimed  in  the  mean  lime.  Of  courGo,  tio  procUioatioii  of  tht 
loaa  was  made,  and  at  tbe  end  of  the  moon,  she  considered  that 
she  bad  a  just  right  to  the  treasure,  which,  upon  computation 
proved  to  be  even  greater  than  that  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Al- 
Baaohid. 

"  She  commanded  the  wood-cutter  to  send  her  at  once  the 
most  reiiowaed  architect  of  Baghdad,  whom  Ehe  directed  to 
build,  exactly  opposite  to  the  Caiipb'a  Palace,  another  palace 
which  should  Burpasa  in  splendor  any  thiug  that  had  ever  been 
beheld.  For  the  purchase  of  the  materials  and  the  hire  of  the 
workmen,  she  gave  him  a  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  gold. 
'  K  men  ask,'  said  she,  '  for  whom  you  are  building  the  palace, 
tell  them  it  is  for  the  son  of  a  foreign  king.'  The  architect 
employed  all  the  workmen  in  Baghdad,  and  followed  her  in- 
structions BO  well,  that  in  two  mouths  the  palace  wos  finished. 
The  like  of  it  had  never  been  seen,  and  the  Caliph's  palace 
faded  before  its  magDifioeuco  aB  the  face  of  the  moon  fades 
when  tbe  sun  has  risen  above  the  horizon.  The  walla  were  of 
marble,  white  as  snow;  the  gates  of  ivory,  inlaid  with  pearl; 
the  domes  were  gilded,  so  that  'nhcn  the  sun  shone,  the  eye 
could  not  look  upon  them  ;  and  from  n  great  fountain  of  silver, 
in  the  court-yard,  a  jet  of  rose-colored  water,  which  diffused 
an  agreeable  odor,  leaped  into  air.  Of  this  palace  it  might 
be  said,  in  the  words  of  the  poet :  '  Truly  it  resembles  Para- 
diao  ;  or  is  it  the  lost  House  of  Irem,  built  from  tbe  treasurer 
of  King  Sheddad  ?  May  kindness  dwell  upon  the  lips  of  the 
lord  of  this,  palace,  and  cliarity  find  refuge  in  hia  heart,  that 
he  be  adjudged  worthy  to  enjoy  such  Bplendor  1' 

"  During  the  building  of  the  palace,  Zubeydeh  employed 


2S0 


JOUBUKT  TO 


L 


tlie  best  tiiastcra  in  teaching  tlia  wood-cutter  all  tlie  ancompL'sh 
nientB  wluoh  Lis  present  condition  required  that  he  should  pos- 
sess, III  a  short  time  he  was  a  very  pattern  of  elegance  in  hii 
inannor :  his  words  were  choice  and  spoken  with  dignity  and 
propriety,  and  his  demeanor  was  that  of  one  born  to  command 
rather  than  to  obey.  AVhen  she  had  succeeded  to  the  full  ex- 
tent of  her  wislies,  she  commenced  tenchiug  him  to  play  chess, 
and  spent  several  hours  a.  day  in  this  manner,  until  he  finalij 
played  with  a  skill  equal  to  her  own.  By  this  time,  the  palaw 
was  completed,  and  after  having  purchased  horses  and  slaves, 
and  every  thing  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  a  princely 
household,  Zubeydeh  and  the  wood-eutter  took  possession  of  it 
during  the  night,  in  order  that  they  might  not  be  observed  bj  i 
the  Caliph.  Zubeydeh  iDade  the  wood-cutter  remember  the  ] 
promise  he  had  made  her.  She  still  retained  her  own  apart- 
ments, with  a  number  of  female  slaves  to  attend  her,  and  ebt 
now  presented  to  him,  ae  a  harem  becoming  a  prince,  twen^ 
Circassian  girls,  each  one  fairer  than  the  morning-star. 

"  The  nest  morning  she  called  the  wood-cutter,  and  ad- 
dressed him  thus  :  '  You  see,  my  lord  1  what  I  have  done  for 
you.  You  remember  in  what  misery  I  found  you,  and  bow, 
by  your  following  my  advice,  every  thing  was  changed.  I  in- 
tend to  exalt  you  still  higher,  and  in  order  that  my  plans  may 
not  be  frustrated,  I  now  ask  you  to  promise  that  you  will  obey  1 
me  in  all  things,  for  a  month  from  this  time.'  Zubeydeh  mada  I 
this  demand,  for  she  knew  how  quickly  a  change  of  fortune 
may  change  a  man's  character,  and  how  he  will  soon  come  to 
look  upon  that  as  a  right  which  Allah  granted  him  as  a  boon. 
But  the  wood-cutler  threw  himself  at  her  feet,  and  said: 
Queen  I  it  is  for  jou  to  command,  and  tt  U  for  me  to  obe 


TH2   BtJLTAKi   AND   TBB    irODD-CUTTBB,  251 

f  ou  liave  taught  me  underBtanding  and  wisdoiu ;  you  have 
given  me  the  wealth  of  kingB.  May  Allah  fnrget  me,  if  I  for 
get  to  give  jon,  in  letnrn,  gratitude  and  ohedience,'  'Go 
then,' continued  Zubeydeh,  'mount  this  horse,  and  attended 
by  twenty  slaves  on  linrseback,  visit  the  coffee-houae  in  the 
great  hazanr.  Take  with  thee  a  purse  of  three  thousand  pieces 
of  gold,  and  as  thou  goest  on  thy  way,  scatter  a  handful  occa- 
sionally among  the  beggars.  Take  thy  seat  in  the  coffee-house, 
where  thou  wilt  see  the  ViKior's  son,  who  is  a  skilful  player 
of  chess.  He  will  cLallenge  the  multitude  to  play  with  him, 
and  when  no  one  accepts,  do  thou  -engage  him  for  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold.  Thou  wilt  win;  hnt  pay  him  the  thousand 
pieces  as  if  thou  hadst  lost,  give  two  hundred  pieces  to  the 
master  of  the  coffee-house,  divide  two  hundred  pieces  among 
the  attendants,  and  scatter  the  remainder  among  the  beggars.' 
"  The  wood-outter  performed  all  that  Zubeydeh  commanded. 
He  accepted  the  challenge  of  the  Vizier's  son,  won  the  game, 
yet  paid  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  as  if  he  had  lost,  and 
then  rode  back  to  the  palace,  followed  hy  the  acclamations  of 
the  multitude,  who  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  his  beauty, 
the  elegance  of  his  speech,  his  unbounded  munificence,  and  the 
splendor  of  his  attendance.  Every  day  he  visited  the  coffee- 
house, gave  two  hundred  pieces  of  gold  to  the  master,  two 
hundred  to  the  servants,  and  distributed  sis  hundred  among 
the  beggars.  But  the  Vizier's  son,  overcome  with  chagrin  at 
his  defeat,  remained  at  home,  whore,  in  a  few  days,  he  sick- 
ened and  died.  These  things  coming  to  the  Vizier's  ear,  he 
felt  a  great  desire  to  see  the  foreign  prince,  whose  wealth  and 
(jeneroslty  were  the  talk  of  all  Baghdad  ;  and  as  he  believed 
himself  to  be  the  greatest  chess-player  in  the  world,  he  deter- 


2S9 


JOUESKY  -TO    0KH1BU.  i 


miiied  to  cbHllengc  him  to  &  game.  He  thereupon  visited  tLi 
(»ffee-liouse,  wlierc  he  hud  not  remained  [org  'when  the  trood- 
cutter  ujade  his  appearance,  in  even  greater  aplendor  than  b^ 
fore.  This  was  iu  acconkr.pe  with  the  instmctioos  of  Zubnj- 
deh,  who  was  informed  of  all  that  had  taken  place.  He  at 
once  accepted  the  Vizier's  chaUcnge  to  play,  for  a  stake  of  two 
thoufiand  pieces  of  gold.  After  a  hard-fought  battle,  the 
Vizier  was  fiiirly  beaten,  but  the  wood-cutter  paid  him  the 
two  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  as  if  he  had  lost  the  game,  gave 
Bwaj  another  thousand  aa  usual,  and  retired  to  his  palace. 

"  The  Vizier  took  his  defeat  so  much  to  heart,  that  his  cha- 
grin, combined  with  grief  for  the  loss  of  his  son,  carried  him 
off  in  a  few  days.  This  ciraumstaoCQ  hronght  the  whole  his- 
tory to  the  cars  of  Harouu  Al-Raschid  himself,  who  was  im- 
mediately seized  with  a  strong  desire  tc  play  chess  with  the 
foreign  prince,  not  doubting  but  that,  an  he  had  always  beaten 
hia  Vizier,  be  would  be  more  than  a  match  for  the  new  antago- 
nist. Accordingly  he  sent  an  officer  to  the  palace  of  the  wood- 
eutter,  with  a  message  that  the  Commander  of  the  FaithAiI  de- 
sired to  offer  bis  hospitality  to  the  son  of  the  foreign  king. 
By  Zubeydeh's  advice,  the  invitation  was  accepted,  and  the 
officer  speedily  returned  to  Haroun  Al-Raschid,  to  whom  he 
gave  such  a  description  of  the  magnificence  of  the  new  palace, 
that  the  Caliph's  mouth  began  to  water,  and  he  exclaimed : 
'By  Allah  I  I  must  look  to  this.  No  man,  who  has  not  the 
ring  of  Solomon  on  his  finger,  Bhall  surpass  me  in  my  own  cap- 
ital 1 "  In  a  short  time  the  wood-cutter  arrived,  attired  in 
Euch  splendor  that  the  day  seemed  brighter  for  his  appearance, 
and  attended  by  forty  black  slaves,  in  dresses  of  crimson  silk, 
vith  turbans  of  white  and   gold,  and  golden  sworda  by  their 


THS  BUITAKA  Am)  THfl   WOOD-OUTrKK.  353 

■idea.  Tbey  formed  a,  donble  raw  from  the  c(}iiTt--jard  to  thf 
throne-hdi  vhere  tbe  Calipli  sat,  and  up  the  aTcnuo  thns  form- 
eJ  tbe  wood-cutter  advanced,  preceded  by  two  slaves  in  dreasel 
of  clotb-of  ailver,  wbo  placed  at  tLe  Caliph's  feet  two  crjatal 
goblets  filled  with  rubies  and  emeralds  of  iuiuciiso  size.  The 
Caliph,  delighted  with  this  superb  prosent,  roao,  embraced  the 
BUppoaod  prince,  aud  seated  him  hy  his  side.  From  the  groat 
wealth  displayed  hy  tbe  wood-cutter,  and  the  perfect  grace 
and  propriety  of  his  manners,  the  Caliph  suHpected  that  he 
was  no  leas  a  personage  than  the  son  of  the  King  of  Cathay.  . 
"  After  a  handsome  repast  bad  been  served,  the  Caliph 
proposed  a  game  of  chcBS,  stating  tiat  ho  had  heard  much  of 
the  priace'a  skill  in  playing.  '  After  I  sball  have  played  with 
70U,  0  Commander  of  the  Faithful  I '  said  the  wood-cutter, 
'  you  will  hear  no  more  of  my  akilt'  The  Calipli  was  charm- 
ed  with  tbe  modesty  of  this  speech,  and  the  compliment  to 
himself,  and  they  immediately  began  to  play.  The  wood-cut- 
ter, although  he  might  easily  have  beaten  the  Caliph,  suffered 
the  latter  tJ}  win  the  first  game,  which  put  him  into  the  best 
humor  po^aible.  But  when  the  second  game  bad  been  played, 
end  tbe  wood-cutter  was  the  victor,  he  perceived  that  tbe  Ca- 
liph's face  heoame  dark,  and  his  good-humor  was  gone.  '  You 
are  too  genorons  to  your  servant,  O  Caliph  ! '  said  he ;  '  had 
you  not  given  me  this  success  as  an  encouragement,  I  sbouM 
have  lost  a  second  time,'  At  these  words  Haroim  smiled,  and 
they  played  a  third  game,  which  tbe  wood-cutter  purposely  a', 
(owed  him  to  win.  Such  was  tbe  counsel  given  to  him  by  Zu- 
beydeh,  who  said  :  'If  thou  permittest  him  to  win  tbe  first 
gamt'i  be  will  be  so  well  pleased,  that  thou  mayest  venture  to 
defeat  him  on  the  second  game.     Tbeu,  when  he  has  won  ths 


1S4 


jonRHKr  TO  osimikL  Africa. 


third  game,  thy  having  been  once  violorioufl  Bill  magujFf  bit 
opinion  of  his  own  skill ;  for  where  we  never  suffer  defeat,  wa 
at  lust  regard  our  conquests  with  indiffcren^'e  ' 

"The  result  was  prceiaely  as  Zubejdeh  had  predicted   I 
The  Caliph  waa  oharmed  with  the  foreign  prince,  and  in  a 
days  made  him  hia  Vizier.     The  wood-cutter  filled  hie  esalted  | 
Btation  with  dignity  and  judgment,  and  became  at  once  a  great 
favorite  with  the  people  of  Baghdad.     The  month  of  obedience 
which  ho  promised  to  Zuliejdeh  was  now  drawing  to  a  close, 
Vhen  she  said  to  him  :  '  Cease  to  visit  the  Caliph,  and  do  not 
leave  thy  palace  for  two   or  three  days.     When  the  Caliph  | 
sends  for  thee,  retorn  for  answer  that  thou  art  ill.'     She  fore-  j 
Baw  that  the  Caliph  would  then  come  to  see  his  Vizier,  s 
gave  the  wood-cutter  complete  isstructionB,  concerning  what  ho  I 
ihould  say  acd  do. 

"  Haroun  Al-Rasohid  tio  sooner  heard  of  the  illness  of  hia  I 
Vizier,  than  he  went  personally  to  his  palace,  to  see  hitn.     Ha  | 
was  amazed  at  the  size  and  splendor  of  the  edifice.     '  Truly,' 
said  he,  striking  his  hands  together,    '  this  man  hath  found 
the  ring  of  Solomon,  which  compels  the  assistance  of  the  go-    ' 
nil     In  all  my  life  I  havo  never  seen  sucb  a  palace  as  this.' 
He  found  the  Vizier  reclining  on  a  couch  of  cloth- of-gold,  in  a 
chamber,  the  walls  whereof  were  of  mother-of-pearl,  and  the 
floor  of  ivory.     There  was  a  fountain  of  perfumed  water  in  the 
centre,  and  beside  it  stood  a  jasmine-tree,  growing  in  a  vase 
of  crystal.     '  How  is  this?'  said  the  Caliph,  seating  himself 
on  one  end  of  the  couch  ;  '  a  man  whom  the  genii  serve,  should 
have  the  secrets  of  health  in  his  hands.'     '  It  is  no  fever,'  said 
the  Vizier  ;  '  but  the  other  day  as  I  was  washing  myself  in  tlie 
fountain, before  the  evening  prayiT,  I  stooptd  too  near  the  ja» 


THS  enLTAVA  AKD  THR  ITOOD-CirrTBH.  255 

mine  tree,  and  one  of  its  thorns  somtched  my  left  arm. 
'What!'  cried  the  Caliph,  in  amazement;  'lae  scratch  of » 
blunt  Jasmine-thorn  has  made  you  ill  I '  '  You  wonder  at  it, 
no  doubt,  0  Commander  of  the  Faithful  I '  said  the  Vizier 
becauee,  only  a  few  months  ago,  yon  saw  that  I  Tras  insenai 
ble  to  the  fanga  of  a  serpent,  which  had  fastened  upon  mj 
heel.'  '  There  ia  no  God  but  God  ! '  eselaimed  Haroun  Al. 
Raschid,  as  by  these  words  he  recognized  the  poor  wood-cut- 
ter, who  had  passed  under  the  window  of  his  palace — 'hast 
thou  indeed  found  the  ring  of  Solomon  ? — and  where  is  the  wo- 
man whom  Mearour,  at  my  command,  brought  to  thee  ?' 

" '  She  is  here  I '  eald  ZubejdeL,  entering  the  door.  She 
turned  towards  the  Caliph,  and  slightly  lifting  her  veil,  show- 
ed him  her  face,  more  beautiful  than  ever.  Haroun,  with  a 
cry  of  joy,  was  on  the  point  of  clasping  her  in  his  arms,  when 
he  stopped  suddenly,  and  said  :  '  But  thou  art  now  the  wife  of 
that  man.'  '  Not  so,  great  Caliph  I '  exclaimed  the  Vizier 
who  rose  to  his  feet,  now  that  there  was  no  longer  any  need 
to  affect  illness  ;  '  from  the  day  that  sho  entered  my  house,  I 
have  never  seen  bcr  face.  By  the  beard  of  the  Prophet,  sho 
is  not  less  pure  than  she  is  wise.  It  is  she  who  has  made  me 
all  that  I  am.  Ohedicuco  to  her  was  the  seed  from  which  the 
tree  of  my  fortune  has  grown.'  Zubeydeh  then  knelt  at  the 
Caliph's  feet,  and  said :  '  0  Commander  of  the  Faithful,  re- 
store me  to  the  light  of  your  favor.  I  swear  to  you  that  I  am 
not  less  your  wife  than  when  the  cloud  of  your  anger  over 
shadowed  me.  This  honorable  man  has  never  ceased  to  re- 
spect me.  My  thoughtless  words  led  you  to  send  me  forth  te 
take  the  place  of  the  serpent,  but  I  have  now  shown  yon  that 
4  wife  may  also  be  to  her  husband  as  the  staff,  whereon  he 


JODBSBT   TO  CTBIITK^L  AVtUOA. 


leans  for  support ;  as  th«  camel,  whiali  bringeth  Iiun  richw 
tts  tlie  tent,  which  shelters  and  protects  him ;  as  the  ba^ 
triiich  makelh  him  comelj,  and  as  the  lamp,  whereby  bis  stej 
are  enlightened,' 

"  Haroun  Al-Raschid  had  long  since  bitterly  repented  of 
Lis  rashceaa  and  cruelty.     He  now  saw  in  what  had  happened, 
the  hand  of  Allah,  who  hud  turned  that  which  he  had  intended 
as  a  punishment,  into  a  triumph.     He  restored  Zubeydeli  at 
once  to  his  favor,  and  to  the  wood-cutter,  whom  he  atill  retain- 
ed as  Vizier,  be  gave  hia  eldest  daughter  in  marriage.     All  tbe 
citizens  of  Baghdad  took  part  in  the  festiTities,  which  lasteftl 
two  weeks,  and  the  Caliph,  to  commemorate  hia  gratitod&J 
built  a  superb  mosque,  wLich  iii  called  the  Mosque  of  tbe  Kol 
toration  to  this  very  day.     The  Vizier  nobly  requited  all  t 
pains  which  the  Sultana  Zubejdeb  bad  taken  with  bis  ednot 
tion,  and  stowed  so  much  wisdom  and  justice  in  his  admin 
tration  of  t!ie  laws,  that  the  Caliph  never  bad  occasi 
dissatisfied  with  him.     Tbus  they  all  lived  together  in  the  ut- 
most happiness  and  concord,  until  they  were  each,  in  turn,  Ti»- 
ited  by  the  Terminator  of  Delights  and  the  Separator  of  Com- 
panions."  M 

So  ended  Achmet's  story  ;  but  without  the  moonlight,  tflM 
tall  Ethiopian  palms  and  the  soothing  pipe,  as  acceBsories,  ^9 
foar  that  this  reproduction  of  it  retains  little  of  the  charm 
which  I  found  in  the  original  It  was  followed  by  other  and 
wilder  talcs,  stamped  in  every  part  with  the  unmistakable  sig- 
net of  the  Orient,  They  were  all  characterized  by  the  belief 
in  an  inevitable  Destiny,  which  seems  to  be  the  informing  soni 
af  aU  Oriental  literature.  This  belief  affords  every  liberty  to 
the  poet  and  romancer,  aod  the  Arabic  authors  have  not  aoni' 


pled  to  make  liberal  uae  of  it  There  is  no  hazard  in  sur- 
ronnding  your  hero  with  all  sorts  of  real  and  Imaginary  daa- 
gera,  or  in  henping  up  obstacles  in  the  path  of  his  designs, 
when  joa  know  that  his  destiny  obliges  hiia  to  overcome  them. 
lie  becomes,  for  the  time,  the  impersonation  of  Fate,  and  oir- 
cumstauces  yield  before  him.  You  see,  plainly,  that  he  was 
chosen,  in  the  begioning,  to  do  the  very  thing  which  ho  aoconi- 
piiahes,  in  the  end.  If  a  miracle  is  needed  for  hia  success,  it 
is  not  withheld.  Dif&cultios  crowd  upon  him  to  the  last,  only 
that  the  final  triniaph  may  be  more  complete  and  striking. 
Yet  with  all  these  violations  of  probability,  the  Oriental  tales 
exhibit  a  great  fertility  of  invention  and  sparkle  with  touehca 
of  genuine  human  nature.  The  deep  and  absorbing  interest 
with  which  the  unlettered  Arabs  listen  to  their  recital — the 
hold  which  they  have  upon  the  popular  heart  of  the  East — at- 
tests their  value,  as  illustrations  of  Eastern  life. 

From  Poetry  we  freijuently  passed  to  Eeligion,  and  Aeh- 
met  was  astonished  to  find  me  familiar  not  only  with  Mo- 
bammed,  but  with  Ali  and  Abdullali  and  Abu-talib,  and  with 
many  incidents  of  the  Prophet's  life,  which  were  new  to  him. 
The  Persian  chronicles  were  fresh  in  my  memory,  and  all  the 
wonders  related  of  Mohammed  by  that  solemn  old  biographer, 
Mohammed  Bekr,  came  up  again  ns  vividly  as  when  I  first 
read  them.  We  compared  notes,  he  repeated  passages  of  the 
Koran,  and  so  the  Giaour  and  the  True  Believer  discussed  the 
(iSituro  of  their  faith,  but  always  ended  by  passing  beyond  Pro- 
phet and  Apostle,  to  the  one  great  and  good  Qod,  who  is 
equally  merciful  to  all  men.  I  could  siuccrely  adopt  the  first 
irtiele  of  his  faith:  "La  illali  iV  Allah!'"  "There  is  no 
God  but  Qod,"  while  he  was  equally  ready  to  accept  the  first 
commandment  of  mine. 


jonRPET  TO  oxirntAi.  JtTuia^ 


CHAPTER    XX. 


0  OH. 


Nllra— Appea 


r— A[!:<eiiianHorcliaTuwii-Slieni1;lnFunniir  Dvb-~^*1^°0<i^ 
-Tha  NI]o  beyond  SLendy-Fioab  DL=I  vn  VeB«t"l>li»— Wa  E>al« 
WnlH  on  Bhore-Tlio  IldplJs  of  DhtbI™— Djehal  Gorrt-TM 
Kt— NIgtit  In  Uie  UimnUSn  0<ngii—Cnx»dU»-A  Drink  ondnnCH 
ij— F^c  Wind— Appnach  ta  KlmrWum— Tho  JudoUod  bT  lie  Tw« 
iDca  of  tlic  Citj—'We  Drop  Aocbor. 


The  morning  after  visiting  tlie  ruins  of  Meroii  I  reached  tha 
old  Ethiopian  town  of  Siicndy.  It  lies  about  half  n  mile  from 
the  river,  but  the  massive  furt  &nd  palace  of  the  Governor  are 
built  on  the  water's  edge.  Several  spreading  sycamore  trees 
gave  a  grace  to  the  shore,  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
dull  and  tame.  Naked  Ethiopians  were  fishing  or  washing 
Iheir  clothes  in  the  water,  and  some  of  them,  as  they  held  thmr 
long,  scarlet-edged  mantles  above  their  heads,  to  dry 
wind  and  sun,  showed  fine,  muscular  figures.  The  wou 
hideous  faeca,  but  eymractrical  and  well  developed  forms.  A 
RTOup  of  Egyptian  soldiers  watched  us  from  the  bank  before 
the  palaco,  and  several  personages  on  borseb&ck,  one  of  whom 
appeared  to  be  the  Governor  himself,  were  hailing  the  fcny 


I 


2S9 


bott,  which  was  just  about  putting  off  nith  a  heavy  load  of  da- 
Uvea. 

Wo  ran  the  boat  to  the  ahoro,  at  a  landing-plaoe  just  abovo 
the  palace.  The  hanks  of  the  river  were  covered  with  fields 
of  cucumbers  and  beans,  the  latter  brilliant  with  white  and 
purple  hloasoma  and  filled  with  the  murnmring  sound  of  bees, 
Achmet,  the  rais  and  I  walked  up  to  the  capital — the  famous 
Shendy,  once  the  great  mart  of  trade  for  the  regions  between 
the  Red  Sea  and  Dar-Fur.  On  the  way  we  met  numbera  of 
women  with  water-jara,  They  wore  no  veils,  bnt  certainly 
needed  thenij  for  their  facea  were  of  a  broad,  semi-negro  char- 
acter, and  repulsively  plain.  The  town  is  built  in  a  straggling 
manner,  along  a  low,  sandy  ridge,  and  is  upwards  of  a  mile  in 
length,  though  it  probably  does  not  contain  more  than  t«n 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  houaea  are  rand,  of  course,  hut 
rough  and  filthy,  and  many  of  them  are  the  same  circular  to- 
kvh  of  mats  and  palm-sticks  as  I  had  already  noticed  in  the 
smaller  villages.  The  only  decent  dwelling  which  I  saw  had 
been  just  erected  by  a  Dongolose  merchant.  There  was  a 
mosque,  with  a  low  mud  minaret,  bat  neither  in  this  nor  in 
any  other  respect  did  the  place  compare  with  El  Metliejref 
The  bazaar  resembled  a  stable,  having  a  passage  through  the 
centre,  shaded  with  mats,  and  stalls  on  either  side,  some  of 
which  contained  donkeys  and  others  merchants.  The  goods 
displayed  were  principally  blue  and  white  cotton  stuffs  of  joarso 
quality,  bends,  triaketa  and  the  like.  It  was  market-day,  but 
the  people  had  not  yet  assembled.  A  few  screens  of  matting, 
trooted  on  sticks,  were  the  only  preparations  which  had  been 
made.  The  whole  appearance  of  the  place  was  that  of  poverty 
Uid  desertion.     Beyond  the  clusters  of  huts,  and  a  mud  wall, 


2(K)  iOVRSET  TO  CKNTRAL  AFRICA. 

Irhioh  ran  along  the  eastern  ude  of  the  town,  the  Desert  ez 
tended  to  the  horiaon — a  hot,  white  plun,  dotted  with  clumps 
of  thoma.  On  our  return  to  the  boat,  the  nuia  pointed  out  the 
spot  where,  in  1822,  Ismail  Pasha  and  his  soldiers  were  burn- 
ed to  death  by  Mek  Nemr  (King  Leopard),  the  last  monarch 
of  Shendj.  The  bloody  reTcnge  taken  by  Mohammed  Bey 
Dcfterdar  (son-in-law  of  M(^mmed  Ali),  for  that  act,  sealed 
the  fate  of  the  kingdom.  The  seat  of  the  Egyptian  goyem- 
ment  in  Souddn  was  fixed  at  Khartoum,  which  in  a  few  years 
became  also  the  centre  of- trade,  and  now  flourishes  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Shendy  and  El  Metemma. 

Burckhardt,  who  yisited  Shendy  during  the  reign  of  King 
Leopard,  deyotes  much  space  to  a  description  of  the  trade  of 
the  town  at  that  time.  It  was  then  in  the  height  of  its  pros 
perity,  and  the  resort  of  merchants  from  Arabia,  Abyssinia, 
Egypt,  and  eyen  Syria  and  Asia  Minor.  It  was  also  one  of 
the  chief  slave-marts  of  Central  Africa,  in  which  respect  it  has 
since  been  superseded  by  Obeid,  in  Kordofan.  The  only  com- 
merce which  has  been  left  to  Shendy  is  that  with  Pjidda  and 
the  other  Arabian  ports,  by  way  of  Sowakin,  on  the  Bed  Sea — 
a  caravan  journey  of  fourteen  days,  through  the  country  of 
Takka,  infested  by  the  wild  tribes  of  the  Hallengas  and  Haden- 
doas.  Mek  Nemr,  according  to  Burckhardt,  was  of  the 
Djaaleyn  tribe,  who  are  descendants  of  the  Beni  Korcish,  ot 
Yemen,  and  still  retain  the  pure  Arabian  features.  I  was 
afterwards,  during  my  stay  in  Khartoum,  enabled  to  verify 
the  declaration  of  the  same  traveller,  that  all  the  tribes  of 
Elthiopia  between  the  Nile  and  the  Bed  Sea  are  of  unmixed 
Arab  stock. 

The  palace  of  the  (Governor,  which  was  a  biulding  of  oon 


siilerable  extent,  had  heavy  circnlar  bastions,  mhicb  were  do- 
fended  by  cannoD.  Its  position,  on  the  bank  of  the  Nile,  was 
much  more  agreeable  than  that  of  the  city,  and  the  garrison 
had  settled  aroand  it,  forming  a  small  village  on  its  eastern 
side.  The  white  walls  and  latticed  windows  of  the  palace 
reminded  me  of  Cairo,  and  I  anticipated  a  pleasant  residence 
within  its  Ttalls,  ou  my  return  to  Shendy,  As  I  wished  to 
reach  Khartoum  as  soon  as  possible  I  did  not  call  upon  the 
,  but  sent  him  the  letter  of  recommendation  from 
r  Bey,  From  Shendy,  oue  Bces  the  group  of  palms 
which  Borvca  as  a  landmark  to  El  Mefemma,  the  capital  of  a 
former  Ethiopian  Kingdom,  further  up  the  Nile,  on  its  oppo- 
site back.  This  is  the  starting  point  for  caravaos  to  Merawe 
and  Dongola  through  the  Beyooda  Desert.  We  passed  its 
port  about  noon,  and  stopped  a  few  ininuteB  to  let  the  rais  pay 
his  compliments  to  the  owner  of  our  vessel,  who  was  on  shore. 
He  was  a  little  old  man,  with  a  long  staff,  and  dressed  l!ke  the 
meanest  Arab,  although  he  was  shekh  of  half  a  dozen  villages, 
and  had  a  servant  leading  a  fine  Dongolese  horse  behind  him. 
The  boat  of  Khalim  Bey,  agent  of  the  Governor  of  Berber  and 
Shendy,  was  at  the  landing  place,  and  wo  saw  the  Bey,  a  tall, 
handsome  Turk  in  a  rich  blue  and  crimson  dress,  who  sent  a 
servant  to  ask  my  name  and  character. 

The  scenery  of  the  Nile,  southward  from  Shendy,  is  again 
charged.  The  tropical  rains  which  fall  occasionally  at  Abou- 
Hammed  and  scantily  at  Berber,  are  here  periodical,  and  there 
is  no  longer  the  same  striking  contrast  between  desert  and 
garden  land.  The  plains  extending  inward  from  the  river  are 
covered  with  a  growth  of  bushes  aad  coarse  grass,  which  aleo 
appears  in  patches  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains.     The  inlmbi- 


JODRUn-  TO  CBNTtULl  AFRICA. 


taots  cultivatu  but  a  narrow  strip  of  beans  and  donna  aloug 
the  river,  but  own  immense  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  wliiah 
afford  their  principal  suatunance.  I  noticed  many  fields  of  the 
grain  called  dookhn,  of  which  tliey  plant  a  larger  quantity  tluD 
of  dourra.  Hutton,  however,  is  the  Kthiopian's  greatest  deli- 
cacy, Notwitbatanding  this  is  one  of  the  warmest  climates  in 
the  world,  the  people  eat  meat  whenever  they  cau  get  it,  and 
groatly  prefer  it  to  vegetable  food.  The  sailors  and  camel- 
drivers,  whose  principal  food  is  dourra,  are,  notwithstanding  a 
certain  quality  of  endurance,  as  weak  as  children,  when  com- 
pared with  an  able-bodied  European,  and  they  nniversally 
attribute  this  weakness  to  their  diet.  This  is  a  fact  for  the 
lank  vegetarians  to  explain.  My  esporieniic  coincided  with 
tliat  of  the  Ethiopians,  aad  I  ascribed  no  small  sbaro  of  my 
personal  health  and  stroogth,  which  the  violeat  alternatioaa  o£, 
heat  and  cold  during  the  journey  had  not  shaken  in  the  1< 
to  the  fact  of  my  having  fared  sumptuously  every  day. 

After  leaving  Shendy,  the  Nile  makes  a  bend  to  the  west, 
we  went  along  slowly  all  the  afternoon,  with  a  side-wind.  The 
shores  were  not  so  highly  cultivated  as  those  we  had  passed, 
and  low  hills  of  yellow  sand  began  to  show  themselves  on 
cither  hand.  The  villages  were  groups  of  mud  tokuls,  with 
high,  conical  roofs,  and  the  negro  type  of  face  appeared  much 
more  frequently  among  the  inhabitants — (he  result  of  amalgO' 
mation  with  slaves.  We  saw  numbers  of  young  crocodiles 
which  my  sailors  delighted  to  frighten  by  shouting  and  throw- 
ing sticks  at  them,  as  they  suoned  tbemselvea  on  the  sand. 
Wild  geese  and  ducks  were  abundant,  and  the  quiet  little  coves 
aloug  the  shore  were  filled  with  their  young  brood.  Duri 
the  day  a  large  hawk  or  vulture  dashed  dowD  to  withia  a,  yi 


aa  o£,  _ 


ef  tlio  declc  in  the  attempt  to  Boatoh  a  piece  of  my  black  ram, 
which  Beahir  had  just  killed. 

The  nest  morniDg  we  had  a  narrow  escape  from  ebipwreck 
The  wind  blew  strong  from  the  north,  aa  w«  reached  a.  twist  in 
the  river,  where  our  course  for  scTcral  miles  lay  to  the  north- 
west, obliging  the  men  to  take  in  sail  and  tow  the  vessel.  They 
had  reached  the  turning-poiDt  and  the  sail  was  blowing  looft^. 
while  two  sailors  lay  oat  on  the  long,  limber  yard,  trying  tc 
reef,  when  a  violent  gust  pulled  the  rope  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  man  on  shore,  and  we  were  carried  into  the  stream.  The 
steersman  put  the  helm  hard  up,  and  made  for  the  point  of  an 
island  which  lay  opposite,  but  the  current  was  so  strong  that  wa 
coold  not  reach  it  It  blew  a  gale,  and  the  Nile  was  rough  with 
"naves.  Between  the  island  and  the  southern  shore  lay  a  clus- 
ter of  sharp,  black  rocks,  and  for  a  few  minutes  we  appeared  to 
be  driving  directly  upon  them.  Tho  raia  and  sailors,  with 
many  cries  of  "  0  Prophet  1  0  Apostle  1 "  gave  themselves  up 
to  their  fate ;  but  the  strength  of  the  current  saved  us.  Our 
bow  juat  grazed  the  edge  of  the  last  rock,  and  we  were  blown 
aoros8  to  the  opposite  shore,  where  we  struck  hard  upon  the 
sand  and  were  obliged  to  remain  two  hours,  until  the  wlud 
abated.  I  was  vexed  and  impatient  at  first,  bat  remembering 
the  effect  of  a  pipe  upon  a  similar  occasion,  I  took  one,  and 
Boou  became  calm  enough  to  exclaim :  "  it  is  the  will  of  Allah ! " 

While  the  boat  was  making  auch  slow  headway,  I  went 
ashore  and  walked  an  hour  or  two  among  the  fields  of  beana 
and  dourra.  The  plains  for  several  miles  inland  were  covered 
with  dry  grass  and  thorn'trece,  and  only  needed  irrigation  tc 
bloom  as  a  garden.  The  sun  was  warm,  the  bean-fields  alive 
with  bees,  and  the  wind  took  a  rich  summer  fragrance  from  th( 


864  fOURHXT   TO  OXNTRAL  AFRICA. 

white  and  purple  blossoms.  Near  one  of  the  huts  I  accosted 
a  woman  who  was  weeding  among  the  doorra.  She  told  me 
that  her  husband  had  deserted  her  and  taken  another  wife, 
Icaying  her  the  charge  of  their  two  children.  He  had  also 
taken  her  three  cows  and  giyen  them  to  his  new  wife,  so  that 
her  only  means  of  support  was  to  gather  the  dry  grass  and  sell 
it  in  the  villages.  I  gave  her  a  few  piastres,  which  she  receiv 
cd  gratefully.  In  the  afternoon  we  passed  the  main  bend  of 
the  river,  and  were  able  to  make  use  of  the  wind,  which  by  this 
time  was  light  The  sailor  who  had  been  left  ashore  during 
the  gale  overtook  us,  by  walking  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten 
miles  and  swimming  one  of  the  smaller  arms  of  the  river.  The 
western  bank  of  the  river  now  became  broken  and  hilly,  occa- 
sionally overhung  by  bluffs  of  gravelly  soil,  of  a  dark  red  color. 
On  the  top  of  one  of  the  hills  there  was  a  wall,  which  the  rai's 
pointed  out  to  me  as  kadeetn  (ancient),  but  it  appeared  too 
dilapidated  to  repay  the  trouble  of  a  visit. 

On  the  following  day,  the  scenery  became  remarkably  wild 
and  picturesque.  After  passing  the  village  of  Derreira,  on  the 
right  bank,  the  Nile  was  studded  with  islands  of  various  sizes 
rising  like  hillocks  from  the  water,  and  all  covered  with  the 
most  luxuriant  vegetation.  The  mimosa,  the  acacia,  the  palm, 
the  sycamore  and  the  nehbuh  flourished  together  in  rank 
growth,  with  a  profusion  of  smaller  shrubs,  and  all  were  mat* 
ted  together  with  wild  green  creepers,  which  dropped  their 
long  streamers  of  pink  and  purple  blossoms  into  the  water. 
Reefs  of  black  rock,  over  which  the  waves  foamed  impetuous 
ly,  made  the  navigation  intricate  and  dangerous.  The  bauk<^ 
of  the  river  were  high  and  steep,  and  covered  with  bushes  and 
rank  grass,  above  which  the  rustling  blades  of  the  dourra  gilt- 


TBB  TWXLTTH  OA.TABACT.  26A 

teied  in  ihe  sun,  Tbe  country  was  ihickly  populated,  and  the 
inliaiiiiiwita  were  mostly  of  the  Shyghf;ean  tribe — from  Dar 
Sliygheea,  the  regiun  between  Doiigola  and  Berbei'.  The  siikiaa 
wcitj  tended  by  Dinka  slaves,  as  block  as  ebony,  and  wilh 
coiirse,  brutish  faces.  At  one  point  on  llie  eastern  shore,  oppo- 
»te  the  bland  of  Bendi,  the  natives  had  collected  nil  their  lire 
slock,  but  for  what  purpose  I  could  not  learn.  The  shore  was 
covered  with  hundreds  of  ciimeU,  donkeys,  sheep,  coivs  and 
goals,  carefully  kept  in  separate  herds. 

Ailer  threading  ten  miles  of  ibose  island  bowers,  we  ap- 
proached Djebel  Gen  i,  which  we  had  Been  nil  day,  ahead  of  us. 
The  Kile,  instead  of  turning  we^twI^'d  around  the  flank  of  the 
mountain,  as  I  had  anticipated  fiom  the  features  of  the  laad< 
Bcapc,  made  a  sudden  bend  to  the  south,  between  a  thick  clus- 
ter of  islands,  and  cutcrcd  the  hills.  At  tbb  point  there  was 
a  rapid,  extending  half-wuy  neross  the  river.  The  iiatires  call 
it  a  shellid  (cataract),  althougli  it  deserves  the  name  no  more 
than  the  cataracts  of  Assouan  and  Wadi-Halfa.  Adopting  the 
term,  however,  which  liaa  been  sanctiuDcd  by  long  asage,  thia 
is  the  Twelfth  Cataract  of  the  Nile,  and  the  last  one  which  the 
traveller  meets  before  rcaciiing  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia. 
The  sireara  is  very  nari-ow,  compi-essed  between  high  hills  of 
naked  red  sandstone  rock.  At  sunset  we  were  completely  shut 
ia  the  savage  solitude,  and  there  we  seemed  likely  to  remain, 
for  the  wind  came  from  all  quarters  by  turns,  and  jammed  the 
vessel  against  the  rocks  more  than  once. 

The  narrow  lerriices  of  soil  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains 
were  covered  with  deii-;e  beds  of  long,  dry  grass,  and  as  we  lay 
laoored  to  the  rock^;,  I  climbed  up  to  one  of  the^ic,  in  spite  of 
the  iHis's  wnmings   llint  I  should  f:ill   in   wilii   liojis   nnd  ser- 


M6  JOUIUIKT  TO  CBNTBAL  AFRICA. 

pents.  I  lay  down  in  tlte  warm  grass,  and  watched  the  shad 
ows  deepen  in  the  black  gorge,  as  the  twilight  died  away.  The 
zikzak  or  crocodile-bird  twittered  along  the  shore,  and,  after 
it  became  quite  dark,  the  stillness  was  occasionally  bi'oken  by 
the  snort  of  a  hippopotamus,  as  he  thrust  his  huge  head  above 
water,  or  by  the  yell  of  a  hyena  prowling  among  the  hills.  Talk 
of  the  pleasure  of  reading  a  traveller's  adventures  in  strange 
lands!  There  is  no  pleasure  equal  to  that  of  living  them: 
neither  the  anticipation  nor  the  memory  of  such  a  scene  as  I 
witnessed  that  evening,  can  approach  the  fascination  of  the 
reality.  I  was  awakened  afler  midnight  by  the  motion  of  the 
vessel,  and  looking  out  of  my  shelter  as  I  lay,  could  see  that 
we  were  slowly  gliding  through  the  foldings  of  the  stony  moun- 
tains. The  moon  rode  high  and  bright,  over  the  top  of  a  peak 
in  front,  and  the  sound  of  my  prow,  as  it  occasionally  grated 
against  the  rocks,  alone  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the  wild  pass* 
Once  the  wind  fell,  and  the  men  were  obliged  to  make  fast  to 
a  rock,  but  before  morning  we  had  emerged  from  the  mountains 
and  were  moored  to  the  bank,  to  await  daylight  for  the  passage 
of  the  last  rapid. 

In  the  mouth  of  the  pass  lies  an  island,  which  rises  into  a 
remarkable  conical  peak,  about  seven  hundred  feet  in  height. 
It  is  called  the  Hoiayan  (thirst  assuaged),  while  a  lofty  summit 
of  the  range  of  Gerri  bears  the  name  of  Dfebei  Attshan  (the 
Mountain  of  Thirst).  The  latter  stands  on  a  basis  of  arid 
sand,  whence  its  name,  but  the  Howykn  is  encircled  by  the 
arms  of  the  Nile.  In  the  Wady  Beit-Naga,  some  three  or  four 
hours'  journey  eastward  from  the  river,  are  the  ruined  temples 
of  Naga  and  Mesowurat,  described  by  Hoskins.  The  date  of 
their  erection   has   been  ascertained  by  Lepsius  to  be  coeval 


with  that  of  llproii.  We  here  saw  ninny  crocodiles,  basking  ol 
the  warm  eand-bankia.  One  group  of  five  were  enormous  mon* 
sler*,  three  of  them  being  at  least  fifteen,  and  the  oiher  two 
twenty  feet  in  length.  They  lazily  dragged  (heir  long  bodiea 
into  the  water  as  we  approached,  but  relumed  after  we  bad 
parsed.  The  zikzaks  were  hopping  familiarly  about  them,  on 
the  Rand,  and  I  have  no  doubt  ihal  they  do  service  to  the  croco- 
diles in  the  manner  related  by  the  Arabs. 

The  river  wm  still  studded  wiih  islands — some  mere  frag- 
ments of  rock  covered  with  bushes,  and  some  large  level  tracts, 
flourishing  with  rich  fields  of  cotton  and  dourra.  About  noon, 
we  passed  a  village  on  the  eastern  bank,  and  1  sent  Ali  and 
Beshir  ashore  to  procure  supjilies,  for  my  ram  was  finii^hed. 
Aii  found  only  one  fowl,  which  ihe  people  did  not  wish  to  sell, 
but,  Turk-like,  he  took  i(  forcibly  and  gave  ihem  the  usual 
price.  Beshir  found  some  mareesa,  a  fermented  drink  made 
of  dourra,  and  for  two  piastres  procured  two  jars  of  it,  holding 
two  gallons  each,  which  were  brought  down  to  the  boat  by  a 
pair  of  sturdy  Dinka  women,  whoi^e  beauty  was  almost  a  match 
for  Bakhito.  The  mareesa  had  an  ngreeable  flavor  and  very 
little  Inloxicaling  property.  I  no(iced,  however,  that  afier 
Beshir  had  drunk  nearly  a  gallon,  he  sang  and  danced  railier 
more  than  usual,  and  had  much  to  say  of  a  sweetheart  of  his, 
who  lived  in  El-Meiemma,  and  who  bore  the  charming  name 
of  Gammero-Betahadjero.  Bakhito,  after  drinking  an  equal 
portion,  complained  lo  me  bitleriy  of  my  white  sheep,  which 
bad  nibbed  off  the  ends  of  the  woolly  twists  adorning  her  bead, 
but  I  comforted  her  by  the  present  of  half  a  piastre,  for  the 
purpose  of  buying  mullon-fat. 

Ab  the  wind   full,  at  sunset,  wo  reached  a  long  slope  of 


ird  ia  a 


9S8  JOUBKET  TO   CBXT&AI.  ilTBICA. 

enowy  fnnJ,  on  Ibe  ieland  of  Auesee.  Achmet  went  U> 
hntB  of  the  tnhabilanls,  where  he  was  kindlj'  received  mid  ^u^ 
niaheil  with  milk.  I  walked  fur  no  hour  up  and  down  ilit 
beiiuliful  beach,  breathing  the  mill!,  cool  evening  air,  heavj 
with  delicious  odors.  The  glassy  Nile  beside  me  reflected  the 
last  oninge-red  hues  of  sunset,  and  the  evening  star,  bnruinj; 
with  a  white,  sparry  lustre,  made  a  long  traek  of  light  acruas 
his  breast.  I  reraembei'cd  tlial  it  was  my  birthday — the  fourth 
lime  I  had  spent  my  natnl  anniversary  in  a  foieign  land. 
fir^t  had  been  in  Germnny,  the  second  in  Italy,  die  third  ia 
Mexico,  and  now  (he  last,  in  the  wild  heart  of  Africa, 
were  all  pleasant,  but  this  was  the  best  of  oil. 

When  I  returned  to  the  vessel,  1  found  my  carpet  and 
cushions  spread  on  the  sand,  and  A!i  wailing  with  my  pipe. 
The  evening  enterlainrntot  commenced  :  I  was  listening  to  an 
Ar.ibian  tale,  and  watching  the  figures  of  the  boatmen,  grouped 
around  a  lire  they  had  kindled  in  a  Held  of  duokhn,  when  itio 
wind  came  up  with  a  sudden  gust  and  blew  out  the  folds  of  my 
idle  flag.  Instantly  the  sand  was  kicked  over  the  brands,  the 
carpet  taken  up,  all  hands  called  on  board,  am!  we  dashed  awnj 
on  tbe  dark  river  with  light  heiirls.  I  rose  before  sunrise  the 
next  morning,  and  found  the  wind  unchanged.  AVo  were  sail- 
ing between  low  shores  covered  with  grain-fields,  and  a  sandy 
idlaiid  lay  in  front.  The  mis  no  sooner  saw  me  than  lie  called 
my  attention  to  the  tops  of  some  palm-trees  that  appeared  on 
the  horizon,  probably  si i  or  eight  miles  distant.  They  gi'ew 
in  iho  gardens  of  Khartoum!  We  reached  the  point  of  the 
broad,  level  island  that  divides  the  waters  of  the  two  Nile;, 
and  could  soon  distinguish  the  single  minaret  and  buildings  of 
'.he  city.     A  boat,  coming  down  fi'om  the  White  Nile,  passed 


.ABBITAL  AT  KBAKTOUM.  HI 

DB  on  llie  right,  and  another,  bound  for  Kli.irlonm,  led  us  up 
Ihe  Blue  Nile.  The  proper  division  beliveen  the  two  rivers  ia 
the  point  oF  land  upon  which  Klmrloum  is  huilt,  but  Llic  chnn- 
ncl  separating  it  from  the  island  opposite  is  veiy  nan-OH',  and 
the  streams  do  not  fully  meet  and  mingle  their  walera  till  the 
island  is  passed. 

The  ciiy  presented  a  picturesque — and  to  my  eyes,  accuS" 
tomed  lo  the  mud  hul9  of  the  Ethiopian  Tillages — a  really 
Btately  appearance,  as  we  drew  near.  The  lino  of  buildings 
extended  for  more  than  a  mile  along  the  river,  and  many  of 
the  houses  were  embowered  in  gardens  of  palm,  acncin,  oraaga 
and  tamarind  trees.  The  Palace  of  the  Pasha  had  a  certain 
appearance  of  dignity,  though  its  walls  were  only  unbui'nt 
brick,  and  his  kareem,  a  white,  twO'Story  building,  looked  cool 
and  elegant  amid  the  palms  that  shaded  it.  Egyptian  soldiers, 
in  their  awkward,  half-Frank  costume,  ivere  lounging  oa  the 
bank  before  the  PaLicf^,  and  slaves  of  iuky  blackness,  resplen- 
dent in  white  and  red  liver}',  were  departing  on  donkej's  on 
their  various  errands.  The  slope  of  the  bank  was  broken  at 
short  intervals  by  water-mills,  and  files  of  men  with  skins,  and 
women  with  Iiuge  earthen  jars  on  their  heads,  passed  up  and 
down  between  the  water's  edge  and  the  openings  of  the  narrow 
lanes  leading  between  the  gardens  into  the  city.  The  boat  of 
the  Governor  of  Berber,  rowed  by  twelve  black  slaves,  put  off 
from  shore,  and  moved  slonly  down  stream,  against  the  north 
wind,  as  we  drew  up  and  moored  the  America  below  lite  gar- 
den of  the  Catholic  Mission.  It  was  the  twelfth  of  Januaiyi 
(  had  made  the  journey  from  Assouan  to  Khartoum  in  twenty- 

C  days,  and  from  Cairo  in  fifly-seven. 


b. 


TO    CENTRAL    ACBICA. 


CHAPTER    XSr. 


LIFE 


R  T  O  C  >I . 


nwAjscriun  riig— A  nearDntn— Sesrcfa  Ibri  Iloiise—TLeAuittlanCoiuali 

— IlBMripUon  of  blf  Rpsldence— The  GBrikn— The  Wonpgfrle— IJMbsrio  Pcmipiid 
BUU— PIr(ur?wiurClutnirti!TortlieBocl<tEj'of  Ehniionin— FDnnditiaoNiilGnwtb 
of  (be  Clly— lU  Appconmce— Tku  Population— Dnboilthliiea  of  the  Oiaulv- 
AsHiDbL;  or  ElhLoplnD  ChlefbdDi— TUt  af  Two  Sb-ktu— Dinner  ud  IliewaikL 

At  the  lime  of  my  arrival  in  Khartoum,  there  were  not  moW 
tlian  a  dozen  vessels  in  port,  and  the  only  one  wliich  would  pass 
for  reppectable  in  Egypt  was  the  Pasha's  dahabiyeh.  I  had 
but  an  open  merchanl-boat,  yet  my  green  lent  and  flag  gave  it 
quite  a  showy  air,  and  I  saw  that  i!  ixealed  some  lillle  sen^a- 
tion  among  the  spectator?.  The  people  looked  at  the  flag  with 
asloniahment,  for  the  stars  nnd  siripea  had  never  before  been 
seen  in  Khartoum,  At  the  earnest  prayer  of  the  rals,  who 
was  afraid  the  boat  would  be  forcibly  impressed  into  the  ser- 
vice of  the  GoTernmeni,  and  was  anxious  to  get  back  to  liis. 
Bick  family  in  El  Melemmn,  I  left  the  flag  flying  until  he  was 
ready  lo  lea'c.  Old  Eakhita,  in  her  dumb,  ignorant  way,  ex- 
orefsed  great  surprise  and  grief  when  she  learned  tliat  Acbmet 
and  I  were  going  lo  desert  the  vessel.     She  had  an  indefioiw 


I 


BKABCH   FOS   A   HOUSE.  271 

idea  tliat  we  had  bcconiG  part  and  parcel  of  it,  and  would  re- 
main on  board  for  the  rest  of  our  lives. 

I  took  AchniL't  and  started  immediately  in  Bearch  of  a 
house,  as  in  those  lands  a  traveller  who  wishes  lo  be  resjiect- 
able,  must  take  a  residence  on  arriving  at  a  city,  even  if  ho 
only  intends  lo  stay  two  or  lliree  days.  Over  the  mud  walla 
on  either  side  of  the  lane  leading  up  from  the  water,  I  could 
look  into  wildernesses  of  orange,  date,  fig,  and  pomegranate 
trees,  oleanders  in  bloom  and  trailing  vines.  We  entered  a 
tolerable  street,  eleanly  swept,  and  soon  came  to  a  coffee-house. 
Two  or  Ihree  persons  were  standing  al  the  door,  one  of  whom 
— a  fat,  con  ten  ted -looking  Turk — eyed  Achmet  shai'ply.  The 
two  looked  at  eaeh  other  a  moment  in  mutual  doubt  and  aalon- 
ishment,  and  then  fell  into  eaeh  other's  arms.  It  was  a  Syiian 
merchant,  whom  Achmet  had  known  in  Cairo  and  BeyrouL 
"  0  master ! "  said  he,  his  dark  face  radiaut  with  delight,  aa 
be  clasped  the  hand  of  the  Syiian  :  "  there  never  was  Buch  ■ 
lucky  journey  as  this ! " 

The  merchant,  who  had  been  two  years  in  Khartoum,  ac- 
companied us  in  our  search.  We  went  first  to  the  residence 
of  the  thekh  of  the  quiirier,  who  wna  not  at  home.  Two  small 
boys,  the  eons  of  one  of  a  detachment  of  Egyptian  physician?, 
who  had  recei.lly  arrived,  received  nrie.  They  complained  bit- 
terly of  Soudfin,  and  longed  to  get  back  again  to  Cairo.  We 
then  went  to  the  Goveruor  of  the  city,  but  he  was  absent  in 
Kordafan.  Finally,  In  wiindering  about  the  streetB,  we  met  a 
certain  Ali  Effendi,  who  look  us  lo  a  house  which  would  be 
vacant  the  next  day.  It  was  a.  large  mnd  palace,  containing  an 
outer  and  inner  divan,  two  sleeping-rooms,  a  kitchen,  stoi-e- 
rooms,  apartments  for  servanlP.  and  nn  inclosed  court-yard  ami 


172 


JJiSKV    TO    CEMTRAL 


I 


stable?]  all  of  'nLich  were  lo  be  had  at  one  huudi'ed  piaalrcet 
month — an  exorbitant  price,  as  I  anerwarils  learned.  Befun 
engaging  it,  I  decided  to  iisk  the  advice  of  the  Austrian  Coa 
Gular  Agent,  Dr.  Reitz,  for  whom  I  bad  letler?  from  the  Eng- 
lish and  Austrian  Coosids  in  Cairn,  lie  rfcfived  me  wiihtrue 
German  cordiality,  iiud  would  heai'  of  nothing  else  but  that  I 
should  immediaiely  take  possession  of  an  unoccupied  room  in 
bla  house.  Accordingly  the  snme  day  of  my  (irj-ival  beheld  me 
installed  in  luxurious  quartern,  with  one  of  the  most  bravBi 
generous  and  independent  of  men  as  my  associate, 

Afl  the  Consul's  re^iidenee  was  the  type  of  a  house  of  the 
best  cla^  in  Khartoum,  a  dc.''cnptioa  of  it  may  give  some 
of  life  in  the  place,  under  ihe  moat  agreeable  circumstances.. 
The  ground-plot  was  one  hundred  and  ihiriy  paces  square, 
surrounded  by  a  high  mud  wall.    Inside  of  ibis  stood  the  dwell- 
ing, which  was  about  half  that  length,  and  separated  from  it 
by  a  narrow  garden  and  court-yard.     Entering  the  court  hy 
the  gale,  a  flight  of  steps  conducted  to  the  divan,  or  recep- 
tion-room, ill  the  second  story.     From  the  open  antechamber 
one  might  look  to  ihe  soutL  over  the  gray  wastes  of  Sennaar, 
or,  if  Ihe  sun  waa  near  his  setting,  see  a  reach  in  the  White 
Nile,  flasliing  like  ihe  point  of  an  Arab  spear.     The  divan  had 
a  cusliioned  seat  around  three  sides,  and  matting  on  the  fli 
and  was  really  a  handsome  room,  although  its  walls  were  ra 
covered  with  a  thin   coating  of  lime,  and   its  roof  palm-1 
overlaid  witli  coarse  matting,  on  which  rested  a  layer  of  mud 
a  foot  thick.     In  ihe  second  story  were  also  the  Consular  Of- 
Gee  and  a  sleeping-room.    The  basement  contained  the  kitchen) 
store-rooms,  and  servants'  rooms.     The  remainder  of  the  houae 
was  only  one  stoiy  in  height,  and  hud  a  balcony  looking  on  tlte 


TUB   MBKA3BRIZ.  ST) 

gHrdcn,  nnd  completeiy  embowered  in  floM-ering  vines.  Tlia 
onl}'  roorns  were  (he  dining-litill,  wiib  cushioned  dirnns  on  each 
Bide  and  a  drapery  of  the  Auairian  colors  :iC  the  end,  and  my 
apartment,  which  overlooked  a,  sniiill  gardeu-court,  wherein  Iwo 
Inrge  ostrlcliea  paced  up  and  doivn,  and  a  company  of  wild 
geese  and  wild  swine  made  continual  discord.  The  court  at 
the  enlninec  communicated  with  the  stables,  which  contained 
the  Consul's  horses — a  wliite  steed,  of  ihe  pure  Arabian  blood 
of  Nedjid,  and  the  red  stallion  appropriated  to  my  use,  which 
was  sent  by  the  King  of  D:ir-Fur  lo  Latlif  Poaha,  and  present- 
ed  by  him  1o  the  Consul.  A  Aejtit,  or  trained  dromediirj',  of 
miasual  size,  stood  in  the  court,  and  a  tame  lioness  was  tied  to 
a  stake  in  the  comer.  Slie  was  a  beautiful  and  powerful  beast, 
and  I  never  passed  her  without  taking  her  head  between  my 
knee-S  or  stroking  her  lawny  hide  until  she  leaned  against  mo 
like  a  cut  and  licked  my  iiand. 

Passing  through  a  side-door  into  the  garden,  we  came  upon 
a  whole  menagei-ie  of  animals.  Under  the  long  arbors,  covered 
with  luxuriant  grape-vines,  stood  two  surly  hyenas,  a  wild 
ass  from  llie  mountains  of  ilie  Aibara,  and  an  Abyssinian  raule. 
A  tall  marabout  (a  bird  of  the  crane  species,  with  a  pouch-bill) 
Btalked  about  the  garden,  occasiomilly  bending  a  liinge  in  the 
middle  of  his  long  legs,  and  doubling  them  backwards,  so  that 
he  used  half  of  them  for  a  scat  Adjoining  Ihe  stable  was  a 
large  sheep-yard,  in  which  were  gathered  together  gazelles, 
iilrnnge  vurielies  of  sheep  and  goaU  fiom  the  countries  of  the 
While  Nile,  a  virgin-crane,  and  a  large  antilopui  leiicoryx, 
from  Kordofan,  with  curved  horns  four  feet  in  length.  My 
favorite,  however,  was  the  leopard,  which  was  a  most  playful 
wid  affectionate  creature  except  at  meal-time.  He  was  no' 
la' 


974  JOUBNKT   TO  CEHTBA.I.  AfBICA. 

more  ihnn  liiilf  grown,  and  had  all  the  wiles  of  an  Intelligenl 
kitien,  climbing  his  post  and  springing  upon  nie,  or  creeping 
up  slyly  anJ  seizing  my  anklo  in  liis  inoulh.  The  garden, 
which  «a3  wnlcred  by  a  ■well  and  eti'ing  of  buckets  lumed  bj 
an  ox,  had  a  rich  variety  of  fruit-trees.  The  grape  season  was 
just  over,  tboiigh  I  had  »  few  of  the  last  bunches ;  figs  ven 
ripening  from  day  to  day,  oranges  and  lemons  were  in  fruit 
and  flower,  bananas  hloorning  for  another  crop,  and  the  poiDO- 
granate  and  iiihteh,  or  custard-apple,  hung  heavy  on  tlfl 
branches.  There  was  also  a  plantation  of  dale-trees  Bud 
Bugar-canc,  and  a  great  number  of  ornamental  shrubs 

In  all  IhcisG  picturc~qi]C  features  of  my  residence  in  Khar*  ' 
toutn,  I  fully  reulized  that  I  had  at  Inst  reached  Central  Afri- 
ca. In  our  mode  of  life,  also,  there  was  a  rich  flavor  of  that 
baTb.nric  poinp  imd  etate  which  one  involuntarily  ; 
with  the  name  of  SoudiLn.  We  aro.-ie  at  dawn,  and  at  sunri.<e  . 
were  in  the  saddle.  Sometimes  I  mounted  the  I'ed  stallion,  of  1 
the  wild  bleed  of  Dar-Fur,  and  somclimcB  one  of  tlie  Conrul'i 
tall  and  fleet  di-omedaries.  Six  diirk  attendants,  in  white  and 
vcartct  dresses,  fuUowed  us  on  dromt'durics  and  two  grooms 
ou  fool  ran  before  us,  to  clear  a  way  through  tlio  streets.  Af- 
ter passing  thiongh  Khartoum,  we  frequently  made  long  excur- 
sions up  the  banks  of  the  two  N'iles,  or  out  upon  the  bonDdle^i 
plain  betwi-en  tliem.  In  this  way,  I  speedily  became  familiar 
with  the  city  and  iis  vicinity,  and  as,  on  our  return,  I  always 
accompanied  the  Consul  on  nil  hia  visits  to  the  various  digni- 
taries, I  had  every  opportunity  of  studying  the  peculiar  life  of 
the  place,  and  gaining  some  idea  of  its  governing  principles. 
As  the  only  city  of  Cential  Afiic^i  which  hiis  o  regular  com- 
mnnication  with  the  MediterraoL'an  (by  which  it  occasionallj 


800IBTT  IK  KBAKTOIfM. 

rucdves  a  ray  of  light  from  the  civilized  world  beyond),  It  has 
become  a  capital  on  a  sraiill  scale,  and  its  society  ia  a  curious 
compound  of  Cliristiun,  Turk  and  Bitrbarian.  On  the  same 
day,  I  have  Lad  a  whole  sheep  set  before  me,  in  the  house  of 
an  Ethiopian  Princess,  who  wore  a  ring  in  her  no^e;  taken 
colTee  and  slierbet  witli  tlie  Fasiin ;  and  drank  tea,  prepared  in 
the  true  Engliali  style,  in  the  piirlor  of  a  European.  When 
to  these  remarkable  eontrasls  is  added  the  motley  character  of 
its  naiice  population,  embracing  repre^rentatives  from  almost 
every  tribe  between  Dai'-FCr  and  the  Red  Sea,  between  Egypt 
and  the  Negro  kingdoms  of  the  White  Nile,  it  will  readily  ba 
seen  how  rich  a  field  of  observaliun  Kliurtoum  ofTei's  to  the 
traveller.  Ncverihekss,  those  who  leeide  there,  almost  with- 
out exception,  bestow  upon  the  city  and  country  all  possible 
malediciioLis.  Considered  as  a  plnc«  of  residence,  other  ques- 
tions come  into  play,  and  they  are  perhaps  not  fai-  wrong. 

Khartoum  la  the  most  remarkable — I  had  almost  s»id  tbs 
only  example  of  physical  progress  in  Africa,  in  this  century. 
Wliere,  tliii-ty  yeara  ago,  there  was  not  even  a  dwelling,  unless 
it  might  be  the  miserable  lobtl,  or  straw  hut  of  the  Ethiopian 
Fellah,  now  stands  a  city  of  some  thirty  or  forty  thousand  in- 
habitanis,  daily  increasing  in  size  and  importance,  and  gradually 
drawing  into  its  mart  the  commerce  of  the  immenfie  regions 
of  Central  Africa.  Its  foundation,  I  believe,  is  due  to  Ismail 
Fasha  (son  of  Mobammed  All),  who,  during  his  conquests  of 
the  kingdoms  of  Shcndy  and  Seonaar,  in  the  years  1821  and 
1822,  recognized  the  importance,  in  a  military  and  commercial 
tense,  of  establishing  a  post  at  ilie  condueuee  of  the  two  Nilea, 
Mohammed  Bey  Defterdar,  who  succeeded  tiim,  seconded  iha 
plan,  and  ere  long  it  was  detennined  to  make  Khartoum,  or 


!7G  JOUSKST    TO  CaSTKAL  AFRICA. 

Account  of  its  ceulral  position,  the  capital  of  the  Egyptiu 
[lashulik  of  Soudan.  Sronding  at  the  mouth  of  the  Blue  Nit^ 
ivhich  flows  down  from  the  gold  and  iron  mountains  of  Alijs- 
siiiift,  and  of  the  White  Nile,  the  only  aveuue  to  a  dozen  Negro 
kiugdiimB,  rich  in  ivory  and  gum,  and  heing  nearly  equidi-iaM 
from  the  conquered  provinces  of  Scrmaar,  Kordofnn,  Shenily 
aud  Berber,  it  epeedily  outgrew  the  old  I^thiopi^m  cities,  and 
drew  to  itEcIf  Die  greater  part  of  their  weaUli  and  eommei'dd 
activity.  Now  it  is  the  metropolis  of  all  the  eaatern  p^rt  of 
Souddn,  nnd  the  people  speak  of  it  in  much  the  mme  style  U 
the  Egyptians  speak  of  their  beloved  Cairo. 

The  town  is  lui'gci',  cleaner  and  better  built  than  any  of 
the  cities  of  Upper  Egypt,  except  perhaps  Siout.  It  extends 
for  about  a  mile  along  tlie  bfluk  of  the  Blue  Nile,  facing  the 
north,  and  is  (hrec-quartci-s  of  a  mile  in  its  greatest  breadib. 
The  part  next  the  river  id  mostly  taken  up  with  the  gardens 
and  dwellings  of  Beys  and  other  government  officers,  and 
wealthy  merchants.  The  gardens  of  ibe  Pasha,  of  Moussa  Be^^ 
Musakur  Dcy  and  the  Catholic  Blission  are  all  large  and  beau* 
tiful,  and  towards  evening,  when  the  north  wind  ri&es,  shown 
the  fi'agrancu  of  their  oi-ange  and  mimosa  blussoms  over  tbe 
whole  town.  The  dwellings,  which  stand  in  them,  cover  a 
lat^e  f-pace  of  gi-ound,  tut  are,  for  the  most  part,  only  one 
story  in  height,  as  the  heavy  summer  mins  would  .'speedily  lieat 
liown  mud  w.ails  of  greater  height.  The  Pasha's  pa' aw-,  which 
wrts  built  during  the  year  previous  ro  my  visit,  is  of  burnt 
brick,  much  of  which' was  taken  from  the  ancient  Christuin 
ruins  of  Abou-Harfiss,  on  the  Blue  Kile.  It  is  a  quadrauga- 
lar  building,  three  hundred  feet  square,  with  a  large  open  court 
in  the  centre.     Its  t'l'ont  formed  one  side  of  a  square,  whioli 


m 


3   POPDLATIOn.  ST' 


wlien  complete,  will  be  Burrounded  by  other  offices  of  govern- 
tneiit.  For  Soudfin,  it  is  a  building  of  some  prelensiun,  nnd 
the  Fa^jha  look  greut  [iridu  in  exhibiting  it.  He  told  mo  thnt 
tlio  Arub  sh«klis  who  visited  him  would  not  believe  that  it  Wiia 
tLe  work  of  man  iilone.  AUitli  mu.-it  have  helped  him  lo  rai^e 
•uch  a  wonderful  siriicture.  It  lias  an  inclosed  arched  corri- 
dor in  front,  io  the  Ilnliiiri  style,  and  a  square  lower  over  the 
entranco.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  Abdallnh  Effendi  wiia 
building  a  very  Land^ome  two-story  liouee  of  burnt  brick,  and 
the  Catholic  priests  intended  erecting  nnothei",  as  soon  as  Ihey 
filiDuld  have  established  themselves  permanently.  Within  a 
few  months,  large  additions  had  been  mnde  to  tbe  bazaar, 
while  the  bouses  of  the  slaves,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
were  constantly  springing  up  like  ant-hilL-:. 

There  is  no  plan  ivliatevcr  iu  the  disposition  of  the  build 
ings.  Each  man  surronnds  his  property  with  a  mud  wall,  re- 
gardless of  its  location  with  respect  to  others,  and  in  going 
from  one  point  to  another,  one  is  obliged  to  make  the  most 
perplesing  zigzags.  I  rarely  ventured  fitr  on  foot,  ns  I  soon 
became  bewildered  in  the  labjrint:h  of  blank  walls.  "When 
mounted  on  the  Consul's  tallest  dromedary,  I  looked  down  on 
(ho  roofs  of  the  native  houses,  and  could  take  my  hearings 
without  difficuliy.  All  the  mysteries  of  tho  lower  life  of 
Khartoum  weru  revealed  it^  me,  from  such  a  lofty  poet  On 
each  side  I  looked  into  pent  yards  where  the  miserable  Arab 
and  Negro  families  lazily  backed  in  the  sun  during  the  day,  or 
into  the  filthy  nests  H'herc  they  crawled  at  niglit.  The  swarms 
of  children  which  they  bred  in  those  dens  sat  naked  in  the 
dust,  playing  with  vile  yellow  dogs,  and  sometimi^s  a  lean  bur. 
jen  camel  stood  ic  the  corner.     Tho  only  furnitur'j  to  be  seen 


i^ 


M 


JOUBNBT  TO    OETT&AL   AFRICA. 


t  or  two,  nnl    ^ 


WM  a  water-skin,  a  few  pots  and  jars,  a  basket  c 
lometimes  an  angareb,  or  coarse  wooden  frame  covered  will]  1 
netting  of  ropes,  and  serving  as  seat  and  bed.  Nearly  half  Ih" 
population  of  l!ie  place  are  slaves,  brought  froni  the  mouniaim 
above  Fazogl,  or  from  the  land  of  the  Dinkas,  on  the  Whiia 
Nile.  One's  commiserulioD  of  these  degraded  races  is  almost 
overcome  by  his  disgust  with  their  appearance  and  habits,  and 
I  found  even  the  waste  plain  that  F^tretches  towards  Sennaara 
relief  after  threading  the  lanes  of  ihe  quarters  where  they  live, 

Notwilhs landing  the  naiurc  of  its  population,  IQiartDum 
is  kept  commendahly  neut  and  clean.  It  will  be  a  lucky  day 
for  Kome  and  Florence  whi^o  Iheir  ^ti'eels  exhibit  no  more 
fllth  than  those  of  this  Afrii'an  city.  The  baznars  only  ara 
swept  every  morning,  but  the  wind  performs  this  oHice  for  ihe 
remainder  of  the  streets.  The  soog,  or  maikoi,  is  held  in  a 
free  apace,  opening  upon  Ihe  inland  plain,  where  the  countrf  1 
people  bring  iheir  sheep,  fowls,  camels,  dourra,  vegetables  aod  J 
other  common  products.  The  slaughtering  of  animals  lakes 
place  every  morning  on  the  banks  of  the  Blue  Nile,  east  of  the 
city,  which  is  thus  entirely  free  from  ihe  effluvia  arising  ihere- 
fj'om.  Here  the  sheep,  cows,  goats  and  camels  are  killed, 
bkinncil  and  quailercd  in  the  open  air,  and  it  is  no  unusual 
thing  to  sec  thirty  or  forty  butchers  at  work  on  as  many  dif- 
ferent animals,  each  surrounded 'by  an  attendant  group  of  vul- 
tures, hawks,  cranes,  crows  and  other  carnivorous  birds.  They 
are  never  molested  by  (he  people,  and  we  sometimes  rode 
through  thousands  of  them,  which  had  so  gai*gcd  tiiemselvei  ■ 
that  they  scarcely  took  the  (rouble  (o  mo 

The  place  labors  under  t!ie  disadvantage  of  being  Ihe  most  I 
mhealthy  part   of  one  of  ihe  most  unhealtliy  regions 


THE   CUMATX. 


379 


world.  From  the  sonlhern  frontier  of  Nubia,  wlicre  the  tropi- 
cal runs  begin  to  fall,  to  the  table-land  of  AbyssiDia  on  tbe 
iouth,  and  as  far  up  the  White  Nile  as  has  jet  been  exptoretl, 
Soud&n  is  devastated  by  fevers  of  the  most  malignant  tliarac- 
ter.  The  summers  are  fatal  to  at  least  one-half  of  the  Turks, 
Egyptians  and  Europeans  who  make  their  residence  there,  and 
the  natives  themselves,  though  tlic  mortality  is  not  so  greitt 
among  them,  rarely  pass  through  the  year  without  an  attack 
of  fever.  I  arrived  during  the  most  healtliy  part  of  the  year, 
and  yet  of  all  the  persons  I  saw,  three-fourths  were  complain- 
ing of  some  derangement  of  the  system.  The  military  hospi- 
tal, which  I  visited,  was  filled  with  cases  of  fever,  dysentery 
and  small-pox.  I  was  in  such  good  bodily  condition  from  my 
journey  through  the  Desert  that  I  could  scarcely  conceive  the 
sensation  of  sickness,  and  the  generous  diet  and  invigorating 
ezerdse  I  enjoyed  secured  me  from  all  fear  of  an  attack. 
Travellera  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  eause  of  this  mortality  in 
Soudiln.  Some  attribute  it  lo  the  presence  of  infusoriie  in  the 
water ;  yet  we  drank  the  pure,  mountain-born  flood  of  the  Blue 
Nile,  and  filtered  it  beforehand.  I  am  disposed  to  side  with 
KuBsegger,  who  accounts  for  it  entirely  by  the  miasma  arising 
from  decayed  vegetation,  during  the  intense  heals.  The  coun- 
try around  Khartoum  b  a  dead  level  ;  the  only  mountaiu  to 
be  seen  is  the  long  ridge  of  Djehel  Gerrari,  twelve  miles  to  the 
north.  Behind  the  town,  the  While  Nile  curves  to  the  ea.st, 
and  during  the  inundation  his  waters  extend  even  lo  the  sub- 
urbs, almost  insulating  the  place.  The  unusual  sickness  of  thfl 
winter  of  1852  might  be  accounted  for  by  the  inundation  of 
the  previous  summer,  which  was  so  much  higher  than  ordinary 
that  the  people  were  obliged  to  erect  dykes  to  keep  the  wafei 


ISO 


to  CBKTBAI.  AFRICA. 


out  of  the  streets.  The  opposite  bank  of  the  river  is  consi- 
crcil  more  heulihy  ;  and  in  the  town  of  Halfay,  onlji  tea  aSttl 
distant,  the  avenige  mortality  is  mucii  less. 

I  was  fortunale  in  reaching  Khartoum  at  a  vety  inlercsting 
period.  Al!  ihe  principal  shekha  of  the  dlfiercnt  trihes  be- 
tween the  Nile  and  the  Red  Sea  were  then  collected  there, 
and  as  Dr.  Beitz  was  on  fi'leodlj  terms  with  all  of  tliem,  I 
had  the  opportunity  of  making  ihcir  acquaintance,  and  could 
have  readily  procured  a  safi^-coiiduct  through  Iheip  territorieai 
if  I  had  been  disposed  to  make  explorations  in  that  direcfion. 

During  tlic  summer  there  had  been  tiouble  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Sennaar,  and  u  general  movcmunt  against  the 
Egyptian  rule  was  feared.  In  October  and  November,  how- 
ever, Moussa  Bey  made  a  campaign  in  the  regions  about  and 
beyond  Ihe  Atbara,  and  returned  with  the  chief  malcontents 
in  chains.  They  iverc  afterwards  liborated,  but  Lad  been  re- 
tained in  Khartoum  until  some  di--puted  questions  should  bs 
Bellied.  On  the  night  of  my  arrival,  the  Consul  received. S 
visit  of  ceremony  from  the  two  principal  ohea :  Ilamed,  th» 
chief  fihekh  of  the  Bishiirccs,  and  Owd-el-Kerim,  son  of  t^B^ 
great  shekli  of  ihe  Shukorees,  which  inhabit  the  wide  territmy 
between  the  Atbara  and.  tho  Itluc  Nile.  They  were  accom- 
panied by  several  allendanis,  and  by  Mohammed  Kheyr,  the 
commander  of  the  Shygheean  cavalry  employed  in  the  late  e»" 
peditlon.  The  latter  was  a  fierce-looking  black  in  rich  Turfe- 
ish  coatume. 

Hamed  was  a  man  of  middle  size,  black,  but  with  sti-aighl 
fi^atureii  and  a  mild,  serious  expression  of  face.  He  was  dress- 
ed in  white,  as  well  aa  his  attendant  whose  bualiy  haii 
twisied  into  counllfss  slclngs  and  pierced  wiih  a  new  woodra 


LA 


od«  J 


VISIT  or  AKAD  B 

tkewcr.  Tbe  Siiukoree  siickh  arrived  last.  We  were  seated 
on  the  divan,  and  all  rose  when  ha  entered.  He  was  a  tnU, 
powerful  man,  wilh  large,  jet-bl.ii'k  e.jes  and  a  bold,  fierce  face. 
He  wore  a  while  turban  and  flowing  robes  of  (he  same  color, 
with  a  fringe  and  stripe  of  crimson  around  the  border.  Tlio 
Consul  advanced  lo  tbe  edge  of  the  carpet  to  meet  him,  when 
the  shekh  opened  bis  arms  and  the  two  fell  upon  each  other'i 
neeks.  Coffeo  and  pipes  were  then  served,  and  water  waa 
brought  for  tbe  washing  preparatory  to  dinner.  Hamed  and 
the  Sbygheenn  captain  washed  only  their  hands,  but  t!ie  great 
Owd-el-Kerim  washed  his  hands,  face  and  feet,  and  occupied 
nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  his  devotions,  bowing  bia  head 
many  times  to  tlie  earih  and  repealing  tiie  name  of  Allah  with 
deep  emphasis.  We  passed  through  the  gai*den  to  the  dining- 
room,  where  tbe  sbelibs  were  greatly  amazed  at  seeing  a  table 
set  in  European  siyle.  They  all  failed  in  managing  the  knivea 
and  forks,  except  Owd-til-Kerlin,  who  watched  tbe  Consul  and 
myself,  and  did  his  pai't  with  dignity.  Achmet  had  made  a 
vermicelli  soup,  which  they  eyed  very  suspiciously,  and  did  not 
venture  lo  take  more  than  a  few  mouthfuls.  They  uo  doubl 
went  away  with  the  full  belief  that  the  Franks  devour  worms. 
They  were  at  a  loss  bow  to  attack  the  roast  mutton,  until  I 
carved  it  for  them,  but  did  such  eseeution  with  their  fingers 
among  the  ftews  and  salads  that  the  dishes  were  soon  emptied. 
Alter  they  had  again  paHakcn  of  coffee  and  pipes  in  the 
divan,  the  Consul  ordered  two  or  three  rockets,  which  had  been 
left  from  his  Christmas  celebration,  to  be  sent  up  in  order  to 
satisfy  the  curiosity  of  his  guests,  who  had  heard  much  of 
those  wonderful  fires,  which  had  amazed  all  Khartoum,  three 
nreekB  before.     Tbe  shekb  sand  attcnd;inl9  were  grouped  on 


28S  JOURHKT  TO  CKKTRAL  AFIUCA. 

the  baloony,  when  the  first  rocket  shot  hiding  into  the  air, 
drew  its  fiery  carve  through  the  darkness,  and  burst  into  a 
rain  of  yeUow  stars.  ^  WdOah !  **  and  «<  MashaUah  I "  were 
echoed  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and  the  desert  chiefs  could 
Bcarooly  contain  themselves,  from  astonishment  and  delight* 
The  second  rocket  went  up  quite  near  to  us,  and  sooner  than 
was  expected.  Hamed,  the  Bishkree  shekh,  was  so  startled 
that  he  threw  both  his  arms  around  the  Consul  and  held  fast 
for  dear  life,  and  even  the  great  Owd-el-Kerim  drew  a  long 
breath  and  ejaculated,  ^  God  is  great!"  They  then  took 
their  leave,  deeply  impressed  with  the  knowledge  and  wisdom 
6f  tke  Franks. 


TUIT  TO  THB  CATBOUO  HIBBIOV 


CHAPTER    XXII 


a  iba  CitbDlle  Ulsdon— Dr.  Enobl«ber,  the  Apostolie  Vicar— UoDia  VtJ- 
jl  to  LiCUfPado— RwspUaii— Thn  Fuha's  PiUct— l.tgns— Wa  DiwiIUi  tt 
1  opon  the  Occuioik— Mmla— >TtiA  Guutt'Tlu  Fruiki  la  Ehu 
-Tide  to  ttia  SulUnn  Kurs— An  ElUoplan  I 


On  the  day  of  my  arrival,  Dr.  Iteitz  proposed  a  visit  to  Dpi 
I^oblecher,  ihe  Apostolic  Vicar  of  the  Cntholic  Kliasiona  in 
Central  Africa,  who  had  returned  to  Kbarloum  about  twenty 
days  previous.  The  Vicar's  name  was  already  familiar  to  mo, 
irom  the  account  of  liis  voyage  up  the  White  iMile  in  1850, 
which  was  published  in  the  German  joumula  during  his  visit 
to  Europe,  and  it  had  been  my  design  to  propose  joining  his 
party,  in  case  be  had  cai-ricd  out  his  plan  of  making  a  secoud 
voyage  in  the  winter  of  1852.  He  ascended  a^  far  as  laC  4" 
north,  or  about  sixty  miles  beyond  iLe  point  reached  by  D'Ar- 
naud  and  Werne,  and  tberelbre  standi  at  the  head  of  Nilotic 
explorers. 

Preceded  by  two  attendants,  we  walked  through  the  town 
to  the  Catholic  Mission,  a  spacious  one-slory  building  in  a  large 
garden  near  the  river.     Enteiing   a  court,  in  iho  centre  of 


■  whii 


1 


L 


whicli  grew  s.  lall  tamarind  tree,  we  were  received  bjaa  Italtui 
monk,  in  flowing  robes,  wlio  conducted  ua  iato  n  second  court, 
inclusci]  hy  the  i^esidcncQ  of  tbe  Vkar.  Here  we  met  two  olliei 
prieals,  a  German  and  a  Hungarian,  dressed  in  flowing  Orieii' 
lal  garments.  Tliey  iialured  us  into  a  large  room,  carpeted 
with  matting,  and  with  a  comforlablc  divan  around  the  sides. 
The  windows  looked  inio  n  garden,  which  waa  filled  with 
orange,  Sg  and  hannna  trees,  and  fragrant  with  jasmine  and 
mimosa  hlossoms.  We  bad  Bcareely  seated  ourselves,  when 
the  monka  ro.^e  and  remained  Btanding,  while  Dr.  Knoblecliei 
cnlered.  He  wa.^  a  email  rann,  slighlly  and  rather  dclicatelj 
built,  and  not  more  than  Ihirtj-five  years  of  age.  His  com- 
plexion was  fair,  his  eyes  a  grayish  blue,  and  his  beard,  wlucli 
he  wore  flowing  upon  his  breast,  a  very  decided  auburn.  His 
face  was  one  of  tliose  which  wins  not  only  kindness  but  confi- 
dence from  all  the  worlil.  His  dress  consisted  of  a  white  lur- 
ban,  and  a  flowing  robe  ef  dark  purple  cloth.  He  is  a  man  of 
thorough  cultivation,  coriverfinnt  with  several  languages,  and 
poBseestis  an  nmount  of  scientiHc  knowledge  which  will  make 
bis  future  explorations  valuable  to  the  world.  During  my 
stay  in  Khartoum  I  visited  hira  frequently,  and  derived  froia 
him  much  information  concerniug  the  countries  of  SoudiLn  and 
their  inhabitants. 

On  our  return  we  called  upon  Moussn  Boy,  the  cDrnmandei 
of  the  expedition  eent  iato  the  lands  of  the  Shukoreea  and  the 
Hallengas,  the  foregoing  anmmer.  He  was  tlicn  ill  of  a  fever 
and  confined  to  his  bed,  but  we  entered  the  room  wit!iont  cere- 
mony, and  found  with  liim  the  new  Governor  of  Berter  and 
Ahd-el-Kader  Bey,  the  Governor  of  Kordofan,  besides  seveni! 
•(cretarics  and  attendants.     Houssa  Bey  was  a  Turk,  perhaps 


fifty  years  of  age,  nnd  had  a.  strong,  sturdy,  eoergetic  lace. 
(Several  Arab  aliekha,  some  of  wliom  Imd  been  taken  prisonen 
in  the  late  expedition,  were  lounging  about  the  court-yards. 

The  day  after  my  arrlml,  Dr.  Rultz  presented  me  to  Latlif 
Fasha,  the  Governor  of  Soudan.  The  Egyptian  officials  in 
Kbarloum  generally  consider  themselves  as  exiles,  nnd  n  sta- 
tion in  Soudan  carries  with  it  a  certain  impression  of  disgrace. 
For  the  Pasha,  howerer,  it  is  an  office  of  great  Jcnportance  and 
responsibility,  and  its  duties  are  fully  as  arduous  as  those  of 
the  Viceroy  of  Egypt  himself.  The  provinces  under  his  rule 
conatltQle  a  territory  of  greater  extent  than  Fraace,  and  there 
are  as  many  factions  among  the  native  tribes  as  parties  among 
the  French  politicians.  It  is  moreover,  in  many  respects,  an 
independent  sovereignty.  Its  great  distance  fi-orn  the  seat  of 
authority,  and  tho  absence  of  any  regidar  means  of  communica- 
tion except  the  government  post,  gives  the  Pasha  of  Soudftn 
opportunities  of  ivhich  he  never  fails  to  avail  himself.  Achmet 
Fasha  at  one  time  so  strengthened  himself  hei'O  that  he  defied 
even  Mohammed  Ali,  and  it  is  slill  whL=pered  that  foul  means 
were  used  to  get  rid  of  him.  Since  then,  rotation  in  office  is 
found  to  be  gnod  policy,  and  the  Egyptian  Gok'emment  is  care- 
ful to  remove  a  Fasha  before  he  has  made  himself  dangerous. 
From  the  Turks  and  Europeans  in  Khartoum,  I  heaj'd  little 
good  of  Lattif  Pasha.  His  chai-acler  was  said  to  be  violent 
and  arbitrary,  and  several  most  savage  acts  were  attributed  to 
him.  One  thing,  however,  was  said  in  favor  of  bim,  and  it 
was  a  great  redeeming  trait  in  tlio~-c  lands  :  be  did  not  enrich 
himself  by  cheating  tho  government.  At  (he  lime  of  my  visit 
it  was  understood  tJiat  he  had  been  recalled,  and  was  to  b« 
«nperscded  by  Rualum  Pasha. 


1 

28S  JODBNUr   TO   CENTRAL    AFRICA.  ^B 

1  We  found  llie  Pasha  sealed  on  his  divan,  with  a  secrelarj^ 

before  him,  rending  a  Hie  of  documenls.  The  guards  Rt  ihp 
door  presented  arms  as  we  entered,  and  the  Faslia  do  sooner 
saw  us  than  be  rose,  and  remained  standing  till  we  came  up. 
Tlie  Consul  presented  me,  and  we  seated  ourselves  on  the  di- 
Tan,  Separated  fi'om  him  by  a  pair  of  cushions.  Pipes  were 
brought  lo  us  by  black  slaves,  and  after  a  few  com  in  on  places, 
he  turned  again  to  his  business.  The  Secretary  was  reading 
despatches  (o  the  different  provinces  of  Soudao.  As  fast  as 
each  was  approved  and  laid  a^ide,  a  Memlook  slave  of  Meen, 
who  appeared  to  fill  the  office  of  page,  filamped  them  with  the 
Pasha's  seal,  in  lieu  of  signalure.  When  ihe  affairs  were  CM- 
cluded,  the  Pa;lia  turned  to  us  and  entered  inio  coiiversalion. 
He  was  a  man  of  foity-five  years  of  age,  of  medium  height,  but 
stonily  built,  and  with  regular  and  handsome  features.  Hia 
complexion  was  a  palts  olive,  his  eyes  large  and  dark,  and  Iw 
wore  a  black  beard  and  mouslacltoii,  very  neatly  trimmed.  HiJ 
mouth  was  full,  and  when  he  smiled,  showed  a  perfect  set  of 
strong  white  teeth,  which  gave  a  certain  grimnesa  to  his  ei- 
pression.  His  manner  was  refined,  but  had  that  feliue  smoolh- 
nesa  which  invariably  covers  sharp  claw^.  If  I  had  met  him 
in  London  or  Fari^,  in  Frank  costume,  I  should  have  set  bin 
down  as  the  primo  basso  of  the  Italian  Opera.  He  was  plain- 
ly dresi^ed  in  a  suit  of  dark-blue  cloth,  and  wore  a  small  ta^ 
boosh  on  his  head. 

Our  conversation  first  turned  upon  America,  and  finally 
upon  steam  navigation  and  maritime  affiiirs  in  general.  Hi 
took  an  interest  in  such  subjects,  as  he  was  formerly  Admiral 
in  the  navy  of  Mohammed  Ali.  An  engraving  of  the  Turkid 
Grigate  Sultan   Mahmoud,  which  was  built  by  the  Ajnericu 


J 


THS  FABHA  S  FAI.AC£. 


EckforJ,  hung  on  the  wall  opposite  me.  Over  ihe  divan  was 
R  portrait  of  Sultan  Abdul-Medjid,  and  on  e.icli  side  Ivro  Arabic 
Bentences,  emblazoned  on  a  ground  of  blue  i.nd  crim.^on.  Tlie 
apartment  wfl3  spnciona  and  lolly;  ilie  ceiling  was  of  sniooili 
palra-log3,  and  llie  floor  of  eenieni,  beaten  hard  and  [>olisljed 
willi  lite  trowel.  I  expressed  my  mrpriae  to  the  Pasha  that 
lie  had  erected  such  ft.  stately  building  in  the  sliort  space  o( 
nine  months,  and  he  thereupon  proposed  lo  show  it  to  me  more 
in  detail.  He  conducted  us  lo  a  reception-room,  covered  with 
fine  carpets,  and  furnished  with  mirrors  and  luiurions  divans; 
then  Ihe  dining-room,  more  plainly  furnished,  the  bath  with 
SlAorisli  arches  glimmering  in  steamy  twilight,  and  his  private 
armory,  (be  walls  of  which  were  hung  with  a  small  hut  rich 
BBSortmcnt  of  Turkish  and  European  weapons.  Tlie  doors  of 
the  apartments  were  made  of  a  dark-red  wood,  of  very  fine 
gVBin,  closely  resembling  mahogany.  It  is  found  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Fazogl.on  the  south-western  border  of  Abyssinia.  It 
is  susceptible  of  a  fine  polish,  and  the  Pasha  showed  me  a  large 
and  handsome  table  made  from  it. 

The  Pasha  ilien  led  m  into  the  court-yard,  where  the  work- 
men were  still  busy,  plastering  the  interior  of  the  corridors 
BDiToanding  it.  A  large  leopard  and  a  lion-whelp  of  six 
months  old,  were  chained  to  two  of  the  pillars.  A  younger 
wbelp  ran  loose  about  the  court,  and  gave  great  diverBion  to 
the  Pasha,  by  lying  in  wiiit  behind  the  pillars,  whence  he 
I  pounced  out  upon  any  young  boy-slave,  who  might  pass  that 
The  little  fellow  would  take  to  hia  beeU  in  great  terror, 

fcBcamper  across  the  court,  followed  by  the  nhelp,  who  no 
r  overtook  him  thati  b*  sprang  with  hia  fore-paws  against 

ebc^'s  back,  threw  Iiim  down,  and  tUtn  ran  off,  apparently 


188  JOURNBT  TO  CBXTRAL  AFRICA. 

?eiy  much  delighted  with  the  sport  He  had  the  free  range 
of  the  palace,  but  spent  the  most  of  his  time  in  the  kitchen, 
where  he  would  leap  upon  a  table,  deliberately  lie  down,  and 
watch  the  movements  of  the  cooks  with  great  interest.  The 
Pasha  told  us  that  this  whelp  had  on  one  occasion  found  his 
wnj  to  the  harem,  where  his  presence  was  first  proclaimed  bj 
the  screams  of  the  terrified  women.  The  leopard  was  a  large 
and  fierce  animal,  but  the  other  lion  was  a  rough,  good-humored 
fellow,  turning  over  on  his  back  to  be  played  with,  and  roar- 
ing frequently,  with  a  voice  that  resembled  the  low  notes  of 
a  melancholy  ti'bmbone.  From  this  court  we  passed  into  the 
outer  corridor  fronting  the  square,  when  the  jewelled  trhebooka 
were  again  brought,  and  the  Pasha  discoursed  for  some  time  on 
the  nece.-sity  of  controlling  one's  passions  and  preserving  a  quiet 
temperament  under  all  circumstances.  When  we  rose  to  depart, 
he  invited  us  to  return  and  dine  with  him  next  day. 

Towards  sunset  the  horses  were  got  ready ;  Dr.  Reitz  don- 
ned his  uniform,  and  I  dressed  myself  in  Frank  costume,  with 
the  exception  of  the  tarboosh,  shawl  and  red  slippers.  We  called 
at  the  Catholic  Mission  on  our  way  to  the  Palace,  and  while 
conversing  with  the  monks  in  the  garden,  a  message  came  from 
the  Pasha  requesting  Aboona  Suleyman — (Padre  Solomon,  as 
Dr.  Knoblecher  was  called  by  the  Copts  and  Mussulmans  in 
Khartoum) —  to  accompanj  us.  We  therefore  set  out  on  foot 
with  the  Vicar,  with  the  grooms  leading  the  horses  behind  us. 
The  Pasha  received  us  at  the  entrance  of  his  reception-room, 
and  then  retired  to  pray,  before  further  conversation.  The  di- 
van at  the  further  end  of  the  room  was  divided  in  the  centre 
by  a  pile  of  cushions,  the  space  on  the  right  hand  being  reserved 
for  the   Pasha  alone.    The   Consul,  being  the  second  inde* 


CEBEUONIES    BEFORE    mNBER.  289 

pondent  power,  acated  himself  on  tbe  left  hand,  Dr.  Knob- 
lecher  modestly  took  the  oomer,  and  I  drew  up  mj  logs  beaido 
him,  on  the  side  divan.  After  a  short  absence — during  which, 
we  also  were  supposed  to  have  said  our  prayers — the  Pasha 
returned,  saluted  us  a  sccoDd  time,  and  seated  himselt  Foni' 
BlaTea  appeared  at  the  same  moment,  with  four  pipes,  which 
tliey  presented  to  na  in  the  order  of  our  rank,  commencing  with 
the  Pasha. 

When  the  aroma  of  the  delicate  Djcbelt  tobacoo  had  diffds- 
ed  a  certain  amount  of  harmony  among  ub,  the  conversation 
became  more  animated.  The  principal  subject  we  discusaod 
was  the  coup  d'6tdt  of  Louis  Napoleon,  the  ncwa  of  which  bad 
jnst  arrived  by  dromedary  post,  in.  twenty-four  days  from 
Cairo.  The  Paslia  said  it  was  precisely  tho  thing  which  be 
had  long  ago  predicted  would  come  to  pass.  Louis  Napoleon, 
he  said,  would  behead  Thiers,  Cavaignac,  Lamoriciure  and  the 
others  whom  ho  had  imprisoned,  and  make,  if  necessary,  twenty 
coups  d'et3i,  after  which.  Franco  would  begin  to  prosper.  Tho 
French,  he  said,  must  be  well  beaten,  or  it  is  impossibto 
to  govern  them.  The  conversation  had  hardly  commenced, 
when  a  slave  appeared,  bearing  a  silver  tray,  upon  which  were 
four  tiny  glasses  of  mastic  cordial,  a  single  glass  of  water,  and 
saucers  which  contained  bits  of  orange  and  pomegranate.  The 
Pasaa  was  always  served  first.  Ho  drank  the  cordial,  took  a 
lip  of  water,  and  then  each  of  us  in  turn,  drinking  from  the 
same  glass.  At  intervals  of  about  five  minutes  the  same  ra- 
frcshment  appeared,  and  was  served  at  least  ten  times  befon 
dinner  was  announced. 
f  ^  Presently  there  came  a  band  of  musicians — five  Egyptian 
boys  whom  the  Pasha  had  brought  with  him  from  Cairo,     W< 

fm  13  


JOURSET  TO   CBNTSAL  AFRICA. 


P 


bad  alau  two  additions  to  the  company  of  gueata  :  Bufaa  I 
an  intelligent  Egyptian,  who  was  educated  in  France,  and  li&il 
been  prineipal  of  n  native  college  in  Cairo,  under  Mohammed 
AU,  and  All  Bey  Khagib,  the  late  GoverDor  of  Berber,  who 
bad  been  deposed  on  a<icoant  of  alleged  mal-practices.  The 
latter  was  the  sou  of  a  water  carrier  in  Cairo,  bat  was  adopted 
by  the  widow  of  Ismail  Pasha,  who  gave  him  a  superior  ednca- 
tioii.  Other  accounts  represented  him  to  be  the  illegitimate 
son  of  either  Ismail  or  Ibrahim  Pasha,  and  this  surmise  was 
probably  correct.  He  was  a  bold,  handsome  man  of  thirty, 
and  was  said  to  be  the  most  intelligent  of  all  the  officials  in 
Soudan. 

After  some  little  prelude,  the  musicians  eommecced.  The 
instruments  were  a  zumarra,  or  reed  fluto,  a  dulcimer,  the 
wires  of  which  were  struck  with  a  wooden  plectrum,  held  be- 
tween the  first  and  middle  fingers,  and  a  tamborine,  two  of  the 
boys  officiating  only  as  singers.  The  airs  wore  Arabic  and 
Persian,  and  had  the  character  of  iaiprovisa lions,  compared 
with  the  classic  music  of  Europe.  The  rhythm  was  perfect, 
and  the  parts  sustained  by  the  different  iiiBtrumcnts  arranged 
with  considerable  sldll.  The  Egyptian  officers  were  greatly 
moTcd  by  the  melodies,  which,  in  their  wild,  passionate,  bar- 
bai'ic  cadences,  had  a  singular  charm  for  my  ear.  The  songs 
were  principally  of  love,  but  of  a  higher  character  than  th« 
common  songs  of  the  people.  The  Pasha  translated  a  brace 
for  us.  One  related  to  the  loves  of  a  boy  and  maiden,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  was  humble,  the  latter  the  daughter  of  a  Boy. 
They  saw  and  loTcd  each  other,  hut  the  difference  in  their  sta- 
tions prevented  the  fulfilment  of  their  hopes.  Ono  day,  as  tha 
girl  was  seated  at  her  window,  a  funeral  passed  through  the 


291 


street  below.  She  asked  the  nnmo  of  the  dead  person,  and 
they  answered  "Lejl,"  tlie  name  of  her  beWed,  whom  the 
violence  of  his  passion  had  deprived  of  life.  Her  lameotations 
rormed  the  theme  of  a  separate  song,  in  which  tlic  name  of 
Lejl  was  repeated  in  one  long,  continned  outcry  of  grief  and 
loffo.  The  second  song  was  of  a  widow  who  bad  many  wooers, 
by  whom  she  was  so  beset,  that  she  finally  appointed  a  day  to 
give  them  her  deeiaion.  The  same  day  her  son  died,  yet,  be- 
cause she  had  given  her  word,  she  mastered  her  grief  by  a  ho- 
roie  resolution,  arrayed  herself  in  her  finest  garments,  received 
her  suitors,  and  sang  to  her  lute  the  song  which  would  best 
entertain  them.  At  the  close  of  tbc  festival  she  announced 
her  loss  in  a  song,  and  conelnded  by  refusing  all  their  offers 
At  last,  dinner  was  announced.  The  Pasha  led  the  way 
into  the  dbing-room,  stopping  in  an  ante-chamber,  where  a 
group  of  slaves  were  ready  with  pitcbers,  ewers  and  napkins, 
and  we  performed  the  customary  washing  of  bands.  The 
Fasha  then  took  his  seat  at  the  round  table,  and  pointed  out 
his  place  to  each  gaest.  Dr.  Knoblecher  and  myself  sat  on 
bis  right.  Dr.  Keitz  and  Knfai  Bey  on  bia  left,  and  Ali  Bey 
Khasib  opposite.  There  were  no  plates,  but  each  of  us  bad  a 
silver  knife,  spoon  and  fork,  and  the  arrangement  was  so  far  in 
Frank  style  that  we  sat  upon  chairs  instead  of  the  floor.  The 
only  ceremony  observed  was,  that  the  Pasha  first  tasted  each 
dish  as  it  was  brought  upon  the  table,  after  which  the  rest  of  ns 
followed.  We  all  ate  soup  from  the  same  tureen,  and  buried  onr 
several  right  hands  to  the  knuckles  in  the  fat  flesh  of  the  sheep 
which  was  afterwards  set  before  us.  Claret  was  poured  out 
for  the  Franks  and  Rufaa  Bey  (whose  Moslem  principles  had 
boon  damaged  by  t«n  years  residence  in  Paris),  the  Pasha  and 


k 


St93 


JODKNBT   TO  OKtrrXAL  AVBIOA, 


All  Bey  alone  abBtaining,  There  were  twenty  conrscs  io  all, 
&u<I  tLe  cookery  was  excellent  Besides  the  delicate  Turkisk 
compounds  of  meit  and  vegetables,  delicious  fish  from  th( 
White  Nile  and  fruits  from  the  Pasha's  garden,  v/e  bad  bluiii 
mange  and  several  varieties  of  Fiench  patisserie.  At  the  close 
of  the  repast,  a  gla^s  bowl  containing  a  cool  drink  made  from 
dried  Gga,  quinces  and  apricots,  was  placed  upon  the  table. 
The  best  possible  humor  prevailed,  and  I  enjoyed  the  dinner 
exceedingly,  the  more  so  bccauso  I  had  not  expected  to 
Buch  a  high  degree  of  civilization  in  Soudin. 

We  liad  afterwards  coffee  and  pipes  in  the  reception-ri 
and  about  ten  in  the  evening  took  leave  of  the  Pasha  and  wait 
ed  hoioe,  preceded  by  attendants  carrying  largo  glass  lantenn 
After  accompanying  Dr.  Knoblecher  to  the  gate  of  the  MisBion, 
Ali  Hey  Khasib  took  my  hand,  Rufaa  Bey  that  of  the  Coa- 
Bul,  and  wo  walked  to  the  Tcsidence  of  the  Bey,  who  detained  ni 
au  hour  by  the  narration  of  the  injuries  and  indignities  whieh 
bad  been  inflicted  upon  him  by  order  of  Abbas  Paahi 
Tiie  latter,  on  coining  into  power,  took  especial  care  to  remove 
all  tjiose  officers  who  had  been  favorites  of  Mohammed  All 
Many  of  thera  were  men  of  high  attaiiimenta  and  pure  charac- 
ter, who  had  taken  so  active  part  in  carrying  out  the  old 
Pasha's  measures  of  reform.  Among  them  was  Rufaa.  Bey, 
who,  with  several  of  his  associates,  was  sent  to  Khartoum,  os- 
tensibly for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  College  there,  but  in 
ri'ality  as  a  banisbment  from  Egypt.  He  had  been  there  a. 
year  and  a  half  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  yet  no  order  had  b 
received  from  Cairo  relative  to  the  College,  This  stale  of 
nctioQ  and  uncertainty,  combined  with  the  effect  of  tbc  climal 
bad  already  terminated  tbe  lives  of  two  of  bis  fellow 


lOIBi^H 

alt^ 


20& 


BDra,  and  it  waa  no  doubt  the  dcsigti  of  Abbas  Paalia  to  reltevi 
bimaelf  of  all  of  tliem  by  the  same  njcans.  When  I  heard  this 
Btory,  the  truth  of  which  Dr.  Euits  confirmed,  I  could  readilj 
account  for  the  bitterDcss  of  tlie  curses  which  the  venerabl' 
old  Bey  heaped  upon  the  head  of  hU  tyrannical  ruler. 

The  Prank  populatiou  of  Khartoum  was  not  large,  considt 
ing,  besides  Dr.  Beitz  and  the  priests  of  the  Catholic  Mission 
of  Dr.  Pcney,  a  French  physician,  Dr.  TiertLaler,  a  German, 
and  an  Italian  apothecary,  the  two  former  of  whom  were  in  the 
Egyptian  service.  Dr.  P6ney  had  been  ten  years  in  Soudiin, 
and  knew  the  whole  country,  from  the  mountains  of  Fazogl  to 
the  plains  of  Takka,  on  the  Atbai-a  Kivcr,  and  the  Shaugalla 
forests  on  the  Ahyssioian  frontier.  He  was  an  exceedingly 
intelligent  and  courteous  person,  and  gave  me  much  interesting 
information,  concerning  the  regions  he  had  visited  and  the 
habits  of  the  diiferent  tribes  of  Soudan.  I  had  afterwards 
personal  opportunity  of  verifying  the  correctness  of  many  of 
his  atateraents.  There  were  a  few  Coptic  merchitcts  in  the 
place,  and  on  tiie  Booond  day  after  my  arrival  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  witnessing  the  New- Year  oeremOBica  of  their 
Church,  which,  like  the  Greek,  still  j-ctains  the  old  style.  The 
service,  which  was  very  similar  to  a  Catholic  mass,  was  chant- 
ed in  musical  Arabic,  and  at  its  cIobc  wo  were  presented  with 
small  cakes  of  unleavened  fiour,  stamped  with  a  cross.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  ceremonies  coffee  was  given  to  us  jn  an  outer 
court,  with  the  cordial  "  ffani:ean/"  (a  wish  equivalent  to 
the  Latin  prvsif,  or  "  may  it  benefi  t  you  I  ") — to  which  we  re- 
plied :  "  Allalt  Haneek  !  "  (may  God  give  you  benefit  1) 

Dr.  Reit^  took  me  one  day  to  visit  the  eclchrated  Sitteh 
(Lady)  Nasra,  the  dauglitor  of  the  laet  King  of  Sennaar  and 


294 


JOHaNKT  TO   OIHTOAL  J 


I 


brother  of  lie  present  Shekh  of  that  proviDce.  She  is  a  woman 
of  almost  masculine  talent  and  energy,  aod  may  be  said  to  gar- 
cm  ScQDaar  at  present.  All  the  Arab  shekhs,  as  well  as  tlie 
population  at  large,  have  the  greatest  respect  for  her,  and  in- 
variably  asli  her  advice,  in  any  crisis  of  affairs.  Her  brother, 
Idris  Wed  Adlan,  notwitLstaudLng  hia  nominal  eubject! 
Egypt,  Bfill  possesses  abs.olute  sway  over  aeyeral  hundred  yit 
lages,  and  is  called  King  of  Kulle.  The  Lady  Nosra  retaiu 
the  title  of  Sultana,  on  account  of  her  descent  from  the  ancient 
royal  house  of  Sennoar.  She  has  a  palace  at  Soriba, 
Blue  Nile,  which,  according  to  Lepsius,  exhibits  a  degree  ot 
wealth  aud  state  very  rare  in  Soudan.  She  was  then  in 
Khartoum  on  a  visit,  with  her  husband,  Blohammed  Defallei, 
the  son  of  a  former  Vizier  of  her  father,  King  Adlan. 

We  found  the  Lady  Nasra  at  home,  seated  on  a  carpet  in 
her  audienco-hail,  her  hushand  and  Shekh  Ahd-el-Kader — th« 
Shekh  of  Khartoum,  who  married  her  daughter  by  a  former 
husband — occupying  an  adjacent  carpet.  She  gave  the  Coosul 
her  hand,  saluted  me,  aa  &  etrangor,  with  an  inclination  of  ber 
bead,  and  wo  seated  ourselves  on  the  floor  opposite  to  her. 
She  was  about  forty-five  years  old,  but  appeared  younger,  and 
atill  retained  the  traces  of  her  former  beauty.  Her  skin  was 
a  pale  bronze  color,  her  eyes  large  and  espresaive,  and  her  face 
remarkable  for  its  intelligence  and  energy.  All  her  motions 
were  graceful  and  dignified,  and  under  more  favorable  circum- 
stances she  might  have  become  a  sort  of  Ethiopian  Zeuobia. 
She  wore  a  single  robe  of  very  fine  white  muslin,  which  she 
ijometimcs  folded  ao  as  nearly  to  conceal  her  features,  and 
sometimes  allowed  to  fill  to  her  waist,  revcaliog  the  somewhat 
over-ripe  charms  of  her  bosom.     A  heavy  ring  of  the  uatin 


I 

i 


TIBTT  TO  TBB  FBINCXBB    OW  9 

gold  of  Kaaon  hung  from  Iter  noae,  BJid  others  adoroed  hor  fin- 
gers. Dr.  Keitz  explamed  to  lier  that  I  was  not  a  Frank,  but 
come  from  a  great  country  on  the  other  side  of  the  world. 
She  Bpoke  of  the  visit  of  Dr.  Lepsius,  af  Soriha,  and  said  thai 
he  was  the  only  far-travelled  stranger  she  had  seen,  eseepl 
myself,  I  took  occasion  to  say  that  I  had  frequently  heard  of 
her  iij  ray  native  land  ;  that  her  name  was  well-known  all  over 
the  world  ;  and  that  the  principal  reason  of  my  visit  to  Sou- 
dan, was  the  hope  of  seeing  her.  She  was  not  in  the  least  flat- 
tered by  these  exaggerated  complimcDts,  but  received  them  aa 
quietly  aa  if  they  were  her  right.  She  was  a  horn  queen,  and 
I  doubt  whether  any  thing  upon  the  earth  would  have  heeo 
able  to  shake  her  royal  indificrcnce. 

Her  slaves  were  all  girls  of  twelv-e  to  fourteen  years  of  age, 
naked  except  the  rakad,  or  girdle  of  leathern  fringe  about  the 
loins.  They  had  evidently  been  chosen  for  their  beauty,  aud 
two  of  them,  although  as  black  as  cast-iron  statues,  were  in- 
comparable for  the  symmetry  of  their  forms  and  the  grace  of 
their  movements.  They  brought  us  pipes  and  coffee,  aad  when 
not  employed,  stood  lu  a  row  at  the  bottom  of  the  room,  with 
their  hands  folded  upon  their  breasts.  Dinner  was  just  ready, 
and  we  were  invited  to  partake  of  it.  The  Sultana  had  al- 
ready dined  in  solitary  state,  so  her  husband,  Shekh  Abd-cl- 
Kader,  the  Consul  and  I,  seated  ourselves  cross-legged  on  the 
floor,  around  the  huge  bowl  containing  an  entire  sheep  stufled 
with  rice.  We  buried  our  fingers  in  the  hot  aad  smoking  flesh 
and  picked  the  choicest  pieces  Iroua  the  ribs  and  flank,  occib- 
fiioually  taking  a  handful  of  rice  from  the  interioi  The  ooly 
additional  dish  was  a  basket  of  raw  onions  and  radishes,  Ba> 
faro  each  of  uB  stood  a  slave  with  &  napkin  and  a  large  glasi 


20G  JOCRNET  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

of  om  hilbil — ^tHe  ''  mother  of  niglitiiigales.''  After  drinking 
we  returned  the  glass  to  the  slaveys  hand,  she  standing  all  the 
while  immovable  as  a  statue.  After  we  had  eaten  our  fill  of 
roast  mutton  and  raw  onions,  they  brought  a  dish  of  prepared 
dourra,  called  abri,  which  strongly  resembles  the  jpinoh  of 
Mexico.  The  grain  is  pounded  very  fine,  sifted,  mixed  with  a 
little  sugar  and  water,  and  mado  into  thin,  dry  leaves,  as  whit9 
and  delicate  as  cambric.  It  is  considered  very  nourishing,  es- 
pecially on  a  journey,  for  which  purpose  it  is  used  by  the  rich 
shekhs  of  Souddn. 

As  we  took  our  leave,  the  Sultana,  observing  that  our  cane 
batons,  which  we  had  just  purchased  in  the  bazaar,  were  of 
very  indifferent  quality,  ordered  two  others  to  be  brought,  of  a 
fine  yellow  wood,  resembling  box,  which  is  found  in  the  moan^ 
tains  on  the  Abyssinian  frontier,  and  gave  them  to  na. 


CHAPTER    XXIir. 


K'HDlEiplDnilDnsorSuDdAn— LlmltoTtbeTniplal  Pdins-T»e  CoDr]DiHt  iT  EUilo- 
pig-ComilriEa  Trlbattry  lu  Egrpt— Tbo  DUlrlet  of  Tilikii— Eipedillon  of  Molbh 
Bej-Tlie  Atbits  Klvcr— Tbt>  AbysfdnLid  Frnntier— CbrlsllBn  UnlnaorAboii-H*- 
ria— Tba  Elngdom  uf  Senuur— KordDhii-.l>D-FQr^Tlia  PrlncBB  nT  Dir-FUc  Iq 
EbuitoniD— Her  YUlt  to  Dr.  fidU— TliLi  Unknown  CanulrUs  of  OnUil  Afiiok 

Until  witbia  a  recent  period,  but  little  has  been  known  of  tbe 
geography  and  topograpbj  of  the  eastern  portion  of  Central 
A&ica.  Fen  Englisli  travellers  htLve  made  these  regions  tbe 
Bubject  of  their  investigation,  their  attention  having  been  prin 
cipally  directed  towards  the  countries  on  the  western  coast; 
The  Niger,  in  fact,  baa  been  for  them  a  more  interesting  prob 
lem  than  the  Nile.  The  German  travellers  Eoppell  and  Rua' 
Bcgger,  howcTer,  by  their  explorations  within  the  last  twenty- 
Eve  yeare,  have  made  important  contributions  to  our  knowledge 
of  Eastern  Souddn,  while  D'Arnaud,  Wcrne,  and  more  than 
all,  Dr.  Knoblechcr,  have  carried  our  vision  far  into  the  heart 
of  the  mysterious  regions  beyond.  Still,  the  results  of  these 
explorations  are  far  from  being  generally  known,  or  even  rep 
resented  upon  our  maps.  Geographical  charts  are  still  issued, 
in  wkicL  the  conjectured  Mountains  of  the  Moon  continue  to 
13' 


I 


298  JOURNZT  TO  CIBTBU.  ATHICA. 

Btretot  their  ridges  across  the  middle  of  Africa,  ia  latitudes 
where  Ujo  latest  travellers  find  a  plain  as  level  aa  the  Bea.  A 
few  worda,  therefore,  concerniDg  the  character  and  relative  po 
iltion  of  the  different  countries  of  whieh  I  have  oeeasion  la 
djienk,  may  make  these  sketcLca  of  African  life  and  landscapes 
more  intelligible  to  many  readers. 

As  far  as  southern  Nubia,  with  the  esception  of  the  Oasea 
iii  the  Libyan  Desert,  tho  Nile  is  the  only  agent  of  prodaotive- 
ness.  Beyond  the  narrow  limits  of  his  bounteous  valley,  there 
is  little  except  red  sand  and  naked  rock,  from  the  Red  Sea  to 
the  Atlantic.  On  reaching  lat.  19°,  however,  n  change  takes 
plaoQ  in  the  desert  landaeapcs.  Here  the  tropical  rains,  which 
are  unknown  in  Egypt  and  Northern  Nubia,  fall  every  anra- 
mer,  though  in  diminished  quantity.  The  dry,  gravelly  plaina, 
nevertheless,  exhibit  a  scattering  growth  of  grass  and  thorny 
shrubB,  and  springs  arc  frequently  found  among  the  monntain 
ranges.  As  we  proceed  southward,  tho  vegetation  increases 
in  quantity;  the  grass  no  longer  keeps  the  level  of  the  plain, 
but  climbs  the  mountain-sides,  and  before  reaching  Khartoum, 
in  laL  15°  40'  north,  we  hav-o  passed  the  limit  of  the  Desert 
The  wide  plains  stretching  thence  eastward  to  the  Atbara,  ami 
westward  beyond  Kordofan,  are  savannas  of  rank  gra.ss,  crosS' 
ed  here  and  there  by  belts  of  the  thorny  mimosa,  and  differing 
little  in  a  p  t  f  m  th  plains  of  California  during  the  dry  sea- 
son. Tk  A  ab  wh  mhabit  them  are  herdsmen,  and  own 
vast  flock  f  cam  1  d  sheep.  The  Nile  here  is  no  longer 
tlie  sole  d  1        his  title  of  "  The  Sea,"  which  he  owna 

in  Egypt  Th  Atb  which  flows  down  to  him  from  the 
Abyssinian  Alps,  has  many  tributaries  of  its  own ;  the  Blue 
Nile,  betweeu    Khartoum   and    Senuaar    receives  tho  large 


iHK  ooHquxaT  ov 

BtreamB  of  iLe  Bahad  and  the  Deader;  and  the  WLite  NUe^ 
though  flowing  for  the  greater  part  of  his  known  course 
through  an  immense  plain,  boasts  two  important  affluents — 
the  Sobat  and  the  Bahr  el-Ghaza,l.  The  soil,  climate,  prodnc- 
tiouB  and  character  of  the  eeenery  of  this  region  are  therefore 
very  different  from  Egypt. 

Before  the  conquest  of  Soudan  by  Mohammed  Ali,  little 
was  known  of  the  country  between  the  Ethiopian  Nile  and  the 
Red  Sea,  or  of  Central  Africa  south  of  the  latitude  of  Kordo- 
fan  and  Sennaar.  Tlio  White  Nile,  it  is  true,  was  known  to 
exist,  but  was  considered  as  a  tributary  stream.  It  was  ex- 
tremely difficult  and  dangerous  to  proceed  beyond  Nubia,  aaid 
then  only  in  company  with  the  yearly  caravans  which  passed 
between  Assouan  and  Sennaar.  Ibrahim  Pasha,  Ismail  Pasha, 
and  Mohammed  Bey  Defterdar,  between  the  years  1820  and 
1825,  graduaDy  subjugated  and  attached  to  the  rule  of  Egypt 
the  countries  of  Berber,  Shendy  and  Sennaar,  as  far  as  the 
mountains  of  Fasiogl,  in  lat.  1 1°,  on  the  south-western  frontier 
of  Abyssinia,  the  wild  domains  of  the  Shukorees,  the  Bish^- 
re€8,  the  Hallengns  and  Hadendoas,  extending  to  the  Bed  Sea, 
and  embracing  the  seaport  of  Sowakin,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Kordofan,  west  of  the  Nile,  and  bounded  by  the  large  and 
powerful  negro  kingdom  of  Dar-Fiir.  The  Egyptian  posseft- 
eions  in  Soudan  are  nearly  as  esteneive  as  all  Egypt,  Nubia 
not  included,  and  might  become  even  richer  and  more  flourish- 
ing under  a  just  and  libera!  policy  of  government.  The  plains 
on  both  sides  of  the  Nile  might  be  irrigated  to  a  much  greater 
6it«nt  than  in  Egypt,  and  many  vast  tracts  of  territory  given 
op  to  tho  nomadic  tribes,  could  readily  be  reclaimed  from  the 
wilderaess.     The  native  inhabitants  are  infinitely  more  stupid 


I 

^ 


and  degraded  tLati  the  Fellalis  of  Egypt,  bat  that  tbey  are  ca 
pable  of  great  improvement  is  showQ  by  tlie  aacceas  attending 
tlic  cflbrta  of  tlie  Catholic  priests  in  Khartoum,  in  educating 
children.  The  terriblo  climate  of  Souddu  wiil  always  be  i 
drawback  to  ita  physical  prosperity,  yet  even  this  would  ba 
mitigated,  in  some  measure,  were  the  Boil  under  cultivation. 

Aa  I  followed  the  coarse  of  the  Nile,  from  the  northern 
limit  of  tbe  tropical  raina  to  Khartoum,  my  narrative  will  have 
given  some  Idea  of  the  country  along  his  banks.  The  terri- 
tory to  the  caat,  towarda  and  beyond  the  Atbari,  is  etill  in  ■ 
great  measure  unexplored.  Burckbardt  was  the  first  Euro 
pcan  who  visited  it,  but  hia  route  lay  amoDg  the  mountain' 
rnnges  near  aud  parallel  to  the  coast  of  the  Red  Sea.  The 
long  chain  of  Djebe)  Langay,  which  he  crOBsed,  ia  three  t«  Btb 
thousaud  feet  in  height,  and,  like  the  mountain-spine  of  the 
inland  of  Ceylon,  never  baa  the  same  scasou  on  both  sides  tt 
once.  When  it  raina  on  the  eastern  slopea,  the  western  nra 
dry,  and  the  contrary.  TLere  is  another  and  still  higher  chain 
near  the  eoaat,  but  the  greater  part  of  this  region  consLBtsof 
vast  plains,  tenanted  by  the  Arab  herdsmen,  and  rising  gradu- 
ally towards  the  south  into  the  first  terraces  of  the  table-laud 
of  Abyssinia.  The  land  of  the  Shukorees  and  the  Hallengoa, 
lying  on  both  Gides  of  the  Atbara,  is  eaUed  Belad  el  Takka. 
Dr.  Reitz  visited  it  during  the  summer  of  1851,  in  company 
with  the  military  expedition  under  Moussa  Bey,  and  travelled 
for  three  or  four  weeks  tbrough  regions  where  no  European 
had  been  before  him. 

Leaving  the  town  of  Sheudy,  he  travelled  eastward  foi 
nine  days  over  unbroken  plaina  of  grasa,  abounding  with  g» 
lelles  and  hyenas,  to  a  village  called  Goz  Eadjeb,  on  the  At 


DR.  RBITZ'S  JOURRBT   TO  TAKKA.  SOI 

bara  River.  This  belongs  to  the  Shoiorees,  against  whom  tk 
expedition  was  in  part  directed.  He  then  croBBcd  the  river 
and  travelled  for  two  or  three  weeks  through  a  broken  moua 
tain  country,  inbabited  by  the  wandering  races  of  the  Hallen 
ges  and  Iladendoas.  The  monntaina,  which  were  from  two  Ic 
three  thousand  feet  in  height,  were  crested  with  walls  of  naked 
porphyry  rock,  but  their  lower  slopes  were  covered  with  grass 
and  bushes,  and  peopled  by  mjrlada  of  apea.  Between  the 
ranges  were  many  broad  and  beautiful  valleys,  some  of  which 
were  inhabited.  Here  the  vegetable  and  animal  world  was  far 
richer  than  on  the  Nile.  The  Consul  was  obliged  to  follow 
the  movements  of  the  espedition,  and  therefore  could  not  trace 
out  any  regular  plan  of  exploratioa  After  seeing  just  enough 
to  whet  his  curiosity  to  penetrate  further,  Moussa  Bey  return- 
ed to  Croz  Badjeb.  His  route  then  followed  the  course  of  the 
Atbara,  for  a  diatanoe  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  to  tha 
town  of  Sofie,  on  the  Abyssinian  frontier.  The  river,  which  la 
a  clear  and  beautiful  stream,  has  a  narrow  border  of  trees  and 
underwood,  and  fiows  in  a  winding  course  through  a  region  of 
low,  grassy  hills.  By  using  the  water  for  irrigation,  the  coun- 
try, which  is  now  entirely  uncultivated,  might  bo  made  cvry 
productive.  The  Shukoreos  possess  immense  herds  of  eanjcis, 
and  a  hegin,  or  trained  dromedary,  which  the  Consul  purchas- 
ed from  them,  was  one  of  tlie  strongest  and  fleetest  which  I 

Near  Sofie  the  savannas  of  grass  give  place  to  dense  tropi- 
cal forests,  with  a  rank  undergrowth  which  is  often  impenetra- 
ble. Here,  in  addition  to  the  lion  and  leopard,  which  are 
common  to  all  Soudan,  the  expedition  saw  large  herds  of  the 
elephant  and  ihiuooeros.     The  woids  were  filled  with  btids  of 


302  JOURSET  TO   CBDtUAL  AFWC*. 

brilliant  plumage,  and  the  vegetable  world  was  rich  and  gin> 
geoufi  beyond  description.  The  Consul  remamed  but  a  EhoK 
time  here,  and  then  travelled  westward  to  the  town  of  Abou 
Harasa  on  the  Blue  Nile,  viaiting  on  the  way  a  curiona  isoUl^J 
mountain,  called  Djcbel  Attesh.  Near  Abou-Hardss  arc  iht 
ruins  of  an  ancient  Christian  town,  probablj  dating  from  th« 
fourth  or  fifth  century,  about  which  time  Christianity,  pw 
TiouBly  planted  in  Abjasluia,  began  to  advmee  northward  to- 
wards Nubia.  The  Consul  obtained  from  tho  Governor  of 
Abou-Har.'isa  three  iron  crosses  of  a  peculiar  form,  a  number 
of  beads  which  had  belonged  to  a  rosary,  and  a  piece  of  in- 
cense— all  of  which  were  found  in  removing  the  bricks  used  to 
build  the  Paaha's  palace  and  other  edifices  in  Khartoum.  The 
room  which  I  occupied  during  my  stay  in  Khartoum,  was  paved 
with  the  same  bricks.  These  remains  are  in  curious  contrast 
with  the  pyramids  of  Mcroe  and  the  temples  of  Mesowurdt, 
Tiie  Ctiristian  and  Egyptian  Faiths,  advancing  towards  each 
other,  almost  met  on  thcae  far  fields. 

The  former  kingdom  of  Scnnaar  included  the  oouotiy  be- 
tween the  two  Nilea — except  the  territory  of  the  Shillooks — 
as  far  south  as  Int.  12°.  It  is  bounded  by  Abyssinia  on  the 
east,  and  by  the  mountains  of  the  savage  Galla  tribes,  on  the 
south.  Tho  Ifjescerch  (Island)  el  Hoye,  as  the  country  be- 
tween the  rivers  is  called,  is  for  the  moat  part  a  plain  of  grass. 
Towards  the  south,  there  are  some  low  ranges  of  hills,  followed 
by  other  plains,  which  extend  to  tjio  unknown  mountain  region, 
and  abound  with  elephants  and  lions.  The  town  of  Scnnaar, 
once  the  capital  of  this  region  and  the  residence  of  its  Meks  oi 
Kings,  is  now  of  little  importance.  It  was  described  to  me  u 
a  collection  of  mud  huts,  resembling  Shendy.     The  Egyptian 


nile  estenfls  ten  daja'  journey  further,  to  FazogI,  where  tkt 
fine  timber  in  the  mountains  and  the  gold-bearing  sanda  of 
KoHan  haTC  given  rise  to  the  establishment  of  a  military  poet 
Sennaar,  aa  well  as  Kordofan,  Berber  and  Dongola,  is  govern- 
ed by  a  Bey,  appointed  by  tie  Pasha  of  SoudSn.  ■  It  is  only 
two  weeks' journey  thence  to  Gondar,  the  capital  of  Amharo, 
the  principal  Abyssinian  kingdom.  I  was  told  that  it  is  no* 
difficult  for  merehanta  to  visit  the  latter  place,  bnt  that  any 
one  suspected  of  being  a  person  of  eonsequenee  is  detained 
there  and  not  allowed  to  leave  again,  I  had  a  strong  curiosity 
to  see  something  of  Abyssinia,  and  had  I  been  quite  sare  that 
I  shoald  not  be  tjikcn  for  a  person  of  consequence,  might  have 
made  the  attempt  to  reach  Gondar. 

Kordofan  lies  west  of  the  White  Nile,  and  consiBta  entire- 
ly of  great  plams  of  grass  and  thorns,  cscopt  in  the  southern 
part,  where  there  is, a  mountain  range  called  Djebcl  Dyer,  in- 
babited  by  emigrants  from  Dongola.  It  is  not  more  than  two 
hundred  miles  in  breadth,  from  east  to  west.  Its  capital, 
Obeid,  lies  in  lat.  13°  12'  north,  and  is  a  mere  collection  of 
mud  hutB.  Mr.  Peterick,  the  English  Tice-Consul  for  Sou- 
dan, to  whom  I  had  letters  from  Mr.  Murray,  the  English 
Consul-General  in  Cairo,  had  taken  up  his  residence  in  Obeid. 
The  soil  of  Kordofan  is  sterile,  and  t!ie  water  is  considered 
very  unhealthy  for  foreigners.  Capt.  Peel  gave  me  such  a  de- 
scription of  its  endless  thickets  of  thorns,  its  miserable  popnlac 
tion  and  its  devastating  fevers,  that  I  lost  all  desire  to  visit  it 
The  Governor,  Abd-cl-Kadcr  Bey,  was  in  Khartoum,  and  Dr. 
Reitz  intended  making  a  journey  through  the  country  in  com- 
pany with  him.  There  is  a  caravan  route  of  twenty  days  between 
Obeid  and  Dongola,  through  a  wild  region  called  the  Beyooda 


loURKxr  TO  canTBAL  AttaoA- 


or  Bedjnda.  A  few  degrees  furUier  north,  it  would  be  a  l»^ 
rtn  desert,  bat  here  it  is  an  alternation  of  laadys,  or  TallejF, 
with  ranges  of  porphyry  mountains,  affording  water,  trees,  and 
Buffieicnt  grass  for  the  herds  of  the  wandering  Arabs,  It  is 
inhabited  by  two  tribes — the  Kababiuh  and  the  Howoweet, 
who  differ  strongly  from  the  Arabs  cast  of  the  Kile,  in  thoif 
appearance  and  habits.  The  latter,  by  their  superior  intelli- 
gence and  their  remarkable  personal  beauty,  still  attest  thoir 
descent  from  tie  tribes  of  Hedjaz  and  Yemen.  The  tribes  in 
the  western  desert  are  more  allied  to  the  Tibboos,  and  other 
tenants  of  tho  Great  Zabara,  The  caravans  on  this  road  are 
exposed  to  the  danger  of  attacks  from  the  ncgroea  of  Dar-Fiir, 
who  frequently  waylay  small  parties,  murder  the  individaals 
and  carry  off  the  camels  and  goods. 

The  great  kingdom  of  Bar-Fur  offers  a  rich  field  for  some 
future  explorer.  The  cztonaive  regions  it  incloses  are  sappos- 
ed  to  furnish  the  key  to  the  system  of  riTera  and  mountain- 
chains  of  Central  Africa.  Through  the  fear  and  jealou^  of 
its  rulera,  no  stranger  has  been  allowed  to  pass  its  borders, 
sinee  the  visit  of  Jlr.  Browne,  half  a  century  ago.  Of  late, 
however,  the  relations  between  the  Egyptian  rulera  in  Soudio 
and  the  Sultan  of  Dar-Fur  have  been  quite  amicable,  and  if 
nothing  occurs  to  dL'^urb  this  harmony  there  is  some  hope  that 
the  ban  will  be  removed.  Lattif  Pasha  informed  me  that  he 
had  written  to  tlie  Sultan  on  behalf  of  Capt.  Peel,  who  wished 
i;o  pass  through  Bar-For  and  reach  Bornou.  He  had  at  that 
time  received  no  answer,  but  it  had  been  intimated,  unoffieial- 
ly,  that  the  Sultan  would  reply,  giving  Capt.  Peel  permissioo 
to  onter  the  country  and  travel  in  it,  but  not  to 
There  is  an  uluiost  continual  war  between  the  Sultims  of 


I 


I 


ond  it      ^M 

J 


THB   PKINCESB   OF  BAR-roU, 


301 


□oa  ftnd  Dar-For,  and  tbe  Pasha  wb.b  of  the  opinion  that  il 
would  be  impoaaible  to  traverse  Africa  from  east  to  west,  in 
the  line  of  those  states. 

A  circumstance  occurred  lately,  wiiich  may  help  to  open 
Dar-Fur  to  Europcaua.  The  Sitt«h  (Lady)  Sowaltin,  the  aunt 
of  Sultan  Adah,  the  present  monarch  of  that  kingdom,  is  a 
lealous  Moslem,  and  lately  determined  to  make  a  pilgrimage 
to  the  grave  of  the  Prophet.  She  arrived  in  Khartoum  in  Au- 
gust, 1851,  attended  by  a  large  rctinuo  of  officers,  attendants 
and  slaves,  and  after  remaining  a  few  days  descended  the  Nile 
to  El  Mekheyref,  crossed  the  Desert  to  Sowakin,  on  the  Ked 
Sea,  and  sailed  thence  for  Djidda,  the  port  of  Mccea,  During 
her  stay  Lattif  Paaha  waa  exceedingly  courteous  to  her,  intro- 
ducing her  to  his  wives,  bestowing  upon  her  handsome  presents, 
and  furnishing  her  with  boats  and  camels  for  her  journey.  Dr. 
Reitz  availed  himself  of  the  occasion  to  make  the  people  of 
Dar-Far  better  acquainted  with  Europeans.  All  the  Frank 
residents  assembled  at  his  house,  in  Christian  costume,  and 
proceeded  to  the  residence  of  the  Lady  Sowakin.  They  found 
her  sitting  in  state,  with  two  black  slaves  before  her  oa  their 
hands  and  knees,  motionless  as  sphinxes.  On  each  side  stood 
her  officers  and  interpreters.  She  was  veiled,  aa  well  as  her 
female  attendants,  and  all  exhibited  the  greatest  surprise  and 
curiosity  at  the  appearance  of  the  Franks.  The  gifts  they  laid 
before  her — silks,  fine  soaps,  cosmetlea,  bon-bona,  &c — she  ex- 
amined with  childish  delight,  and  when  the  Consul  informed 
her  that  the  only  object  of  the  Europeans  in  wishing  to  enter 
Dar-Filr  was  to  csobange  such  objects  as  these  for  gum  and 
elephants'  teeth,  she  promised  to  persuade  Snltan  Adah  to  opco 
hie  kingdom  to  them. 


JonBHBT  TO    OBKTIUI.  AFUICA. 


w 


The  nest  daj'  ber  ptincipal  officers  Tisited  the  CoDBors 
Louse,  and  spent  a  long  time  exanuDing  its  variooa  wonders. 
The  pictures,  books  and  furniture  filled  them  with  astonisb- 
iiient,  and  thej  went  from  ouo  object  to  another,  like  children, 
uttering  esclaniatioas  of  surprise  and  delight.  What  most 
fitarllcd  them  was  a  box  of  lucifer  matches,  wliieh  was  entire!; 
beyond  their  compreheDSion,  They  regarded  the  match  with 
superstitious  awe,  and  seemed  to  consider  that  the  fire  was  pro- 
duced by  some  kind  of  magic.  Their  relation  of  what  they 
saw  so  excited  the  curiosity  of  the  Lady  Sowakin,  that  she 
came  on  the  following  day,  with  her  women.  She  was  no  less 
astonished  than  her  attendants  had  been,  bat  was  most  attract- 
ed by  the  Consul's  largo  mirror.  She  and  her  women  spent 
half  an  hour  before  it,  making  gestures,  and  unable  to  compre- 
hend how  they  were  mimicked  by  the  reflected  figurea  Ab 
she  was  unacquainted  with  its  properties,  she  threw  back  her 
yeil  to  see  whether  the  image  would  show  her  face.  The  Cod- 
Bul  was  standing  behind  her,  and  thus  caught  sight  of  her  fea- 
tures; she  was  black,  with  a.  strongly  marked  but  not  unpleas- 
ant countenance,  and  about  forty-five  years  of  age.  Ho  had  a 
breakfast  prepared  for  the  ladies,  but  on  reaching  the  room  the 
attendants  all  retired,  and  he  was  informed  that  the  women  of 
rank  in  Dar-For  never  eat  in  the  presence  of  the  men.  After 
tbey  had  finished  the  repast,  he  observed  that  they  had  not 
only  partaken  heartily  of  the  various  European  dishes,  but  had 
taken  with  them  what  they  could  not  eat,  so  that  the  tahlo  ex 
hibited  nothing  but  empty  dishes.  When  tbey  left,  the  Lady 
reiterated  ber  promise,  and  added  that  if  the  Consul  would 
Tiflit  Dar-For,  the  Sultan  would  certainly  present  him  will 
many  camel-loads  of  elephants'  teeth,  in  consideratioQ  of  hil 
Murteay  to  her. 


CIMNOWR   OOHMTRIBS.  807 

"Xo  the  westward  of  Dar-Fur,  and  between  that  cotinlry  kdA 

Bornon,  lies  tJio  largo  kingdom  of  Waday,  which  has  never  been 
visited  by  a  European.  I  learned  from  some  Kordofan  mcr- 
chanta,  wlio  had  viaited  the  frontiers  of  Da.r-Fur  on  their  trad- 
ing espeditions,  that  Sultan  Adidi  Iiad  conquered  a  great  part 
of  Wuday,  and  would  probably  aoon  become  involved  in  war 
icilfa  the  Sultan  of  Bornou.  It  is  said  that  there  is  in  the 
country  of  Waday  a  lake  called  Fittre,  which  is  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  receives  several  rivers.  At  the 
BOuth-weatern  estremity  of  Dar-Fflr,  in  lat.  6°  N.  there  ia  a 
Bmal!  country,  called  Fertit.  I  often  heard  it  mentioned  by 
the  Ethiopian  traders,  one  of  whom  showed  me  a.  snuff-box, 
which  he  had  bought  of  a  native  of  the  country.  It  was  made 
from  the  hard  shell  of  a  fruit  about  the  size  of  an  orange,  with 
a  stopper  roughly  wrought  of  silver.  Almost  the  entire  region 
south  of  lat.  10°  N.  and  lying  between  the  White  Nile  and 
ihe  Gulf  of  Guinea  is  unknown  ground,  and  preseiita  a  rich 
field  for  future  explorers. 

The  diffieultiea  and  dangers  which  have  hitherto  attended 
the  path  of  African  discovery,  are  ra.pidly  diminishing,  and  the 
lime  is  not  far  distant  when  every  mystery,  hidden  ia  the  heart 
of  that  wonderful  Continent,  will  be  made  clear.  Where  a 
.traveller  has  once  penetrated,  he  smoothes  the  way  for  those 
who  follow,  and  that  superior  intelligence  which  renders  the 
brute  creation  unable  to  bear  the  gaze  of  a  human  eye,  is  the 
defence  of  the  civilized  man  against  the  barbarian.  Bruce, 
journeyingfrom  Abyssinia  to  Egypt,  in  the  year  177'2,  was  besot 
by  continual  dangers,  and  even  Burckhardt,  in  1814,  though 
successfully  disguised  as  a  Mussulman  shekh,  or  saint,  was  oblig- 
ed  to  keep  his  journal  hy  stealth.     At  present,  however,  a 


808  JOUBNBT  TO  CENTRAL  AIIUOA. 

Frank  may  travel  in  comparative  safety,  from  Cairo  to  tli€ 
borders  of  Dar-Far  and  Abyssinia,  while  the  White  Nile  and 
its  tributaries  afford  avenues  to  the  rery  heart  of  the  unexplor- 
ed regions  beyond.  The  climate  is  the  greatest  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  discovery,  and  the  traveller  whose  temperament  is  best 
adapted  for  the  heats  of  the  inter-tropical  zone,  possesses  the 
best  chance  of  success. 


■  niRTOUM. 


CHAPfER    XXrV. 

EXCUBBtONa      AVD      F  It  B  P  A  R  A  T  I  O  N  ■  . 

tJons  BTiHiQd  KbrnnoDtn— A  Eaee  Into  tbe  Ducrt— Eui>horbli  Fun 
nks  of  thE  Rice  NilK— A  Bdcl'ii  Qni(~-Tbe  CuDflDcncs  of  the  Two  Nile 
aile  or  tba  Nlls-CompirUIvs  Slie  dT  tUa  Elren-TIielr  Nsmo-Ilealn  I 


My  moruing  ridea  with  Dr.  Reitz,  around  Khartoum,  grad- 
ually extended  thenjselvea  into  tbe  ccigLboring  country,  ■with- 
in the  Umita  which  a  fast  dromedary  could  reach  in  two  hours' 
travel.  In  this  way  I  became  familiar  with  the  scenery  along 
the  banks  of  both  Niles,  and  the  broad  arid  plains  between 
them.  As  I  rarely  appeared  in  public  except  in  the  CoeswI'b 
company,  and  attended  with  all  the  state  which  his  household 
could  command,  I  was  looked  upon  by  the  iuhabitaiita  aa  a 
foreign  prmee  of  distingaishcd  rank.  The  Pasha's  soldiers 
duly  presented  arms,  and  the  people  whom  I  met  in  the  streets 
stopped  and  saluted  me  profoundly,  as  I  passed.  Tho  Consul 
had  suc'XKidcd  in  making  a  strong  inapression  of  his  own  power 
ftnd  importance,  and  this  was  reflected  upou  his  guest,     Oua 


8W  jumtTir  TO  ccNTRAL  AmoA. 

morning,  as  we  were  riding  towards  tho  palace,  a  man  c 
nut :  '<  May  God  proloog  your  days,  0  Consul  1  and  the  day^  J 
of  the  strange  lord, — for  you  make  a  grand  show  with  yot 
horses,  every  day  ! " 

There  was  one  of  our  rides  which  I  never  call  to  mind  witb 
out  a.  leap  of  the  heart  The  noble  red  stallion  which  I  usual- 
ly mounted  had  not  forgotten  the  plains  of  Dar-Filr,  where  hi) 
was  bred,  and  whenever  we  came  upon  the  boundless  level  ex- 
tending southward  from  the  town,  ^is  wild  Hood  was  aroused. 
He  pricked  up  his  ears,  neighed  as  grandly  as  the  war-horse 
of  Job,  champed  furiously  against  the  restraining  bit,  and  cvei 
and  anon  east  a  glance  of  his  large,  brilliant  eye  backward  at 
me,  half  in  wonder,  half  in  acorn,  that  I  did  not  feel  the  same 
desire.  The  truth  is,  I  was  tingling  from  head  to  foot  with 
equal  excitement,  but  Dr.  Ileitz  was  a  thorough  Englishman  in 
his  passion  for  trotting,  and  was  vexed  whenever  I  rode  at  any 
other  pace.  Once,  however,  the  sky  was  so  blue,  the  morning 
air  so  cool  and  fresh,  and  tlie  blood  so  lively  in  my  veins,  that 
[  answered  the  fierce  questioning  of  Sultan's  eye  with  on  in- 
voluntary shout,  pressed  my  knees  against  his  sides  and  gava 
him  the  rein,  0  Mercury,  what  a  rush  followed  !  We  cut 
Ihe  air  lite  the  whizzing  shaft  from  a  Saracen  crossbow  ;  Sut 
tan  stretched  out  until  his  powerful  neck  was  almost  on  a  level 
with  his  back,  and  the  glorious  rhythm  of  his  hoofs  was  accom- 
panied by  BO  little  sense  of  effort,  that  it  seemed  but  the  throb- 
bing of  his  heart,  keeping  time  with  my  own.  His  course  waa 
oa  straight  as  a  suuhcam,  swerving  not  a  hair's-breadth  to  the 
right  or  left,  but  forward,  forward  into  tho  freedom  of  the 
Desert.  Neck  and  neck  with  Lim  careered  the  Gonaul's  milk- 
wuita  stallion,  and  I  was  so  lost  in  the  divine  ezoitemcnt  o/ 


0    TBI    DEBBBT.  31 

DUT  speed,  tliat  an  hour  had  pnssed  before  I  wa.a  cool  cnougb 
to  notice  wlfire  we  were  going.  The  Consul  finally  called  out 
to  me  to  stop,  and  I  complied,  gttaring  the  savage  resistance  of 
Sultan,  >cha  neighed  and  plunged  with  greater  ardor  than  kI 
the  Blart.  The  minarets  of  Khartoum  had  long  since  disap- 
peared ;  we  were  in  the  centre  of  a  desolate,  sandy  plain,  bro- 
ken liero  and  there  by  clumps  of  stunted  mimoaas — a  dreary 
landacape,  hut  glorified  by  the  suuahinc  aod  the  delicious  air. 
We  rode  several  miles  on  the  return  track,  before  we  met  thfl 
pursuing  attendants,  who  had  urged  their  dromedaries  into  a 
gallop,  and  were  sailing  nfter  ua  like  a  flock  of  ostriches. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival,  we  bad  the  dromedaries  fiaci* 
died  and  rode  to  Kereff,  a  village  ou  the  Blue  Nile,  about  two 
leagues  distjint.  The  path  was  over  a.  wide  plain,  covered  with 
dry  grsEH,  and  resembling  an  Illinois  prairie  after  a  long 
drought.  In  the  rainy  season  it  is  green  and  luxuriant  with 
grass  and  a  multitude  of  flowers.  The  only  trees  were  the 
savage  white  thorn  of  the  Desert,  until  wo  approached  the 
river,  whore  we  found  forests  of  the  largo  euphorbia,  which  I 
had  first  noticed  as  a  shrub  in  Upper  Egypt.  It  hero  became 
a  tree,  upwards  of  twenty  feet  in  height.  The  branches  bent 
over  my  head,  as  I  rode  through  on  the  Consul's  tallest  drom- 
ed;iry.  The  trees  were  all  in  blossom,  and  gave  out  a  subtle, 
gickening  odor.  The  flowers  appear  in  whorls  around  the  stem, 
at  the  base  of  the  leaves ;  the  corolla  is  entire,  but  divided 
into  five  points,  white  in  the  centre,  with  a  purple  stain  at  the 
extremity.  The  juice  of  this  plant,  is  viscid  and  milky,  and 
the  Arabs  informed  me  that  if  a  single  drop  of  it  gets  into  tha 
tye  it  will  produce  instant  blindness. 

Beyond  these  thicketa  extended  patches  of  wheat  and  cot 


JOURSBT  TO   CSSTRAl.  AFBIC4. 


luup-Wkfd     ^1 


ton  to  Ihe  banks  of  the  Blue  Nile,  irliere  the  hump-Wked 

of  Scnnaar  were  lacily  ttirning  the  creaking  wheels  of  the 
takies.  The  river  had  here  a  breadth  of  more  than  half  * 
mile,  and  shone  blue  mnd  brilliant  in  the  morning  aon.  Before 
e  7isited  SvQ  villages,  all  built  of  mats  and 
clay.  The  inhabitants  were  warming  themBelves  on  the  Bunn; 
side  of  the  huts,  where  they  still  shivered  id  the  cold  north- 
lyind.  At  Kereff,  two  raea  brought  a  largo  gourd,  filled  with 
Bonr  milk,  which  was  very  cool  and  refreshing.  The  principal 
wealth  of  the  people  conBiats  in  their  large  fiocks  of  sheep  and 
goats.  They  cultivate  barely  sufficient  wheat  and  donrra  to 
supply  them  with  a  few  caies  of  coarse  bread,  and  their  favor- 
ite beverage  of  om  lilbil. 

On  our  return  we  passed  the  grave  of  a  native  saint,  which 
was  decorated  with  rows  of  pebbles  and  a  multitude  of  white 
pennons,  fluttering  from  the  tops  of  poles  stuck  in  the  ground. 
Several  women  were  seated  at  the  head,  apparently  paying  their 
devotions  to  the  ghost  of  the  holy  man.  The  older  ones  were 
■  unveiled  and  ugly,  but  there  was  a  damsel  of  about  eighteen, 
who  threw  part  of  her  cotton  mantle  over  her  face,  yet  allow- 
ed us  to  see  that  she  was  quite  handsome.  She  had  a  pale 
yellow  complexion,  showing  her  Abyssinian  descent,  large,  al- 
mond-shaped eyes,  and  straight  black  hair  which  diffused  sn 
odor  of  rancid  butter.  I  found  it  most  agreeable  to  admire 
her  beauty  from  the  windward  aide.  An  old  beggar-woman, 
whose  gray  hair,  skinny  face  and  bleared  eyes,  flashing  from 
the  bottom  of  deep  sockets,  made  her  a  fitting  picture  of  a 
Lapland  witch,  came  up  and  touched  our  hands,  which  she 
could  barely  reach  as  we  sjit  on  the  dromedaries,  which 
DS  the  horror  of  having  her  kiss  them.     We  gave  her  a  bkok 


M9k     I 


Tax  JOKonux  or  tbb  two  nnxB.  313 

lacasb,  irhi^h  she  took  as  if  it  had  been  her  right.  After  io- 
voking  the  name  of  Allah  manj  timeft,  she  west  to  the  grave 
and  brought  each  of  us  a  haudful  of  dirt,  which  we  carefully 
put  into  our  pockets,  but  as  carefully  emptied  out  ag:iiii  after 
we  had  reached  home. 

The  uest  morning  I  rode  with  the  Consol  to  tlio  junction 
of  tbe  two  Nilcs,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  west  of  Khar- 
tonm.  Tho  land  all  around  is  low,  and  the  two  rirers  meet  at 
right  aoglea,  but  do  not  niiagle  their  waters  till  they  have  roll- 
ed eight  or  ton  miles  in  their  common  bed.  The  White  Nile 
is  a  light-brown,  muddy  color,  the  Blue  Nile  a  dark  bluish 
green.  Both  rivers  are  nearly  of  equal  breadth  at  the  point 
of  confluence,  but  the  current  of  the  latter  ia  much  the  Btronger, 
There  is  a  low  green  island,  called  Omdurman,  in  the  White 
Nile,  at  its  junction.  The  ferry-boat  had  just  brought  over  a 
party  of  merchants  from  Kordofan,  with  their  packages  of  gum 
A  number  of  largo  vessels,  belonging  to  tbe  government,  were 
hauled  tip  on  the  bank,  and  several  Arabs,  under  the  direction 
of  a  Turkish  ship-builder,  were  making  repairs.  We  rode  a 
short  distance  up  the  White  Nile,  over  a  beach  which  was 
deeply  printed  with  tbe  enormous  foot^pricta  of  a  whole  herd 
of  hippopotami,  and  then  home  through  the  fields  of  blossom- 
ing beans. 

The  Nile  was  to  me  a  source  of  greater  interest  than  all 
the  negro  kingdoms  between  Khartoum  and  Timbnctoo, 
There,  two  thousand  miles  from  bis  moutli,  I  found  his  current 
Ks  broad,  as  strong,  and  as  deep  as  at  Cairo,  and  was  no  nearer 
the  mystery  of  bia  origin.  If  I  should  ascend  the  western  of 
bis  two  branches,  I  might  follow  bis  windings  twelve  hundred 
mileB  further  and  still  find  a  broad  and  powerful  stream,  of 
U 


314 


JOnBKBT  TO  CKNTftAL  ArsIOA. 


vhose  source  eTcn  the  tribes  that  dwell  in  those  far  regions  on 
ignorant.  I  am  oonfidcnt  that  v/hea  the  hidden  fountains  Bha!l 
at  last  be  reached,  and  the  problem  of  twenty  centuries  Bolved, 
the  entire  length  of  the  Nile  will  Iw  found  to  be  not  less  than 
four  thousand  tnilvs,  sod  he  will  then  take  his  rank  with  th« 
Mississippi  and  the  Amazon — a  sahlimc  triuitj  of  streams 
There  is,  in  some  respects,  a  striking  resemblance  between  the 
Nile  and  the  former  jiver.  The  Missouri  ia  tho  true  Misgis- 
sippi,  rolling  the  largest  flood  and  giving  his  color  ti*  the  min- 
gled streams.  So  of  the  White  Nile,  which  is  broad  and  tur- 
bid, and  pollutes  the  clear  blue  flood  that  has  usurped  his  name 
and  dignity.  In  spite  of  what  geographers  may  say — and 
they  are  still  far  from  being  united  on  the  subject — the  Blue 
Nile  is  not  the  true  Nile.  There,  at  the  point  of  junction, 
bis  volume  of  water  is  greater,"  bat  ho  ia  freab  from  the  momi- 
tains  and  constantly  fod  hy  large,  unfailing  affluents,  while  the 
White  Nile  has  rolled  for  more  than  a  thousand  miles  on  near- 
ly a  dead  level,  through  a  porous,  allavial  soil,  in  which  he 
loses  more  water  than  he  brings  with  him. 

■  Capt.  Peel,  who  measured  tho  volume  of  water  in  the  two  rirer^ 
gives  the  following  result:  Breadfh  of  the  Blue  Kile  at  Khartonm,  768 
fsnls;  average  depth,  13.11  feet ;  average  current,  1.664  knots;  volume 
of  water,  6,820,600  cubic  feet  per  minute.  Breadth  of  the  While  Kile; 
immedinloly  above  the  junction,  488  yards;  average  depth,  13.92  feet  j 
iiycrage  current,  1.4t  knots;  volume  of  water,  2,986,400  feet  per  minute. 
Breadth  of  the  Kile  below  thejunctinn,  HOT  ;ardg;  average  depth, 
14.38  feet ;  avemge  current,  2  knots  j  volume  of  water,  0,626,700  ouUo 
fe«t  per  minute.  Thia  moaauremcnt  was  made  ia  the  latter  part  of  Oct* 
b^,  13l>I,  It  can  hardly  be  considered  conclusive,  as  during  Uie  pre- 
ceding summer  the  raina  had  been  unusually  lieavy  in  the  mountain*  d1 
Abyssiuia,  which  may  hare  occasioned  a  greater  disproportion  liiaa 
usual,  in  th«  Tolume  of  tLe  two  livera, 


THB    BLDE    HILK.  316 

The  Blue  Nile,  whose  eonrce  the  Loiiest,  loag-alnndered 
Bruce  did  actually  discover,  rises  near  lat.  1 1°  N.  in  tlie  ihouq- 
tains  of  Godjara,  on  ite  sontL-weetem  frontier  of  Abyssinia. 
Thence  it  flows  northward  into  the  great  lake  of  Dcrahea,  or 
Tuaua,  near  its  southern  estremity.  The  lake  is  shallow  and 
muddy,  and  the  river  carries  his  clear  flood  through  it  withoul 
mixing.  He  then  flows  to  tho  south  and  south-east,  under  the 
name  of  Tzana,  along  tho  borders  of  the  kingdom  of  Shea,  te 
between  latu  9°  and  10'',  whence  he  curves  again  to  the  north 
and  finds  hia  way  tlirougb  the  mountains  of  Fazogl  to  the  plains 
of  Sennaar.  Hia  entire  length  cannot  bo  less  than  eight  bun. 
drcd  miles.  The  stream  is  navigable  as  far  as  tho  mountains, 
about  three  hundred  miles  from  Khartoum,  where  it  is  inter- 
rupted by  rapids.  The  Arabic  name  El-hahr  el-Asreh, 
means  rather  "black"  than  "blue,"  the  term  asrek  being 
used  with  reference  to  objects  of  a  dark,  blue-black  color ;  and 
besides,  it  is  called  black,  in  contradistinction  to  tho  Bahr  el- 
Ahiad,  the  white  Nile.  The  boatmen  here  also  frequently 
speak  of  tho  black  river  as  he,  and  the  white  as  site.  When  I 
asked  the  reason  of  this,  they  replied  that  it  was  because  the 
ibrmer  had  a  stronger  current.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  name 
"  Nile,"  which  is  never  heard  in  Egypt,  (where  the  river  is 
simply  called  el-hahr,  "  tho  sea,")  should  be  retained  in 
Ethiopia.  There  the  boatmen  speak  of  "  el-bahr  el-NH," 
which  name  they  also  sometimes  apply  to  the  Blue  Nile.  It 
is  therefore  easy  to  understand  why  the  latter  river  should  have 
been  looked  upon  as  the  main  current  of  the  Nile. 

After  I  had  been  eight  or  ten  days  in  Khartoum,  I  began 
to  think  of  penetrating  further  into  the  interior.  My  inten- 
tion, on  leaving  Cairo,  was  to  push  on  as  far  as  my  time  and 


Bia  JOIJRNET    TO   CKSTBAL 


means  wonld  allow,  and  tte  WHte  Nile  waa  the  great  point  rA 
attraction.  The  long  jouniey  I  had  already  made  In  order  to 
reach  Soudiln  only  whetted  ray  desire  of  seeing  more  of  th 
wild,  barbaric  life  of  Central  Africa,  and,  owing  to  the  good 
luclt  which  had  saved  me  from  any  delay  on  the  road,  I  could 
spare  three  or  four  weelta  for  further  jonmcys,  before  settljig 
out  on  my  return  to  Egypt.  Some  of  my  friends  in  KLir- 
toum  counselled  one  plan  mid  some  another,  hut  after  dialraeU 
ing  myself  in  a  maze  of  ■uncertainties,  I  returned  to  my  first 
loye,  and  determined  to  make  a  voyage  up  the  White  Nile, 
There  was  little  to  be  gained  by  visiting  Kordofan,  as  I  had 
already  seen  Central  African  life  to  better  advantage  in  Khar- 
toum.  Seunnar  is  now  only  interesting  as  a  station  on  the 
way  Ifl  Abyssinia  or  the  mountains  of  Fazogl,  and  in  the  wild 
regions  along  the  Athara  it  is  impossible  to  travel  without 
armed  escort.  As  it  is  exceedingly  dangerous  for  a  single  boat 
to  pass  through  tlic  extensive  negro  kingdoms  of  the  Shttloabl 
and  the  Dinkas,  I  had  hoped  to  accompany  Dr.  Knoblecher'i 
espedition  some  distance  up  the  river  and  then  take  mychanoe 
of  returning.  The  boat  belonging  to  the  Catbolio  Mission, 
however,  had  not  arrived  from  Cairo,  and  the  season  was  so 
far  advanced  that  the  expedition  had  been  postponed  until  ths 
f(dlowing  November,  At  the  time  of  my  visit,  nevertheless, 
Maltese  trader  named  Lattif  Effendi,  was  fitting  up  two  largs 
vessels  which  were  shortly  to  leave  on  a  trading  voyage  i 
he  intended  pushing  as  far  as  the  Bari  country,  I  could 
made  arrangements  to  accompany  bim,  but  as  be  could  not  re- 
turn before  some  time  in  June,  I  should  have  been  obliged,  ir 
that  case,  to  pass  the  siokly  season  in  Soudan — a  risk  scarcely, 
worth  the  profit,  as,  with  the  best  possible  good  luck,  I  might 


1 

I 

'I 


L-L 


1 


barely  Lave  reached  tho  pouit  atta.ined  by  Dr.  Knoblechcr, 
T!iG  Consul  proposed  my  going  witk  Lattif  Effendi  uatil  I 
diould  meet  the  yearly  expedition  on  its  ceturn,  and  theu  como 
down  the  river  with  it.  This  would  Lave  enabled  me  to  pene- 
trate to  lat,  9°,  or  perliapa  8",  but  after  passing  tbe  islanda  of 
the  Sliillooks,  one  seoa  little  escept  water,  grass  and  mosc[ui- 
toes,  until  he  reaches  the  land  of  the  Kyks,  in  lat.  7°,  After 
weighing  carefully  all  the  arguments  on  both  aides,  I  decided 
to  take  a  small  boat  and  ascend  ae  far  aa  the  ialanda.  Hera 
tbe  new  and  rich  animal  aud  vegetable  world  of  tho  magnifi- 
cent river  begins  to  unfold,  and  in  many  respects  it  is  tho  moat 
impressive  portion  of  his  stream. 

I  waa  fortunate  in  finding  a  small  vcsael,  of  the  kind  called 
sandal — the  only  craft  in  port,  escept  the  Pasha's  dababijeh, 
which  would  Lave  answered  my  purpose.  It  belonged  to  a  fat 
old  Turk,  named  Abou-Balta,  from  whom  I  engaged  it  for 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  piastres,  Tho  crew  consisted 
of  a  raVs,  five  strong  Dongolesc  sailors,  and  a  black  female 
slave,  as  cook.  The  raia  knew  the  river,  but  positively  refus- 
ed to  take  me  further  than  the  islaud  of  Aba,  somewhere  be- 
tween lat.  12°  and  13°,  on  account  of  the  danger  of  venturing 
among  the  Shillooks,  vcithout  an  armed  force.  I  named  the 
boat  the  Jolm  Ledyard,  in  memory  of  the  first  American 
tiaTcller  in  Africa.  The  name  was  none  the  less  appropriate, 
sinee  Ledyard  was  buried  beside  tho  Nile,  at  the  outset  of  a 
journey  undertaken  for  tbe  purpose  of  discovering  its  sources. 
Dr.  Reits  gave  mo  two  sheep  as  provision  for  tbe  voyage,  and 
the  remainder  of  my  outfit  cost  me  about  a  hundred  and  twen- 
ty piastres  in  the  bazaars  of  Khartoum. 

r  reached  Khartoum  at  a  favorable  season  for  making  the 


aOURSXT  TO  CENTRAL 

voyage.  Fonnerly,  it  had  beea  very  difficult  for  any  Euro 
pean  to  obtain  permiasion  to  sail  on  the  White  Nile,  owiQgM 
the  trade  of  the  river  liaving  bceu  completely  monopoli^ieii  bj 
the  Pasha  of  Souddn,  lii  defiance  of  the  Treaty  of  1S38,  wliid 
:  free  to  merclianta  of  all  nations.  No  lilci 
than  the  previous  winter,  Count  Dandolo,  an  Italian  travellfti 
who  vlHite  J  Khartoum,  encountered  ranch  opposition  before  bs 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  boat  for  the  Islands  of  the  Shillooks. 
Owing  to  the  vigorous  efforts  of  Dr.  Keitz,  the  monopoly  \mi 
at  last  been  broken  down,  and  the  military  guard  fonnerlj 
stationed  at  the  confluence  of  the  two  rivers,  no  longer  existed 
I  did  not  even  inform  the  Pasha  of  my  intention  to  make  tlia 
voyage  until  after  I  bad  taken  the  boat  and  completed  loj 
preparations.  I  then  paid  him  a  visit  of  ceremony,  in 
pany  with  the  CoosuL  He  was  very  affable,  and  insisted  on 
our  remaining  for  dinner,  although  ve  had  iavited  two  &iendi 
to  help  us  eat  a  roasted  ram.  We  urged  this  in  escose,  but 
he  cut  us  off  by  exclaiming  :  "  I  am  ruler  here,  and  my  com- 
mands dare  not  be  disobeyed,"  and  immediately  sent  a  servaat 
to  order  our  guests,  in  his  name,  to  cat  the  ram  themseivea 
He  then  despatched  messengers  for  Abd-el-Kader  Bey,  Gover- 
nor of  Kordofan,  and  Ruffaa.  Bey,  who  were  brought  to  tba 
palace  in  the  wame  arbitrary  manner.  Having  thi 
his  company,  he  retired  for  the  usual  prayers  before  dinner, 
leaving  us  to  enjoy  the  preparatory  pipe.  Among  the  mant- 
fold  dishes  served  at  diuner,  were  threo  or  four  kinds  of  fish 
from  the  White  Nile,  all  of  them  of  escellent  flavor. 
Pasha  continued  his  discussion  of  Louis  Napoleon's  cowp 
d'itat,  taking  delight  in  recommending  a  sanguinary  poho; 
u   the   only   course,   and    oould  not   enough   praise    SultU 


m    BET    SAO..  819 

Mshmoad  I.  for  his  execution  of  forty  thousaml  Janissariei 

Finally,  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  of  January,  my  effects 
were  all  on  board,  and  my  rais  and  sailors  in  rcadineaa.  Aeh 
met  and  Ali  preceded  me  to  the  boat  with  mauy  misgiyinga. 
for  we  were  now  going  into  regions  where  tho  Pasha'e  name 
was  scarcely  known— where  the  Egyptian  sway  had  never 
reached — a  land  of  hajjirB,  or  infidels,  who  were  supposed  to 
be  nearly  related  to  the  terrible  "  Nyam-Njania,"  tjie  anthro- 
pophagi of  Central  Africa.  Achnict  could  not  comprehend 
my  exhilaration  of  spirits,  and  in  leply  to  my  repeated  ex- 
clamations of  satisfaction  and  delight,  observed,  with  a  shake 
of  the  head :  '■  If  it  were  not  that  we  left  Cairo  on  a  lucky 
day,  0  my  master !  I  should  never  expect  to  see  Khartoum 
again."  Fat  Abou-Balta,  who  had  promised  to  accompany  me 
>a  far  as  the  first  village  on  the  White  Nile,  did  not  make  his 
appearance,  and  bo  we  pushed  off  withoot  him.  Never  wae 
name  more  wrongly  applied  than  that  of  Abou-Balta  (the  "  fa- 
ther of  hatchets "),  for  he  weighed  three  hundred  pounds,  had 
B  iacQ  like  the  full  moon,  and  was  the  jollicst  Turk  I  ever  saw. 
Dr.  Reitz,  whose  hospitality  knew  no  bounds,  sent  his  drome- 
daries up  the  river  the  day  previous,  and  accompanied  me  with 
his  favorite  servants — two  ebony  boys,  with  shining  counts 
o&nooe  and  white  and  ecarlet  dr 


TbsWliKBlIQiL 


CHAPTER    XX  T. 


1  F1ig-B«n«7  of  tha  Shonw— TeniWlT it 
Cmgogal  CuUm— Uuldlodu  of  Water  Foi 
-Arid— SuDiet  on  t)ia  Wlilla  Nile— Wa  leuh  tl»  Kli( 


"At  night  be 


ia  cnith«1  IM  reMi 


\te  Olumpli  of  hla  drawn. ^ — IjovawnLOw. 


The  men  pnalied  away  from  shore  with  some  difficulty, 
riolent  north-wbd  drove  t!ie  boat  back,  but  the  sail  one 
furled,  wB  shot  like  an  arrow  betweeo  the  gardena  of  Khar- 
tOQin  and  the  spreen  nborea  of  the  island  of  Tati.      Befbrt 


xrmaxyta  thk  vbitk  s 


rcachiijg  tbe  confluence  of  the  rirerB,  a  jut  of  laud  obliged  the 
Bailors  again  to  take  to  their  poles  and  oars,  but  a.  short  time 
Bufficed  to  bring  us  to  the  turning-point.  Here  tie  colors  of 
the  different  atreams  are  strongly  marked.  They  are  actuullj 
blue  and  white,  and  meet  in  an  even  line,  which  can  be  Been 
extending  far  down  the  common  tide,  We  tossed  on  the  agi- 
tated lino  of  tlieir  junction,  but  tlie  wind  carried  us  in  a  few 
minutes  past  the  island  of  Omdurman,  which  lies  opposite. 
The  first  American  flag  that  ever  floated  over  the  'While  Nile, 
fluttered  gayly  at  the  mast-head,  pointing  to  the  south — to 
those  m  eg  f  which  the  mighty  stream 

finds  y      Afllwfh  db     alighted  on  the  sandy 

shore  f  h  1  d  wh  h  11  k  if-heron,  with  his  crest 
of  sta    ly  f     !i        w      hi  h    w  Iked  up  aud  down.     In 

front,  h       1     d    f  M  D  y  a  broad  mirage  united 

its  delusive  waters  with  those  of  the  true  river  and  lifted  the 
distant  shores  so  high  above  the  horizon  that  they  seemed 
floating  in  the  air.  The  stream,  which  is  narrow  at  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Blue  Nile,  espabded  tn  a  breadth  of  two  miles 
and  the  shores  ahead  of  ua  were  so  low  that  we  appeared  to  be 
a.t  the  entrance  of  a  great  inland  sen.  Our  course  swerved  to 
the  eastward,  so  that  wo  were  in  the  rear  of  Khartoum,  whose 
minaret  was  still  visible  when  we  were  ten  miles  distanf^  The 
low  mud  dwellings  of  the  town  were  raised  to  twice  their  real 
height,  by  the  effect  of  the  mirage.  The  shores  on  either  side 
were  sandy  tracts,  almost  uncultivated,  and  covered  with  un 
ibuTidant  growth  of  thorns,  raimoeas  and  a  small  tree  with 
thick  green  foliage.  By  twelve  o'clock  we  reached  the  point 
where  Dr.  Reitz  had  sent  his  dromedaries,  which  were  in 
readiness,  kneelirg  on  the  beach.     We  eould  not  approach  tha 


9S2  JOUBHBT  TO  CSBTBAL  AFBIRA, 

share,  on  account  of  the  mnd,  bnt  the  sailors  carried  as  outnr 
their  shoulders.  I  rode  with  liim  to  a.  small  Arab  hnialeti 
Boatt«red  among  the  thomj  thickets.  There  were  hut  tivc 
mini  bouses,  the  other  dwellinga  being  laerely  rude  tents  nt 
grass  mattiug  ;  few  of  the  inhabitants  were  at  home,  but  those 
few  were  peaceable  and  friendly.  As  the  Consal  had  a  ridi 
of  four  or  Etc  hours  before  him,  bo  wished  me  good  luck  and 
set  off  northward,  while  the  Bailors,  who  were  tu  waiting,  cnr- 
ried  me  back  to  the  boat. 

All  the  a^cmoon  I  sped  before  a  strong  wind  up  the  mag- 
Dtficent  river.  Its  breadth  varied  from  two  to  three  miles,  but 
its  current  was  shallow  and  sluggish.  The  shores  were  saudy, 
and  cohered  with  groves  of  the  gum-producing  mimosa,  which 
appeared  for  tlie  first  time  in  profusion.  About  four  o'clock  I 
passed  a  low,  isolated  bill  on  the  eastern  bank,  which  the 
sailors  called  Djiir  en-nehbee,  and  near  sunset,  a  long  lidge  on 
the  right,  two  miles  inland,  broke  the  dead  level  of  the  plains 
of  Kordofan.  The  sand-banks  were  covered  with  wild  geese 
and  ducks  in  myriads,  and  hSre  and  there  we  saw  an  cuDr- 
mous  crocodile  lounging  on  the  edge  of  the  water.  The  san 
went  down  ;  the  short  twilight  faded,  and  I  was  canopied  bj  a 
superb  starlit  hes^vcn.  Taurus,  Orion,  Sirios  and  the  South- 
ern Ci'osa  sparkled  in  one  long,  unbroken  galaxy  of  splendor. 
The  breeze  was  mild  and  light,  and  the  waves  rippled  with  a 
pleasant  sound  against  the  prow.  My  sailors  sat  on  the  for* 
ward  deck,  singing  doleful  songs,  to  which  the  baying  of  dogs 
and  the  yells  of  hyenas  made  a  fit  accompaniment.  The  dis- 
tant shores  of  the  river  were  lighted  with  the  fires  of  the  Mo- 
hamraediyeh  Arabs,  and  we  heard  the  men  sboutmg  to  each 
other  occasionally.     About  nino  o'clock  we  passed  tboir  prin. 


hoaa  OF  Mr  nao.  883 

cipal  village,  and  approaclied  the  territories  of  the  JJassani' 

The  nind  fell  aboat  ten  o'clock,  and  the  boat  came  to  su 
chor.  I  awoke  an  hoar  or  two  after  midnight  and  fouiid  i 
blowing  again  fresh  and  strong ;  whereupon  I  roused  the  raia 
and  sailors,  and  made  them  boifit  sail.  We  gained  so  much 
by  this  move,  that  by  aimriae  we  had  passed  the  villago  of 
Shekb  Moussa,  and  were  entering  the  territories  of  the  Hassa- 
nlyeh  Arabs  ;  the  laeit  tribe  which  is  subject  to  the  Pasha  of 
Soudan  Bcjond  them  are  the  primitive  Negro  Kingdoms  of 
Central  Africa,  in  almost  the  same  condition  now  as  they  have 
been  tot  thousands  of  years  past.  About  sunrise  the  rais  or- 
dered the  sails  to  be  furled,  and  the  vessel  put  about.  The 
men  were  rowing  aomo  time  before  I  discovered  the  causa 
Whilst  attempting  to  hoist  my  flag,  one  of  them  let  it  fall  into 
the  water,  and  instead  of  jumping  ia  after  it,  as  I  should  have 
done  had  I  seen  it,  suffered  the  vessel  to  go  some  distance  he- 
fore  ho  even  announced  the  loss.  We  were  then  so  far  from 
the  spot,  that  any  attempt  to  recover  it  would  have  been  use- 
less, and  so  the  glorious  stars  and  stripes  which  had  floated 
thu?  far  triumphantly  into  Africa,  met  the  fate  of  most  travel- 
lers ir.  those  regions.  They  lay  imbedded  in  the  mud  of  the 
WLit'j  Nile,  and  I  sailed  away  from  the  spot  with  a  pang,  as 
if  a,  f;-iend  had  been  drowned  there.  The  flag  of  one's  country 
is  never  dearer  to  him  than  when  it  is  his  companion  and  pro- 
tector in  foreign  lauds. 

During  the  whole  forenoon  we  sailed  at  the  rate  of  six  oi- 
seven  miles  an  hour,  in  the  centre  of  the  river,  whose  breadth 
varied  from  two  to  three  miles.  The  shores  no  longer  pre- 
BBDted  the  same  dead  level  as  on  the  first  day      They  weca 


884 


TO    OKKTRAl.  ATSICA. 


baukB  of  sandy  soil,  tea  or  twelvo  feet  in  height,  and  corered 
witli  forests  of  ihc  gura-bearlog  mimoaa,  under  vrhich  grm 
thickets  of  a  dense  green  shrub,  mised  with  cactus  and  euplior- 
bin.  The  gum  is  a  tree  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  beiglit, 
with  a,  thick  trunk  and  spreading  branched,  and  no  Italian  oak 
or  chestnut  presents  a  greater  variety  of  picturesque  forms  to 
the  painter's  eye.  The  foliage  is  thin,  allowing  the  manifold 
orticulationa  of  the  bougbs  and  twigs  to  be  seen  through  il, 
It  was  most  abundant  on  the  Kordotan  side,  and  the  gri.>;ile[ 
proportion  of  the  gum  aoDually  exported  to  Egypt  eomos  from 
that  country.  The  broad  tide  of  the  river  and  the  wild  luiu- 
rianee  of  the  continuous  forests  that  girdled  it,  gave  this  pari 
of  its  course  an  air  of  majesty,  which  recalled  the  Mis^ippi 
to  my  mind.  There  was  not  a,  single  feature  that  resembled 
Egypt. 

Towards  noon  we  reached  the  more  Ihiotly  popidated  dis- 
tricts of  the  Hassaniyeh.     The  town  of  Damas,  on  the  eaet, 
and  Tura,  on  the  west,  not  very  distant  from  each  other,  mtt   \ 
the  first  I  saw  since  leaving  Khartoum.     They  were  merely  1 
clusters  of  tokuls,  or  tho  straw  huts  of  the  natives,  built  in  I 
circular  form,  with  a  conical  roof  of  matting,  the  smoke  eaeai^  1 
ing  through  an  opening  in  the  top.     At  both  these  place: 
well  as  at  other  points  along  the  river,  the  natives  had  ferrle%  I 
and  appeared  to  be  busy  in  transporting  men,  camels  and  goodi  ■ 
from  one  bank  to  the  other.     On  account  of  the  breadth  of  tht  I 
river  the  passage  was  long,  and  the  boatmen  ea«od  their  labor  1 
by  making  a  sail  of  their  cotton  niaatlea,  which  they  fastened  I 
to  two  upright  sticks.     TLe  shores  were  crowded  with  hcrdi  J 
of  sheep  and  goats,  and  I  saw  near  Damaa  a  large  drove  at  | 
eamels  which  were  waiting  an  opportimity  to  cross.     The  Hu 


BnroTn.AR  oosJOOAt  cibtom.  826 

Bsniyelis  own  no  camels,  and  this  was  probably  a  caravan  ^om 
Khartoum,  bonnJ  for  Kordofan,  In  aome  places  the  people 
brought  doukejs  laden  with  water-skina,  which  they  filled  from 
the  river.  I  noticed,  occasionally,  a  small  patch  of  beans,  but 
nothing  that  looked  like  a  regular  system  of  cultiyatioa  The 
Unssaniyehs  arc  yellow,  with  straight  features,  and  resemble 
the  Fellahs  of  Lower  Egypt  more  than  any  other  Central-Af- 
rican tribe.  Those  whom  we  saw  at  a  distance  from  the  vil- 
lages retreated  with  signs  of  fear  as  my  vessel  approached  the 
Bbore.  Dr.  Peney,  the  Medical  Inspector  of  Soodan,  describ- 
ed to  me,  while  in  Khartoum,  some  singular  customs  of  these 
Arabs,  The  rights  of  women,  it  appears,  are  recognized 
among  tbem  more  thoroughly  than  among  any  other  savage 
people  in  the  world.  When  a  woman  is  married,  her  father 
states  that  one  fourth  of  her  life  thenceforth  is  reserved  for  her 
own  use,  and  the  husband  is  obliged  to  respect  this  reserva- 
tion. Every  fourth  day  she  is  released  from  the  marriage  vow, 
and  if  ebe  loves  some  one  else  better  than  her  husband,  he  caa 
dwell  in  her  tent  that  day,  obliging  the  husband  himself  to  re- 
tire. Their  hospitality  ia  such,  moreover,  that  if  a  stranger 
visita  one  of  their  aettlements  they  famish  him,  for  four  days, 
with  a  tent  and  a  wife.  They  should  add  a  iamily  of  chil- 
dren, and  then  their  hospitality  woiJd  be  complete.  No  re- 
proach whatever  attaches  to  the  woman,  on  account  of  this  tem- 
porary connection.  The  Uassaniyci,  ia  other  respeets,  are 
Dot  more  immoral  than  other  tribes,  and  these  customs  appear 
to  be  connected  with  their  religious  faith. 

After  passing  Tura  (the  terminus  of  a  short  caravan  roula 
of  four  days  to  Obeid,  the  capital  of  Kordofan),  a  mountain 
range,  some  distance  from  the  river,  appeared  oa  the  right 


lOCRNBT    TO    CENTRAL    ArBlCA. 

bank.     The  peaks  were  broken  and  conical  in  form,  an!  (1 

pale-violet  hue  showed  with  fine  effect  behind  the  dark  line  of 
the  gum  forests.     With  every  hour  of  our  progress,  the  vege- 
talion  grow  more  rank  and  lusuriaut.     On  the  eastern  honk  , 
the  gum  gaTe  place  to  the  flowering  mimosa,  which  rose  il 
1  dense  rumpart  from  the  water's  edge  and  filled  the  air  w 
the  frngrance  of  its  blossoms.     Myriads  of  wild  gecac,  docb^s 

),  storks,  herona  and  ibises  Hat  on  the  narrow  be 
sand  or  circled  in  the  air  with  hoarse  clang  and  c 
Among  tbem  I  saw  more  than  one  Bpceimen  of  that  r 

1  water-bird,  whose  large,  horny  bill  curves  upward  in 
stead  of  downward,  so  that  it  appears  to  have  been  put  oi 
wrong  way.  As  he  eats  nothing  bat  small  fish,  which  he  swil  ■ 
lows  with  his  head  nnder  water,  this  la  not  such  a  great  ineoiHl 
venience  as  one  would  suppose.  The  bars  which  occasionallj 
made  out  into  the  current  served  as  a  resting-place  for  croco- 
diles, which  now  began  to  appear  in  companies  of  ten  or  fifteen, 
and  the  forests  were  filled  with  legions  of  apes,  which  leaped  I 
chattering  down  from  tbe  branches  to  look  at  us.  A  wb(^ 
family  of  them  sat  on  the  bank  for  some  time,  watching  us,a 
when  we  frightened  them  away  by  our  shouts,  it  waa  amusing 
to  see  a  mother  pick  up  her  infant  ape,  and  scamper  off  with  il 
under  her  arm.  The  wild  fowl  were  astouishiBgly  tame,  and 
many  of  them  so  fat  that  they  seemed  scarcely  able  to  &j. 
Here  and  there,  along  the  shore,  large  broods  of  the  young 
were  making  their  first  essays  in  swimming.  The  boatmen 
took  great  delight  ia  menacing  t!ie  old  birds  with  pieces  of 
wood,  in  order  to  make  them  dive  under  water.  There  were 
Bome  superb  white  cranes,  with  a  rosy  tinge  along  the  edges 
of  their  wings,  and  I  Raw  two  more  of  the  crested  king-herons 


jonl!        ' 

.mm 

»prf   ■ 


J 


After  passing  the  island  of  Tebebeshi,  the  river,  which  still 
I  retains  its  great  breadth,  is  bordered  by  a  swampy  growth  of 
reeds.  It  is  filled  with  numerous  low  islands,  covered  with 
I  trees,  mostIy«dcad,  and  with  waste,  white  hrnnchca  whieh  have 
drifted  down  daring  the  inundation.  In  the  forests  along  the 
I  shore  many  trees  had  also  been  killed  by  the  high  water  of  tho 
previous  suinmer.  There  are  no  habitations  on  this  part  of 
the  river,  but  all  is  wild,  and  lonely,  and  niagnifieent.  I  had 
seen  no  sail  since  leaving  Khartoum,  and  as  the  ann  that  even- 
ing threw  his  last  red  rays  on  the  mighty  flood,  I  felt  for  the 
first  time  that  I  was  alone,  far  in  tho  savage  heart  of  Africa. 
We  dashed  along  at  a  moat  exciting  rate  of  speed,  brushing  the 
reeds  of  the  low  islands,  or  dipping  into  the  gloom  of  the  shad* 
osn  thrown  by  the  unpruned  forests.  The  innumerable  swarma 
of  wild  birds  filled  the  air  with  their  noise,  as  they  flew  to  their 
eoverta,  or  ranged  themselves  in  oonipaet  flies  on  the  sand. 
Above  all  their  din,  I  hoard  at  intervals,  from  tho  unseen 
thickets  inland,  the  prolonged  snarling  roar  of  some  wild  beast. 
It  was  too  deep-toned  and  powerful  for  a  leopard,  and  we  all 
decided  that  it  was  a  lion.  Aa  I  was  watching  the  snowy 
cranes  and  silvery  herons  that  alighted  on  the  boughs  within 
pistol-shot,  my  men  pointed  out  a  huge  hippopotamus,  standing 
in  the  reeds,  but  a  short  distance  from  the  vessel  He  wasbe- 
twocn  five  and  sis  feet  higli,  but  his  head,  body  and  legs  were 
of  enormous  bulk.  He  looked  at  us,  opened  his  great  jaws, 
gave  hia  swine-like  head  a  toss  in  the  air,  and  plunged  hastily 
into  tho  water.  At  the  same  instant  an  immense  crocodile 
(perhaps  twenty  feet  in  length)  left  his  basking-plaee  on  the 
Band  and  took  refiige  in  the  rivor.  Soon  afterwards  two  hippo 
potami  rose  in  th«  centre  of  the  etroam,  and,  after  snorting  tho 


1  OBimi&L  ArBiCA. 


iTKter  from  tbeir  DostrQa,  eDteitalncd  as  with  a  pecnliai 
iDg  sound,  like  the  lowest  rombliag  Dot«  of  a  doable-buss,  Tbe 
concert  was  continued  by  otbers,  and  resumed  from  time  to  time 
through  the  night.  This  was  Central  Africa  as  I  had  drcani- 
cd  it — n.  grand  thoagb  Ba^vago  picture,  full  of  life  and  heat^  uud 
trith  a  bnrbaric  splendor  even  in  tbe  forma  of  Nature. 

As  the  new  moon  and  the  evening  star  went  down  together 
behind  the  mimosa  forests  on  the  western  hunk,  we  reached  tlie 
island  of  Hassaniyeb,  having  sailed  upward  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  miles  since  the  evening  before.  I  bad  every  pros- 
pect of  reaching  my  destination,  the  island  of  Aba,  in  tbe 
archipelago  of  the  Shilloolis,  before  noon  the  next  day,  or  in 
two  days  from  Khartoum — a  distanco  of  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  I  Better  Bailing  than  this  wa^  never  made 
on  tie  Nile.  Four  more  days  of  such  wind  would  bare  taken  nie 
to  the  Bahr  el-Gbazal,  in  lat.  Q" — the  land  of  lions,  elepLanU, 
and  giraffes,  where  the  Nile  becomes  a,  sea  of  grass.  It  becamo 
more  difficult  for  me  to  return,  the  further  I  advanced.  At 
nine  o'clock  we  passed  the  island  of  Hassaniyeb,  and  saw  the 
Grea  of  the  Shillook  negroes  burning  brightly  on  the  weBt«rn 
banL  The  wind  blew  more  briskly  than  ever,  and  I  dashed 
larlight  with  the  painful  knowledge  that  I  vim 


{kst  approaching  the  point  beyond  which  I  dared  not  go. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

ADVEMIDREB     AMONO     THE     HBILLOOK     HEOROBS. 

Mnnliig— Uienmccnca  of  ths  Iilind  ScKuir;— Birds  uirl  lIlppi>pi>taiiil-~Fll3lit  gl  tb* 
B»a»M— Til*  lalMd  of  Ab»— Signs  oT  Populntlon— A  B»iid  uf  WuTlan- Tho  Bhskli 
}—The  Kobe  of  Honor— Suspltlons-We  walk  M 
Iha  VlUaeo— '^PP«»°"  "t  the  Sbill outs— The  Vll!age-The  SulUtn  gi^w  AaiUcmi 
—Womiin  uid  CUildnsn— Ornmmcnts  of  LtiB  Nitlvca-^My  Watcb-A  Jaretnootj— 

Bbllloofcs— Tlie  Lmil  of  iho  Lotns— PopQlaUpn  of  ibo  Shllloc*  Kingdom— ThuTiim. 
lug  rolat— A  Ykw  fhim  lh«  MnU-IIeid. 

Wb  Bailed  nearly  all  nigbt  with  a  steady  north-wind,  wlilch 
towards  moniiiig  became  bo  atroog  that  the  men  were  obliged 
to  take  in  eail  and  let  ua  scud  audcr  bare  polea.  When  I  toed, 
in  the  gray  of  early  dawD,  they  vrere  aboot  hoisting  the  little 
Btem-sbeet,  which  alone  sufficed  to  carry  us  along  at  tho  rat« 
3f  four  miles  an  hour.  We  had  passed  tho  frontier  of  Egyp- 
tian  Soudiin  soon  after  sunset,  and  were  then  deep  in  the  negro 
kingdom  of  the  Shillooka.  The  sceneiy  had  changed  consider- 
ably since  the  evening.  The  forests  were  taller  and  more 
dense,  and  the  river  more  thickly  studded  with  blands,  the  soil 
of  which  vaa  entirely  concealed  by  the  luxuriant  girdle  of 
■hiabs  and  water-plants,  in  which  tLcy  lay  imbedded.     The 


jOTmtnn  to  osKniAt  afbica. 

amhak,  a  Hpeoiea  of  aquatic  ahrub,  with  leaves  reaembliDg  It 
seositivo  plant  and  winged,  bean-like  TiloasomB  of  a  rich  yellow 
hue,  grew  on  the  edge  of  the  ehore,  with  its  roots  in  the  water 
and  its  long  arms  floating  on  the  surface.  It  formed  impene- 
trable ramparts  around  the  islands  and  shores,  except  wbero 
the  hippopotamus  and  crocodile  had  trodden  paths  into  the 
forests,  or  the  lion  and  leopard  had  coiuo  down  to  the  river's 
margin  t^  drink.  Behiud  this  floating  hem  of  foliage  and  blot- 
Boms  appeared  other  and  larger  shrubs,  completely  matt«d  to- 
gether with  climbing  vines,  which  covered  them  like  a  mantk 
and  hung  from  their  branches  dangling  streamers  of  while  Bad 
purple  and  jellow  blossoms.  They  even  stretched  te  the 
boQghi  of  the  large  minaoaa,  or  sont  trees,  which  grew  in  the 
centre  of  the  islands,  thus  binding  all  together  in  ronnded 
masses.  Some  of  the  smaller  islands  resembled  floating  hiUa 
of  vegetation,  and  their  slopes  and  suramits  of  impervious  foli- 
age, rolling  in  the  wind,  appeared  to  keep  time  with  the  rock- 
ing of  the  waves  that  upheld  them.  The  profuaioQ  of  vegeta- 
ble life  reminded  mo  of  the  Chagres  River.  If  not  bo  rich 
and  gorgeous,  it  was  oq  a  far  grander  scale.  The  river  had 
still  a  breadth  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  where  his  cuireiit  was  free, 
but  where  island  crowded  on  island  iu  a  vast  archipelago  of 
leafy  shores,  he  took  a  much  wider  sweep.  The  waves  danced 
and  glistened  in  the  cool  northern  wind,  as  we  glided  aroaud 
his  majestic  curves,  and  I  stood  on  deck  watching  the  wonder- 
ful panorama  unfold  on  cither  side,  with  a  feeling  of  exul- 
tation to  which  I  gave  free  vent.  In  no  other  river  have  1 
seen  landscapes  of  larger  or  more  imposing  character. 

All  the  rich  animal  world  of  this  region  was  awake  and 
stirring  befora  the  sua.      The  wild  fowls  left  their  roosts;  iht 


r   THB    BHII.LOOKS.  331 

zikzaki  flew  twittering  over  the  wares,  calliog  up  their  matce^ 
the  sleepy  crocodiles ;  the  heronB  stretohed  their  wings  against 
the  wind ;  the  monkeys  leaped  and  cliattered  in  the  woods, 
and  at  last  whole  herds  of  hippopotajai,  Kporting  near  the  shore, 
oamo  up  spouting  water  from  their  noatiils,  in  a  manner  pre- 
cisely similar  to  ths  grampus.  I  counted  sis  together,  soon 
after  sunrise,  near  the  end  of  an  ishind.  They  floundered 
about  in  the  shallows  popping  up  their  heads  every  few  min- 
utes to  look  at  us,  and  at  last  walked  out  through  the  reeds 
and  stood  upon  the  shore.  Soon  afterwards  five  more  appear- 
ed on  the  otber  side  of  the  river,  and  thenceforth  we  saw  them 
almost  constantly,  and  sometimes  within  fifty  yards.  I  noticed 
one  which  must  have  been  fgur  feet  in  breadth  across  the  ears, 
and  with  a  head  nearly  five  feqt  long.  He  opened  his  mouth 
wide  enough  to  show  two  round,  blunt  tusks,  or  rather  grinders, 
one  on  each  side.  They  exhibited  a  great  deal  of  curiosity, 
and  freqaeutly  turned  about  after  wc  had  passed,  and  followed 
for  some  time  in  our  wake. 

Soon  after  sunrise  the  rais  observed  some  Shillooks  la  the 
distance,  who  were  sinking  their  canoes  in  the  river,  after 
whioh  they  hastily  retreated  into  tlie  woods.  We  ran  along 
beside  the  embowering  shores,  till  we  reached  the  place  The 
canoes  were  carefully  concealed  and  some  pieces  of  drift  wood 
throivn  over  the  spot,  as  if  left  there  by  the  river.  The  rais 
olimbed  to  the  mast-head  and  called  to  the  people,  assuring 
them  that  there  was  no  danger,  but,  though  we  peered  sharply 
into  the  thickets,  we  could  find  no  signs  of  any  human  being 
The  river  here  turned  to  the  south,  disclosing  other  and  rich- 
er groups  of  islands,  stretching  heyoiid  one  another  far  into  the 
disianne.     Directly  on  our  left  was  the  northern  point  of  ths 


89:1 


JOUBKXT  TO  ««?rnut  i 


isUnd  of  Aba,  our  destuLation.     As  the  island  is  uz  or  i 

niile^  in  lengtb,  I  determined  to  make  the  most  of  my  bargain, 
mid  BO  told  tLe  tsib  that  he  must  take  me  to  ita  further  end, 
and  to  the  villages  of  the  Sbillooks,  whom  I  had  come  to  see, 
Ahou-Hammed  vine  small  in  body,  but  had  a  stont  heart.  The 
CoDsul  aod  fat  Abou-Balta  had  given  him  special  iDstruclioni 
to  keep  me  out  of  danger,  yet  he  uould  not  refuse  my  demands. 
We  sailed  two  or  three  milea  along  the  ahrre  of  Aba,  looking 
into  the  depths  of  its  ambak  forests  for  traces  of  the  Sbilloolu, 
who,  according  to  the  rais,  had  a  village  on  the  island.  On 
our  right  extended  a  chain  of  smaller  islands — bowery  omssa 
of  leaves  and  blosaoma— and  beyond  them  the  wild  forests  uf 
the  western  bank.  Glorious  above  description  was  that  vaM  ' 
of  waves  and  foliage — of  wood,  water  and  sky.  1 

At  last,  on  rouuding  one  of  the  covea  of  Aba,  we  came 
upon  a  dock  of  sheep,  feeding  along  the  shore,  A  light  thread 
of  smoke  arose  trom  among  some  dead,  fallen  trees,  a  few  pwu 
in  the  forest,  but  no  person  was  to  be  seen.  The  boat  was  run 
to  the  shore,  and  we  landed  and  examined  the  spot,  Xhe  na- 
tives bad  evidently  just  left,  for  the  brands  were  burning,  and 
we  saw  the  prints  of  their  long  feet  in  the  ashes.  The  rais  and 
sailors  walked  on  tiptoe  through  the  woods,  looking  for  the 
hidden  inhabitants.  The  mimosas,  which  here  grow  to  the 
height  of  fifty  feet,  met  above  our  beads  and  made  a  roof 
against  the  sun.  Some  large  gray  apes,  startled  by  our  TJflit, 
leaped  with  wonderful  dexterity  from  tree  to  'ree.  I  found 
several  abandoned  Sre-placcs  during  my  walk,  and  near  tbo 
Bhore  saw  many  footprints  in  the  soft  soil.  The  forest  w»a 
quite  clear  of  underwood,  but  the  eround  was  cambered  with 
the  trunks  of  dead  trees.     There  were  but  few  flowering  plsnts 


■ws  KscavrmR  tiif  shillookb.  833 

and  I  ime  too  much  interested  In  tbe  search  far  tlie  Shilloob 
to  examine  them. 

The  rara  finally  descried  the  huts  of  the  village  at  a  dis- 
tance, ncfir  the  extremity  of  the  island.  We  returned  to  tha 
vessel,  and  were  about  putting  off  in  order  to  proceed  thither, 
when  a  large  body  of  men,  armed  with  spears,  appeared  in  the 
forest,  coming  towards  us  at  a  qnick  pace.  The  raVa,  who  had 
already  had  some  intercourse  with  these  people  and  knew  some- 
thing of  their  hahits,  advanced  alone  to  meet  them.  I  could 
see,  through  the  trees,  that  a  consultation  was  held,  and  short- 
ly, though  with  some  signs  of  doubt  and  hesitation,  about  a 
dozen  of  the  savages  advanced  to  withia  a  short  distance  of 
the  vessel,  while  the  others  sat  down  on  the  ground,  still  hold- 
ing the  spears  in  their  hands.  The  rais  now  returned  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  said  that  the  ShiUooks  had  come  with  tha 
intention  of  fighting,  but  he  had  informed  them  that  this  was  a 
visit  &om  the  Sultan's  son,  who  came  to  see  them  as  a  friend, 
and  would  then  return  to  his  father's  country.  Thereupon 
they  consented  to  speak  with  me,  and  I  might  venture  to  go 
on  shore.  I  landed  again,  with  Acbmet,  and  walked  up  with 
the  rais  to  the  spot  where  the  men  were  seated.  The  shekh 
of  the  island,  a  tall,  handsome  man,  rose  to  greet  me,  by  touch- 
ing the  palm  of  his  right  hand  to  mine  and  then  raising  it  to 
his  forehead.  I  made  a  like  salutation,  after  which  he  sat 
down.  The  vizier  (as  he  called  himself),  an  old  man  esccs- 
sively  black  in  complexion,  then  advanced,  and  the  other  war- 
riors in  Bucoesslon,  tiU  all  bad  saluted  me.  The  conversation 
was  carried  on  in  the  Arabic  jargon  of  Soudan,  which  the  shekb 
«nd  some  of  his  men  spoke  tolerably  well,  bo  that  I  oould  un- 
derstand the  moat  of  what  was  s-iid.     "  Why  don't  you  bring 


834  JODRNEr   TO   CKNTRAl.  ATSIOA. 

the  Sultan's  carpet  tbat  he  may  rest  ?"  said  the  sbekb  to  one 
of  my  eailora.  The  carpet  and  pillows  were  immediatelj 
brought,  and  I  stretched  myself  out  iu  front  of  the  shekh  and 
vizier,  who  sat  upon  a,  fii.llen  tree,  while  the  others  si^uiittet] 
upon  tlie  ground.  The  sbekb  at  first  took  no  part  in  the  coo' 
versation,  but  sat  looking  at  mo  steadily,  from  under  hie  heavy 
eyebrows.  Our  negotiations  were  conducted  in  genuine  diplo- 
matic style.  Whenever  Hia  Majesty  of  the  Sbillooks  had  nnj 
thing  to  say,  he  mentioned  It  to  his  viaier,  who  addressed  Ach- 
met,  my  vizier,  who  communicated  it  to  me,  the  Sultan.  Tlie 
spectators  observed  the  most  profound  silence,  and  nothing 
could  surpass  the  gravity  and  solemnity  of  the  scene. 

In  tho  mean  time  tlie  otiior  warriors  had  come  up  and  taten 
their  seats  around  us,  each  one  greeting  me  before  he  sat  iom, 
with  "ow-icout-uobba/^'  (probably  a  corruption  of  the  Arabia 

'  mar-liabba  ?  "  "  how  d'ye  do  ?  ")     The  viiier,  addressing  me 
through  Achmet,  said :  "  Tell  us  what  you  want ;  if  you  comu 
to  fight,  we  are  ready  for  you."     I  asaared  the  shekh  tliron^ 
him  that  I  came  as  a  friend,  and  had  no  intention  of  molesting 
them,  but  he  was  not  satisfied,  and  repeated  three  c 
times,  drawing  a  mark  between  us  on  the  ground  :  "if  you  an  | 
really  friends,  we  will  be  friends  with  you ;  but  if  you  are  not,,  I 
we  arc  ready  to  fight  you."     Achmet  at  last  swore  by  the  Pro- 1 
phet  Mohammed,  and  by  the  wisdom  of  Allah,  that  we  had  comi  I 
in  peace ;  that  the  Sultan  wished  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  would  1 
then  return  home.     At  the  rei^neat  of  the  raj'a  we  had  come  (M 
shore  unarmed,  but  it  bad  not  the  anticipated  elFect     "Wfaf  I 
have  you  no  arms?"  said  the  sbekb;  "are  you  afraid  of  os?"  ' 
I  told  bim  that  it  was  in  order  to  show  that  I  had  no  hoatill  I 

ntcntions,  but  the  people  seemed  to  consider  it  as  mark  ofl 


339 


eitlier  treacliery  or  fear.  I  brought  eome  tobacco  with  me 
which  I  gave  to  the  shekh,  but  he  received  it  coldlj,  and  Eaid , 
"  Where  is  the  dress  which  the  Sultan  has  brought  for  me?" 
This  reminded  me  that  I  had  eatirely  ueglected  to  provide 
myself  in  Khartoum  with  muslin  and  calico,  for  presents.  I 
remedied  tbo  deficiency, however, by  goiiig  onboard  and  taking 
one  of  my  shirts  and  a  silk  bandkcrcLief,  as  well  ns  some  heads 
and  car-ringa  for  the  wives  of  the  two  dignitaries,  Aebmet 
added  a  shirt  and  a  pair  of  Turkish  drawers,  and  brought  a 
fresh  supply  of  tobacco  for  the  warriors.  The  shekh  took  the 
presents  with  evident  gratification,  and  then  came  the  work  of 
clothing  him.  He  was  entirely  at  a  loss  how  to  put  on  the 
garments,  but  Aclimct  and  the  raia  unwound  the  cotton  cloth 
from  his  loina,  stuck  hia  legs  into  the  drawers,  his  arms  into 
the  shirt-sleeves,  and  tied  the  handkerchief  about  his  head. 
Once  clothed,  be  gave  no  more  attention  to  hia  garments,  but 
wore  them  with  as  much  nonchalance  as  if  he  had  never  pos- 
Bessed  a  Boantier  costume.  The  vizier,  who  bad  shown  mani- 
fest ill-humor  at  being  passed  by,  was  quieted  by  the  present 
of  a  shirt,  which  was  put  upon  his  shoulders  in  like  manner. 
He  gave  me  hia  name  as  Adjeh-Secdoo  ("  He  pleases  his  Mas- 
ter"), a  most  appropriate  name  for  a  vizier.  The  shekh'g 
name,  AM-en-nooT  ("the  SUve  of  Light"),  was  hardly  so 
befitting,  for  he  was  remarkably  dark.  I  was  much  amused  at 
my  servant  All,  who  bad  shown  groat  terror  on  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  savages.  Se  had  already  become  so  familiar, 
that  when  the  shekh  did  not  seem  to  understand  the  use  of 
the  beads  and  ear-rings,  Ali  pinched  his  ears  very  significantly 
tad  took  hold  of  bis  neck  to  show  how  they  must  be  worn. 
By  this  time  coffee  had  been  prepared  and  was  brought  ti 


JOURirST    TO 


ihcm.     But  they  had  been  ao  accnstomed  to  inliumaKity 
deception  on  the  part  of  the  Turks,  that  they  still  mistrui 
as  and  no  one  would  drink,  for  fear  that  it  contained  poif 
To  quiet  them,  therefore,  I  drank  a.  cup  first,  after  which 
took  it  readily,  but  many  of  them,  who  then  tasted  coffee  for 
the  firat  time,  did  not  seem  to  reliah  it.     A  drove  of  eheep 
happening  to  pass  by,  the  shekh  ordered  one  of  the  raraa  to  be 
caught  and  pnt  on  board  the  vessel,  for  the  Sultan'a  dinner. 
Tlic  men  soon  began  to  demand  tobacco,  clothes,  and  varioni 
other  things,  and  grew  so  importunate  that  Achnict  becuM 
alarmed,  and  even  the  rai's,  who  was  a  man  of  some  courage 
seemed  a  little  uneasy,     I  thought  it  time  to  give  a  change 
affairs,  and  therefore  rose  and  told  the  shekh  I  was  ready 
risit  hia  village.     We  had  intended  returning  on  board  anJ' 
Bailing  to  the  place,  which  was  at  the  Bouthem  extremity  of 
the  i)-]and,  about  a  mile  distant,  bnt  reflecting  that  this  migbl 
occasion  miatmat,  and  that  the  best  way  of  avoiding  danger  is 
to  appear  unconscious  of  it,  I  called  Achmet  and  the  rais  M 
accompany  mo  on  foot.     "While  these  things  were  transpiringr 
a  number  of  other  Shillooka  had  arrived,  so  that  there  weM 
now  upwards  of  fifty.      All  were  armed — the  moat  of  than 
with  iron-pointed  spears,  some  with  clubs,  and  some  with  long 
poles,  having  knoba  of  hard  wood  on  the  end.     They  were  ill 
tall,  strong,  stately  people,  not  more  than  two  or  three  under 
ail  feet  in  height,  while  the  most  of  them  were  three  or  four 
incjies  over  that  standard.  ■  Some  had  a  piece  of  rough  cotton 
fllolh  tied  around  the  waist  or  thrown  over  the  shoulders,  bul 
the  most  of  them  were  entirely  naked.     Their  figurea  weM 
largo  and  muscular,  but  not  symractricat,  nor  was  there  the 
least  ofrace  in  their  movements.     Their  faces  resembled  a  oroB 


I 


AFFBABAHOK  Or   TBB   BIULI^OKB.  881 

between  the  Negro  of  Guinea  and  the  North  American  In- 
dian, having  the  high  cheek  bones,  the  narrow  forehead  and 
pointed  he^d  of  the  latter,  with  tlio  flat  nose  and  projecting 
lipB  of  the  former,  TLcir  teeth  were  eo  long  as  to  appear  like 
(nske,  and  in  most  of  them  one  or  tiro  front  teeth  were  waul- 
ing, which  gave  their  faces  a  wolfish  espression.  Their  eye* 
were  small  and  had  an  inflamed  lool,  which  might  have  been 
omasioned  by  the  damp  exhalations  of  the  soil  on  which  they 
elept.  Every  one  wore  an  armlet  above  the  elbow,  either  a 
segment  of  an  elephant's  task,  or  a  thick  ring  of  plaited  hippo- 
potamus hide.  The  most  of  them  had  a  string  of  glass  beads 
aronnd  the  neck,  and  the  ehekb  wore  a  necklace  of  the  large 
white  variety,  called  "  pigeon  eggs  "  by  the  traders  on  tho 
White  Nile.  They  had  no  beards,  and  their  hair  was  seared 
or  plucked  out  on  tho  forehead  and  temples,  leaving  only  « 
circular  crown  of  crisp  wool  on  the  tap  of  the  head.  Some 
had  rubbed  their  faces  and  heads  with  red  ashes,  which  imparts 
ed  a  livid,  ghastly  effect  to  their  black  skins. 

The  shekh  marched  ahead,  in  his  white  garments  and  flut- 
tering head-dress,  followed  bj  the  warriors,  each  carrying  bis 
lung  spear  erect  in  his  hand.  We  walked  in  the  midst  of 
them,  and  I  was  so  careful  to  avoid  all  appearance  of  fear  that 
I  never  once  looked  behind,  to  see  whether  tho  vessel  was  fol- 
lowing us.  A  violent  dispute  arose  among  some  of  the  men  in 
Eront,  and  from  their  frequent  glances  towards  us,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  we  were  in  some  way  coimected  with  the  conversa- 
tion. I  did  not  feel  quite  at  ease  till  the  matter  was  referred 
to  the  shekh,  who  decided  it  in  a  way  that  silenced  the  men,  if 
it  did  not  satisfy  them.  As  we  approached  the  vilbige,  good- 
hiUQor  was  restored,  and  their  demeanor  towards  ub  was 
15 


lOtTRSE?    TO    OBHTR&L    I 


lliencufortli  more  friendly.  They  looked  at  mc  witn  curiofity 
but  without  ill-will,  and  I  could  see  that  my  dress  iatcrested 
them  much  more  than  my  person.  Finally  we  reached  the 
village,  which  contained  about  one  hundred  tofculs  of  straw^ 
built  in  a  circular  fonn,  with  conieal  roofs.  They 
ej  so  as  to  inclose  a  spaee  in  the  centre,  which  was  evideotlj 
intended  as  a  fold  for  their  sheep,  as  it  was  further  protect! 
by  a  fence  of  thorns.  Guards  were  stationed  at  intervals 
about  twenty  yards,  along  the  side  fronting  the  river,  esdk' 
leaning  back  against  hia  apear,  with  one  of  his  legs  drawn'op, 
BO  that  the  foot  rested  against  tho  opposite  knee.  At  the 
principal  entrance  of  the  village,  opposite  which  I  couotei 
twenty-seven  canoos  drawn  up  against  the  shore,  we  made  hflUr 
and  the  ahckh  ordered  a  seat  to  bo  brought.  An  angareb,  tbui 
frame  of  which  was  covered  with  a  net-work  of  hippopotamM 
thongs,  was  placed  in  the  shade  of  a  majestic  mimosa  tree,  and 
the  shekh  and  I  took  our  seats.  Another  aogarcb  was  brougbt 
and  placed  behind  uB,  for  our  respective  viziers.  The  warriora 
nil  laid  aside  their  spears  and  sat  on  tho  ground,  forming 
eemieircle  in  front  of  us.  A  swarm  of  naked  boys,  from 
to  twelve  years  of  age,  crept  dodging  behind  the  trees  till  thej 
reached  a  conTcnient  place  in  the  rear,  where  they  watehed 
curiously,  but  drew  back  in  alarm  whenever  I  turned  my  hcat'^ 
The  village  was  entirely  deserted  of  its  inhabitants,  every 
having  come  to  behold  the  strange  Sultan.  The  females  kej 
at  a  distance  at  first,  but  gradually  a  few  were  so  far  overcome 
by  their  curiosity  that  they  approached  near  enough  for  me  to 
observe  them  elosely.  They  were  nude,  except  a  small  piece 
of  sheepskin  around  the  loins,  and  in  their  forma  were  not  very 
eaxy  to  distinguish  &om  th  i  men,  having  flat,  masculine  breast! 


r  TUK  vuxAOB.  339 

end  narrow  hips.  They  were  from  five  feet  eight  inchea  to  sU 
feet  in  height.  The  raia  iuformed  me  that  the  Shillooka  fre- 
quentlj  sell  their  women  and  children,  and  thit  a  boy  or  ^rl 
oan  be  bought  for  about  twenty  measaros  of  dourra. 

After  undergoing  their  inapectioa  half  au  hour,  I  began  to 
get  tired  of  sittmg  in  state,  and  had  my  pipe  brought  from,  the 
boat.  I  saw  by  an  occasional  eidelong  glance  that  the  shekh 
watched  me,  bat  I  Bmoked  carelessly  until  the  tobacco  was 
finished.  Some  of  the  men  were  already  regaling  themselves 
with  that  which  I  had  given  them.  They  had  pipes  with  im- 
mense globular  bowb  of  clay,  short,  thick  stems  of  reed,  and 
mouth-pieces  made  of  a  variety  of  wild  gourd,  with  a  long, 
pointed  nock.  A  handful  of  tobacco  was  placed  in  the  bowl 
and  two  or  three  coals  laid  upon  it,  after  which  the  orifice  was 
closed  with  clay.  The  vizier,  Adjeb-Seedoo,  who  had  some- 
thiug  of  the  Yankee  in  his  angular  features  and  the  ahrewd 
wrinkles  about  the  comcra  of  the  eyes,  chewed  the  lobaceo  and 
squirted  out  the  saliva  between  hia  teeth  in  the  true  Down- 
East  style.  I  bargained  for  his  pipe  at  two  piastres,  and  one 
of  the  ivory  arm-rings  at  five,  but  as  I  had  no  small  silver 
money  (the  only  coin  current  among  them),  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  the  former  article,  I  obtained,  however,  two  of  the 
arm-rings  of  hippopotamus  hide.  Wlilo  these  tilings  were  go- 
ing on,  the  shekh  who  had  been  observing  me  closely,  saw  the 
ibain  of  my  watoh,  which  he  seized.  I  took  out  the  walch 
and  held  it  to  his  ear.  He  started  back  in  surprise,  and  told 
the  men  what  he  had  heard,  imitating  its  sound  in  a  most 
amusing  manner.  They  oil  crowded  around  to  listen,  and 
from  their  looks  and  eigus  seemed  to  think  the  case  contained 
some  bird  or  insect.     I  therefore  opened  it,  and  showed  then 


JOlmKET   TO   CBHTBAL  A 


an  the  amill«f 

awe 

ling, 


tlie  motion  of  the  balance- wheel  and  of  the  band  o 

dial  of  the  face     Their  aatonislinient  was  now  changed  to  awe 

and  tliey  looked  at  it  Bilantlj,  without  daring  to  touch  it. 

I  profited  by  this  irapreBaion  to  make  a  move  for  etarting, 
before  their  greed  for  presents  should  grow  into  a  resolve  ti 
lob  us  by  force.  I  had  asked  the  shekh  two  or  three  times  tg 
have  a  cup  of  water  brought  for  me,  but  be  ecemed  to  pay  ui 
BttoDtinn  to  the  request.  Soon,  however,  one  of  the  men 
brought  a  large  earthen  jar,  stopped  with  alay,  and  placed  it 
at  my  feet.  Thereupon  the  shekb  turned  to  me,  eaying; 
"  There  is  plenty  of  water  in  the  river,  and  here  I  give  yon 
honey  to  mix  with  it^"  The  jar  was  taken  on  board,  and  con 
tained,  in  fact,  nearly  a  gallon  of  wild  honey,  which  had  a  rich, 
aromatic  taste,  like  the  odor  of  the  mimosa  flowers.  The  trtd- 
ing-vcBsels  on  the  White  Nile  purchase  this  honey,  but  as  IIib 
nntivoH,  in  their  hatred  of  the  Turks,  frequently  mix  willi  it 
the  juice  of  poisonous  plants,  they  arc  obliged  to  taste  it  tiiem- 
selves  before  they  can  sell  it.  I  did  not  require  this  proof  al 
their  hands,  preferring  to  trust  them  unreservedly,  at  least  in 
my  demeanor.  Trust  always  begets  a  kindred  trust,  and  I 
nni  quite  sure  tbat  my  safety  among  those  savages  was  owing 
to  my  having  adopted  this  course  of  conduct. 

I  wont  on  board  to  get  the  money  for  the  arm.-riDga,  and 
after  Achmet  had  paid  the  men,  directed  him  and  the  raia  to  i 
return.  Several  of  the  Shillooks  followed,  offoring  articles  foi  j 
^ale,  and  the  vizier,  who  bad  waded  out,  holding  up  his  neff 
iliirt  so  that  it  might  not  be  wet,  climbed  upon  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat  and  peered  iato  the  cabin.  I  changed  my  position 
80  aa  to  stand  between  him  and  the  door,  gave  him  two  onioni 
i^iich  hi  saw  on  deck  and  had  an  appetite  for,  and  lioniod 


THE    BOLTAN^    RLAOK    WIFE.  841 

him  away.  The  shekh  and  all  the  warriors  had  como  dnwn  bi 
the  shore,  but  without  their  epcars,  and  were  seated  on  th< 
ground,  holding  a  consultation.  By  thia  time,  however,  the 
Rus  was  at  the  helm,  and  the  Bailors  had  hcgun  to  shove  the 
Iiow  of  mj  boat  into  the  stream.  I  called  out :  <■  0  Shekh 
Abd-en-BOor  I "  in  u  familiar  way,  and  waved  mj  hand  as  a 
token  of  parting.  He  rose,  returned  the  salute,  made  a  ges- 
ture to  his  men,  and  they  all  went  slowly  hack  to  tie  village, 
Ab  wg  were  leaving,  the  sailors  informed  me  that  one  of  the 
Shillooks,  who  had  come  down  to  th«  boat  while  I  was  seated 
with  the  shekh  on  shore,  took  a  fancy  to  the  fat  hlack  slave 
who  cooks  for  them,  aod  expressed  his  determination  to  take 
her.  They  told  him  she  was  one  of  tho  Saltan's  wives,  and 
that  as  His  Majesty  was  now  the  fihekh's  friend,  he  daro  not 
touch  her.  "  Oh,"  said  the  Shilloot,  "  if  she  is  the  Sultan's 
wife,  that  is  enough ;"  and  he  immediately  returned  to  the 
shore.  I  forgave  the  impertinence  of  tho  sailors  in  passing  off 
Buch  a.  hideous  ereiLture  as  one  of  my  wives,  in  consideration 
of  the  adroitness  with  which  they  avoided  what  might  have 
been  a  serioiiB  difficulty. 

The  Shillooks  have  not  the  appearance  of  men  who  are 
naturally  malicious.  The  selfish  ir^pndence  with  wiiich  thoy 
demand  presents,  is  common  to  all  savage  tribes.  But  the 
Turks  and  even  the  European  merchants  who  take  part  in  the 
annual  trading  expeditions  up  the  river,  have  dealt  with  thom 
in  Buch  a  shameful  manner  that  they  are  now  mistrustful  of  all 
strangers,  and  hence  it  is  unsafe  to  venture  among  them.  I 
»ttribute  the  friendly  character  of  my  interview  with  them  as 
much  to  good  luck  ns  to  good  management.  The  rai's  after- 
muis  informed  me  that  if  the  shekh  had  not  been   satisfied 


jounNsr  TO  cbntsal 


ave  attempfn^l 


with  tho  drcBs  I  gavo  hLm,  he  would  cortainly  have  a 
to  plunder  the  vessel.  He  Eta,t«d  that  the  Shillooks  a 
habit  of  going  down  the  river  as  far  as  the  coiintrj  of  the  IIss- 
sauiycha,  einking  their  boats  and  concealing  themselves  iu  tlie 
woods  in  tht  day-time,  "while  by  night  they  venture  into  Iblw 
villages  and  rob  the  people  of  their  dourra,  for  which  ihq^B 
have  a  great  fondness.  They  cultivate  nothing  themselvn^  i 
and  their  only  employment  is  the  chase  of  the  elephant,  hipjN^  I 
potamuB  and  other  wild  beastB.  All  the  region  east  of  tha  I 
r  abounds  with  herds  of  elephants  and  girofTes,  but  I  w>(  | 
not  fortuD.ita  enough  to  get  sight  of  them. 

3  the  true  land  of  the  lotus,  and  the  Sbillooke,  if  uu 
the  lotojthagoi  of  tho  Greeks,  are,  with  the  exception  of  tin 
!,  the  only  modern  eaters  of  the  plant.  I  was  too  ble 
I,  and  there  were  but  few  Bpeoimens  of  it 
nmong  these  islands;  but  not  far  beyond  Aba  it  appeaw in 
great  profusion,  and  both  the  seeds  and  roots  are  eaten  by  ^ 
natives.  Dr.  Knohlecher,  who  ate  it  freijuently  during  hii 
voyage,  informed  me  tliat  the  root  resembles  the  potato  in  ctin- 
aistence  and  taste,  with  a  strong  flavor  of  celery.  These 
islands  are  inhabited  oiily  by  the  hunters  and  fishers  of  the 
tribe,  Who  abi^ndon  them  in  summer,  when  they  are  oomplete- 
ly  covered  by  the  inundation.  At  lat.  12°,  or  about  thirty 
miles  south  of  Aba,  both  banks  of  the  river  are  cultivated,  aaA 
thence,  for  upwards  of  two  hundred  miles,  the  villages  are 
jrowded  so  close  to  each  other  all  along  the  shores,  that  tbey 
almost  form  two  continuous  towns,  fronting  each  other.  This 
part  of  the  White  Nile  is  the  most  thickly  populated  region  in 
Africa,  and  perhaps  in  the  world,  China  alone  excepted, 
number  of  the  Shillooks  is  estimated  at  between  two  and  thrH  | 
millions,  or  equal  to  the  popniation  of  a 


849 


Afi  vc  weighed  anchor,  I  found  that  the  men  bad  taken 
down  both  sails  and  shipped  the  oara  for  our  return  to  Khar- 
toum. We  had  reached  the  southern  point  of  tiic  island,  in 
about  laL  12^  30'  north,  acd  the  north-wind  was  etill  blowing 
EtroDgly.  The  rounded  tops  of  the  mimosa  forests  bent  south- 
ward as  they  tossed ;  the  flowery  arms  of  the  ambak-trees 
waved  to  the  Eoutb,  trailing  against  the  current,  and  my  heart 
Hank  within  me  at  the  thought  of  retracing  my  steps.  Wo 
had  sailed  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  forty-eight  hours ; 
the  gateway  to  the  anknown  South  was  open,  and  it  seemed  a 
treason  against  Fortune  to  turn  my  face  towards  the  Mediter- 
ranean. "  Aehmet  I "  said  I,  "  tell  the  men  to  set  the  irin- 
keet  again,  Wewillaail  to  theBahrel-Ghaial."  The  Theban's 
face  became  ghastly  at  the  bare  idea.  "  0  Master  I"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  are  you  not  satisfied  with  your  good  fortune  ?  We 
are  now  nearly  at  the  end  of  the  earth,  and  if  we  go  further,  it 
will  be  impossible  to  return."  Rai's  Abou-Hammed  declared 
that  he  had  kept  his  word,  and  that  he  Hhould  now  return,  as 
it  had  been  agreed,  before  we  left  Khartoum.  I  knew  there 
was  certain  danger  in  going  further,  and  that  I  had  no  right  to 
violate  my  agreement  and  peril  others  aa  well  as  myself;  but 
there  lay  the  great  river,  holding  in  his  lap,  to  tempt  me  on, 
isles  of  brighter  bloom  and  spreading  out  shores  of  yet  richer 
foliage,  I  was  in  the  centre  of  the  Continent.  Beyond  me 
all  was  strange  and  unknown,  and  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  was  lesa 
distant  than  the  Mediterranean,  whi-cb  I  left  not  three  montha 
before.  Why  not  push  on  and  attempt  to  grasp  the  Central 
African  secret?  The  fact  that  stronger,  braver  and  bolder 
men  had  failed,  was  one  Inro  the  more.  Happily  for  me,  per- 
hapa,  my  object  on  commencing  the  voyage  had  been  teat  anj 


S44  JOITRNST  TO   CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

recreation,  not  exploration.     Had  I  been  provided  witb  the 
necessary  means  and  scientific  appliances  for  making  such  an 
attempt  useful,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  turn  back  at 
hat  point. 

I  climbed  to  the  mast-head  and  looked  to  the  south,  where 
die  forest  archipelago,  divided  by  glittering  reaches  of  water, 
wove  its  labyrinth  in  the  distance.  I  thought  I  saw — ^but  it 
may  have  been  fancy — ^beyond  the  leafy  crown  of  the  farthest 
isles,  the  ^aint  blue  horizon  of  that  sea  of  water  and  grass, 
where  the  palm  again  appears  and  the  lotus  fringes  the  shorea 
A  few  hours  of  the  strong  north-wind,  now  blowing  in  our 
faces,  would  have  taken  me  there,  but  I  gave  myself  up  to 
Fate  and  a  pipe,  which  latter  immediately  suggested  to  me 
that  though  I  was  leaving  the  gorgeous  heart  of  Africa,  I  was 
going  back  to  Civilization  and  Home. 


IXTLORATTONS    ( 


I    WJilTB  HILB. 


CHAFTEK    XXVII. 


Eililunllcns  of  tlio  Td.lta  NLlfl— Dr,  Kniiblcdier-s  Vorsge  In  lM>Jt,)-Tli6  I^dl 
Qf  tlia  Hlililihiks  Bna  DlnkM-Interconree  >vHb  llio  Natives- Wild  Ek'pbiiutB  acd 
Glniefes— The  SobM  Klver— The  CuDnliy  of  MBBhes-Tho  Gnsalle  Lalio-Tl.« 
Nuctis-lntemc"  irlth  Uio  Clii.T  of  Uio  Kjis— Tho  Zlili  ConnCrj— Land  of  tin 
Birfs— TheEBpiitaBannonnWd— ArrlvoUt  Ijigwck,  in  LiL  <■=  10' Notth-Pancp™- 
m*  from  Mt  Logweli-SonruM  of  the  White  Ntie— Character  of  tho  BbtI  Kmlop- 
Satata  of  the  Eipeiiilion— FisdnHllon  uT  the  Nile. 


Let  me  here  pause  a  momeDt,  at  the  turning-point  of  my  jour- 
ney, and  cast  a  glance  up  the  grand  and  wonderful  vista  whicli 
the  White  Nile  opened  to  my  view.  The  exploration  of  this 
river  within  the  last  fifteen  years  conatitutes  the  most  interest- 
ing chapter  in  tho  annals  of  African  Discovery.  It  has  been 
ascended  to  !at.  i°  north,  eight  degrees  of  latitude,  or  fonr 
hundred  and  eighty  geographical  miles — and  at  least  eight 
hundred  miles,  following  the  course  of  the  stream — beyond  the 
island  of  Aha.  Of  the  Europeans  who  at  different  times  ac- 
companied the  exploring  fleets  of  Mohammed  Ali  "r  the  an- 
nual trading  espeditiona,  three  kept  journals  and  made  scien- 
lifio  observations,  and  two — D'Arnaud  and  Weme — have  pub- 
lished Bccounta  of  the  voyage,  Werne's  book,  however,  if 
13' 


JOCBKSr  CO  CENTRAL  AFBICA. 


taken  up  with  peeriah  commenfa  on  the  conduct  of  D'Amauii 
and  Sabntier,  and  the  report  of  the  former,  m  I  learned  frnm 
Dr.  Knobleoher  himself,  is  incorrect  in  manj  particukra 
The  moat  saiisfactory  account  is  that  of  Dr.  Knobleeher,  wli» 
ascended  about  fifty  miles  beyond  tho  point  reached  by  pre- 
Tioua  expeditionB.  During  ray  stay  in  Khartoum,  I  receiyeij 
^^^  from  him  full  particulars  of  hia  adventures,  and  was  aUowed 

^^^H  to  inspect  his  journals  and  sketch-books.     His  reportB  are  ex- 

^^^B  ceedingly  curious  and  interesting,  and  I  herewith  present  a 

F^^^  brief  outline  of  them, 

I  Dr.  Knobleeher  was  specially  educated,  in  the  Propagandi 

at  Home,  as  a  missionary  for  Central  Africa.  After  studying 
the  Arabic  language  for  a  year  iu  Syria,  he  proceeded  to 
Khartoum,  whei'e  a  Catholic  Mission  had  already  been  estab- 
lished. There,  however,  the  Mission  found  its  sphere  of  ope- 
]  rations  circumscribed  by  the  jealousy  of  the  government,  as  lU 

I  attempts  to  make  proselytes  of  Mussulmen  are  forbidden,  and 

I  the  highest  ambition  of  the  slaves  who  are  brought  from  the 

interior  ia  to  be  couKidered  faithful  followers  of  the  Prophet. 
I  Dr.  Knobleeher  was  therefore  directed  to  accompany  the  an- 

nual trading  expedition  up  the  White  Nile,  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  practicability  of  establishing  a  missionary  star 
tion  among  some  of  the  native  negro  tribes  near  the  Equator, 
He  experienced  much  difficulty  at  the  outset,  on  account  of  tbi 
jealousy  of  the  Egyptian  traders,  who  find  the  company  of  a 
European  a  restraint  upon  their  violent  and  lawless  practices, 
but  through  tho  influence  of  the  Pasha,  who  was  at  last 
brought  to  give  his  consent,  the  missionaries  secured  a  place  in 
the  expedition,  and  on  the  13th  of  November,  1849,  set  sai] 
from  Khartoum      There  were  seven  vessels  in  the  flotills, 


,  set  sai]    H 
tilt«,and    ■ 


TBB   LAND   OF  TQE   LOTUS.  341 

that  of  Dr.  Knoblecher,  though  the  smalleBt,  proved  to  be  th<i 
best  sailer  and  usually  kept  the  lead.  He  bad  on  board  a 
&ithfu]  and  experienced  Nubian  pilot,  named  Snleyman  Abou- 
Zeid. 

After  fourteen  days'  sailing,  Uie  espedition  passed  the 
islands  of  the  Shillooks  and  reached  that  part  of  the  rirer 
where  the  banks  are  covered  with  continuous  villages.  The 
miniber  of  these  is  estimated  at  seven  thousand.  It  is  worthy 
of  notice  that  their  circular  tokuls  of  mud  and  reeds  are  pre- 
cisely similar  in  form  and  construction  to  those  of  the  tribea 
on  the  Niger  and  Senegal  Rivers,  with  whom  the  Shillooks 
have  no  communication,  and  from  whom  they  differ  in  lan- 
guage, appearance  and  character.  While  threading  the  mazes 
of  the  archipelago,  a  violent  whirlwlod  passed  over  the  river 
and  completely  dismasted  one  of  the  boats.  Beyond  the 
islands  the  river  expands  so  that  the  marshy  shores  are  barely 
visible  in  some  places.  The  lotua  grows  abundantly  in  the 
shallows,  and  the  appearance  of  the  thonaands  of  snowy  blos- 
soms as  they  flash  open  at  sunrise,  Is  described  as  a  scene  of 
vegetable  pomp  and  splendor,  which  can  be  witnessed  in  no 
other  part  of  the  world.  The  forests  of  soot  trees  which  cover 
the  islands  give  place  to  doum-palms  and  immense  tamarinds, 
and  beyond  lat.  10°,  in  the  land  of  the  Dlnkas,  the  heaatiful 
dbelleb-palm  is  first  seen.  It  has  a  tall,  graceful  trunk,  thick 
in  the  middle,  but  tapering  towards  the  top  and  bottom,  and  a 
rich  orown  of  large,  fan  like  leaves. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  November  the  expedition  succeeded, 
ftfler  some  difficulty,  in  establishing  an  intercourse  with  the  Din- 
ku  and  Shillooks,  who  inhabited  the  opposite  banks  of  the  riyei 
The  latter  in  consideration  of  some  colored  glass  beads,  fiu^ 


lOUBKBT  TO  cbhtral  inuoA. 


niflheJ  a  number  of  oxen  for  proviaiona.     Dr.  Knobledher  to" 

icribed  tlieir  running,  when  they  drove  tho  cattle  together,  u 
resembling  that  of  the  gazelle;  they  leap  high  into  tho  air, 
drawing  ap  their  long  legs  aa  they  riae,  and  clear  tUe  ground 
nt  a  most  astonishing  speed.  The  next  day  the  Teesela  rea<ili- 
ed  a  large  town  called  Vav,  where  tha  people  received  them 
without  the  least  appearance  of  fear,  and  brought  quantitica  ot 
elephants'  tuska  to  trade  for  beads.  Ilcrds  of  wild  elephantf' 
and  giraffes  were  now  frequently  seen  on  the  banks  of  the  riraf, 
and  tho  former  sometimes  threw  up  their  trunks  and  apirtad 
water  into  tho  air  when  they  saw  tie  vessels.  Numbers  of 
white  herons  were  perched  eompoaedly  upon  their  backs  ud 
heads.  The  giraffes,  aa  they  gazed  with  wonder  at  the  Beet, 
lifted  their  heads  qnito  above  the  tops  of  the  mimosa  treeSi 
On  the  second  of  December,  the  expedition  passed  the  mooA 
of  the  Sobat  River,  the  only  tributary  stream  which  comea  to 
the  White  Nile  from  the  east.  Its  source  is  supposed  to  be  in 
the  country  of  the  Gallas,  south  of  the  kii:gdom  of  Shoa.  Itt 
breadth,  at  its  entrance  into  the  Nile,  is  six  hundred  and  fiftj 
feet,  Werne,  who  ascended  it  about  eighty  miles,  with  D'A^ 
naud's  expedition,  states  that  its  shores  are  higher  than  those  I 
of  the  Nile,  and  that  the  surface  of  the  country  became  mora 
elevated  as  he  ascended,  whence  he  infers  that  the  White  Nile, 
as  far  as  it  has  been  csplored,  flows  in  a  depressed  basin  of  th* 
table-land  of  Central  Africa. 

From  lat.  9°  26'  to  &°  50'  N.  there  is  a  complete  change  in 
tho  scenery.  The  magnificent  forests  disappear,  and  the  shorea 
become  marahy  and  unhealthy,  covered  with  tall  grass,  whos« 
prickly  stalks  render  landing  difficult,  and  embarrass  the  nan* 
gatioD  of  the  shallows.     The  air  is  heavy  with  noxious 


THE    GAZELLE    LAKt: THE    KYKS,  S49 

mu  and  filled  with  coimtless  swarms  of  gnats  and  mosqaitoca 
Tbe  water  of  tlie  river  is  partially  stagnant,  and  green  with 
vegetable  matter,  occaaloaing  serious  disorders  to  tiiose  who 
drink  it.  Dr.  Kuoblecher  clarified  it  by  meaua  of  alum,  and 
escaped  with  a  sore  mouth.  Id  order  to  sleep,  however,  he 
was  obliged  to  wear  thick  gloves  nnd  mulSe  up  his  face,  almost 
to  suffocation.  The  Bahr  el-Ohazal,  or  Gazelle  Lake,  lies  in 
lat.  9°  16'  N.  It  is  thus  named  from  the  Gaaello  River,  which 
flows  into  it  on  the  western  side,  and  which  has  never  yet  beeD 
esplorcd.  Its  depth  is  about  nine  feet,  but  the  reeds  and 
water-plants  with  which  it  is  filled  reach  to  the  surface,  and 
render  the  navigation  difficult.  Its  shores  are  iuhahited  by 
the  Nuehr  negroes,  a  stupid,  imbruted  race,  many  of  whom  are 
frequently  carried  ofi'  by  the  traders  and  sold  as  slaves.  Foi 
this  reason  it  is  now  very  difficult  to  procure  elephants'  teeth 
from  them. 

After  leaving  the  Gazelle  Lake,  the  course  of  the  White 
Nile  becomes  exceedingly  tortuous,  and  its  current  aluggiah. 
Innumerable  estuaries,  or  blind  chauncla,  which  lose  themselves 
among  the  reeds,  perplexed  the  pilots,  and  delayed  the  pro- 
gress of  the  expedition.  The  land  of  the  Kyks  succeeded  to 
that  of  the  Nuehrs,  which  terminated  about  the  eighth  parallel 
of  latitude.  The  former  are  a  race  of  herdsmen,  who  have 
great  numbers  of  cattle  and  sheep.  Dr.  Knoblechor  fauna 
them  exceedingly  shy,  on  account  of  the  threats  of  one  of 
their  kogiurt,  or  soothsayers,  who  had  warned  them  against 
holding  any  intercourse  with  the  traders.  On  the  twonty-seo- 
and  of  December  they  rcaehed  the  village  of  Angwcn,  where 
the  King  of  the  Kyks  resided.  The  monarch  received  them 
with  great  kindness,  and  paid  distinguished  homage  to  Padrf 


BSO 


JOimtTBT  TO  CENTKU  AnuoA. 


Aiigelo  Vbco,  Dr.  Kuobleoher's  companion,  whom,  on  aocont 
sf  hie  spectacles  and  gray  beard,  be  took  to  be  a  magiiian. 
He  begged  the  Padre  to  grant  him  four  favors,  viz ; — abun- 
dance of  children;  the  death  of  the  enemy  who  had  slain  hia 
father;  victory  inallhii  fights,  and  a  cure  for  the  wound  in 
kia  head.  The  latter  gift  was  easily  bestowed,  by  meaas  of  s 
plaeter,  but  he  was  not  satisfied  until  an  image  of  the  Viigiii 
had  been  hung  around  Lis  neck.  I 

South  of  the  Kyks  dwell  the  Elliabs,  who  are  Icbb  tiiniJ  ' 
than  the  Gouthern  tribes,  beeause  they  come  leaa  freij^uently  in- 
to contact  with  the  traders.      In  their  country  the  White  Nile 
divides  into  two  branehoa,  and  hero  the  expedition  Beparated, 
each  division  taking  a  different  channel.     The  water  was  boIdK  _ 
that  the  vessels  stuck  fast  in  the  mud,  but  were  relieved  by  ita  I 
friendly  natives,  who  dragged  them  through  the  sballottfl  ly 
means  of  long  tow-ropes.     For  thia  Bervtoe  they  were  paid  in 
glass  beads.     The  further  the  vesaols  went  into  regions  wliore 
intercourse  with  the  Egyptian  traders  is  rare,  and  there&W    | 
fewer  outrages  are  perpetrated,  the  more  friendly,  confiding  1 
and  unconcerned  was  the  behavior  of  the  natives. 

On  the  thirty-first  of  December  the  eipedition  reached  tbc 
country  of  the  Zhira,  The  people  came  down  to  the  water's 
edge  to  greet  them,  the  women  clapping  their  hands  and  sing- 
ing a  aong  of  welcome.  On  ihe  seoond  of  January,  1 850,  Dr. 
Kuoblecher  saw  in  the  south-east  the  granite  mountain  of 
Nierkanyi,  which  lies  in  the  Bari  country,  in  about  the  Bflh 
degree  of  north  latitude.  It  was  the  first  elevation  he  had 
seen  since  Icaviug  Djehel  Defafangh,  in  the  country  of  the 
Dintas,  in  kt.  10"  35'.  All  the  intervening  space  i 
BBvannah,  iaterspersed  with  reedy  swamps  of  etagnitnt  irat 


THX    BARI    ODUHTRT. 


The  Zhirs  own  nomorous  floeka  and  herds,  and  cultivate  large 
Gelda  of  sesame  and  dourra.  They  are  very  superior  to  the 
Nuebrs  and  Kjka  in  stature,  symmetry  of  form  and  their  man. 
ncra  toward  strangers.  In  all  these  tribes,  the  men  go  entire- 
ly naked,  while  the  women  wear  a  nnrrow  girdle  of  sheepskin 
around  the  loins.  Dr.  Knobleoher,  however,  confirmed  the 
statement  of  Weme  as  to  the  modesty  of  their  demeanor  and 
the  evident  morality  of  their  domestic  life. 

After  leaving  the  Zhirs  the  expedition  entered  the  country 
of  the  Baria,  and  on  the  fourteenth  of  January  reached  the 
rapids  of  the  White  Nile,  at  the  island  of  Tsanker,  in  4°  49'  N. 
This  was  the  farthest  point  reached  by  all  previous  expeditions, 
as  they  found  it  impossible  to  advance  further  with  their  ves- 
sels. Tlie  Nubian  pilot,  Sulcyman  Ahou-Zeid,  determined  to 
make  the  attempt,  and  on  the  following  day,  aided  by  a  strong 
Dorth-wind,  stemmed  the  rapid  and  reached  the  broad,  lake-like 
expanse  of  river  above  it^  Continuing  his  voyage,  Dr.  Knobleoh- 
er sailed  sixteen  miles  further,  to  the  Bari  village  of  Tokiman, 
The  country  was  exceedingly  rich  and  beautiful,  abounding  in 
trees,  and  densely  peopled.  The  cui-rent  of  the  river  was  more 
rapid,  its  waters  purer,  and  the  air  seemed  to  have  entirely  lost 
tho  depressing  miasmatic  exhalationa  of  the  regiona  further 
north.  The  inhabitants  of  Tokiman  showed  groat  astonish- 
ment at  the  sight  of  the  vessels  and  their  white  oceupanta 
Notiing,  however,  affected  them  so  much  as  tho  tones  of  a  har- 
monica, played  by  Dr.  Knobleoher.  Many  of  the  people  shed 
tears  of  delight,  and  the  chief  offered  the  aovereignty  of  his 
tribe  in  exchange  for  the  wonderful  instrument. 

On  the  sixteenth,  tho  expedition  reached  the  village  of 
Logwek,  which  takes  its  name  from  a  solitary  granite  peat 


JOCBMST  TO 

about  sis  bunared  feet  bigl),  wbiob  Btanda  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Nile  It  is  in  lat  4°  1 0'  N.,  and  this  is  tbe  most  Bouthen 
point  wbich  has  jet  baen  reached  on  the  White  Nile. 
Knoblecher  aaooDdcd  the  mouotaiD,  which  commanded  a  riow 
of  almost  the  entire  Bart  country.  Towards  the  south-weflt 
the  river  wound  out  of  sigiit  between  the  mountains  Rego  and 
Kidi,  near  which  is  the  mountain  of  Kereg,  containing  rich 
iron  mines  which  are  worked  by  the  natives.  Towards  tli 
BOuth,  on  the  very  verge  of  the  horizon,  rose  a  long  range  o 
bills,  whose  forms  eoold  not  be  observed  with  exactness,  owing 
to  the  great  distance.  Beyoad  the  Logwaya  range,  which  ap- 
peared in  the  east,  dwell  the  Berri  tribes,  whose  language  ii 
distinct  from  the  Baris,  and  who  are  neighbors  of  the  Gallas- 
that  warlike  race,  whose  domain  extends  from  Abyssinia  to  tha 
wilda  of  Mozambic^ue,  along  the  great  central  plateau  of  Uni*^ 
meai.  The  natives  of  LogTvek  knew  nothing  whatever  of  th< 
country  to  the  south.  The  furthest  mountain-range  was  protv 
ably  under  the  parallel  of  lat.  3°  N,,  so  that  the  White  Nils 
has  now  been  traced  nearly  to  the  Equator.  At  Logwek,  it 
was  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and  from  £ve  to 
eight  feet  deep,  at  the  time  of  Dr.  Knoblecher's  visit,  which 
was  during  the  dry  season.  Such  an  abundance  of  wat« 
ftllows  us  to  estimate  with  tolerable  certainty  the  distance  ta 
its  unknown  sources,  which  must  undoubtedly  lio  beyond  Ihe 
Equator. 

The  great  snow  mountain  of  Kilimandjard,  discovered  ii 
1850  by  Dr.  Krapf,  the  Gorman  missionary,  on  bia  journey 
inland  from  Mombas,  on  the  coast  of  Zanzibar,  has  been  loc» 
ted  by  geographers  in  lat.  3'^  S.  It  is  therefore  moat  probabll 
:hat  the  source  of  tbe  White  Nils  will  be  found  in  the  rangl 


THE  aouRCE  or  thk  whttb  hile.  353 

of  momitaina,  of  which  Kilimandjaro  is  tlie  crowning  spox. 
The  geographer  Berghaus,  in  a  long  and  labored  article,  en* 
deaTOFB  to  prove  that  the  GaEelle  River  is  the  true  Nile,  and 
malieait  rise  in  the  great  lake  N'Yasai,  in  lat,  13°  S.  Dr, 
Knoblecher,  however,  who  examined  the  Bahr  cl-Uhazal  at  ita 
mouth,  says  it  is  an  unimportant  Btream,  with  a  scarcely  per- 
oeplible  current.  He  considers  the  Whit«  Nile  as  being,  be- 
yond all  question,  the  true  river.  He  also  lufarmed  me,  that, 
■while  at  Logwek,  some  of  the  natives  spoke  of  people  white 
like  bimself,  who  lived  far  towards  the  south.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve in  the  fable  of  a  white  civilized  race  in  the  interior  of 
Africa,  and  consider  this  rather  as  referring  to  the  Portuguese 
Bettlements  on  the  coast  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  reports  of  which 
would  readily  be  carried  inland,  irom  one  tribe  to  another. 
Dr.  Knoblecher  is  of  the  opinion  that  no  exploring  espcdition 
from  Khartoum  will  be  successful ;  that  the  traveller  must  firat 
stop  in  the  Bari  country  long  enough  to  gain  some  knowledge 
of  its  people,  and  then,  with  a  company  of  the  natives  as  his 
attendants,  make  tliat  his  starting  point. 

The  shortness  of  Dr,  Knoblecber'a  stay  among  the  Baris 
did  not  permit  him  to  obtain  much  information  concerning 
them.  They  appeared  to  be  worshippers  of  trees,  liko  the 
Dinkas  and  Shillooks,  but  to  have  a  glimmering  idea  of  the 
future  existence  of  the  aoul.  They  are  brave  and  fearless  in 
their  demeanor,  yet  cheerful,  goocl-natured  and  affectionate 
iowards  each  other,  Weme  frequently  observed  the  men 
iralkiog  along  the  shore  with  their  arms  around  each  other's 
aecks.  They  are  even  more  colossal  in  their  stature  than  the 
Bhillooks,  many  of  them  reaching  a  height  of  bqtoh  feet, 
Their  forms  are  well-knit,   symmetrical,  and  indicate  great 


9Si 


JJITRXST  TO   GBNTDAI.  A7RICA. 


Strength  and  activity.  In  smelting  and  working  up  the  iroi 
ore  of  Mount  Kcrcg  tliey  bIiow  a  remarkable  skill.  Many  of 
the  apoara  in  Dr.  Knobledier'a  possession  are  aa  elegantly 
formed  and  us  admirably  tempered  as  if  tliey  had  come  from 
tLe  hands  of  a  European  biackamith.  They  also  have  war- 
clubs  of  ebony,  which  are  nearly  as  hard  and  heavy  as  iroa 
One  end  is  of  a  sloping,  oTal  form,  and  the  other  sharp,  and 
they  are  said  to  throw  them  a  distance  of  fifty  or  a  hundred 
yards  with  eiich  precision  that  tho  sharp  point  etrikea  first  and 
too  club  passes  through  the  body  like  a  lasee  I  hare 
possession  some  of  these  clubs,  which  were  preseut-cd  to 
Dr.  Knoblecbcr. 

Ou  the  eeventeenth  of  January  the  eipeUition  left  Logwek 
on  its  return  to  Khartoum,  the  traders  having  procured  all  the 
ivory  which  the  natives  had  collected  since  the  previous  year, 
The  Missionaries  were  presented  from  accomplishing  their  ob- 
ject by  tho  jealousy  of  the  traders,  who  persuaded  the  Bari 
chiefs  that  they  were  magicians,  and  that  if  tbey  were  allowed 
to  remain,  they  would  bewitoh  the  country,  prevent  the  rains 
&om  falling  and  destroy  the  crops  of  dourra.  In  consequenca 
of  these  reports  the  chiefs  and  people,  who  had  been  on  tha 
moat  friendly  terms  with  Dr.  Knohlecher  and  Padre  Angelo, 
suddenly  became  shy  and  suspicious,  and  refused  to  allow  the 
latter  to  take  up  their  residence  among  them.  The  deagu  of 
the  mission  was  thus  frustrated,  and  tho  Vicar  returned  with 
the  expedition  to  Khaitoum.  Ha  designed  leaving  for  the 
Bari  country  in  November,  1852,  but  up  to  the  present  mo- 
ment* no  account  has  been  Tcceivcd  of  tlie  lulfihnentof  his  plans. 

The  pictures  which  those  rectnt  explorations  present 


id 


•July,  1864. 


mt  to  MM,  J 


THB   FASCINATION   OF   THE   NILE.  855 

add  to  the  stately  and  sublime  associations  with  which  the 
Nile  is  invested,  and  that  miracnlous  flood  will  lose  nothing  of 
his  interest  when  the  mystery  which  veils  his  origin  shall  be 
finally  dispelled.  Although  in  standing  upon  the  threshold 
of  his  vast  central  realms,  I  felt  that  I  had.  realized  a  portion 
of  my  dream,  I  could  not  turn  away  from  the  vision  of  those 
untrodden  solitudes,  crowned  by  the  flashing  snows  of  Kili 
raandjar6,  the  monarch  of  African  mounta,ins,  without  a  keen 
pang  of  regret  Since  Columbus  first  looked  upon  San  Sal- 
vador, the  Earth  has  but  one  emotion  of  triumph  left  in  her 
bestowal — and  that  she  reserves  for  him  who  shall  first  drink 
from  the  fountains  of  the  White  Nile,  under  the  snow-fields 
of  Kilimaodjard. 


JODRNBT-   TO   OBSTRAL  AFRIOA. 


CHAPTER    XXTIII. 


..M 

e  llM  IhIuiiIs 

oftlie9hl1ln<fk»-Tn.|Jeil 

Jong 

as— A  WUim 

>i>d  LU  Cuii»]M 

«• 

UJr.  uf  Wi 

d  Deisli— Arrlml  KDDng  I 

D  II 

™ui;yel,»— A 

Vlll,«»-.Tt.  ». 

nun 

ud  the  aulb 

in— A  Dunce  of  SiluUUon- 

-Mf 

Arab  SaUiir- 

ASnrtlif  Oeofi 

tw- 

■SuliiUtliin 0 

tho  Siiot— Mluonluiis  ru 

Ing 

Nlgbl  View 

f  s  HasBul^ih  n 

inge— Wad  Shlill 

7<^h-A  Bhekli'i  Beddenc 

-A 

EboDf  Cbe 

lib— Tb>  Duck  A» 

torn 

to  SuLcMu— 

E  via  in;  Iud»ipa— Tlu 

sta 

«   ud  theii 

OiUit^ABwJ* 

Oqv 

rnor-Wa  re 

a<:li  Kbunoum  kt  Mldnlglit, 

After  we  parted  from  the  Sbiflooka  the  men  rowed  lustily, 
and,  taking  to  the  western  aide  of  tlie  river,  soon  pnt  an  island 
^tween  us  and  the  village.  It  was  about  two  o'clock  wlien 
we  left,  and  the  wind  foil  Bufficiently  before  night  to  allow 
them  to  make  considerable  progress.  We  swept  along,  under 
the  lee  of  the  islands,  brushing  the  starry  showers  of  yellow 
blossoms  that  trailed  in  the  water,  and  frightening  the  ihieea 
and  herons  from  their  coverts  among  the  reeda.  The  hippo- 
potami snorted  all  around  us,  and  we  had  always  a,  convoy  of 
them  following  in  onr  waie.  The  snn  sank,  and  a  moon,  font 
days  old,  lighted  the  solitude  of  the  islands,  but  the  i 
rowed  vigorously,  until  we  had  passed  the  spot  whoro  t. 
looks  burled  their  canoes  in  tlie  morning.     They  t 


'hero  the  Sbit^l 
'  then  deeme^H 


It  Bate  to  come  to  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the  Btream,  though 
the  watch-firea  of  the  eayagea  were  atill  biasing  brightly  in  the 
distance.  During  the  night  the  wind  blew  violently,  and  the 
rlrer  was  rough  and  agitated.  Wo  all  went  to  sleep,  therefore, 
feeling  certain  that  no  predatory  canoes  would  venture  to  fol- 


In  the  morning  there  was  a  strong  head-wind,  and  the  tom- 
pfraturo  was  so  cold  that  I  was  obliged  to  wear  my  thick  ca- 
pote of  camel's  hair  while  I  sat  on  deck,  looking  regretfully  at 
tlie  beautiful  islands  I  was  leaving  behind  me.  Achmet  heat- 
ed and  strained  the  honey  giren  mo  by  the  Shillooks,  which 
yielded  between  three  and  four  quarts  of  rich  liquid.  While 
the  men  made  faet  to  the  bank  for  breakfast,  I  went  on  shore 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  country  behind  the  forests.  Paths 
-trodden  by  wUd  beasts  led  through  the  walla  of  tangled  vinea 
that  elsewhere  were  impenetrable,  and  I  crept  along  them, 
under  the  boughs  of  strange  trees  and  through  thickets  of  lux- 
uriant ehruba.  At  length  I  reached  an  open  patch  of  graaa 
four  or  five  feet  in  height,  and  so  dry  and  ycllo\r  that  it  snap- 
ped like  glass  under  my  feet.  It  was  dotted  with  clumps  of 
high  shrubs,  knotted  all  over  with  wild,  flowering  vines,  which 
formed  admirable  lairs  for  the  lions  and  leopards.  There  was 
a  strong  smell  of  lions  about  the  place,  and  I  deemed  it  pru- 
dent not  to  venture  far,  since  the  rank  animal  odor  peculiar  to 
that  beast  grew  more  marked  the  further  I  went.  The  jungle 
in  which  I  stood  covered  a  tongue  of  land  inclosed  between  two 
cavoH  of  the  river,  and  through  the  openings  in  the  thickets  I 
eaw  that  it  led  to  other  open  tracts  further  inland.  The  wind 
was  blowing  towards  the  river,  and  as  I  stood  in  the  midsL, 
contemplating  t)ie  wild,  lawless  grouping  of  the  different  trees 


S5B 


JOUBKET  TO   OKimUI.  i 


uid  sbrubs  some  imp  of  J&rkneaa  vhispered  in  in;  eat 
"  Wliat  a.  raagnifiocnt  oonflagratioD  ttiia  irould  make  !  snil  Uii>ii, 
perhapn,  ;ua  uigbt  have  the  satisfactioa  of  burning  out  a  brace 
of  liona  I "  Without  more  ado,  I  whipped  out  a  bos  of  matcb- 
es,  aud  struck  fire  in  one  of  the  tbickcst  tufta. 

Tbo  effect  waa  ittstantaueoaa,  and  ao  was  my  repentance, 
There  was  a  crack  and  a  cxaah,  like  tlie  explosion  of  ponder 
Bad  a  sheet  of  red  flame  leaped  into  the  air.     In  a  fen  Eecoads 
it  bad  spread  to  a  broad  swath  of  fire,  rolling  rapidly  before 
tbe  wind,  and  leaving  the  eartli  bebind  it  as  bare  as  the  poba 
of  ray  Land.     The  rank  graas  roared  and  snapped  as  the  terri- 
ble power  I  bad  bo  thoughtlesaly  awakened,  lieked  it  away; 
and  not  the  graas  alone.     It  seized  on  the  rinee  and  tore  them 
down,  swung  itself  by  tbcm  into  tbe  boagbs  of  the  trees,  and 
found  richer  aliment  in  their  gums  and  juices.     It  spread  on 
both  sides  and  against  the  wind,  and  soon  tlie  long  spires  of 
scarlet  fiame,  twisting  in  the  air,  rose  bigh  and  hot  abore  tha 
dome-ldie  tops  of  the  mimosa  forests.      Before  we  left  tba 
place,  the  volumes  of  smoke  reached  nearly  to  the  otber  aida 
of  the  Nile.     Aa  I  heard  its  releiitleaa  feet  trampling  down   I 
the  thickets,  I  tormented   myself  with  pictures  of  the  evil   I 
which  I  bad  perhaps  originated.     I  fancied  it  spreading  from  I 
day  to  day,  lapping  the  woods  in  coils  of  flame  and  flinging  I 
their  buraing  boughs  from  island  to  island,  till  of  all  the  glory 
of  vegetation  which  bad  filled  me  with  sucL  rapture,  thei 
Dothing  hut  a  few  charred   trunks  standing  ia  beds  of  asbea,  I 
1  saw  the  natives  with  their  Gocks  and  herds  flying  before  i^  I 
the  wild  beasts  leapiug  into  the  fiood  for  refuge  from  ita  red  I 
EsDgs,  and  all  that  glorious  region  given  up  to  terror  and  d 
latiun.     As  ve  moved  slowly  away,  against  tbe  wind,  I  walcb-   I 


THE  coTcrLAaiiATiaTr.  3St 

ed  its  progress  wiUi  a  troubled  eoDScionce  and  an  nnzioiiB 
heart  Now  it  paused  and  I  flattered  myself  that  tliere  was 
the  end  hut  the  next  moment  the  hiack  clouds  rolled  up 
denser  than  ever.  Thus  it  wavered  for  some  time,  but  at  last, 
thank  God  I  it  seemed  to  fade  gradually  away,  and  I  gave  my 
self  the  hope  that  it  had  BOt  extended  beyond  the  jut  of  land 
whereon  it  was  kindled. 

At  noon  we  passed  the  locality  marked  on  D'ArnaucI'a  map 
as  El-Ais,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  habitation.  The  rais  said 
there  had  been  a  town  some  distance  inland,  but  it  is  now  d& 
sorted.  The  river  boro  makes  a  curve  to  the  west,  and  om 
email  stem-sail  was  hound  to  the  foremast,  in  order  to  use  the 
side-wind.  My  sailors  were  unremitting  in  their  labors,  and 
rowed,  poled  and  tracked  the  whole  day.  I  sat  in  the  sun  all 
the  while,  looking  on  the  ineompara.ble  shores.  We  saw  mul- 
titudes of  gazelles  along  the  water's  edge,  on  both  sides, 
They  were  in  companies  of  forty  or  fifty,  and  so  little  shy, 
that  they  often  allowed  u8  to  approach  within  fifty  yards, 
Wild  fowl  were  as  abundant  as  ever,  and  I  greatly  regretted 
having  brought  no  rifle  and  fowling-piece.  When  we  reached 
the  northern  extremity  of  Hassaniyeh,  at  sunset,  I  went  ashore 
on  the  eastern  hank,  hoping  to  find  a  gazelle.  The  thiekets 
were  almost  impenetrable,  and  I  made  my  way  with  difficulty 
into  a  more  open  space,  where  the  trees  grew  in  clumps  and 
the  lion-paths  had  broken  a  way  between  them.  Each  of  these 
clumps  was  woven  into  a  single  maaa  with  vines,  forming  cov- 
erts of  deepest  shade,  wherein  a  beast  might  crouch  unobserv- 
ed, even  at  mid-day.  The  ground  was  covered  with  dry  bur- 
grass,  whose  heads  pierced  through  my  clothes.  One  of  the 
sailors  accompanied  me  with  a  club,  but  was  iu  sueh  deadljr 


JOTTRKBT  TO   CBtcniAt  ATHICA. 


fear  of  lions  that  he  obliged  me  to  return  to  the  afaore.  C«»  j 
tainlj,  this  is  the  paradise  of  wild  beasts.  Such  conrenienl 
Jaira  they  can  fiud  in  no  other  part  of  the  world,  and  the  thou- 
sands  of  gazelles  and  aDtclopcB  that  range  through  the  wilder- 
ness furnish  them  with  a  choice  bill  of  fare.  The  trees  and 
vines  were  nearly  all  new  to  me,  I  noticed  i 
Faeculont  vine,  resembling  the  cactus  and  eeret 
with  square,  fluted  joints.  It  grew  bo  thickly  a 
conceal  entirely  the  tree  that  supported  it. 
ehrnb  with  leaves  lite  the  ivy,  bnt  a  large,  purple, 
flower,  and  another  with  delicate,  fern-like  leaves  of  a 


n  particular,  a 
IS  families,  but 
s  frequently  to 
I  also  saw  a 
[-shaped 
I  dark- 
green  color,  and  white,  fragrant  blossoms.  There  wa 
greater  variety  in  the  vegetable  world  than  I  had  yet  s 
What  must  be  the  splendor  of  the  land  daring  the  rainy 
BOu  '.  I  found  a  peculiar  fascination  in  tracing  the  wild  patlu 
Ihrongh  the  thickets.  It  was  a  labyrinth  to  which  there 
no  end,  and  the  sense  of  danger  gave  a  spice  to  its  richnesa 
and  novelty.  Occasionally,  I  saw  large  holes  in  the  ground, 
which  my  attendant  said  were  those  of  serpents.  No  gazelle 
nas  to  he  seen,  and  when  I  reached  the  shore  again,  the  wild 
geese  had  toft.  The  wind  fell  at  sunset,  and  tho  sailors  rowed 
cheerily  down  stream,  singing  the  while  a  barbaric  chorus, 
wiiieh  they  had  learned  from  the  slaves  brought  from  Faaogl. 

The  sun,  nest  morniag,  showed  us  a  very  different  land- 
scape from  that  of  the  previous  two  days.  The 
broader,  but  the  shores  were  clothed  with  a  more  scanty  vugo- 
tjition,  and  the  few  islands  in  the  stream  were  but  beds  of  sand. 
When  the  men  stopped  for  breakfast  we  were  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  a  village  of  Hasaaniyehs,  aa  I  had  previously  conjee- 
tured,  from  the  camels  and  donkeys  grazing  among  the  thonA 


YOir  TO  A  HASSANTTzn  tIliage.  86) 

Leaving  the  sailors  to  kill  one  of  our  sbeep,  I  took  Aclimei 
and  the  raie,  and  followed  the  paths  inland  through  a  wood  of 
Heattering  mimosas.  After  a  walk  of  ten  minutea  we  came  to 
the  village,  or  rather  encanipmeut,  since  the  dwellings  were 
mere  tents  of  sticks  and  reeds,  Thej  were  barely  large  enough 
to  cover  the  two  or  three  angarcba,  which  served  as  a  bed  for 
the  whole  family.  Althoagh  the  sun  was  an  hour  high,  not 
moro  than  half  the  inhabitants  were  stirring.  The  others, 
men  and  women,  thrust  their  heads  from  under  their  dirty  cot- 
ton mantiea  and  looked  at  ua  with  astonishment  not  unmixed 
with  fear.  The  women  who  had  already  risen  sat  on  the 
ground  kindling  the  fires,  or  spinning  with  a  rude  diataflf  the 
raw  cotton  which  these  people  cultivate.  We  found  two  or 
three  men,  whom  we  saluted  with  the  usual  "  Peace  be  with 
you  !"  and  the  raie  informed  them  that  the  Sultan's  son,  re~ 
turning  from  a  visit  to  the  Shillooks,  with  whom  he  had  made 
a  treaty  of  peace,  had  come  1b  see  them.  Thereupon  one  of 
them  brought  an  angareb  and  in?  it  in  the  shade  for  me,  while 
another  caught  a  she-goat  that  Vi&i.  browsing  among  the  bushes, 
and  soon  returned  with  a  gourd  h.^i't'  full  of  warm  milk,  whioh 
he  gave  me.  As  sour  milk  is  ft^Lsidered  a  great  delicacy 
among  tLese  people,  a  gourd  of  it  wis  also  procured  for  me. 
The  woman  who  brougiit  it  knelt  at-d  p'.aeed  it  at  my  feet,  but 
as  I  could  not  drink  it  and  did  not  nish  !«  refuse  their  gift,  I 
Bfiked  one  of  the  men  to  take  it  to  the  boat.  He  hesitated, 
evidently  afraid  to  trust  himself  with  ua,  whereupon  the  wo- 
man said  :  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  go  with  the  Pultan ;  I  will 
tako  it."  As  we  started  to  return,  the  man,  whose  acnsc  of 
brarery,  and  perhaps  his  jealousy  also,  was  touchoa  Ij  (kin  re- 
mark, came  likewise  and  accompanied  us  to  the  rivor.  y  Wu 
16 


362 


)   OKItTRAL   ATBTCA. 


n-e  reached  the  vessel  I  seat  the  milk  on  board  for  the  sailon 
ose,  Had  gave  the  woman  I've  piastres  in  copper  money  fuid  a 
handful  of  tuhuceo.  She  Immediately  pnt  her  baud  to  her 
mouth  and  uttered  a  piercing,  prolonged  cry,  which  the  raid 
said  was  intended  aa  an  expression  of  great  joy.  After  repeal 
ing  this  two  or  three  times  she  dropped  on  her  knees,  and  be- 
fore I  could  divine  her  intention,  kissed  my  red  slipper. 

In  a  short  time  I  reeeived  word  that  the  women  of  iha 
Tillage  would  come  to  perform  a  dance  of  welcome  and  saluta- 
tion, if  I  would  allow  them.  As  the  wind  was  blowing  strong- 
ly agauist  us  and  the  sailors  had  not  finished  skinning  tha 
sheep,  I  had  my  carpet  spread  on  the  Band  in  the  shade  of  a 
group  of  mimosas,  and  awaited  their  arrival  Presently  wo 
[ic'Ajd  a,  sound  of  shrill  singing  and  the  clapping  of  hands  in 
measured  beat,  and  discerned  the  procession  advancing  slowly 
through  the  trees.  They  came  two  by  two,  nearly  thirty  in 
all,  singing  a  shrill,  piercing  chorus,  which  sounded  more  like 
lamentation  than  greeting.  When  they  had  arrived  in  front 
ef  me,  they  ranged  themselves  into  a  semicircle  with  their 
faces  towards  nie,  and,  still  clapping  their  hands  to  mark  the 
rhythm  of  the  song,  she  who  stood  in  the  centre  stepped  forth, 
with  her  breast  heaved  almost  to  a  level  with  her  face,  which 
was  thrown  back,  and  advanced  with  a  slow,  undulating  motion 
till  she  had  reached  the  edge  of  my  carpet.  Then,  with  a 
quick  jerk,  she  reversed  the  curve  of  her  body,  throwing  her 
bead  forward  and  downward,  so  that  the  multitude  of  her  tooir 
twists  of  black  hair,  ahioing  with  butter,  brushed  my  cap 
This  was  intended  as  a  salutation  and  sign  of  welcome,  T 
bowed  my  head  at  the  same  time,  and  she  went  back  to  hei 
place  in  the  ranks.    After  a,  pause  the  chorus  was  resumed  and 


r  BAXDTATioif.  889 

KDoAcr  ftdTanced,  and  so  in  saceeasion,  till  all  bad  saluted  me, 
K  oeremony  wluch  occupied  an  hour.  Tboy  were  searly  ail 
fonog,  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  twenty,  and  so\m 
were  Btrikiiigly  beautiful.  Tliey  had  tho  dark-olivo  Arab 
oomplexion,  with  regular  features,  teeth  of  pearly  whiteneas, 
and  black,  hrilliaDt  cyca.  The  coarse  cotton  robe  thrown  ovei 
one  shoulder  left  free  the  arma,  neck  and  breaats,  which  were 
exquisitely  moulded.  Their  bare  feet  and  ankles  were  aa  slen- 
der as  those  of  the  Tenua  of  CleomeneB.  Owing  to  the  skirta 
worn  by  the  American  women  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever 
haring  seen  an  entire  foot  belonging  to  them,  and  therefora 
esn  make  no  comparison  ;  but  I  doubt  if  one  in  a  thousand 
stands  on  ao  light  and  beautiful  a  pedestal  as  those  wild  Afri- 
can girla.  There  were  two  or  three  old  women  in  the  com- 
pany, but  they  contented  themselves  with  singing  and  did  not 
venture  into  the  lists  witli  the  younger  ones. 

Several  of  the  men,  who  had  followed  in  the  rear  of  tho 
women,  came  sod  sat  near  us,  on  the  sand.  They  were  all  evi- 
dently delighted  with  the  occasion,  and  encouraged  the  more 
timid  of  the  dancera  by  their  worda.  One  of  them  was  an  old 
man,  with  a  long  gray  moustache  find  beard,  carrying  in  his 
hand  a  spear,  pointed  with  iron.  My  rais  and  sailors  were  on 
the  ground,  and  one  of  the  latter,  a  splendid  fellow,  whose 
form  was  almost  perfect  in  its  manlj  Btrengtli,  took  bis  station 
among  the  women  and  acted  as  master  of  the  ceremoniea.  He 
drew  a  line  in  tho  sand  down  the  centre  of  the  ring,  and 
nntther  along  the  edge  of  my  carpet,  and  she  who  did  not 
dance  down  the  line  until  the  final  toss  of  her  bead  threw  her 
hair  over  the  Sultan's  cap,  was  obliged  to  perform  her  part 
aver  agiua     My  sailor  clapped  his  hands,  joined  in  tho  song; 


864 


JO U MET   TO  omTHAI 


and  moved  with  encli  entire  and  absoltite  grace  in  tho  Atuux^ 
that  Le  almost  drew  away  my  attention  from  the  women.  He 
was  of  the  Djaaleyn  tribe,  and  therefore  of  pure  Arabian 
blood.  As  the  ceremony  was  prolonged,  they  accompanied  thi 
dance  with  a  hard,  guttural  breathing,  in  time  with  the  musuL 
and  some  of  the  old  women,  in  their  anxiety  to  enconrage  tin 
younger  and  inoro  timid  dancer'',  leaned  forward  with  eagei 
ejea,  uttering  short,  quick  icreams  at  intervals.  ] 
most  remarkable  ecenc ;  tho  figures  and  the  dancers 
like  any  thing  I  ever  witnessed.  For  the  first  time,  in  fact— 
perhaps  because  I  had  hitherto  seen  few  women  unveiled — X 
found  undoubted  beauty  in  the  Arab  female  countenance. 
Tbe  last  dancer  was  the  wife  of  the  Shekh,  who  cam 
wards  tbe  close,  with  two  negro  slaves  behind  her.  She  was»i 
wDiuan  of  twenty,  and  the  most  beautiful  of  the  group.  Mak- 
ing allonrance  for  the  difference  in  complexion,  she  had  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  Cleopatra  of  Guido.  Her  eyes  were  large, 
black  and  lustrous;  her  face  the  full,  ripe  oval  of  the  South, 
with  a  broad,  round  forehead,  perfect  lips  and  a  most  queenly 
neck  and  chin.  She  wore  a  diadem  of  white  beads,  under 
which  her  thick  hair*— unfortunately  plastered  with  buttc  - 
hung  to  her  shoulders  in  at  least  fifty  slender  braids.  She 
went  through  the  monotonous  movement  of  the  dance  with  the 
stately  ease  of  a  swan  gliding  down  a  stream,  and  so  delighted 
wy  sailors  ahd  the  men  who  had  come  down  from  the  village, 
that  she  WB3  obliged  to  repeat  her  salutation  several  times,  1 
bowed  lower  to  her  than  to  the  others,  but  took  care  to  keep 
her  nnotuoas  braids  from  touching  my  face.  When  all  wia 
concluded,  I  directed  Aohmet  to  distribute  a  few  handfuls  of 
copper  money  among  them,  whereupon  they  returned  to  th» 


I 


A  SAIBT— 4IIRAC1TL0  ire  VIBHOTQ,  SH 

pillage,  nttering  sharp  yella  of  joy  aa  they  went.  After  thej 
bad  left,  I  asked  tlio  men  whether  nliat  I  had  heard  in  Khar- 
toum, conceraing  the  peculiar  coiijag:tl  customs  of  the  tribe, 
■was  true,  and  they  replied  that  it  was. 

As  wc  were  about  leaving,  one  of  the  shekhs,  or  holy  men 
of  the  tribe,  came  down  to  greet  me.  He  was  aa  old  man  in  a 
bine  cotton  mantle,  and  had  with  him  two  attendants.  After 
touching  my  hand  twice  and  asking  many  times  for  my  health, 
he  commenced  singing  passages  of  the  Koran,  in  a  lond,  reso- 
nant, and  not  unmusical  tone,  somewhat  resembling  the  sviset 
ery  of  the  muezzin  from  liis  minaret.  The  two  others  respou., 
ed,  and  thus  this  religious  entertainment  was  kept  up  for  some 
time.  But  the  rais  was  at  his  post  and  the  wind  had  fallen, 
10  I  acted  my  despotic  character  of  Sultan,  by  leaving  the  holy 
man  in  the  midst  of  his  chanting  and  goiug  on  board.  When 
we  left  he  was  still  standing  under  the  mimoeaa,  singing  of 
Mohammed,  the  Prophet  of  God. 

We  made  but  little  headway  during  the  afternoon,  al- 
though the  men  worked  faithfully.  Djebel  Deyoos,  whose 
loose  cluster  of  peaks  is  seen  for  a  great  distance  orer  the 
plains  of  Kordofan,  still  kept  us  company,  and  did  not  pass  out 
of  our  horizon  until  the  nest  evening.  The  men  towed  for 
sereral  hours,  and  as  the  shore  was  flat  and  the  rirer  very 
shallow  they  were  obliged  to  walk  in  the  water.  While  Ach- 
met  was  preparing  dinner,  a  fish  about  the  size  of  a  herring 
vaulted  upon  deck  and  fell  at  bis  feet.  He  immediately  clap- 
ped itinto  the  frying-pan  and  presented  me  with  an  acceptable 
dish.  To  his  unbounded  astonishment  and  my  great  satisfao 
lion,  the  same  thing  happened  three  days  in  Buocesaion,  at  pr& 
wisely  the  same  hour.     "  Wallah,  master  1 "  he  exclaimed :  "  it 


AM  tmjmWT  to   OKKTRAL  ATlEtlTA. 

IB  vonderful  I  I  dgtct  knew  sach  &  thing  to  happeD  ia  Bgyp^ 
and  it  must  certainly  be  a  sign  of  good  fortime.  If  you  wen 
not  a  lucky  man,  the  fish  would  never  ofier  themselTcs  for  youl 
diuiier  in  this  way." 

By  night  the  men  could  make  no  headway  againgt  the  niod, 
which  continued  unabated  nearly  all  the  next  day.  Thej 
worked  hard,  Btinmlatod  by  the  promise  of  an  abundant  aupplj 
of  marecsa  at  the  next  Hassooiyeh  village.  In  the  aftemoOD 
we  passed  Tura,  which  I  recognized  by  the  herds  of  camols  on 
ahore  and  the  ferry-boats  passing  back  and  forth  aoro^i  the 
broad  stream.  I  walked  an  hour  or  two  while  the  men  wera 
towing,  hut  was  obliged  to  keep  to  the  shore,  on  account  of  the 
burr-grass  which  covered  all  the  country  inland.  This  part  of 
the  river  is  thickly  settled  by  the  Hassaniyeha,  whose  principal 
wealth  appears  to  consist  in  their  sheep,  goats  and  camels. 
They  complained  very  much  of  the  Shillooks,  who  come  down 
the  river  on  predatory  incursioDS,  carry  off  their  sheep  and 
doorra,  and  frequently  kill  the  chUdren  who  tend  the  herds. 

By  dint  of  unremitting  eiertiona,  we  reached  a  small  vil- 
lage which  the  rais  called  Wad  Sh^ilayeh,  about  two  hours 
after  sunset.  The  men  carried  me  ashore  through  the  shallowB, 
and  I  went  with  them  to  the  village  to  perform  my  promise 
regarding  the  raareesa.  We  estinguished  the  lantern  for  fear  of 
alarming  the  inhabitants,  and  walked  slowly  through  the  wil- 
derness of  thorns.  The  village  lay  half  a  mile  inland,  bctwees 
two  low  hills  of  aaud.  TLo  dwellings  were  more  tokuls,  like 
those  of  the  Shillooks,  and  made  of  tho  long  grass  of  t!ie  Des- 
ert, Each  house  was  surrounded  with  a  fouce  of  thorns.  The 
inhabitants  were  sitting  at  tho  doors  in  the  moonlight,  calling 
out  to  each  other  and  exchanging  jokes,  while  herds  of  thf 


I 


ITAD  SnfeLLATBH.  307 

slender  yellow  dogs  of  8oud;in  bailed  on  all  Bides.  "WTiil* 
the  rais  and  sailors  were  procuring  their  mareesa  1  entered 
oae  of  the  tokuls,  which  was  superior  to  those  I  had  already 
Been,  inasmuch  ua  it  contained  an  inner  chamber  or  tent,  made 
of  fine  yellow  grass,  and  serving  as  a  canopy  to  the  family  an- 
gureb.  The  people  had  kindled  a  fire  on  the  ground,  and  the 
dry  mimosa  branches  were  blazing  in  close  proximity  to  the 
Btraw  walls  of  their  dwelling.  They  were  greatly  inferior  to  the 
Haseaniyehs  of  the  first  village,  both  iu  appearance  and  cour- 
tesy of  manners.  The  mareesa,  which  the  rais  at  last  brought, 
was  weak,  insipid  stuff,  and  I  returned  to  the  boat,  leaving  the 
men  to  drain  the  jars. 

In  the  morning  we  reached  another  largo  Hassaniyoh  vil 
Uige.  which  was  also"  called  Wad  Sbidlayeh.  It  was  the  only 
village  on  the  river  worthy  of  notice,  as  it  had  four  vessels 
moored  to  the  shore,  and  boasted  a  few  mud  houses  in  addition 
to  its  array  of  tokuls.  Several  of  tlie  latter  were  built  in  tent 
form  and  covered  with  a  striped  cloth  made  of  camePs  hair.  I 
entered  the  residence  of  the  shekh,  who,  however,  was  absent 
with  his  wife  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  relative.  The  tent 
was  thirty  feet  long,  with  an  arched  top,  and  contained  two 
inner  chambers.  The  sides  ware  ornamented  with  gourds, 
Bkina  and  other  articles,  grouped  with  some  taste,  and  large 
qaantitica  of  the  coiories,  or  small  white  shells,  which  are  used 
as  cnrrency  in  some  parts  of  Central  Africa,  were  sewed  upon 
the  cloth  cover,  in  the  form  of  crosses  and  stars.  I  looked 
into  the  principal  chamber,  which  inelosed  a  broad  and  hand- 
Some  angareb,  made  of  plaited  palm-leaves.  The  walls  were 
entirely  concealed  by  the  articles  hung  upon  them,  and  every 
thing  exhibited  a  taste  and  neatness  which  is  rare  among  tba 


jocEtmr  TO 


Arab  tribes.     The  tent  was  iu  charge  of  the  ahekh'a  n'lei 
handsome  girl  of  about  eighteen,  and  an  old  woman  with  thiet 
children,  the  youngest  of  vthich  was  suckled  by  a  black  slavfl 
He  was  an  phony  Cupid  of  a  year  olil,  rejoicing  in  the  bimeha 
of  white  shells  that  hung  from  hia  neck,  wrists  and  acklea  i 
He  exhibited  a  curiosity  to  touch  nitj,  and  I  took  him  in  saf  I 
anas  and  addressed  him  in  Christian  nursery    tongae. 
Bound  of  my  voice,  however,  was  more  horrible  than  the  color  I 
of  my  skin.     He  set  up  a  yell  and  kicked  out  hia  little  blaci;  I 
aatin-Bkinned  legs  till  I  was  obliged  to  hand  Mm  over  to  tin  | 
slave  nurse. 

Prom  the  bank  on  which  the  village  is  built,  I  could  sea 
beyoud  the  trees  of  the  opposite  shore,  a  wide  stretoh  of  tha 
plains  of  Kordofan — a  level  savanna  of  yellow  grass,  extending 
without  a  break  to  the  horlaon.  During  the  afternoon,  while 
the  men  were  resting  from  their  rowing,  Bahr,  the  Dinka  cook, 
got  into  a  dispute  with  one  of  them,  and  finally  worked  herself 
into  such  a  rage  that  she  jumped  overbourd  with  the  intention 
of  drowning  herself,  and  would  have  done  so,  had  not  one  of 
the  Bailors  planged  after  her  and  hauled  her  ashore,  in  spite  of 
her  violent  struggles  and  endeavors  to  thrast  her  head  under  , 
water.  When  she  found  she  could  not  indulge  in  this  recrea- 
tion, she  sat  down  on  the  ground,  burst  into  a  parosyam  of 
angry  tears,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  went  back  to  grind 
her  dourra,  in  the  best  possible  humor.  Her  name,  Bahr,  a 
oifies  "  the  sea,"  hut  she  was  an  Undine  of  the  Black  Sea;  and  | 
the  White  Nile  refused  to  receive  her. 

We  went  gloriously  down  stream  that  evening,  with  a  light  I 
nest  wind  filling  the  little  sail  and  the  men  at  their  oars,  sin^  I 
ing  shrill  choruses  in  the  Bongoleae  and  Djoaleyn    dialects. 


BJLnXB   07  TBB  TTHITa   KILE.  SUt 

Tfle  White  Nile,  whlcli  is  hero  three  miles  broad,  was  oi 
smooth  as  glass,  and  gliramered  far  and  bright  under  the  moiia 
The  shores  were  still,  in  nil  their  dead  level  expanse,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  uneven  line  whicb  their  bolts  of  thorii-tree» 
drew  along  the  horizon,  I  eould  Lave  imagined  that  we  were 
floating  in  mid-oceaa  WliUe  the  men  halted  for  breakfast  the 
next  morning,  I  landed  and  walked  ahead,  hoping  to  shoot  a 
wild  duck  with  my  pistol.  Notwithstanding  there  were  hun- 
dreds along  the  shore,  I  found  it  impossible  to  get  witliin 
shooting  distance,  as  they  invariably  made  into  the  river  on 
my  approach.  An  attempt  to  gain  something  hy  running  sud- 
denly towards  them,  terminated  in  my  sticking  fast  in  the 
mud  and  losing  my  red  slippers.  I  then  crept  through  the 
scattering  wood  of  mimosas  to  get  a.  ehance  at  a  pigeon,  but 
some  spirit  of  mistrust  had  taken  possession  of  the  birds,  and 
as  long  as  I  had  a,  shot  left  tJiere  were  none  within  reach. 
When  my  two  barrels  were  spent  they  sat  on  every  side  in  the 
most  familiar  proximity. 

Notwithstanding  there  were  very  few  villages  on  the  river'a 
bank,  the  country  was  thickly  inhabited.  The  people  prefer 
building  their  dwellings  a  mile  inland,  and  going  to  the  river 
for  water.  This  custom  probably  originated  in  their  fear  of  the 
Shillooks,  which  led  them  to  place  their  dwellings  in  situations 
most  easy  of  defence.  At  one  of  the  ford ing-p laces  I  found  a 
number  of  women  and  children  filling  the  water-skins  and  lift- 
ing them  upon  the  backs  of  donkeys.  Many  hundreds  of  the 
bmmp-backed  cattle,  peculiar  to  the  country,  were  collected 
along  the  shore.  They  have  straight  backs  behind  the  hump, 
(which  is  a  projection  above  the  shoulders,  four  to  six  inches 
nigh)  clean  flanks,  large,  powerful  necks,  and  short,  straighl 
16" 


iio 


tausmtt  TO  cbhtkai.  itooa. 


honiB,  Tliey  eyed  me  with  an  eipresBion  of  great  ourbeit^  ' 
atid  Siinie  of  the  bulls  evidently  deliberated  wliether  the 
Bbould  attack  me.  Tlie  people  in  this  region  were  Hassani' 
yeliH,  and  the  men  resembled  tbose  of  tbe  first  village  I  yis! 
ad.  They  were  tall,  with  straight  fcaturea  and  a  feminine  m 
preasion  of  countenance,  whioh  waa  probably  caused  by  thai 
wearing  their  bair  parted  in  the  middle,  pliuted  iat«  long  braidt 
and  fastened  at  the  back  of  tbe  head. 

About  noon  we  came  in  eight  of  Djebel  Tiuneh,  wliiolt 
stands  over  against  the  village  of  Shekh  Mousaa,  and  servestt 
a  landmark  to  the  place.  At  Bunact  we  saw  the  boat  of  Ku- 
ebid  Kasbif,  tbe  Governor  of  tbe  tributary  territories  of  tht 
White  Nile,  anchored  near  tbe  western  bant.  Two  of  my 
Bailors  bad  previously  been  employed  by  him,  aud  as  tbey  liad 
not  received  all  their  wages,  they  asked  permission  to  cros 
river  and  apply  for  the  raoney.  This  Reachid  Kashif  a 
boy  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age,  eon  of  the  former  Gof- 
ernor,  Suleyman  Kaabif,  who  was  so  much  esteemed  t 
tribes  on  tbe  river  that  after  bis  death  the  Pasha  iavested  his 
young  child  with  the  office.  Tbe  latter  was  also  quite  popolai 
with  the  natives,  who  attributed  to  him  a  sagacity  roarvelloni 
for  his  years.  He  paid  tbe  men  the  money  duo  them,  aent  hia 
compliments  to  me,  and  inquired  why  I  did  not  visit  liim.  I* 
waa  dusk  by  this  time,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  delay  tbe  boatj.a 
besides,  aa  I  waa  a  stranger  and  a  Sultan,  courtesy  requt 
that  he  should  pay  the  first  visit. 

We  made  tbe  remaioder  of  tbe  voyage  without  fiirtber  ia-l 
cident  than  that  of  slaaghtering  one  of  our  sheep,  near  DjeM  T 
AuUee.     The  wind  was  so  light  that  our  progress  down  tbl 
etroam  was  rapid,  and  at  aunset  on  Friday,  Jaouary  thirtietlt 


KHARTOUM   AT   MIDNIGHT.  S?l 

I  recognised  the  spot  where  Dr.  Bcitz  took  leave  of  me,  on  tht! 
apward  voyage.  The  evening  on  the  broad  river  was  glorious ; 
the  half-moon,  being  just  overhead,  was  unseen,  yet  filled  th 
air  with  light,  and  my  natal  planet  burned  white  and  clear  ii 
the  west.  At  ten  o'clock  we  rsached  the  island  of  Omdurman, 
and  wheeled  into  the  Blue  Nile.  The  camp-fires  of  Kordofan 
merchants  were  gleaming  on  the  western  bank.  The  barking 
of  the  dogs  in  Khartoum  and  the  creaking  wheels  of  the  sakias 
were  welcome  sounds  to  our  ears,  as  we  slowly  glided  past  the 
gardens.  Ere  long,  the  minaret  of  the  city  glimmered  faintly 
in  the  moonlight  and  we  recognized  the  buildings  of  the  Catho- 
lic Mission.  "  God  is  great  I "  said  Achmet^  devoutly ; 
"  since  we  have  been  so  near  the  end  of  the  world,  Khartoum 
appears  to  me  as  beautiful  as  Cairo."  It  was  nearly  midnight 
when  we  came  to  anchor,  having  made  a  voyage  of  about  five 
hundred  miles  in  nine  days.  My  friends  were  all  abed,  and  I 
lay  down  for  the  night  in  the  little  cabin  of  my  beat,  exclaim* 
ing,    ke  Achmet :  '<  God  is  great  1 '' 


inintNiT  vo  oiNTKU.  AtaiOA. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 


«0*rBrtnro„ 

Abil-u.  K«l 

rB 

J -An  Illnoitniitrf  PI 

nre- 

-Tla  Bnafcfisl  m  IM 

Uuiil— none 

muiship-Th 

Pm 

of  Lattir  EflbRdl'a  Eipsl^ 

l!oD— A  NIgli 

0T1  tlie  9iind- 

Abo 

U-Sln.  Md  Ids  Bhnkora 

W 

arriors— Cb 

ng^lDlhl 

aimito-Inl 

n»  Iloit   an 

IB 

Ibr 

Eerarolng- 

AMnWT 

F»ro«-ell  Vlslu-A 

Dinner  with  Koy^  Q 

uu 

^ollj  Kip 

gDjTUb- 

ABhmookDi 

BO-ttesaacl 

Miun— Tiking  Leivo  oTm 

To 

I  AROSE  at  BUTirise,  and  leaving  Aohmet  to  have  my  taggago 
removed,  walked  through  the  town  to  my  head<|Qarter8  at  the 
CoBBular  residence.  I  found  Dr.  Reitz's  horses  saddled  in 
the  court,  and  himself  walking  in  the  garden.  Ho  was  greatlj 
surprised  to  see  me,  not  having  expected  me  for  another  week, 
After  the  first  greetings  were  over,  ha  informed  me  that  Abd- 
el  Kttder  Bey,  the  Governor  of  Kordofan,  was  about  leaving 
for  Obeid,  and  his  friends  intended  to  aecompauy  him  as  far 
as  the  island  of  Moussa  Boy,  in  the  White  Nile.  During  my 
ahscnco,  Mohammed  Khcyr  had  presented  Dr.  Reitz  with  a 
fine  Dongolese  horse,  which  ho  offered  to  me,  that  I  might  par- 
ticipate in  the  festivities.  While  I  was  at  the  Catholic  Mis- 
sion, relating  my  adventures  to  Dr.  Knoblecher,  a  messenger 
came  to  announce  that  Ahd-ol  Kader's  boat  had  left,  and  tba) 


IW   TLtWHISATED    PICTURE.  3^S 

1m^  Witt  the  other  cliiefB  of  KLartoum,  were  ready  to  eet  out  on 
horseback  for  the  White  Nile.  "We  rode  nt  once  to  the  tousa 
of  Mouasa  Bey,  who  had  quite  recoTcred  from  his  illness. 
The  company  was  alreacly  mounted  in  the  8C[Tiare  before  the 
house,  and  only  awaited  onr  arriTal.  We  dashed  through  the 
lanes  of  the  slare  quarter,  raising  such  a  cloud  of  dust  that 
little  except  red  caps  and  horses'  tails  was  visible,  until  we 
came  out  upon  the  open  plain,  where  our  cavalcade  made  a 
showy  and  picturesque  appearance. 

The  company  consisted  of  Abd-el  Kader  Bey,  Moussa  Bey^ 
Muaakar  Bey,  Ali  Bey  Khasib,  Ahou-Sin  and  Owd-el  Kerim, 
the  Shukorce  chiefs,  Ali  Effendi,  Mohammed  Kheyr,  Dr.  Reitz, 
Dr.  Peney  and  myself,  besides  a  number  of  inferior  officers 
and  at  least  fifty  attendants :  in  short,  everybody  of  conse- 
quence in  Khartoum  except  the  Pasha,  who  was  represented 
bj  one  of  his  Secretaries,  The  Beys  were  mounted  on  fine 
Arabian  stallions,  Dr,  Peney  on  a  tall  dromedary,  and  the 
Arab  chiefs  on  mules  and  donkeys,  while  the  grooms  and  pipe- 
bearers  ran  behind  on  foot.  I  shall  long  remember  the  bril- 
liant picture  of  that  morning.  The  sky  was  clear  and  hot,  and 
the  palms  rustled  their  shining  leaves  in  a  light  wind.  The 
fields  of  beauB  lay  spread  out  between  us  and  the  river,  their 
purple  blossoms  rolling  in  long  drifts  and  flakes  of  color,  and 
warm,  voluptuous  perfume.  The  red  caps,  the  green  and  scar- 
let housingH  of  the  horses,  the  rich  blue,  brown,  purple  and 
violet  dresses  of  the  Beja,  and  the  snowy  robes  of  the  Arabs, 
vrith  their  crimson  borders  thrown  over  the  shoulder,  projected 
agaiuBt  the  tawny  hue  of  the  distant  plains,  and  the  warm  blue 
of  the  sky,  formed  a  feast  of  color  which,  in  its  entire  richness 
and  harmony,  so  charmed  my  eye  that  the  sight  of  it  became  a 


i14  jouKXsr  TO  OBSTBAL  inuoi. 

luxury  to  tlio  Bease,  aa  palpable  aa  that  of  an  esq^ulaite 
to  the  palate.  Away  we  went  at  full  gallop,  tlie  glittering 
array  of  colors  duuoiug  a-ud  iDteroliaDgiog  to  the  rapid  mnsic, 
as  our  LofNcs'  hoofa  tore  tbe  bcaQ-viiieB  and  flung  their  trailing 
lloaaoma  into  iLa  air,  until  we  reached  the  bank  of  the  White 
Nile,  where  the  Bey's  reasol  was  just  coming  to  land.  Hen 
tho  Arab  ahekhs  and  the  greater  pai-t  of  the  inferior  officers 
cmbrcced  Abd-cl  Kader  and  returned  to  Khartoum. 

The  rest  of  us  crossed  to  the  island  of  Mousaa  Bey  and 
walked  over  the  thick  green  turf  to  a  large  mimosa  tree,  of 
the  variety  called  'arax,  where  the  carpets  were  spread  on  the 
ground  for  us  and  the  slaves  were  ready  with  our  pipes.  Vlt 
lay  there  two  or  tliree  tours,  in  tho  pleasant  shade,  talking, 
Eicoking,  and  lazily  watching  the  motions  of  the  attendants, 
who  were  scattered  all  over  the  island.  An  Albanian 
scarlet  dress  shot  a  wild  goose,  and  Dr.  Reitz  tried  to  bring  dowl' 
an  ibis,  but  failed.  Finally  the  skowrmeh — an  entire 
stuffed  with  rice — appeared,  garnished  with  bread,  onions, 
radishes  and  grapes.  W^e  bared  our  right  arms  and  buried 
hands  in  the  smoking  flci^h  with  such  good  will,  that  in  half  an 
hour  the  dish  contained  nothing  but  a  beautiful  skeleton! 
Abd-el  Kader  Bey  honored  me  by  tearing  off  a  few  choice 
sels  with  his  own  fingers  and  presenting  them  to  me.  A  boi^^ 
of  rice  cooked  in  milk  and  sweetened,  completed  the  repai^j 
At  noon  we  went  on  board  the  sandal,  and  after  being  shijif 
ped  to  the  other  side,  took  leave  of  Abd-el  Kader  with 
brace  and  "  God  grant  you  a  prosperous  journey !  " — to  which 
lie  replied :  "  God  grant  it ! "  He  sailed  off,  up  the  While 
Nile,  for  Turn,  with  a  fine  breeze,  and  we  turned  homewi 
Ibe  wind  wbich  blew  across  the  plain  in  our  faces,  was  as 


I, 

"I 


I 


THE  FASHA'a  STOBm.  Sttt 

and  dtj  a.a  tLe  blast  of  a  funutco,  and  tny  head  reeled  nndei 

the  terrible  iotensity  of  1lic  BunEhine,  The  iJeya  took  everj 
opportunity  of  displaying  tlieir  horsemanship,  dashing  ovor  the 
bean-fielda  in  wild  zigzags,  reining  up  in  mid-career,  Ihrow 
ing  their  crooked  canes  into  the  air  after  the  manner  of  a 
jeroed,  and  describing  circles  and  ellipses  at  full  gallop,  TLe 
finest  of  all  was  mj  handsome  Albanian  friend,  Musakar  Boy. 
I  called  upon  the  Pasha  the  same  aftornooa,  to  give  him 
an  account  of  my  voyage  up  the  White  Nile,  and  was  obliged 
to  remain  and  dine  with  him.  He  was  very  nmrih  interested 
in  my  ndventurea  with  the  Shillooka,  but  gave  me  to  under- 
stand that  the  negroes  had  great  fear  of  his  power,  and  that  if 
they  had  not  known  I  was  under  bis  protection  they  would  cer- 
tainly have  killed  me.  When  I  spoke  of  the  giant  stature  of 
the  Shillooks  he  confirmed  what  I  had  already  heard,  that  the 
Kyks  and  Baris  are  full  seven  feet  ini  height.  He  also  stated 
that  his  predecessor,  Aehmet  Pasha  Meuekleh,  had  captured 
in  the  regions  beyond  Fazogl  thirty  lilacks,  who  were  nine  feet 
nigh  and  terrible  to  behold.  They  were  brought  to  Khartoum 
in  chains,  be  said,  but  refused  to  eat,  howled  like  wild  beasts, 
and  died  in  paroxysms  of  savage  fury.  When  I  remembered 
that  the  Pasha  had  already  told  me  that  there  was  a  subterrit- 
neous  passage  from  Alexandria  to  the  Fyoom  (a  distance  of 
two  hundred  miles),  made  by  Alexander  the  Great,  and  that 
the  Sultan  at  Constantinople  had  an  npe  which  grew  to  be 
twenty  feet  in  height,  I  received  this  hist  communication  with 
K  grain  of  allowance.  He  fully  believed  in  the  exiatenoe  of 
the  N'yAm-N'yums  (a  horribly  suggestive  name),  or  canni- 
bals, who  I  hare  no  doubt,  are  a  fabulous  race.  Dr.  Barth 
heard  of  them  in  Adamowa,  south  of  Lake  Tsad,  and    Dr 


S7S 


lOCRSKT   70  OiaSTKAJ,  JtVWOA. 


KDoMeclier  in  the  l^ri  conotry,  but  do  odo  has  ever  yet 

The  ezpodition  nf  Lattif  Effendi  had  met  vrith  lunjr  c|» 
lays,  but  OD  Mondaj,  the  second  of  February,  every  thing  iru 
ready  for  ita  departure.  It  consisted  of  two  largo  nekktrs  n 
trndiug-Tcssels,  each  armed  with  a  cannon,  and  carrying  lil 
BoldierB  iu  addition  to  the  crew.  It  was  also  provided  witii 
interpreters,  who  Bpoko  the  languages  of  the  different  tribei 
Fat  Abou-Balta,  who  was  the  owner  of  one  of  the  vesBek,  Dt. 
Peney,  Dr.  Reitz  and  myself,  made  up  a  party  to  acoompanj 
Laltif  Kffendi  the  first  stage  of  his  voyage.  We  took  the  siune 
Uttlc  sandal  in  which  I  bad  sailed,  and  pushed  away  from 
Khartoum  at  eimset,  followed  by  the  nekkers.  The  rclativei 
of  the  sailors  were  crowded  on  the  bank  to  bid  them  good-byi^ 
and  as  the  vessels  weigbcci  anchor,  the  women  act  up  the  sbriU 
"  lu-lu-lu-lu-lu,'"  which  they  use  to  espress  all  emotions,  from 
rapture  down  to  despair.  We  had  a  light,  bnt  favoring  wind, 
and  at  nine  o'clock  reached  a  long,  sandy  beach  about  fivt 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  White  Nile,  where  we  canie  toi 
halt.  The  vesscis  were  moored  to  the  shore,  fires  kindled, 
pipes  lighted  and  cofieo  made,  and  we  gathered  into  groups  OB 
the  sand,  in  the  light  of  the  fall  moon.  At  midnight  the  coR- 
tomary  sheep  made  its  appearance,  accompanied  by  two  bottlH 
of  claret,  whereat  Abou-Balta  affected  to  be  eeandaljzed,  so 
long  as  any  Moslem  attendants  were  in  the  Dcighborhood. 
When  the  coast  was  clear,  he  sprawled  out  like  another  Fol- 
staff,  his  jolly  face  beaming  in  tbe  moonlight,  and  took  a  sly 
taste  of  the  forbidden  beverage,  which  he  liked  so  well  that  bs 
no  longer  resented  the  wicked  nickname  of  "  gamoos  el-i 
(hippopotamus),  which  wc  bestowed  upon  him.     We  tried 


led  JB 


ABOU-BIK,  THB^BHCXORSR  ORTRV,  ST 

sleep  a  little,  but  allhough  the  sand  was  soft,  the  iiigbt  air  vas 
ohillj,  and  I  believe  ooliodj  EDCcceded  but  Abou-Balta,  whoso 
enormoua  belly  shook  with  the  force  of  Lis  snoring,  aa  he  lay 
stretched  out  on  hia  back.  By  throe  in  the  morning  evety- 
body  waa  tired,-  the  firea  had  burned  out,  the  meata  of  the 
banquet  had  grown  cold,  and  the  wind  blew  more  freahlj  from 
the  north.  Latfif  Effendi  called  his  sailors  on  board  and  we 
took  leave  of  him.  The  two  nekkers  spread  their  huge  winga 
and  sailed  off  in  the  moonlight  for  the  laud  of  the  Bacis,  while 
we  made  our  slow  way  back  to  Khartoum,  where  we  arrived 
at  daybreak, 

Duriug  my  absence  there  had  been  three  distinguished  ar- 
rivals— Abou-Sin,  the  great  shekh  of  the  Shukorees  (the  father 
of  Owd-el  Kerim),  Meiek  Dyaab.  the  king  of  Dar  El-MAhass, 
and  All,  shekh  of  the  Ababdehs — alE  of  whom  had  been  sum- 
moned by  the  Pasha,  for  the  purpose  of  consulting  with  them 
on  the  condition  of  their  territories,  Abou-Sin  was  one  of  the 
Btateliest  and  most  djgnifi.cd  personages  I  had  ever  seen.  He 
was  about  seventy-five  years  of  age,  six  feet  six  laches  in 
height,  straight  as  a  lance,  with  a  keen,  fiery  eye,  aad  a  gray 
beard  which  flowed  to  his  waist.  Dr.  P^ney,  who  had  visited 
the  old  shekh  in  Takka,  informed  me  that  he  could  bring  iato 
the  field  four  thousand  warriors,  each  mounted  on  hia  own 
dromedary.  The  Shukorees  wear  shirts  of  chain-mail  and 
helmets  with  chain-pieces  falling  on  each  side  of  the  face,  like 
their  Saracen  ancestors.  Their  weapons  are  still  the  sabre  and 
laocQ,  with  which  they  have  maintained  their  independence 
■gainat  all  enemies,  except  the  cannon  of  Mohammed  Ati. 
Dr,  Reitz  took  me  to  visit  the  Shekh,  who  was  living  ia  ao 
bumble  mud  building,  not  far  from  the  Pusha'a  palaoe.     Wfl 


lointNBr  TO  OEimtAL  Africa. 


found  bim  giving  audience  to  a  nnmber  of  inferior  ehckhi,  wia 

o  seated  upon  the  eartlen  floor,  below  liia  divan.  His  son, 
OwJ-el  Kerim,  was  among  them.  The  CodbuI  took  his  eeiil 
nt  the  shekh's  side,  and  I  did  the  same,  but,  although  nothing 
n  18  said,  I  saw  that  tho*e  present  mentally  resented  oar  pre- 
Buniption,  and  felt  that  I  had  been  guilty  of  a  breach  of  dec* 
The  object  of  our  visit  was  to  invite  the  shekh  to  dina 
with  UB.  and  he  graciously  complied.  Owd-el  Kerim  was  m- 
eluded  in  the  invitattoD,  but  he  excused  himself  on  the  gromid 
that  he  did  not  dare  to  eat  nt  the  same  table  with  his  father, 
I  was  delighted  with  this  trait,  which  recalled  the  patriarch^] 
days  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  justified  the  claim  of  the 
Arabs  to  the  blood  of  Abraham. 

After  my  return  the  weather  had  suddeuly  ohanged,  ati 
operj  thiug  denoted  the  approach  of  the  hot  and  sickly  season. 
The  thermometer  stood  at  105°  in  the  shade,  at  noon,  nai 
there  was  an  intensely  hot  wind  from  the  south.  On  acconnt 
of  the  languor  and  depreasion  coDsequent  upon  such  a  heat,  it 
required  an  estraordinary  effort  to  maite  the  necessary  ontriflB 
in  jny  journal.  I  barely  succeeded  in  moving  about  sufficienfr 
ly  to  ehake  off  the  feverish  humors  which  in  that  climate 
rapidly  collect  in  the  system.  I  always  placod  a  cool  earthea 
jug  of  water  at  mj  bedeide,  and  when  I  awoke  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  with  a  heavy  head  and  parched  throat,  would  take 
a  full  draught,  which  immediately  threw  me  into  a  profuM 
sweat,  after  which  I  slept  soundly  and  healthily  until  moraiDf^ 
He  who  lives  in  Khartoum  in  the  hot  season  must  either  sweal 
or  die.  M.  Drovetti,  of  Alexandria  (son  of  the  French  Consnl 
I>rovetti,  with  whom  Belzoui  nad  so  many  quarn 
about  this  time  and   was  immediately  prostrated 


I 


i 


)  Of  xzonA^oa. 


87B 


Han^  of  the  Franks  and  Egyptians  were  also  afiect.'d,  and 
Acliinet,  who  felt  plethoric  Bjmptoms,  must  needs  go  to  a  bar- 
ber and  be  bled  in  the  head.  He  besought  me  to  return  to 
Egypt,  and  aa  I  had  already  accomplished  much  more  than  1 
anticipated,  I  began  at  once  to  prepare  for  tlie  homeward 
journey. 

The  route  which  I  fixed  upon  waa  that  aorosa  the  Be- 
yooda  Desert  to  Napata,  the  aDcient  capital  of  Ethiopia, 
thence  to  Dongola,  and  through  the  Nubian  kingdoms  to  the 
Second  Cataract  of  the  Nile,  at  Wadi  Haifa.  The  first  part 
of  the  journey,  through  the  countries  of  the  Kababiah  and  tlie 
Howoweet,  was  considered  rather  dangerous,  and  aa  a  precau- 
tionary measure  I  engaged  three  of  tie  former  tribe,  aa  guide 
and  camel-drivers.  I  purchased  two  large  Shukoree  dromeda- 
ries for  myself  and  Achmet,  at  three  hundred  aud  two  hundred 
and  fifty  piastres  respectively,  and  hired  thred  others  from  the 
Kababiah,  at  fifty  piastres  for  the  journey  to  Eddabe,  on  the 
Uongolese  frontier,  by  way  of  Napata.  The  contract  was  for- 
mally made  in  the  presence  of  the  ahekh  of  Khartoum  and  Dr. 
ReitK,  both  of  whom  threatened  the  Arabs  with  destruction  in 
case  tliey  should  not  conyey  me  safely  through  the  Desert, 
The  Consul  also  did  me  good  Berrice  in  the  negotiation  of  iny 
draft  on  Fathalla  Mosallee,  a  Coptic  merchant,  who  demanded 
twenty  per  cent,  for  the  exchange.  This,  as  my  funds  were 
getting  low,  would  have  been  a  serious  loss,  but  by  some  aritl^ 
ntetical  legerdemain,  which  I  could  net  anderstand,  the  Consul 
so  bowUdered  poor  Fathalla'a  brain,  that  he  was  finally  made 
to  believe  that  a  discount  of  five  per  cent,  would  somehow  pro- 
fit him  more  in  the  end  than  one  of  twenty  per  eeut.  Fathalla 
paid  the  money  with  a  meUncholy  coniiision  of  idea«,  and  ] 


JtOURITBr  TO   OBSntJU.  AWBIOA. 


doubt  wbethcr  he  has  to  this  daj  disooTercd  in  wbit  nj  b 

iiicreased  bia  profits  by  the  operation. 

My  provieioD-cheste  vere  replenished  with  coffee,  sugu, 
rico,  dates  and  mishmish  {dried  apricots),  from  the  bazat^ 
and  Acbmel  worked  so  cheerily  with  the  prospect  of  IcsTing 
Soudan,  that  every  thing  was  in  readiness  at  a  day's  notina 
Rather  than  wait  until  the  following  Monday,  for  luck's  Bike, 
I  fised  upon  Thursday,  the  fifth  of  February,  for  our  dep»r- 
tore.  Many  of  the  subordinate  Egyptian  officers  prepared  let- 
ters to  their  fumiliea,  which  they  intrusted  to  Achmet's  eare, 
and  poor  old  Rufaa  Bey,  more  tlian  ever  diegustcd  with  Iiif 
exile,  charged  me  with  a  letter  to  his  wife  and  another  to  Ht: 
Murray,  through  whoso  aid  he  hoped  t^  get  permission  to  re- 
turn to  Egypt.  I  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  the  Pasha,  who  r^ 
ceived  me  with  great  courtesy,  informing  me  (what  I  already 
knew),  that  ho  was  about  to  be  superseded  by  Eustum  Paslu, 
who,  he  predicted,  would  not  flud  the  government  of  SondaB 
an  easy  one. 

I  was  sorry  to  part  with  Vicar  Knoblecher  and  bia  bretlf 
ren.  Those  Bclf-sacriiiciug  men  have  willingly  devoted  Uien^ 
selres  to  a  life — if  lifo  it  can  be  called,  which  is  little  betlM. 
than  death — in  the  remote  heart  of  Africa,  for  the  sake  of  lit 
troducing  a  purer  religion  among  its  pagan  inhabitants,  and  I 
trust  they  will  be  spared  to  see  theii-  benevolent  plans  realisie4 
They  are  men  of  the  purest  character  and  animated  by  the  hefl 
desires.  Aboona  Suleynian,  as  Dr.  Knoblecher  is  called,  i« 
already  widely  known  and  esteemed  throughout  Soudan, 
although  he  can  do  but  little  at  present  in  the  xvay  of  religi 
teaching,  lie  has  instituted  a  school  for  the  children  of  tilt 
Oopts,  which  may  in  time  reform  the  (so-called)  Christian 


BOTAL    OUBSTB.  381 

siecy  of  Kbartoum.     If  he  slioiild  Euccecd  in  establisliiDg  a 

mission  in  the  country  of  tlie  Baris,  the  reaalt  will  be  not  IcaS 
iiiiportaQt  to  Science  than  to  Christianity,  and  the  csperiRient 
in  one  which  should  interest  tlic  world. 

On  the  evening  before  my  departure  the  shekhs  Aboa-Sin, 
Ali,  the  Ababdeh,  and  Ttlciek  Dyaab  eame  to  dine  with  Br 
Kcitz,  Abou-Sin  waa  grave  and  stately  as  ever,  and  I  never 
looked  at  him  without  thinking  of  l^is  four  thousand  mailed 
warriors  on  their  dromcdsrieB,  sweeping  over  the  plains  of 
Takka.  Shekh  Ali  was  of  medium  size,  with  a  kind,  amiabla 
face,  and  a  touch  of  native  refiuement  in  his  manner.  King 
Dyaab,  however,  who  wore  a  capacious  white  turban  and  a 
robe  of  dark-blue  cloth,  was  the  "merry  monarch"  of  Central 
Africa.  His  large  eyes  twinkled  with  good  humor  and  his 
roand  face  beamed  with  the  radiance  of  a  satislied  spirit.  Ha 
brought  a  black  Dongolcse  horse  as  a  present  for  Dr.  Reitit, 
and  requested  me  to  put  him  through  his  paces,  on  the  plain 
before  the  house,  as  it  would  have  been  contrary  to  African 
etiquette  for  the  Doctor  himself  to  test  the  character  of  the 
gift.  I  complied,  but  the  saddle  was  adapted  only  for  the 
abort  legs  of  the  fat  king,  and  after  running  a  circular  course 
with  my  knees  drawn  up  nearly  to  my  chin,  the  resemblance 
of  the  scene  to  the  monkey-riding  of  the  circus  struck  me  so 
forcibly,  that  I  jumped  off  and  refused  to  mount  again,  greatly 
to  the  monarch's  disappointment. 

Shekhs  Abou-Sin  and  Ali  took  their  departure  ehortly 
after  the  disposal  of  the  roast  sheep  and  salad  which  constitut- 
ed the  dinner,  but  King  Dyaab  and  Dr,  Peney  remained  until 
%  late  hour,  smoking  a  parting  pipe  with  me,  and  partaking  of 
t  mixture  of  claret,  lemons,  pomegranate  juice  and  spices 


S82  jour:iet  to  ckmtkal  Arsioi. 

which  the  Consul  compounded  into  a  sherbet  of  the  moat  di 
oioua  flavor.  King  Djaah  draiik  my  health  with  a  profusioa 
of  good  wighea,  begging  me  to  remain  another  week  and  s» 
company  hia  caravan.  His  palace  in  Dar  SI-MAhass,  he  snidi 
was  entirely  at  my  disposal  and  I  mnet  remain  several  wetja 
with  him.  Bnt  there  is  nothing  so  unpleasant  to  me  as  (a 
postpone  a  journey  after  all  the  preparations  are  made,  and  I 
was  reluctantly  obliged  to  declme  his  invitation.  I  take  plea- 
Bure,  however,  in  testifying  to  the  King's  good  qualities,  wbicb 
fully  entitle  him  to  the  throne  of  Bar  El  Mabass,  and  were  I 
installed  in  his  capital  of  Kukc,  aa  court-poet,  I  should  eer- 
lainly  write  a  national  batlnd  for  the  Mahassees,  commeneiiig 


a  this ' 


"  El  Meluk  Dynab  ia  ajolly  old  King, 
And  B  jolly  old  King  is  he,"  ete. 


After  the  Melek  had  beatowod  a  partbg  embrace  by  throif- 
ing  hia  arms  around  my  waist  and  dropping  hia  round  head  oo 
my  shoulder  like  a  sixty-eight  pound  shot,  ho  was  sent  home 
in  state  on  the  back  of  Sultan,  the  J>ar-Fur  stallion.  Tiie 
moonlight  was  so  beautiful  that  the  Consul  and  I  accompanied 
Dr.  Pency  to  hia  residence.  The  latter  suggested  anothei 
pipe  in  the  open  air  of  his  coort-yard,  and  awoke  his  Sbillooi 
slaves,  who  were  lying  asleep  near  the  honae,  to  perform  i 
dance  for  our  amusement.  There  were  three — two  males  aad 
a  female — and  their  midnight  dance  was  the  most  uncouth  anil 
barbaric  thing  I  saw  in  Khartoum.  They  brandished  their 
cluba,  leaped  into  the  air,  aligbtiag  sometimes  od  one  foot  and 
Bomctimes  on  both,  and  accompanied  their  motions  with  i 
aeries  of  short,  quick  howls,  not  unlike  the  laaghter  of  a  hj» 


tahko  lkave  of  m  pnn.  999 

Da.  After  the  dance,  Dr.  Beitz  effected  a  reconciliation  b&> 
tween  one  of  the  men  and  the  woman,  who  had  been  married, 
but  were  about  to  separate.  They  knelt  before  him,  side  by 
side,  and  recounted  their  complaints  of  each  other,  which  were 
sufficiently  ludicrous,  but  a  present  of  three  piastres  (fifteen 
cents !),  purchased  forgetfulness  of  the  past  and  renewed  vows 
for  the  future. 

I  felt  a  shadow  of  regret  when  I  reflected  that  it  was  my 
last  night  in  Khartoum.  After  we  walked  home  I  roused  the 
old  lioness  in  her  corner,  gave  her  a  farewell  hug  and  sat  down 
on  her  passive  back  until  she  stretched  out  her  paws  and  went 
to  sleep  again.  I  then  visited  the  leopard  in  the  garden,  made 
him  jump  upon  my  shoulders  and  play  his  antics  over  once 
more.  The  hyenas  danced  and  laughed  fiendishly,  as  usual 
when  they  saw  me,  but  the  tall  Kordofan  antelope  came  up 
softly  and  rubbed  his  nose  against  my  leg,  asking  for  the 
dourra  which  I  was  accustomed  to  give  him.  I  gave  him, 
and  the  gazelles,  and  the  leopard,  «^ch  an  affectionate  kiss,  but 
poked  the  surly  hyenas  until  they  lt«v]ad,  on  my  way  to  bed. 


)   CEKTIUL   ATSICA. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


:i>mll  rn^  a  g( 

-Ai 

lenuoi 

uf  Tr»Je— The 

Usniui 

rta-epoonlatlDi 

.-TJ.. 

,(hudTr, 

ideofKHdohi.- 

-The  It. 

dry  Tradi— All 

a. 

.vernmonl-TlBTmniol. 

.Sinv. 

.^PriKSgfSI. 

..»-Tb. 

ilr  TreaUneBt. 

Befop.s  taking  a  final  leave  of  Souddn,  it  may  be  well  tt 
ft  few  words  coBceming  the  trade  of  the  country.  As  tbe  Nih  I 
is  the  principal  avenue  of  communication  between  the  Modi-  \ 
terrancan  and  the  eastern  half  of  Centra!  Africa,  Soudan 
thus  made  a  centre  of  commerce,  tlie  character  of  which  m^  I 
bo  taken  as  an  index  to  all  the  interior  traffic  of  the  continent.  1 
European  goods  reaelt  Souddn  through  two  principal  chaO'fl 
nels;  by  the  port  oT  Sowakic,  on  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  car»-J 
van  route  up  the  Nile  and  across  the  Great  Nubian  Deseril 
Of  late  years  the  latter  has  become  the  principal  thoroughfare,  i 
as  winter  ia  the  commeroial  season,  and  the  storms  on  the  lied  J 
Sea  are  very  destructive  to  the  small  Arab  craft.  The  r 
chants  leave  Cairo  through  the  autumn,  principally  betnccB  I 
the  first  of  October  and  the  first  of  December,  as  they  travd  1 
slowly  and  rarely  make  the  journey  in  less  than  two  monChl  I 
•nd  a  hal£     The  groat  proportion  of  them  take  the  same  roati  \ 


rax  HXROiuinB  c 


38fi 


[  followed,  from  Korosko  to  Berber,  where  they  ship  ag&in  for 
Khartoum  Those  who  bay  their  own  camels  at  Assouan, 
Bake  the  whole  trip  by  land;  hut  it  is  more  usual  for  them  to 
buy  camels  in  Soudan  for  the  return  journey,  as  they  can  sell 
Ihem  in  Upper  Egypt  at  advanced  prices.  In  fact,  the  trade 
in  camels  alons  is  not  inconsiderable.  On  my  way  to  Khar- 
toum I  met  many  thousands,  in  droycs  of  from  one  to  five 
hundred,  on  their  way  to  Egypt. 

The  merchants  who  make  this  yearly  trip  to  Souddn  are 
mostly  Egyptians  and  Nubians,  There  are  a  number  of  Syr- 
ians established  in  the  country,  but  they  are  for  the  most  part 
connected  with  houses  in  Cairo,  and  their  caravans  betweeu 
the  two  places  are  in  charge  of  agents,  natives,  whose  charao- 
tor  has  been  proved  by  long  service.  There  were  also  three  or 
four  French  and  Italian  merchants,  and  one  Englishman  (Mr. 
Peterick,  in  Kordofin),  who  carried  on  their  business  in  the 
Bame  manner.  It  is  no  unusual  thing  for  Nubians  who  have 
amassed  two  or  three  thousand  piastres  by  household  service 
in  Cairo,  to  form  partnerships,  invest  their  money  in  cotton 
goods,  and  after  a  year  or  two  on  the  journey  (for  time  is  any 
thing  but  money  to  them),  return  to  £)gypt  with  a  few  hundred 
weight  of  gum  or  half  a  dozen  camels.  They  earn  a  few  pias- 
tres, perhaps,  in  return  for  the  long  toils  and  privations  they 
have  endured  ;  but  their  pride  is  gratified  by  the  title  of  Djel- 
labiAt — merchants.  It  is  reckoned  a  good  school,  and  not 
irithaot  reason,  for  young  Egyptians  who  devote  themselves 
to  commerce.  I  met  even  the  sons  of  Beys  among  this  claaa. 
Those  who  arc  prudent,  and  havo  a  fair  capital  to  start  upon, 
can  generally  gain  enough  in  two  or  'Jirfc  years  to  establish 
tliemselris  respectably  in  Egypt. 
17 


k 


The  goods  brought  into  Central  Africa  cooBist  priDcipsllj 
of  English  muslins  and  caJicoea,  the  light  red  woollen  stufis  of 
Bitrbary,  cullerj,  beads  and  triukets.  Cloths,  silks,  powder 
lobacoo,  and  arokec,  are  also  brought  iu  considerable  ijuanti- 
ties,  while  in  the  largo  towns  there  is  always  a  good  sale  for 
eugar,  rice,  coffee  and  spices.  The  Turkish  officials  and  ths 
Franks  are  very  fond  of  the  aniseed  cordial  of  Scio,  maraselu 
no,  roBoglio,  and  the  other  Levantine  liquors ;  and  eTcn  the 
heavy,  resinous  wines  of  Smyrna  and  Cyprus  find  their  way 
here.  The  natives  prefer  for  clothing  the  coarse,  Tuibleachod 
cotton  stufTs  of  their  own  manufacture,  one  mantle  of  which  is 
sufficient  for  years.  As  may  readily  be  supposed,  the  market 
is  frequently  glutted  with  goods  of  this  description,  wheoot 
the  large  houses  often  send  money  from  Cairo  for  the  purchase 
of  gum  and  ivory,  in  preference  to  running  any  risk.  At  iha 
time  of  my  visit,  all  sorts  of  muslins  and  calicoes  might  be  hod 
in  Khartoum  at  a  very  slight  advance  on  Cairo  prices,  and  ^e 
merchants  who  were  daily  arriving  with  additional  bales,  com- 
plained that  the  sale  woul  d  not  pay  tho  expenses  of  their  jour- 
ney. The  remarkable  success  of  tho  caravans  of  the  prcviom 
year  had  brought  a  crowd  of  adventurers  into  the  lists,  very 
few  of  whom  realized  their  espeetations.  It  was  the  Califor- 
nia experience  in  another  form.  No  passion  is  half  so  blind 
as  tho  greed  for  gain. 

Khartoum  is  the  great  metropolis  of  all  this  region.  Som^ 
few  caravans  strike  directly  through  the  Beyooda  Desert,  from 
Dongola  to  KordofLin,  but  the  great  part  come  directly  to  the 
former  place,  where  they  dispose  of  their  goods,  and  then  pro 
need  to  Kordofan  for  gum,  or  wait  the  return  of  the  yearly  e%- 
pedilion  up  the  White  Nile,  to  stock  themselves  with  ivoij, 


Oil  both  these  artielea  there  ij  generally  a  good,  Bometimes  n 
great,  profit.  The  gum  comes  almost  entirely  from  Kordofan, 
where  the  quantity  annually  gathered  amounts  to  (hirty  thou- 
Band  contar,  or  cwt.  It  ia  collected  hy  the.  natives  from  that 
variety  of  the  mimosa  called  the  asltaba,  and  Bold  hy  them  at 
fn^m  fifty-five  to  sixty  piastres  the  contar.  Lattif  Paeha  at  one 
time  iBsned  a  decree  prohihiting  any  person  from  selling  it  at 
hsaa  than  slaty  piastres,  bat  Dr.  Rcita,  by  an  energetic  protest, 
obttuned  the  revocation  of  this  arbitrary  edict.  The  cost  of 
carrying  it  to  Cairo  ia  very  nearly  fifty  piastres  the  contar, 
Bic'.ufiive  of  a  government  tax  of  two' ve  and  a  half  per  cent. ; 
and  as  the  price  of  gum  lu  Cairo  fluctuates  according  to  the 
demand  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
piastres,  the  merchant's  gain  may  be  as  low  as  ten  or  as  high 
as  one  hundred  per  cent.  The  gum  brought  from  Yemen  and 
the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea  is  considered  superior  in  quality 
but  is  not  produced  in  such  abundance. 

The  ivory  is  mostly  obtained  from  the  negro  tribes  on  the 
"White  Nile,  Small  quantities  are  occasionally  brought  from 
Dor-Fur  and  the  unknown  regions  towards  Bomou,  by  Arab 
caravans.  The  trading  expeditions  up  the  White  Nile,  until  the 
winter  of  1851—3,  were  entirely  under  the  control  of  the  Pasha 
of  SjudSn,  in  spite  of  the  treaty  of  1838,  making  it  free  to 
all  nations.  The  expedition  of  that  winter,  which  sailed  from 
Khartoum  about  two  months  before  my  arrival,  consisted  of 
seven  veseels,  accompanied  hy  an  armed  force.  The  parties 
interested  in  it  consisted  of  the  Pasha,  the  Egyptian  mer- 
chants, and  the  rayaks,  or  European  merchants.  The  gains 
were  to  be  divided  into  twenty-four  parts,  eight  of  which  went 
to  the  Pasha,  nine  to  the  Turks  and  ecveu  to  the  Fruiks.     Dr. 


L 

I  sue- 


BBS  JomuiXT  TO 

Reitz  nndertook  to  enforoe  the  trealy,  and  actually  ran  t 
vessels  bclongiDg  to  Austrian  frotegft  past  the  guard  eatal>>  I 
litilied  at  the  junction  of  the  Niles.     The  Pasha  thereupon  bad  I 
nil  the  sailors  belonging  to  these  vessels  arrested,  but  after  two  . 
daja  of  violent  man»BUVTes  and  counter- manoauvres,  allowed 
the  vessels  to  proceed.     The  unjust  monopoly  was  therefore 
virlualiy  annulled — an  iniporta,nt  fact  to  Europeana  who  niaj 
wish  to  engage  in  the  trade.     The  vessels  take  with  them 
great  quantities  of  glass  beads,  ear,  arm  and  nose  rings,  and 
the  like,  for  which  the  natives  readily  barter  their  elephants' 
teeth.     These  are  not  found  in  abundance  before  reaching  tha 
land  of  the  NuL'hrs  and   the  Kyks,  about  lat.  7°,  and  the  best 
sjjocimecs  come  from  regions  still  further  south.     They  are 
Bold  in  Khartoum  at  the  rate  of  twelve  hundred  piastres  the 
cwt.,  and  io  Cairo  at  twenty-two  hundred,  burdened  with  a  tu 
of  twelve  and  a  half  per  cent.  I 

The  Government  has  done  its  best  to  cramp  and  injura  I 
Trade,  the  only  life  of  that  stagnant  land.  In  addition  to  tha 
custom-house  at  Assouan,  where  every  thing  going  into  Egypt 
must  pay  duty,  the  Fasba  and  his  satellites  had  established  an 
illegjl  custom-house  at  DongoU,  and  obliged  merchants  to  pay 
another  toll,  midway  on  their  journey.  This  was  afterward* 
abolished,  on  account  of  the  remonstrances  which  were  forward- 
ed to  Cairo.  I  found  the  Pasha  so  uniformly  courteous  and 
affable,  that  at  first  I  rejected  many  of  the  stories  told  me  of 
his  oppression  and  cruelty,  hut  I  was  afterwards  informed  of 
circumatancoa  which  eshibitcd  his  character  in  a  stall  mora 
hideous  light.  Nevertheless,  I  believe  ho  was  in  moat  respects 
to  his  predecessors  in  the  office,  and  certainly  to  hia 
suc-ccRsor. 


TEE    BLAVB    1 


fhe  traffic  in  elaves  has  decreased  very  mucli  of  late 
The  wealthy  Egyptians  still  purciiaso  slaves,  and  will  continue 
to  do  HO,  till  the  "  institution "  ia  wholly  abolislied,  but  the 
despotic  mle  exercised  by  tlio  Paslia  iu  Nubia  Las  had  tho 
effect  of  greatly  lessening  the  demand.  Vast  numbers  of  Nu- 
bians go  into  Egypt,  where  tliey  are  engaged  as  domejtio  scr 
vanta,  and  their  paid  labor,  cheap  as  it  is,  is  found  more 
profitable  than  tho  unpaid  service  of  negro  slaves.  BesideSj 
the  tas  on  the  latter  has  been  greatly  increased,  so  tlint  mer- 
chants find  the  commodity  less  profitable  than  gum  or  irory. 
Ten  years  ago,  the  duty  paid  at  Assouan  was  thirty  piastres 
for  a  negro  and  fifty  for  an  Abyssitiian  :  at  present  it  is  three 
hundred  and  fifty  for  the  former  and  five  hundred  and  fifty  for 
the  latter,  while  the  tax  can  be  wholly  avoided  by  making  tbo 
ilave  free.  Prices  have  risen  in  consequence,  and  the  traffic  is 
proportionately  diminished.  The  Government  probably  de- 
rives as  large  a  revenue  as  ever  from  it,  on  account  of  the  in- 
creased tax,  BO  that  it  has  seemed  to  satisfy  the  denmiids  of 
some  of  the  European  powers  by  restricting  the  trade,  while  it 
aotnally  loses  nothing  thereby.  The  Government  slave  hunts 
in  the  interior,  however,  are  no  longer  carried  on.  The  gi'eat- 
er  part  of  the  slaves  brought  to  Khartoum,  are  purchased  from 
the  Galla  and  Shangalla  tribes  on  the  borders  of  Abyssinia,  or 
from  the  Sbillooks  and  Dinkas,  on  the  White  Nila  The  cap- 
tives taken  in  the  wars  between  the  variona  tribes  aro  invari- 
■bly  sold.  The  Abyssinian  girls,  who  are  iu  great  demand 
among  the  Egyptians,  for  wives,  are  frequently  sold  by  their 
own  parents.  They  are  treated  with  great  respect,  and  their 
.ot  ia  probably  no  worse  than  that  of  any  Arab  or  Turkish 
omalo.     Tho  more  beautiful  of  thorn  often  bring  from  twc 


800  JOURJIXT  TO  CBUTBAI.  AFRICA. 

handred  to  five  hmidred  dollars.  Ordinary  hoascbold  servsoll 
may  bo  had  from  one  to  two  thonsand  piastres.  My  drago- 
man, AcLmet,  piirchiiaed  a  small  girl  for  twelve  hnndred 
piastres,  as  a  prcscot  for  his  wife.  He  iptendcd  making  het 
free,  which  he  declared  to  he  a  good  thing,  according  to  hll 
rcIii;ioiii  but  the  true  reason,  I  suspect,  was  the  tax  it 
Assouan. 

The  Egyptians  rarely  maltreat  their  slaves,  and  instoneetf 
of  cruelty  are  much  less  frequent  among  them  than  among  thv 
Europeaiis  settled  here.  The  latter  became  so  notorious  foe 
their  violence  that  the  GoTcrnment  was  obliged  to  establish  ■ 
law  forbidding  any  Frank  to  strike  his  slave  ;  but  in  case  of 
disohedieneo  to  send  him  before  the  Cadi,  or  Judge,  who  eouli 
decide  on  the  proper  pimishraent.  Slavery  prevails  throagt 
oat  all  the  native  kingdoms  of  Central  Africa,  in  more  or  leM 
aggravated  forms. 

The  Egyptian  merchants  who  are  located  In  Khartoom  U 
agents  for  houses  in  Cairo,  consider  themselves  as  worse  than 
exiles,  and  indemnify  themselves  hy  sensual  indulgence  for 
being  obliged  to  remain  in  a  conotry  which  they  deteat. 
They  live  in  large  houses,  keep  their  harems  of  Inky  slavei, 
eat,  drink  and  smoke  away  their  languid  and  wearisome  days. 
All  the  material  which  they  need  for  such  a  life  is  so  cheap 
that  their  love  of  gain  does  not  Buffer  thereby.  One  of  tha 
richest  merchants  in  the  place  gave  me  aa  account  of  Mi 
housekeeping.  He  had  a.  large  mud  palace,  a  garden,  and  ~| 
twenty  servants  and  slaves,  to  maintain  which  cost  him  eight 
thousand  piastres  (four  handred  dollars)  a  year.  He  paid  liil 
servants  twenty  piastres  a  month,  and  his  slaves  also — at 
w)  he  told  mo,  hut  I  did  not  believe  it. 


le  paid  liii        I 
o — at  least    M 


THC  NATIVES   OF  BOUDAIT.  891 

As  foi  the  native  Fellahs  of  Sonddn,  they  are  so  crushed 
and  imposed  upon,  that  it  is  difficult  to  judge  what  their 
natural  capacities  really  are.  Foreigners,  Frank  as  well  as 
Egyptian,  universally  complain  of  their  stupidity,  and  I  heard 
the  Pasha  himself  say,  that  if  he  could  have  done  any  thing 
with  them  Abbas  Pasha  might  whistle  to  get  Souddn  from  him. 
That  they  are  very  stupid,  is  true,  but  that  they  have  every 
encouragement  to  be  so,  is  equally  true.  Dr.  Knoblecheri  who, 
of  all  the  men  I  saw  in  Khartoum,  was  best  qualified  to  judge 
correctly,  assured  me  that  they  needed  only  a  just  and  pater- 
nal goverumont,  to  make  rapid  progress  in  the  arts  of  oivilisa- 
tioa 


8M  jouBirxr  to  okstral  avmoa 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

FBOM      KHABTOUM     TO      EL      MBTBUMA. 

Farewell  Breakfast— Departure  from  Ebartoam— Parting  with  Dr.  Beltx—A  Pmlie 
tion  and  its  Falfllment— Dreary  Appearance  of  the  Coontry— Liona—Baiyuif- 
Oroands— The  Natives— My  Kababish  Guide,  Mohammed — Character  at  the  Arsbl 
—Habits  of  Deception— My  Dromedary— Matton  and  Mareesa— A  SoadAn  Ditty— 
The  Bowydn— Akaba  Oerri— Heat  and  Scenery— An  Altercation  with  the  GoidS' 
A  Mishap— A  Landscape— Tedioos  Approach  to  £1  Metemma— Appearance  of  tbc 
Town— Preparations  for  the  Desert— Meeting  Old  Acqoaintances. 

The  wind  blew  so  violently  on  the  morning  of  my  departure 
from  Khartoum,  that  the  ferry-boat  which  had  been  engaged 
to  convey  my  equipage  to  the  Kordofan  shore,  could  not  round 
the  point  at  the  junction  of  the  Niles.  My  camels,  with  the 
Kababish  guide  and  drivers,  had  been  ferried  over  the  evening 
previous,  and  were  in  readiness  to  start  In  this  dilemma  Dr. 
Peney,  with  whom  I  had  engaged  to  take  a  parting  breakfast, 
kindly  gave  me  the  use  of  his  nekTcer  and  its  crew.  Our 
breakfast  was  a  fete  cliampHre  under  the  beautiful  nebbulj 
tree  in  the  Doctor's  court-yard,  and  consisted  of  a  highly* 
spiced  salmi  of  his  own  compounding,  a  salad  of  lettuce  and 
tomatoes,  and  a  bottle  of  Cyprus  wine.  The  coolness  and 
force  of  the  north-wind  gave  us  a  keen  appetite,  and  our  kind 


DltVASTUBB   FROM 

bost  could  not  say  that  we  aliglited  liia  culinary  Btill,  for  verilj 
there  was  nothiDg  but  empty  plates  to  te  seen,  when  we  aroae 
from  the  table.  Dr.  Reitz  and  I  hastened  on  board  the  nek- 
kcr,  which  immediately  put  off.  I  left  Khartoam,  regretting 
to  leave  a  few  friends  behind  me  ia  that  furnace  of  Soudan, 
yet  glad  to  escape  therefrom  myself.  A  type  of  the  character 
of  the  place  was  fumiahed  us  while  making  our  way  to  Omdnr- 
mua.  We  passed  the  body  of  a  woman,  who  had  been  stran 
gled  and  thrown  into  the  water ;  a  sight  wtieh  the  natives 
regarded  without  the  least  surprise.  The  Consul  immediately 
dispatched  one  of  hia  servants  to  the  Governor  of  the  city,  aak- 
tug  him  to  have  the  body  taken  away  and  properly  interred. 
It  was  full  two  hours  before  we  reached  the  western  bank  of 
the  Nile,  opposite  Omdurman.  Achmet,  who  had  preceded 
me,  had  drummed  np  the  Kababish,  and  they  were  in  leadi- 
nesa  with  my  camels.  The  work  of  apportioning  and  loading 
the  baggage  was  finished  by  noon,  and  the  caravan  atattod, 
preceded  by  the  guide,  Mohammed,  who  shook  hia  long  spear 
in  a  general  defiance  of  all  enemies. 

Dr.  Reitz  and  I,  with  our  attendants,  aet  off  in  adcmtce  on 
a  quick  trot.  Our  path  led  over  a  bleak,  barren  plain,  cover- 
ed with  thorna,  through  which  the  wind  whiatled  with  a  v/intrj 
sound.  The  air  was  filled  with  clouds  of  sand,  which  gave  a 
pale  and  aickly  cast  to  the  aimshisc.  My  friend  waa  unweL 
and  desponding,  and  after  we  had  ridden  eight  milen,  he  halt' 
ed  to  rest  in  a  deep,  rocky  gidlr,  where  we  were  sheltered 
from  the  wind.  Here  wc  lay  down  upon  the  sand  until  the 
caravan  came  along,  when  wo  parted  from  each  other.  "  You  are 
going  back  to  Europe  and  Civilization  j "  said  be  mournfuUj ; 
"you  have  an  eneouragbg  future  before  you — while  I  can  onl/ 
17' 


81)4  JODIISKT  TO    CXSnUT.  AFRICA. 

look  forwurd  tu  tne  prospect  of  leaving  loy  bonoa  in  this 
acouTflcd  land."  He  then  embraced  me,  mounted  hia  drome' 
dary,  and  waa  soon  lost  to  mj  sight  amoug  the  sand  and  tborns 
Little  did  I  then  imagine  that  his  last  words  were  the  imhappj 
prediction  which  another  year  would  see  verified  1  • 

We  halted  for  the  night  near  the  village  of  Gerrari.  I 
slept  but  indiSereiitty,  with  the  heavy  head  and  gloomy  spirits 
I  had  brought  from  Khartoum ;  but  the  free  life  of  my  tent 
did  not  fail  of  its  usual  effect,  and  I  roae  the  Dext  moroing 
fresh,  strong,  and  courageous.  We  were  obliged  to  travel 
slowly,  on  account  of  the  nature  of  the  road,  which,  for  tlio 
greater  part  of  the  distance  to  EL  Metemma,  lay  in  the  Desert, 
just  beyond  the  edge  of  the  cultivated  laud.     For  the  first  day 

'  Dr.  Conitunliiie  KelU  died  about  a  year  after  my  depnrtim  from 
Bouc34ii,  from  the  elTecta  of  tli«  climate.  He  had  been  ill  fur  tan* 
monthB,  and  while  making  a  jaaine;  to  Eordoian.  felt  himaflf  growing 
worse  BO  rapidly  tiut  ha  returned  to  ICbartoum,  where  he  expired  ia  i 
few  dujs.  Ha  was  about  thirty-three  years  of  age,  and  his  many  n* 
quiremenla,  joined  to  a  charnoter  of  singular  energy  and  persiatence, 
had  led  his  friends  1o  hopn  for  important  results  from  hia  residente  ia 
Central  Africa.  WilJi  manners  of  great  brusqueness  and  eccentricity, 
his  generosity  waa  unbounded,  and  this,  combined  with  his  inLnpiditf 
and  his  skill  as  a  horseman  and  a  hunter,  mnile  him  a  general  favpritt 
with  the  Arab  chieftains  of  Ethiopia,  whose  cause  he  was  alwaji 
ready  lo  advocate,  agabat  the  oppreaaive  meaaurca  o"  the  Egyptian 
GoTemment,  It  will  always  be  a  source  of  BatiBfaOtion  lo  the  author, 
that,  in  paseing  through  Germany  in  September,  1852,  he  visited  ttt 
parents  of  Dr.  Iteiu,  wboae  father  in  a  Fortlindtler,  or  luspeotor  of 
Forests,  near  Darmstadt.  The  Joy  which  tbey  exhibited  on  hearing 
From  their  aon  through  one  who  had  so  recently  Been  turn,  waa  mixed 
with  Badness  as  they  expressed  the  fear  that  Ikey  would  nevor  see  bin 
•gaia — a  fear,  alaa  I  too  soon  realized. 


AFFXABANCE  07  THB  COUKTRY.  8SB 

01  «To,  fd  rede  over  dry,  stony  plains,  covered  witt  thiokcla 
of  *hp  SLTslI  tbomy  raimoBa  and  patches  of  loog  yellow  graBs. 
TLe  oouat-j'  is  crosBed  by  deap  galliea,  through  which  the 
streams  formed  by  the  summer  rains  flow  to  the  Nile.  Their 
banks  are  lined  with  a  thick  growth  of  aont,  oebbnk,  aad  other 
trees  peculiar  to  Central  Africa,  Id  which  many  lions  make 
their  lairs  and  prey  upoB  the  flocks  of  the  Arabs.  One  bold, 
fierce  fellow  had  established  himself  on  the  islaud  of  Musakar 
Bey,  just  below  the  junction  of  the  Nile,  and  carried  off  night- 
ly a  sheep  or  calf,  defying  the  attempts  of  the  natives  to  take 
him.  Our  view  was  confined  to  the  thorns,  oa  whose  branches 
we  left  many  shreda  of  clothing  aa  mementoea  of  the  journey, 
Knd  to  the  barren  range  of  Sjehel  Gerrari,  stretching  west- 
ward into  the  Desert.  Occasionally,  howeyer,  in  crossing  the 
low  spurs  which  ran  out  from  this  chain,  the  valley  of  the 
Nile — the  one  united  Nile  again — lay  before  us,  far  to  the 
east  and  north-east,  the  river  glistening  io  tho  sun  as  be  spread 
his  arms  round  island  after  island,  till  )iis  lap  could  hold  no 
mora  The  soil  is  a  poor,  coarse  gravel,  and  tho  inhabitants 
sapport  themselves  by  their  herds  of  aheep  and  goata,  which 
browse  on  the  thoma.  In  plaeca  there  are  large  thickets  of 
the  usiter,  or  euphorbia,  twenty  feet  high.  It  grows  about  the 
huts  of  the  natives,  who  make  no  attempt  to  exterminate  it, 
notwithstanding  the  poisonous  nature  of  ita  juice.  Every  mile 
or  two  we  passed  a  large  Arab  burying-ground,  crowded  with 
rough  head  and  foot-stones,  except  where  white  pennons,  flut- 
tering on  poles,  denoted  a  more  than  ordinary  sanctity  in  the 
deceased,  .The  tomb  of  the  Shekh,  or  holy  man  of  Merreh, 
was  a  conical  structure  of  str  nes  and  clay,  about  fifteen  feet  in 
breadth  at  the  base,  and  twenty  feet  high.     The  grovefl  are  so 


1 

tbe  inipret^l 


B  and  the  dwellings  bo  few,  that  one  Dm  tbe  inv 
n  of  travelling  in  a  country  depopalaled  by  the  pestilcn 
yet  we  met  nlanj  persona  on  the  road — partly  Kababish,  and 
partly  natives  of  Dongola  and  Mahaas,     The   men  toncbed.,^ 
their  lips  and  foreheads  «□  paesing  me,  and  the  vomen  g 

e  with  that  peculiar  "kab-hab-ba/"  wbich  seemB  to  I 
the  universal  ezprcssiou  of  salutation  among  tbe  Tarioua  tribi 
of  Central  Africa. 

My  guide,  Kfobamnied,  was  a  Kababish,  and  the  i 
and  ailliest  Arab  I  ever  knew.  lie  wore  bis  hair  in  loi^'fl 
braids,  extending  from  tbe  forehead  and  templca  to  the  nape  I 
of  the  neck,  and  kept  in  their  places  by  a  layer  of  mutton-U, 
half  an  inch  thick,  which  filled  up  the  intervening  spaMa. 
His  hollow  cheeks,  deep-sunken  eyes,  thin  and  wiry  heard,  sad 
the  long  spear  he  carried  in  his  band  made  him  a  fair  repreRen- 
tative  of  Don  Quisoto,  and  the  resemblance  was  not  diminiehed 
by  the  gaunt  and  ungainly  camel  on  which  he  jogged  along  at 
the  head  of  my  caravan,  lie  was  very  devout,  praying  for 
quite  an  unreasonable  length  of  time  before  and  after  mefcls, 
and  always  had  a  large  patch  of  sand  on  hia  forehead,  trm 
striking  it  on  the  ground,  aa  lie  knelt  towards  Mecca.  BdUi 
hia  arms,  above  the  elbo^ts,  were  covered  with  rings  of  hippo- 
potamus hide,  to  which  were  attached  Sqaara  leathern  eases, 
containing  sentences  of  the  Koran,  as  charms  to  keep  awaj 
sickoesB  and  evil  spirits.  The  other  man.  Said,  was  a  Sby- 
gheean,  willing  and  good-natured  enough,  but  alow  and  regard- 
less of  truth,  as  all  Arabs  are.  Indeed,  the  best  definition  of 
an  Arab  which  I  can  give,  is — a  philosophising  sinner.  Bit 
fatalism  gives  him  a  calm  and  equable  temperament  under  all 
tircnmqtanccg,  and  "tiod  wills  it  I"  oi  "  Qod  is  meroifbll' 


is  tho  solace  for  every  miBfortane.  But  this  same  carelesB- 
nesB  to  tie  usual  accidents  of  life  eitends  also  to  hia  speech  and 
his  dealings  with  other  men.  I  will  not  sny  that  an  Arah 
never  speaks  truth :  on  tho  contrary,  he  always  doea,  if  he 
happens  to  remember  it,  and  there  ta  no  object  to  be  gained 
by  suppressing  it;  but  rather  than  trouble  himself  to  answer 
correctly  a  question  which  requires  some  thought,  he  tells  yon 
irbatever  comes  uppermost  in  his  mind,  though  certain  to  be 
detected  the  next  minute.  Ho  is  like  a  salesman,  who,  if  he 
does  not  happen  to  Lave  the  article  yoa  want,  offers  you  some- 
thing else,  rather  than  let  jou  go  away  empty-handed.  In 
regard  to  his  dealings,  what  Sir  Gaxdncr  Wilkinson  says  of 
Egypt,  that  "  nobody  parta  with  money  without  an  effort  to 
defraud,"  is  equally  true  of  Nubia  and  Soudim.  The  people 
do  not  steal  outright ;  hut  they  have  a  thousand  ways  of  doing 
it  in  an  indirect  and  civilized  manner,  and  they  are  perfect 
masters  of  all  those  petty  arts  of  fraad  which  thrive  so  greenly 
in  the  great  commercial  cities  of  Obristendom,  With  these 
slight  drawbacks,  there  is  much  to  like  in  the  Arabs,  and  they 
are  certainly  the  most  patient,  assLdnous  and  good-humored 
people  in  the  world.  If  they  fail  in  cheating  you,  they  r»- 
Bpeot  you  tho  more,  and  they  are  bo  attentive  to  you,  so  ready 
to  take  their  mood  from  yours — to  laugh  when  you  are  cheer- 
tol,  and  be  silent  when  you  are  gi-are — so  light-hearted  in  the 
performance  of  severe  duties,  that  if  you  commence  your  ao- 
qnaintance  by  despising,  you  finish  by  cordially  liking  tbcm. 

On  a  journey  like  that  which  I  was  then  commencmg,  it  ii 
abaolutoly  necessary  to  preserve  a  good  miderstanding  with 
your  men  and  beasts  ;  otherwise  travel  will  be  a  task,  and  a 
severe  one,  instead  of  a  recreation.     After  my  men  had  vainly 


tried  a  number  of  expedients,  to  get  the  apper  hand  af  mo,  1 
drilled  them  into  abaoluto  obedienoc,  and  found  their  charafr 
tar  much  improved  thereby.  With  my  dromedary,  wbora  I 
called  Abou-Sin,  (the  Fatter  of  Teeth),  from  the  great  flhett. 
of  the  Shukoree  Arabs,  to  whom  he  oi'tgiually  belonged,  I  wil 
1  good  terms.  He  was  a  beast  of  excellent  tempfli^ 
with  a  Epice  of  humor  in  hia  composition,  and  a  fondness  for 
playing  prax^tical  jokes.  But  as  I  always  paid  them  bacli^ 
neither  party  could  com.plain,  though  Abou-Sin  eometimea 
gurgled  out  of  his  long  throat  a  string  of  Arabic  gutturals,  m 
remonstrance.  He  camo  up  to  my  lent  and  knelt  at  precisely 
the  same  hour  every  evening,  to  get  hia  feed  of  dourra, 
when  I  was  at  breakfast  aJways  held  his  lips  pursed  up,  readj 
to  take  the  pieces  of  bread  I  gave  him.  My  men,  whom  I  agreei 
to  provide  with  food  during  the  journey,  were  regaled  eveiy' 
day  with  mutton  and  marceaa,  the  two  only  really  good  thin^ 
to  be  found  in  Soudan.  A  fat  shcop  cost  8  piastres  (40  cents), 
and  we  killed  one  every  three  days.  The  moat  was  of  esoel- 
lent  flavor.  Mareesa  ia  made  of  the  coarse  grain  called  don> 
ra,  which  is  pounded  into  flour  by  hand,  mixed  with  water,  and 
heated  over  a  fire  in  order  to  produce  speedy  fermentation.  It 
is  always  drunk  the  day  after  being  made,  as  it  turns  sour  on 
the  third  day.  It  ia  a  little  stronger  than  small  beer,  and  bu 
a  taste  simUar  to  wheat  bran,  unpleasant  on  the  first  trial  sad 
highly  palatable  on  the  second.  A  jar  holding  two  gallon! 
coats  one  piastre,  and  as  few  families,  however  poor,  are  with- 
out it,  we  always  found  plenty  of  it  for  sale  in  the  villages.  It 
is  nutritious,  promotive  of  digestion,  and  my  experience  went  to 
prove  that  it  was  not  only  a  harmless  but  most  wholesome  drinli 
in  that  stifling  climate.     Om  Ulbil,  the  mother  of  nightingalei, 


I 


« 


r?.  390 

which  ia  made  from  wheat,  is  etronger,  und  haa  &  pungent 
flavor.  The  people  in  general  are  remarkably  temperate,  bul 
sailors  aud  camcl-mcQ  are  often  not  content  nitbout  arakcc,  a 
Bort  of  weak  brandy  made  from  dates.  I  haTe  heard  this  Bong 
Bung  BO  often  that  I  cannot  eliooso  but  recollect  the  words.  It 
U  in  the  Arabic  jargon  of  Soudan : 

"El-toombnk  sheraboo  downia, 
Oo  el  karafecD  ed  down  il  'ca'Gitfaia, 
Oo  d  I'lrnkee  Icglieetoo  tnonimiii, 
Om  bilbil  bukbooaoo  burraln.' 


[Tobacco  I  smoke  in  the  pipe;  and  mareesa  is  a  medicine 
to  the  sufala ;  (i  e.  the  bag  of  palm  fibres  through  which  it  ia 
strained),  bat  arakee  makes  me  perfectly  contented,  and  then 
I  will  not  even  look  at  bilbil]. 

The  third  day  after  leaving  Khartoum,  I  reached  the 
mountains  of  Gerri,  through  which  the  Nile  breaks  his  way  in 
a  narrow  pass.  Here  I  hailed  as  an  old  acquaintance  the 
JHland-hill  of  Rowyiiu  (the  watered,  or  nnthirsty).  This  is 
truly  a  magnificent  peak,  notwithstanding  its  height  is  not 
more  than  seven  hundred  feet.  Neither  is  Soracte  high,  yet  it 
prodaeea  a  striking  effect,  even  with  the  loftier  Apennines 
behind  it.  The  Rowyan  is  somewhat  similar  to  Soracte  in 
forni.  There  are  a  few  trees  on  the  top,  which  shows  that 
there  must  be  a  deposit  of  soil  abc>vc  its  barren  ramparts,  and 
were  I  a  merchant  of  Khartoum  1  should  build  a  summer  resi- 
dtince  there,  and  byme^insof  hydraulics  create  a  grove  and 
garden  around  it.  The  akaba,  or  desert  pass,  which  we  were 
obliged  to  take  in  order  to  reach  tbe  river  again,  is  sis  boon 
in  length,  through  a  wild,  stony  tract,  covered  with  i 


too  jouKNsr  TO  DEHTiui.  AnticA. 

bouldoTB  of  granite,  burled  and  heaped  together  in  the  lama 
obacitio  maimer  as  is  exhibited  io  the  rocks  between  Assouan 
and  Phiiae.  After  pasBing  the  range,  a  wide  plain  again  open- 
ed before  us,  the  course  of  the  Nile  marked  in  its  centre  b;  tha 
darker  bae  of  the  nebbukB  and  sycamores,  rising  aboTe  the 
long  gray  belts  of  tbom-trces.  The  mountains  which  indoH 
the  fallen  temples  of  Meaowurat  and  Naga  appeared  far  to  the 
east.  The  banks  of  the  river  here  are  better  cultivated  than 
further  up  the  stream.  The  wheat,  which  waa  just  sprouting, 
during  my  upward  journey,  was  now  two  foet  high,  and  rolled 
before  the  wind  in  waves  of  dark,  iotcnse,  burning  green. 
The  brilliancy  of  color  in  these  mid-African  landscapes  is  truly 
astunishiog. 

The  north-wind,  which  blew  the  sand  furiously  in  our  facet 
during  the  first  three  days  of  the  journey,  ceased  at  this  pomt 
and  the  weather  became  once  more  intensely  hot.  The  first 
two  or  three  hours  of  the  morning  were,  neverthelesB,  deli* 
cious.  The  temperature  was  mild,  and  there  was  a  Juae-like 
breeze  which  bore  far  and  wide  the  delicate  odor  of  the  miiao- 
sa  blossoms.  The  trees  were  large  and  thick,  as  on  the  White 
Nile,  forming  long,  orchard-like  belts  between  the  grain-ficlda 
and  the  thorny  clumps  of  the  Desert.  The  flocks  of  black 
goats  which  the  natives  breed,  were  scattered  among  thesB 
trees,  and  numbers  of  the  animals  stood  perfectly  upright  on 
their  bind  legs,  as  they  nibbled  off  the  ends  of  the  higher 
branches. 

On  the  morning  after  leaviiig  Akaba  Gerri,  I  had  two  al- 
tercations with  my  men.  Mohammed  had  left  Rhartoam 
without  a  camel,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  saving  mon^. 
Id  a  day  or  two,  however,  lie  limped  so  much  that  I  put  hin 


opoii  Achmet's  dromedary  for  a  few  houra.  This  was  an  im 
position,  for  every  guide  is  oHiged  to  fdrclBh  bia  own  caine\ 
and  I  told  the  old  man  that  ho  should  ride  no  more.  He  there- 
upon  prevailed  upon  Said  to  declare  that  their  contract  was  ta 
take  me  to  Ambukol,  inatead  of  Merawe.  This,  considering 
Ihat  the  route  had  been  distinctly  stated  to  them  by  Dr.  Beits, 
in  my  presence,  and  put  in  writing  by  the  moodir,  Abdallah 
Effcndi,  and  that  the  nanio  of  Ambukol  was  not  once  mention- 
ed, was  a  falsehood  of  the  most  brazen  character.  I  told  the 
men  they  were  liars,  and  that  sooner  than  yield  to  them  I 
would  return  to  Khartoum  and  have  them  punished,  where- 
upon they  Baw  they  had  gone  too  far,  and  made  a  seeming  com- 
promise by  declaring  that  they  would  willingly  take  me  to 
Merawe,  if  I  wished  it. 

Towards  noon  we  reached  the  village  of  Derroira,  nearly 
opposite  the  picturesque  rapids  of  the  Nile.  I  gave  Moham- 
med half  a  piastre  and  sent  him  after  mareesa,  two  gallons  of 
which  he  speedily  procured.  A  large  gourd  was  filled  for  me, 
and  I  drank  about  a  quart  withoat  taking  breath.  Before  it 
had  left  my  lips,  I  experienced  a  feeling  of  vigor  and  elasticity 
throughout  my  whole  frame,  which  refreshed  me  for  the  rfr 
mainder  of  the  day.  Mohammed  stated  that  the  tents  of  soma 
of  his  tribe  were  only  about  four  hours  distant,  and  asked  leave 
to  go  and  procure  a  camel,  promising  to  rejoin  ua  at  El  Me- 
temraa  the  next  day.  As  Said  knew  the  way,  and  could  hav8 
piloted  me  in  case  the  old  sinner  should  not  retnn,  I  gave 
him  leave  to  go, 

Achmet  and  I  rode  for  nearly  two  houra  over  a  atony, 
tliorny  plain,  before  we  overtook  the  baggage  camels.  When 
it  last  we  came  in  sight  of  them,  the  brown  camel  was  running 


40S 


JODBKET  XO  OIHTKUi  JJWOi. 


looEe  withoiit  his  load  and  Said  trying  to  catch  him.  Hi/  pro 
visioc-cliests  were  tumbled  Tipon  tie  grotind,  the  cafass  broItBa 
to  pieces  and  the  chickens  enjoying  the  liberty  of  the  Desert 
6aiJ,  it  seemed,  bad  stopped  to  talk  with  some  women,  leaving 
the  camel,  which  was  none  too  gentle,  to  take  care  of  himselE 
Achmet  was  bo  incensed  that  he  strack  the  culprit  in  the  face, 
whereupoik  he  cried  out,  with  a  rueful  voice :  "  ya  lihosara  /' 
(oh,  what  a  misfortune  I].  After  half  an  hour's  labor  iht 
boxes  were  repacked,  minns  their  broken  crockery,  the  chickens 
caught  and  the  camel  loaded.  The  inhabitants  of  this  regios 
wore  mostly  Shjgbeeana,  who  had  emigrated  thither.  They 
are  smaller  and  darker  than  the  people  of  Muhass,  but  resem- 
ble thera  in  character.  In  one  of  the  villages  which  we  paw- 
ed, the  30017,  or  market,  was  being  held,  I  rode  through  tha 
crowd  to  see  what  they  had  to  sell,  but  found  only  the  simplcBt 
articles :  eamelfl,  donkeys,  sheep,  goate ;  mats,  onions,  butter, 
with  some  baskets  of  raw  cotton  and  pieces  of  stuff  spun  and 
woven  by  the  natives.  The  sales  must  bo  principally  by  bit- 
ter, as  there  is  little  money  in  the  eountry. 

In  the  afternoon  we  passed  anothftr  akaba,  even  more  diffi- 
cult for  camels  than  that  of  Gerri.  The  tracks  were  rough 
and  stony,  crossod  by  frequent  strata  of  granite  and  porphyry. 
From  the  top  of  one  of  the  ridges  I  had  a  fine  view  of  a  little 
valley  of  mimosas  which  lay  embayed  in  the  hills  and  washed 
by  the  Nile,  which  here  curved  grandly  round  from  west  to 
south,  bis  current  glittering  blue  and  broad  in  the  sun,  Tha 
opposite  bank  was  flat  and  belted  with  wheat  fields,  beyond 
which  stretched  a  gray  forest  of  thorns  and  then  the  yellow  as- 
rannas  of  Shendy,  walled  in  the  distance  by  long,  blue,  broken 
ntnges  of  motmtains.     Tho  summit  of  a  hill  near  oni  read  wal 


I 


I 


APPROACH   TO    SL    UETBMlLi.  409 

nuTOonded  Trith  a  thick  wall,  formed  of  natural  blocks  of  hlnck 
porphyry.  It  had  square,  projecting  hastiona  at  ragular  inter- 
rats,  and  an  entrance  on  the  western  side.  From  ita  appear 
BQce,  form  and  position,  it  had  undoubtedly  been  a  atroDghold 
of  some  one  of  the  Arab  tribes,  and  can  claim  no  great  antiipt 
ty.  I  travelled  on  until  after  susset,  when,  as  no  Tillage  ap- 
peared, X  camped  in  a  grove  of  large  mimosas,  not  far  from 
the  Nile,  A  few  Shygheean  herdsmen  wore  living  in  bnish 
hats  near  at  hand,  and  dogs  and  jackals  howled  incessantly 
through  the  Bight. 

On  the  fifth  day  I  reached  the  large  town  of  El  Metemma, 
nearly  opposite  Sheudy,  and  the  capital  of  a  negro  kingdom, 
before  the  Egyptian  usurpation.  The  road,  on  approaching  it, 
leads  over  a  narrow  plain,  covered  with  a  shrub  resembliag 
heather,  bordered  on  one  side  by  the  river,  and  on  the  other 
by  a  long  range  of  bare  red  sand-tills.  We  journeyed  for 
more  than  three  hours,  passing  point  after  point  of  the  hills, 
only  to  find  other  spurs  stretching  out  ahead  of  ua.  From  the 
intense  heat  I  was  very  anxious  to  reach  El  Metemma,  and 
was  not  a  little  rejoiced  when  I  discerned  a  grove  of  dato-trees, 
which  had  been  pointed  out  to  me  from  Sliendy,  a  month  before, 
as  the  landmark  of  the  place.  Soon  a  cluster  of  buildings  ap- 
peared on  the  sandy  slopes,  but  as  we  approached,  I  saw  they 
were  luiuB.  We  turned  another  point,  and  reached  another 
group  of  tokuls  and  clay  houses — ruins  also.  Another  point, 
and  more  rnina,  and  so  for  more  than  a  mile  before  we  reach- 
ed the  town,  which  commences  at  the  last  spur  of  the  hilla, 
uid  extends  along  the  plain  for  a  mite  aad  a  half. 

It  is  a  long  mass  of  one-story  mud  buildings,  and  the  most 
miserable  place  of  its  size  that  I  have  seen  in  Central  Afrioa 


<04  JOtntHKT   TO   CKXTBAIm  ATBIOA.  ■ 

TtiPrc  is  110  bazaar,  but  an  opcii  market-place,  where  tW  pe»  n 
pie  sit  on  the  ground  and  Belt  their  produce,  consistisg  of 
dourra,  butl«r,  dates,  onions,  tobacco  and  a  few  grass  mats 
There  may  be  a  mosque  in  the  place,  but  in  the  course  of  mj 
rninble  through  the  streets,  I  saw  nothing  that  looked  Ilka 
OQC.  Half  the  houses  appeared  to  be  uuinhabited,  and  thg 
natives  were  a  hideouB  misturo  of  the  red  tribes  of  Mofaau 
and  Shyghoca  and  tbe  negro  races  of  Soudan,  A  few  people 
were  moving  lazily  through  the  dusty  and  filthy  lanes,  bat  liie 
greater  portion  were  sitting  in  the  earth,  on  tbe  shady  side  of 
the  houses.  In  one  of  th«  streets  I  was  taken  for  the  Medici] 
Inspector  of  the  ton^i,  a  part  of  whose  business  it  is  to  see 
that  it  is  kept  free  from  filth.  Two  women  came  hastily  oot 
of  the  bouses  and  began  sweeping  vigorously,  saying  to  me  u 
I  came  up  :  "  You  see,  we  are  sweeping  very  clean."  It  wonld 
have  been  much  more  agreeable  to  me,  had  tlie  true  Inspector 
gone  his  rounda  the  day  before.  El  Metemmaand  Shendyare 
probably  the  most  immoral  towns  in  all  Central  Africa.  Tbe 
people  informed  me  that  it  was  a  regular  business  for  personi 
to  buy  female  slaves,  and  hire  them  for  the  purpose  of  prosti- 
tution, all  the  money  received  in  this  vile  way  going  into  the 
owner's  pocket, 

I  was  occupied  the  rest  of  tbe  day  and  the  next  moroiog 
in  procuring  and  filling  additional  water-skins,  and  preparing 
to  cross  the  Beyooda.  Achmct  bad  a  quantity  of  bread  baked, 
for  the  journey  would  occupy  seven  or  eight  days,  and  thern 
was  no  possibility  of  procuring  provisions  on  tbe  road.  Mo- 
Lnmnied  did  not  make  his  appearance  at  the  appointed  timci 
uid  I  determined  to  start  without  him,  my  caravan  being  in- 
creased by  a  Dongolese   merchant,  and  a  poor   Sby^ieeiili 


AaXTISO   OLD   ACQUAINTANCES.  405 

whose  only  property  was  a  club  and  a  wooden  bowl,  and  who 
•ftsked  leave  to  help  tend  the  camels  for  the  sake  of  food  and 
water  on  the  way.  All  of  the  Beyooda,  which  term  is  applied 
to  the  broad  desert  region  west  of  the  Nile  and  extending 
southward  from  Nubia  to  Kordofan  and  Dar-Fur,  is  infested 
with  marauding  tribes  of  Arabs,  and  though  at  present  their 
depredations  are  less  frequent  than  formerly,  still,  from  the 
total  absence  of  all  protection,  the  traveller  is  exposed  to  con- 
siderable risk.  For  this  reason,  it  is  not  usual  to  find  small 
parties  traversing  this  route,  as  in  the  Nubian  Desert. 

I  added  to  my  supplies  a  fat  sheep,  a  water-skin  filled  with 
mareesa,  a  sheaf  of  raw  onions  (which  are  a  great  luxury  in 
the  Desert),  and  as  many  fowls  as  could  be  procured  in  El 
Metemma.  Just  as  we  were  loading  the  camels,  who  should 
come  up  but  Beshir  and  two  or  three  more  of  the  Mahassee 
sailors,  who  had  formed  part  of  my  crew  from  Berber  to 
Khartoum.  They  came  up  and  kissed  my  hand,  exclaiming . 
**  May  God  prosper  you,  0  Effendi ! "  They  immediately  set 
about  helping  to  load  the  camels,  giving  us,  meanwhile,  news 
of  every  thmg  that  had  happened.  Beshir's  countenance  fell 
when  I  asked  him  about  his  Metemma  sweetheart,  Oammer6- 
Betahadjero ;  she  had  proyed  faithless  to  him.  The  America 
was  again  on  her  way  from  Berber  to  Khartoum,  with  a  com- 
pany of  merchants.  The  old  slave,  Bakhita,  unable  to  bear 
the  imputation  of  being  a^.hundred  and  fifty  years  old,  had  ran 
Awaj  from  the  vessel.  When  the  camels  were  loaded  and  we 
were  ready  to  mount,  I  gave  the  sailors  a  few  piastres  to  bn^ 
mareesa  and  sent  them  away  rejoicing 


>   CBNTRAi.  AFRIOA. 


CHAPTER    XXXH. 


blHlDf  lix  DMCtt— Cbui 


riia  MoudULd  Df  Tbint—Tbe  Wulla  of  Djnkilud— &  Moilnl 
Intoildkllon-Bnncrf  nf  Uie  Tubls-Iand-Blr  Ehuintk— The 
)ucllui)tiilD— EalneoCtin  AndrntCoiilJcUoiustarT'Dlruiit '1 
.E7— UJebel  Brrlul— Wo  came  Into  Fort 


iPcIlng 


gb  pilinv  vsilevJsloallng. 
Wliijre  Iho  ]>ltuaal  leljleEi  speeds  <n  luule.''- 

We  left  El  Metemma  at  noon,  on  tic  tenth  of  February. 
CroHBing  the  low  ridge  of  red  aand,  at  the  foot  of  which  tk 
town  ifl  built,  tlie  wind  came  fresh  to  meet  ub,  across  the  long 
level  savanna  of  yellow  grass  and  shrubs  which  Btretohed  awaj 
to  the  west  and  north,  without  a  bound.  The  pros]ieet  wa£ 
exhilarating,  after  the  continual  bem  of  thorns,  which  bad  lined 
our  road  from  Khartoum.  It  was  a  great  relief  to  turn  the 
Bje  from  the  bare,  Ecorcliing  mud  walls  of  the  town,  to  tha 
&eshness  and  freedom  of  the  Desert  I  took  a  last  look  at  tie 
wheat  fields  of  the  Nile,  and  then  turned  my  face  northwar<^ 


ISTTRma   THK   DESERT.  401 

towarda  the  point  where  I  expected  lo  meet  bis  cnrreot  Bgain. 
The  plain  was  very  level,  and  the  road  eieellent  for  out 
L:iLmel3.  lu  places  where  there  was  a  slight  depression  of  the 
Buil,  a  long,  slender  species  of  grass  grew  in  thick  tufts,  afford- 
ing nourish raent  to  the  herds  of  the  wandering  Arab  tribes. 
There  were  also  narrow  belts  of  white  thorn  and  a  eurious 
shrub,  with  leaves  resembling  the  jasmine.  In  two  hours  we 
reached  a  well,  where  some  Kababish  were  drawing  water  for 
their  goats  and  asses.  It  was  about  twontj  feet  deep,  and  the 
water  was  drawn  in  skins  let  down  with  ropes.  We  kept  on 
until  sunset,  when  we  encamped  in  an  open,  gravelly  space, 
surrounded  with  patches  of  grass,  oa  which  the  camels  bro\re- 
ed.  The  hot  weather  of  the  past  two  or  three  days  had  called 
into  life  a  multitude  of  winged  and  creeping  inseets,  and  they 
assailed  me  on  all  sides. 

The  next  morning,  after  travelling  more  than  two  hours 
over  the  plain,  we  reached  a  series  of  low  hills,  or  rather  swella 
of  the  Desert,  covered  with  black  gravel  and  fragments  of  por- 
pbyritic  rock.  Thej  appeared  to  be  outlying  spurs  of  a  moun- 
tain range  which  we  saw  to  the  northwest  From  the  highest 
of  them  wo  saw  before  us  a  long,  shallow  valley,  opening  far 
to  the  north-east.  It  was  thickly  covered  with  tufts  of  yellow- 
ish-green grass,  sprinkled  with  trees  of  various  kinds.  The 
merchant  pointed  out  a  grove  in  the  distance  as  the  locatiou 
of  Bir  Abou-leer,  the  first  well  on  the  road.  His  sharp  eye 
discerned  a  company  of  Arabs,  who  were  encamped  near  it,  and 
who,  seeing  Achinet  and  myself  in  our  Turkish  dresses,  were 
preparing  to  fly.  He  urged  his  dromedary  into  a  fast  trot  and 
rode  ahead  to  reassure  them.  They  were  a  tall,  wild-looking 
(leople,  very  scantily  dressed ;  the  men  had  long  blacfc  hair 


JOORNXr  TO   CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

mouataclies  and  beards,  and  carried  spears  m  their  bsod^ 
Thcj  looked  at  ns  with  aaspioion,  but  did  not  refuse  the  cns- 
tomary  "  liab-bnb-ba  ! "  The  woUs  were  merely  pits,  not  more 
than  four  or  five  feet  deep,  dug  in  the  clayey  soil,  and  contain- 
ing at  the  bottom  a  constant  supply  of  cool,  sweet  water.  Wo 
watered  our  camels  in  basing  scooped  for  that  purpose  in  tho 
earth,  and  then  took  breakfast  under  the  thorns.  Among  the 
trees  in  tlie  wady  was  one  resembling  the  nebbuk  in  foliage,  and 
with  a  fruit  similar  in  appearance,  but  larger  and  of  different 
flavor.  The  Arabs  called  it  hJoom,  and  gathered  some  of  tbe 
fruit  for  me  to  taste.  It  has  a  thin,  brittle  outer  rinU,  con- 
taining a  hard  stone,  covered  with  a  layer  of  gummy  paste, 
most  intensely  sncet  and  bitter  in  tho  mouth.  It  has  precise- 
ly  the  flavor  of  the  medicine  known  to  children  as  Hive  Syrup. 
We  resumed  our  course  along  tho  wady,  nearly  to  its  ter- 
mination at  the  foot  of  tho  mountains,  when  the  road  turned 
to  tho  right  over  another  Huccesaiou  of  hard,  gravelly  ridges, 
flanked  on  the  west  by  hilla  of  coal-black  porphyry.  During 
t)ie  afternoon  the  wind  was  sometimeB  as  hot  as  a  furuace- 
blast,  and  I  felt  roj  very  blood  drying  np  in  its  intensity.  I 
had  CO  means  of  ascertaining  the  temperature,  bat  it  could  not 
have  been  less  than  105°.  Nevertheless,  the  sky  was  so  clear 
and  blue,  the  eunsbiue  so  perfect,  and  the  Desert  so  inspiring 
that  I  was  in  the  moat  exulting  mood.  In  fact,  the  pouerful 
dry  heat  of  tho  air  produced  upon  me  a  bracing  effect,  similar 
to  that  of  sharp  cold.  It  gave  mo  a  sensation  of  fierce,  savaga 
rigor,  and  I  longed  for  an  Arab  lance  and  the  fleet  hoofs  of 
the  red  stallion  I  had  left  in  Khartoum,  At  times  the  burn- 
ing blasts  were  flavored  with  a  strong  aromatic  odor,  like  thai 
of  dried  lavender,  which   was  as  stimulatiug  ta  the  luDgs  at 


of  jasper, 

L  stone, 

■e  spied  a 


fierh-tea  to  the  Btonmoh. 

of  this  contiDual  diy  heat.     Dates  b 

ttnil  when  I  asked  my  Bervact  for  bread,  ho  gave  mi 

As  we  were  journeying  along  over  the  plain, 
mau  on  a  camel  trotting  behind  us,  and  in  half  a 
Mohammed  the  guide.  The  old.  scamp  canio 
yonoger  brother  behind  hiin,  whom  he  had  brought  without 
asking  permission,  and  without  bringing  food  for  him.  This 
made  eight  persons  I  was  obliged  to  feed,  and  as  our  bread 
and  meat  were  only  calculated  for  six,  I  put  them  on  allow- 
ance. Mohammed  had  his  hair  newly  plaited  and  covered 
with  a  layer  of  mutton-fat,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  I  sav 
very  little  of  the  vaunted  temperance  of  the  Arabs.  True, 
they  wiU  live  on  dates — when  they  can  get  nothing  else ;  and 
they  will  go  without  water  for  a  day — when  they  have  nona 
I  found  a  quart  of  water  daily  amply  auScicnt  for  my  own 
needs,  notwithstanding  the  great  heat  we  endured;  but  I  do 
Dot  thiiik  one  of  the  men  drank  less  tiian  a  gallon  in  the  sama 
time,  aiid  as  for  their  eating,  Achmct  frequently  declared  that 
they  would  finish  a  whole  sheep  before  getting  to  "el  hamdn 
lillah  I" — the  usual  Arabic  grace  after  meat. 

Towards  sunset  we  reached  an  open  space  of  ground  which 
bad  not  been  touched  since  the  raias  of  the  previous  summer. 
The  soil  had  been  washed  smooth  and  then  dried  away  in  the 
sun,  leaving  a  Ihin,  cracked  crust,  like  that  which  frequently 
forms  after  a  light  snow-fall.  Our  camel's  feet  broke  through 
nt  everj  step,  making  the  only  trails  which  crossed  it,  except 
those  of  gazelles  and  vultures.  Achmet  was  about  to  pitoh 
my  tent  near  some  anaky-looking  holes,  but  I  had  it  moved  to 
K  clearer  spot.  I  slept  without  interruption,  but  In  the  mon^ 
IS 


10 


>  cSmtral  afkica. 


tag,  M  he  WM  about  to  roll  up  my  mattrass,  he  suddenly  let  il 
drop  and  rushed  out  of  the  tent,  esclaiming :  "  Oh  master 
come  out  1  come  out  1  There  is  a  great  snake  in  joar  bed  I " 
I  looked,  and  truly  enough,  there  was  an  ugly  spotted  reptile 
coiled  tip  on  the  straw  matting.  The  men  heard  the  alarm, 
iitid  my  servant  AH  immediately  came  running  up  with  a  club. 
As  ho  was  afraid  to  enter  the  tent,  he  threw  it  to  me,  and 
with  one  blow  I  put  the  enjike  beyond  the  power  of  doing 
harm.  It  waH  not  more  than  two  feet  long,  but  thick  and  club- 
shaped,  and  with  a  back  covered  with  green,  brown  and  yeOow 
BCales,  very  hard  and  bright.  The  Arabs,  who  by  thia 
time  hud  come  to  the  rescue,  Bald  it  was  a  most  Tcuomooa 
creature,  ita  bite  causing  instant  death.  "  AHah  kereentJ" 
(Gixl  is  merciful  1)  I  exclaimed,  and  thoy  all  heartily  reBpond- 
ed  ;  "  God  be  praised ! "  They  said  that  the  oceorrenee  de- 
noted long  life  to  me.  Although  no  btrda  were  to  he  seen  at 
the  time,  not  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  before  two  large  crows 
appeared  in  the  air.  After  wheeling  over  us  once  or  twice, 
they  alighted  near  the  snake.  At  first,  they  walked  around  it 
at  a  distance,  occasionally  exchanging  glances,  and  turning  up 
their  heads  in  a  shrewd  manner,  which  plainly  said:  "No  yon 
don't,  old  fellow  I  want  to  make  us  believe  you're  dead,  do 
you?"  They  bantered  each  other  to  take  hold  of  it  first,  and 
at  last  the  baldest  seized  it  suddenly  by  the  tail,  jumped  back* 
ward  two  or  throe  feet  and  then  let  it  faU.  He  looked  at  tha 
other,  as  much  as  to  say :  "  If  he's  not  dead,  it's  a  capital 
Bhaml"  The  other  made  a  similar  essay,  after  which  thej 
alternately  dragged  and  shook  it,  aod  consulted  some  time, 
before  they  agreed  that  it  was  actually  dead.  One  of  them 
then  took  it  by  the  tail  and  sailed  off  through  the  air,  itsscaUa 
glittering  in  the  sim  as  it  dangled  downward. 


I 


On  the  third  day  we  left  the  plain  and  enteiwd  on  a  i<]por 
of  black,  stony  ridges,  with  grass  and  thorns  in  the  loij  hcl- 
Iowa  between  them.  The  sky  waa  so  clear  that  the  a.ix-n  (in 
her  last  quarter)  was  Tiaible  until  nearly  noon.  About  ten 
o'clock,  from  one  of  the  porphyry  hills,  I  caught  sight  of 
Djebel  Attshan,  or  the  Mountain  of  Thirst,  which  crosses  the 
middle  of  the  Beyooda.  It  was  in  the  north  and  north-west, 
apparently  nbout  thirty  miles  distant.  During  the  morning 
I  saw  four  beautiful  gazelles,  not  more  than  a  etone's  throw 
distant.  One  of  them  was  lame,  which  induced  me  to  believe 
that  I  could  cateh  it.  I  got  down  from  my  came!  and  crept 
stealthily  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  but  when  I  luoVed  down 
the  other  side,  no  gazelle  was  to  be  seen.  Half  a  dozen  nar 
row  gullies  branched  away  among  the  loose  mounds  of  stonea_ 
and  further  search  would  have  been  usoless. 

At  noon  we  reached  another  and  different  region.  The 
grass  and  thorns  disappeared,  and  the  swells  of  black  gravel 
gave  place  to  long  drifts  of  bright  yellow  sand  which  extended  on 
all  sides  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  We  toiled  on,  over  drift 
after  drift,  but  there  was  still  the  same  dreary  yellow  waste, 
whiteniag  in  the  distance  under  the  glare  of  the  sun.  At  first, 
the  air  was  so  tremulous  with  the  radiated  heat,  that  the  whole 
landscape  glittered  and  wavered  like  the  sea,  and  the  brain 
became  giddy  from  gazing  on  ita  unsteady  liues.  But  as  the 
wind  began  to  blow  more  violently,  this  disappeared.  The 
sky  then  became  obscured  nearly  to  the  senith,  with  a  dull 
purple  haze,  arising  from  the  myriads  of  fine  grains  of  sand 
with  which  the  air  waa  filled.  The  sun  became  invisible, 
although  there  were  no  clouds  in  the  sky,  uid  we  seemed  to  b« 
jonroeying  under  a  firmament  of  rusty  copper.     The  drifts 


vcre  ooDfitjmtlj  forming  and  clianging  shape,  and  Ihe 

vibrated  along  their  edges  or  soudded  in  swift  rippli 
plain,  with  that  dry,  sharp  aound  one  heara  in  winter,  when 
tbo  "  North-wind'fl  masonrj"  is  going  on.  The  air  was  with- 
i;ting  ill  its  fierce  heat  and  occasioned  intense  thirst,  which, 
fortunately,  we  were  able  to  relieve.  The  storm 
riQlont  and  the  burning  labyrinths  of  sand  more  intricate,  sa 
we  advanced.  TIio  path  was  bidden  under  drifts  five  or  six  feet 
in  height,  and  the  tall  yellow  walla  were  creeping  every  minute 
nearer,  to  cover  it  completely.  The  piles  of  stones,  however, 
which  the  Arabs  have  made  on  the  tops  of  the  ridges  and 
replace  as  often  as  thoy  are  thrown  down,  guided  os,  and  afWr 
three  houTB  and  a  half  in  a  spot  which  might  serve  aa  the 
foiirth  circle  of  Dante's  Hell,  we  emerged  on  the  open  pkin 
and  saw  again  the  Mountain  of  Thirst,  which  had  been  hidden 
all  this  time.  The  cajnela,  which  were  restless  and  uneasy  in 
the  sand,  now  walked  more  cheerily.  The  sun  came  out  again, 
but  the  sky  still  retained  its  lurid  purple  hue.  We  all  drank 
deeply  of  the  brown  leathery  contents  of  our  water-skins  and 
pushed  steadily  onward  till  camping-time,  at  sunset.  "While 
the  storm  lasted,  the  Arabs  crouched  cloae  under  the  flanks  of 
the  camels  and  sheltered  themselves  from  the  sand.  Achoiet 
tnd  the  Dongolese  merchant  unrolled  their  turbans  and 
muffled  thorn  around  their  faces,  but  on  following  their 
pie  I  osperienced  such  a  stifling  sensation  of  heat  that  I  ftt 
onco  desisted,  and  rode  with  my  head  exposed  aa  usuah 

We  halted  in  a  meadow-liko  hollow,  full  of  abundant  grass, 
in  which  the  weary  camela  made  amends  for  their  hardships. 
The  wind  howled  so  fiercely  around  my  tent  that  I  went  to 
eleqi  expecting  to  have  it  blown  about  my  ears  befare  mom 


I 


I& 


TBX  W£LLS  C 

hg,  Djebel  Attehan  was  dimly  visible  in  the  starlight,  and 
wc  saw  the  light  of  fires  kindled  by  the  Arabs  who  live  at  the 
wells  of  Djcekdnd.  Said  was  arsioua  to  go  on  to  the  wellB 
and  have  a  carouse  with  the  natives,  and  when  I  refused 
threatened  to  leave  me  and  go  on  alone  to  Mcrawe.  "  Qo ! ' 
Baid  I,  "  just  as  soon  aa  jon  like  " — but  this  was  the  very  tiling 
he  did  not  want.  The  heat  which  I  had  absorbed  throngh  tha 
day  began  to  ooze  out  again  aa  the  temperature  of  the  air  foil, 
and  my  body  glowed  until  midnight  like  a  mass  of  molteD 
melah  On  lifting  up  my  blanket,  that  night,  a  large  EcorpioD 
tumbled  out,  bat  scampered  away  so  quickly  that  wo  eould  not 
kill  him. 

We  were  up  betimes  the  next  mommg,  and  off  for  Bli 
Djeekdud.  At  ten  o'clock  we  entered  a  wide  vaHey  extending 
to  the  southern  base  of  the  mountains.  It  was  quite  over- 
grown with  bushy  tufts  of  grass  and  scattering  clumps  of 
trees.  Herds  of  goats  and  sheep,  with  a  few  camels  and  don- 
keys, were  browsing  over  its  surface,  and  I  saw  the  Arab  herds- 
men at  a  distance.  The  wells  lie  in  a  narrow  wady,  shut  in  by 
the  mountains,  about  two  miles  east  of  the  caravan  track.  We 
therefore  halted  in  the  shade  of  a  spreading  mimosa,  and  sent 
Said  and  the  guide's  brother  with  the  water-skins.  I  took  my 
breakfast  leisurely,  and  was  lying  on  my  baek,  half  lulled  to 
sleep  by  the  singing  of  the  wiod,  when  the  Dongolese  arrived. 
He  gave  us  to  drink  from  his  fresh  supply  of  water,  and  in- 
formed us  that  the  wells  in  the  valley  were  not  good,  but  that 
there  was  a  deposit  in  the  rocks  above,  which  was  pure  and 
sweet.  I  therefore  sent  All  off  in  all  haste  on  one  of  my 
dromedaries,  to  have  my  skins  filled  &om  the  latter  plaoe^ 
which  oecasioaed  a  further  delay  of  two  hours.      Ad   Anb 


414 


>   CBKTRAL  AlferCA, 


family  of  tlie  email  SaQrat  tribe,  whicli  inhabita  that  region, 
was  eucamped  at  a  tittle  distance,  but  did  not  venture  to 
■pproaob. 

Ali  described  the  well  as  a  vast  natural  hollow  iu  the 
porpbyry  rock,  in  the  centre  of  a  basin,  or  valley,  near  the  top 
of  the  mountain.  The  water  is  held  as  in  a  tank ;  it  is  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  deep,  and  as  dear  aa  crystal  The  taste 
is  deliciouijiy  pure  and  fresb.  If  I  had  known  this  iu  time,  I 
should  have  visited  the  place.  The  valley  of  Djeekdnd  la 
about  two  miles  broad,  incloaed  ou  the  north  by  the  dark-red 
porphyry  rocks  of  the  Mountain  of  Thirst,  and  ou  the  south  by 
a  smaller  group  of  similar  formation.  It  is  crossed  in  two 
places  by  broad  strata  of  red  granite.  As  water  can  readily 
be  obtained  in  any  part  of  it  by  digging,  tbe  whole  of  it  ia 
capable  of  cultivation. 

Leaving  our  halting  place,  we  journeyed  westward  throngh 
a  gate  of  the  mountains  into  a  broader  valley,  where  numerona 
herds  of  sheep  were  feeding.  I  saw  but  few  Arabs,  and  those 
were  mostly  children,  who  had  charge  of  the  herda.  The 
tribe  resides  principally  in  the  mountains,  on  account  of  greats 
er  security  against  the  attacks  of  enemies.  The  afterDOon  was 
hot  like  all  preceding  ones,  and  my  Arabs  drank  immense 
quantities  of  water.  We  kept  on  our  course  untU  five  o'clock, 
when  we  encamped  opposite  a  broad  valley,  which  broke  into 
the  monntains  at  right  angles  to  their  course.  It  was  a  wild 
spot,  and  the  landscape,  barren  ns  it  was,  possesiied  muob 
natural  beauty.  During  the  afternoon  we  left  the  high  road  to 
Ambukol,  and  took  a  brauch  track  leading  to  Herawc,  which 
lay  more  to  the  northward. 

The  nest  morning,  after  skirting  the  porphyry  range  foi 


PEBERT  INTOXHIi.TiaS', 

several  hours,  we  entered  a  narrow  valley  leading  into  He 
depths.  The  way  was  atony  and  rough,  and  we  travelled  foi 
three  hours,  constantly  ascending,  up  the  dry  bed  of  a  sumoie) 
Btreom.  The  raountaina  rose  a  thousand  feet  above  as  in 
some  places.  Near  the  eutrance  of  the  valley,  we  passed  hd 
Arab  watering  a  large  flock  of  sheep  at  a  pool  of  green  watei 
which  lay  in  a  hollow  of  the  rocks.  After  ascending  the  pass 
for  nearly  four  hours,  we  crossed  the  Enmuiit  ridge  and  enter- 
ed on  a  high  table-land,  eight  or  ton  miles  in  length  and 
entirely  surrounded  by  branches  of  the  mountain  chain.  The 
plain  waa  thinly  covered  with  grass,  mimosas  and  nebhuk, 
among  which  a  single  camel  was  browsing.  At  night  we 
reached  the  opposite  side,  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty 
black  spur  of  the  mountains,  not  far  from  a  well  which  Mohaot- 
med  called  Bir  Abou-Seray, 

During  the  night  I  was  troubled  with  a  heavy  feeling  in 
the  head,  and  found  it  almost  impossible  to  sleep.  I  arosa 
with  a  sensation  of  giddiness,  which  continued  all  day.  At 
times  I  found  it  very  difficult  to  maintain  my  scat  on  the 
dromedary  It  rerjuired  a  great  effort  to  keep  my  eyes  open, 
[LB  the  smiiihiDe  increased  the  symptoms.  This  condition 
effected  my  mind  in  a  singular  manner.  Past  scenes  in  my 
life  revived,  with  bo  strong  an  irapreasion  of  reality,  that  I  no 
longer  knew  where  I  was.  The  hot,  yellow  landscape  around 
me,  waa  a  dream  ;  the  cries  of  my  carael-drivera  were  fantaslio 
Bounds  which  my  imagination  had  ccnjured  up,  After  a  most 
bewildering  and  fatiguing  day,  I  drank  several  cupB  of  strong 
tea,  rolled  myself  in  a  thick  cotton  c[uilt,  and  sweat  to  distrao- 
tion  until  morning.  The  moisture  I  lost  relieved  my  head,  &a 
B  shower  clears  a  sultry  sky,  and  the  symptoms  gradually  left 


lOCSKET    TO    OKMZIlAL    I 


me.     Whether  they  were  caused  by  breathing  a  more  larefioc 
atmoBphere, — for  the  plain  was  nearly    fifteen  hundred  feet 
ftbove  the  Nile  level — in  a.  heat  more  than  usually  inlcDse,  or 
by  an  attack  of  that  malady  which  Richardson  aptly  calls  tb<    ■ 
"  intoxication  of  the  Desert,"  I  cannot  deeidc. 

After  leaving  Bir  Ahou-Seray,  we  continued  our  slow  de- 
Hcnt  of  the  northern  side  of  the  mountain  range,  by  a  wind- 
ing valley,  following  the  dry  bed  of  a  summer  river.  Tha 
mountains  were  a  thousaod  feet  high  aad  linked  in  regular 
ranges,  which  had  a  general  north-east  and  soutU-west  direo- 
lion.  The  landscapes  of  the  day  were  all  exceedingly  wild 
Bcd  picturesque.  The  vegetation  was  abundant  along  the 
banks  of  the  river-bed,  the  doum-palm  appearing  occasionally 
among  the  groves  of  thorn  and  nebbuk.  In  some  places  tha 
river  had  washed  the  bases  of  the  mountains  and  laid  bura 
their  huge  strata  of  rock,  whose  round  black  masses  glittered 
in  the  sunshine,  showing  the  gradual  polish  of  the  waves. 
Towards  noon  the  pass  enlarged  into  a  broad  plain,  six  nulea 
in  diameter,  and  entirely  bounded  by  mountains.  To  the  north- 
east it  opened  into  another  and  larger  plain,  across  whose  blue 
surface  rose  the  pyramidal  peaks  of  a  higher  mountain  chain 
than  I  bad  yet  seen.  Some  of  them  were  upwards  of  two 
thousand  feet  in  height.  The  scenery  here  was  truly  grand 
and  imposing.  Beyond  the  plain  we  passed  into  a  broader 
valley,  girdled  by  lower  hills.  The  river-bed,  which  we  crossed 
from  time  to  time,  increased  in  breadth  and  showed  a  more 
dense  vegetation  on  its  banks.  We  expected  to  have  reached 
uiotber  well,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  it  at  sunset,  and  as  I 
had  already  found  that  my  guide,  Mohammed,  knew  nothing 
■yi  thn  road,  I  encamped  at  once. 


;xE.  411 

We  aroa6  by  daybreak,  hoping  to  reach  the  Nile.  Aftei 
somewhat  more  than  two  Lours'  journey,  we  met  a  cararnn  ot 
about  three  hundred  ciimela,  ladeu  with  bales  of  cotton  drill- 
ingSi  for  iho  clothing  of  the  new  rogimenta  of  soldiers  then 
being  raised  in  Soudiin,  The  foremost  camels  were  a  mile 
from  Bir  Khannik,  while  the  hindmost  were  still  drinking  at 
the  welh  The  caravan  had  Kahabish  drivers  and  guides — 
wild,  long-haired,  half-naked  Arabs,  with  spears  in  their  hands 
and  fihiclds  of  hippopotamus  hide  on  their  shoulders.  Thoy 
told  us  we  were  still  a  day  and  a  half  from  Mcrawe.  We  rode 
on  to  the  well,  which  was  an  Imaiense  pit,  dug  in  the  open 
plain.  It  was  about  fifty  feet  deep,  and  the  Arabs  were  oblig- 
ed to  draw  the  water  in  skins  let  down  with  ropes.  The  top 
carved  into  the  well  like  a  shallow  howl,  from  the  earth  con- 
tinually crumbling  down,  and  the  mouth  of  the  abaft  was  pro- 
tected by  trunks  of  trees,  on  which  the  men  stood  while  they 
drew  the  water.  Around  the  top  were  shallow  baains  lined  with 
clay,  out  of  which  the  camels  drank.  The  fierce  Kababish 
were  ahoatlog  and  gesticulating  on  all  sides  as  we  rode  up — 
some  leading  the  camels  to  kneel  and  drink,  some  holding  the 
water-skins,  and  others  bracdishiDg  their  apears  and  swords  in 
angry  contention.  Under  the  hot  sun,  on  the  sandy  plain,  it 
was  a  picture  truly  mid-African  in  all  its  features.  The  water 
had  an  insipid,  brackish  taste,  and  I  was  very  glad  that  I  had 
prevented  my  Arabs  from  drinking  all  wo  had  brought  from 
the  jiorphyi-y  fountain  of  Djcekdud  We  watered  our  camels, 
however,  which  detained  us  long  enough  to  see  a  fight  be- 
tween two  of  the  Kababish  guides.  There  were  so  many 
peraons  to  interfere  that  neither  could  injure  the  other,  but 
the  whole  group  of  actors  and   sympathizers    strolling  on 


JOURNKV   TO    GXNTRAI.  ATKICA. 

tbe  brink  of  the  well,  came  near  beiiij^  precipitatt-d  to  tkt 
twttoiD. 

Our  ntail  now  tamed  to  the  nortb,  throngh  a  gap  in  ihl 
low  hills  and  over  a  tract  of  burnt,  barren,  rolling  waste?  of 
white  sand  nad  gravel  Towards  evening  we  came  again  Ifl 
the  river-bed,  here  broad  and  shallow.  This  part  of  the  Desert 
is  inhabited  by  the  SaOrat  and  Huni  tribes,  and  we  saw  large 
herds  of  sheep  and  gouts  wherever  the  balfeh  grass  abounded. 
At  sunset  there  were  no  fiigns  of  the  Nile,  so  I  had  the  ten' 
pitched  in  tbe  middle  of  the  dry  river-channel.  In  front  of 
as,  OD  a  low  mound,  the  red  walls  of  a  ruined  building  about 
in  the  laet  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  next  day — tbe  eigbtli  since  leaving  El  Metcmnia — wM 
intensely  hot  and  sultry,  irithout  a  breath  of  air  stirring. 
While  walking  towards  tbe  ruins,  I  came  upon  two  herds  of 
gazelles,  so  tame  that  I  approached  within  thirty  yards,  and 
ooold  plainly  see  the  oxprcsRion  of  surprise  and  curiosity  ia 
their  dark  eyes.  When  I  came  tflo  near,  they  would  bleat  like 
lambs,  bound  away  a  little  distance  and  then  stop  again.  Tbe 
building,  which  stood  on  the  stony  slope  of  a  bill,  was  sur- 
rounded with  loose  walls,  in  a  dilapidated  condition.  The 
foundation,  rising  about  six  feet  above  the  earth,  is  stone, 
above  which  the  walls  are  of  briek,  covered  with  a  thin  coating 
of  cemeut.  The  building  la  about  eighty  feet  in  length  by 
forty  in  breadth,  but  the  walls  which  remain  are  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  high.  It  is  believed  to  have  been  an  ancient  Cop- 
tic monastery,  and  probably  dates  from  the  earlier  ages  of 
Christianity.  Tbe  ruius  of  other  bouses,  built  of  loose  stones, 
surround  tbe  principal  edifice,  which  was  undoubtedly  a  cburcb 
and  tlic  ground  around  is  strewn  with  fragments  of  burnt  brioh 


nisTAKT  vnnr  e 


41 


■nd  pottery.  There  is  a  chorcby&rd  near  at  lianil,  with 
tombstones  whicli  contaia  inscriptions  both  in  Greek  and 
Coptic 

Wc  rode  slowly  down  the  broad  river-bed,  which  gradually 
widened,  and  after  two  ot  three  hours  saw  far  in  advance  a  lino 
of  red,  glowing  sand-hil!a,  which  I  know  could  not  be  on  the 
southern  aide  of  the  Nile,  Still  we  went  on,  under  the  c!ea 
hot  sky,  the  valley  widening  into  a  plain  the  while,  and 
Bought  ansioualy  for  some  sign  that  the  weary  Desert  was 
crossed.  Finally,  I  saw,  above  the  endless  cluaters  of  thorns, 
a  line  of  darker,  richer  grees,  far  away  in  the  burning  distance, 
and  knew  it  to  be  a  grove  of  date-palms — the  glorious  signal 
of  the  Nile.  This  put  new  life  into  me,  and  thenceforth  I  fell 
the  scorching  heat  no  longer.  To  the  north,  beyond  the 
palms,  appeared  an  isolated  mountain  of  singular  form — the 
Bommit  being  flat  and  the  sides  almost  perpendicular.  It  most 
be  Djebel  Eerkel,  I  thought,  and  I  told  Mohammed  so,  but  he 
Baid  it  was  not.  Just  then,  I  saw  an  Arab  herdsman  among 
the  thorns  and  called  out  to  him  to  know  the  name  of  the 
mountain.  "  Djebel  Berkel,"  said  be.  He  then  accosted  Mo- 
hammed :  "  Where  are  you  going?"  "  To  Merawe,"  "Are 
you  the  guide  ?"  he  again  inquired,  bursting  into  a  loud  laugh. 
"  You  are  a  fine  guide ;  there  is  Merawe  I "  pointing  in  a  di- 
rection very  different  from  that  we  were  going.  This  complet- 
ed the  old  fellow's  discomfiture.  We  were  still  five  or  six 
miles  distant  from  the  river  and  took  a  random  path  over  the 
plain,  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  herdsman.  The  palms 
rose  higher  and  showed  a  richer  foliage ;  mud  walls  appeared 
in  their  shade,  and  a  tall  minaret  on  the  opposite  bonk  of  the 
river  pointed  out  the  location  of  the  town.     I  rode  down  ODt 


420  JOURNEY  TO  CENTRAL  ATRICA. 

of  the  drear,  hot  sand— the  sea  where  I  had  been  diifting  for 
seven  wearisome  days — ^to  the  little  village  of  Abdom,  embow- 
ered in  a  paradise  of  green ;  palms  above,  dazzling  wheat-fields 
dark  cotton-fields  and  blossoming  beans  below.  A  blessed 
rcstiDg-pUoe ! 


8baU  Abi  a'-IljBbU. 


CHAPTER     XXXIII. 


Ine  tbo  lilrer— A  3uporb  Ijndscaps— The  Tow  d  gt  Merawe-KlJa  Id  Djebel  Barka 
— Tba  Tcmiiloe  of  NuiwU-AKont  ot  the  UaDnlaJn— EtlilopljiD  rDnDUini— llriol 
uit  Found— Tbo  Ffmnlds— Tbo  OoiiTDOr  of  Monwo— A  Sccoe  In  tlie  Dliui-' 
The  aiickb  sail  1— Tlio  QoTomor  DLbm  with  nnv-Riiliis  o(  Iho  Clly  of  NfljBfa- 
A  TiDc  BbauL  Bcllglaua— BngiglnE  Cimela  nir  Widi-Ibtb— Ttie  EboUi'a  PuUdi 


"TTiidu  Lha  pslm-lnu  by  tha  lirer'i  dde.'— Kii-n. 

A.BDUU,  the  friendly  haveo.  into  whiali  I  bad  drifted  after  ui 
eight  days'  voyage  in  the  fiery  sea  of  the  Desert,  is  a  village 
an  the  enatcrn  baiik  of  the  Nile,  which,  after  passing  Abon- 
Hammed,  flows  to  the  south-west  and  south  ontill  it  reocliea 


4Z2  lon&sxr  to  uentrjIl  intioA. 

the  frontier  of  Doogola.  On  the  oppoEite  ba^nk  is  Merawe,  tbe 
former  capital  of  Due  Shyglieea,  which  must  not  be  confounded 
vrith  the  ancient  Mcroe,  the  ruina  of  which,  near  Shendj,  I 
have  already  described.  True,  the  identity  of  the  iiainfB  ul 
Erst  deceived  antiquarians,  who  anppoaed  the  temples  and  pyra- 
uids  in  this  neighborhood  to  have  belonged  to  the  capital  el 
the  old  Hierarchy  of  Mcroe  ;  but  it  is  now  satisfactorily  estab- 
lished that  tJiey  mark  the  site  of  Napata,  the  capital  of  Ethio- 
pia up  to  the  time  of  the  Caesars.  It  was  ihe  limit  of  the  cele- 
brated expedition  of  the  Roman  aoldiera,  under  Petronina 
Djebcl  Berkel,  at  whose  base  the  principal  remains  arc  found, 
in  in  lat.  18°  35',  or  thereabouts. 

I  was  welcomed  to  AbdlJm  by  the  Sliokh  or  holy  man  of 
the  place,  who  met  mo  on  the  verge  of  the  Desert,  and  eon- 
ducted  me  to  the  best  of  his  two  houses.  Shekb  Mohammed, 
Abd  e'-Djehil  (Mohammed,  the  81a.ve  of  the  Mountains),  was  a 
dignified  old  man  of  sixty,  with  a  gray  beard  and  brown  com- 
plesion,  and  was  the  owuer  of  a  water-mill,  several  fields  of 
wheat  and  cotton,  and  an  abundance  of  palm-trees.  Ho  had 
two  wives,  each  of  whom,  with  her  family,  occupied  a  separata 
house — a  great  mark  of  dieeretion  on  the  part  of  Blohammed. 
Domestic  quiet  was  thus  secured  to  him,  while  he  possessed 
that  in  which  the  Arab  moet  glories  and  rejoices — a.  numerooi 
family  of  children.  Hia  youngest  wife,  a,  woman  of  thirty, 
immediately  vacated  the  house  on  tny  arrival,  and  took  op  her 
temporary  residence  in  a  tent  of  palm-matting,  with  her  four 
children.  The  dwelling  into  which  I  was  ushered  was  i 
vquare  structure  of  clay,  one  story  high,  with  one  door  and  na 
windows.  It  had  a  flat  roof  of  palm  logs,  covered  with  thatch, 
ind  the  inside  walls  were  huag  with  largo  mats,  plaitad  wi^ 


irr  nxBTDRnoK  a.t  abdi^m.  ins 

brilliantly-colored  palm  blades.  Fancy  vessels  of  ba^ed  cJay, 
baskets,  oatricli  eggs,  nnd  other  amamenls  were  suspended 
from  the  roof  in  Blings  of  palm  fibre,  and  a  very  large  white 
mat  covered  half  the  floor.  Here  my  bed  was  laid,  and  my 
camp-stool,  placed  in  front  of  it,  formed  a  table.  The  Shekh 
who  was  with  me  nearly  all  the  time  of  my  stay,  sat  on  tho 
floor  in  front  of  me,  and  never  entered  or  departed  from  the 
house,  without  saying  "BismiUaki"  {"in  tho  name  of  God"), 
as  ho  crossed  the  threshold.  Outside  of  the  door  was  a  broad 
divan,  running  along  the  north  side  of  the  house.  It  therefore 
pointed  towards  Mecca  and  was  a  most  agreeable  praying-placo 
for  the  holy  man.  On  my  arrival,  after  first  having  taken  a 
bath  in  the  Nile,  I  sat  there  the  rest  of  the  day,  tasting  the 
luxury  of  coolness  and  shade,  and  steeping  my  eyes  in  the  balm 
of  refreshing  colors,  A  clump  of  some  twenty  date-trees  grew 
in  front  of  the  door,  throwing  over  u8  a  gorgeous  canopy  of 
leaves.  Fields  of  wheat  in  head,  waist-deep,  surrounded  the 
house,  insulating  it  in  a  sea  of  greenness,  over  which  I  saw  the 
hills  ol  the  Desert,  no  longer  terrible,  but  soft  and  fair  and 
far  as  clouds  smouldering  in  the  roseate  fires  of  an  Eastern 
sunrise. 

Very  early  the  nest  morning  the  Shekh  and  his  sons  and 
their  asses  were  in  rtadincss  to  acconapany  me  to  Djebel  Berkel. 
We  walked  down  between  the  Shokt's  gardens  to  the  Nile, 
where  the  ferry-boat  was  waiting  to  convey  BS  across.  I  was 
enchanted  with  the  picture  which  tlie  shores  presented.  The 
^r  was  filled  with  a  light,  silvery  vapor  (a  characteristic  of 
■ultry  weather  in  Africa),  softening  the  deep,  rich  oolor  of  the 
landscape.  The  eastern  bank  was  one  bower  of  palms,  stand- 
ing motionless,  in  [lerfect  groups,  above  the  long,  sloping  hanks 


of  beaoB  in  blosaom.  Sucli  grace  and  glory,  sucli  e'dtnce  a) 
repose,  1  iliougLt  I  Lad  never  before  seen  in  tbe  vegolab!* 
world.  Opposile,  the  ruiued  palaces  of  the  old  Sliygheean 
Kings  and  tlie  mud  and  stone  liorels  of  modern  Meiai 
in  picturesque  piles  above  tlic  river  bank  and  below  tbe  red  J 
eaudstonc  blufls  of  tbe  Nubian  Desert,  wbicb  overhung  tb^fl 
and  poured  the  sand  through  deep  rents  and  fissures  upon  thar  ' 
very  roofs.  The  mosque,  with  a  tali,  circular  minaret,  stood 
embowered  in  a  garden  of  date-palms,  under  one  of  the  bighaat 
bluffs.  Up  the  river,  which  stretched  glittering  into  tbe  di*  J 
tance,  the  forest  of  trees  abut  out  tbe  view  of  the  Desert,  ejc- 1 
cept  Djebcl  Berkel,  wbicb  stood  high  and  grand  above  them, 
tbe  morning  paioting  its  surface  with  red  ligbts  and  purple 
Bhadowa,  Over  the  miati;  horizon  of  tbe  river  r 
conical  peak,  far  away.  Tbe  sky  was  a  pale,  sleepy  blue,  aod 
all  that  I  saw  seemed  beautiful  dream -pictures — every  n^bcrfl 
grace,  beauty,  cplendor  of  coloring,  stooped  in  Elysian  repose. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  tbe  glory  of  that  passage  a/tr 
river.     It  paid  me  for  all  the  hardships  of  tbe  Desert. 

When  we  touched  the  other  shore  and  mounted  the  little  ' 
donkeys  we  had  taken  acroHa  with  us,  the  ideal  character  of 
tbe  scene  disappeared,  hut  left  a  reality  picturesque  and  poetit 
enough.     Tbe  beasts  were  without  bridles,  and  were  only  fur- 
nished with  small  wooden  saddles,  without  girths  or  stirrups,  i 
One  was  obliged  to  keep  Lis  poise,  and  leave  the  rest  to  the  I 
donkey,  who,  however,  suffered  himself  to  bo  guided  by  strik-    ' 
mg  the  side  of  bis  neck.     We  rode  under  a  clnster  of  n 
stone  bnildings,  one  of  wbicb  occupied  considerable  apace,  ris- 


4 

ar  ^ 
it       I 

I 


_1 

I  sione  rimiaings,  one  oi  wuicu  occupiea  consiaeratne  apace,  ns- 

^^^  ing  pylon-like,  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet.     Tbe  Shekh  in-  ^1 

^^E  Formed  mc  that  it  bad  been  tbe  palace  of  a  Shyghecan  king,  bft  ^U 


TBK  aCEKERT   OF    UEBJkWB.  42 

fore  tLe  Turks  got  possession  of  the  eonntry.  It  was  wLoHj 
dilapidated,  but  a  few  Arab  families  were  living  in  tke  atone 
dwellings  wbicli  surround  it.  Tbesc  clusters  of  sbatlercd 
baildiugs  extend  for  wore  tban  a  mile  along  tbe  river,  and  are 
all  now  known  ns  Mcrawe.  Our  road  led  between  fields  of 
ripening  wheat,  rolling  in  green  billowa  before  the  breeze,  on 
ooo  side,  and  on  the  other,  not  more  than  tbroo  yards  distant, 
the  naked  sandstone  walls  of  the  Desert,  where  a  blade  of  grass 
nerer  grew.  Over  the  wheat,  along  the  bank  of  the  Nile,  rose 
a  long  forest  of  palms,  so  thickly  ranged  that  the  eye  could 
scarcely  penetrate  their  dense,  cool  shade ;  white  on  the  other 
band  the  glaring  sand-hills  showeil  their  burning  shoulders 
above  the  bluffs.  It  was  a  most  violent  contrast,  and  yet, 
withal,  there  was  a  certain  barmony  in  these  opposite  featurea, 
A  remaikably  fat  man,  riding  on  a  donkey,  met  us.  The 
Sbckh  compared  him  to  a  hippopotamuB,  and  said  that  his  fat 
came  from  enlitig  mutton  and  drinking  om  Hlbil  day  and  nigbt, 
At  the  end  of  the  town  we  camo  to  a  sort  of  guardhouse, 
shaded  by  two  sycamores.  A  single  soldier  was  in  attendance, 
and  apparently  tired  of  having  nothing  to  do,  as  he  immediate- 
ly caught  his  donkey  and  rode  with  ua  to  Djebel  BcrkeL 

We  now  approached  the  mountain,  which  is  between  three 
and  four  miles  from  the  town.  It  rises  from  out  the  sanda  of 
the  Nubian  Desert,  to  tbe  height  of  five  hundred  feet,  present- 
ing a  front  completely  perpendicular  towards  the  river.  It  is 
inaccessible  on  all  sides  except  the  north,  which  in  one  placa 
ias  an  inclination  of  45°,  Its  scarred  and  shattered  walls  of 
naked  standstonc  stand  up  stern  and  sublime  in  the  midst  of 
the  hot  and  languid  landscape.  As  we  approached,  a  group  of 
pyramids  appeared  on  the  brow  of  a  sand-hill  to  the  left,  and  > 


430  jovRKXT  TO  osmnAt 


dJBcenicd  at  the  baee  of  the  moontaio  aevcral  isolated  jtillai^ 
the  stone-piles  of  ruined  pylons,  and  other  remains  of  tcmptei. 
The  first  we  reached  was  at  the  Bouth-eaatern  corner  of  the 
mountain.  Amid  heaps  of  sandstone  blocks  and  disjointed 
segments  of  pillars,  five  columna  of  an  esceedingly  old  foi 
still  point  out  the  court  of  a  temple,  whose  adjta  are 
within  in  the  mountain.  They  arc  not  more  than  ten  feet 
high  and  three  in  diameter,  circular,  aud  without  capital  or 
abacus,  unleas  a  larger  block,  rudely  sculptured  with  the  out- 
lines of  a  TyphoE-head,  may  be  considered  as  such, 
doorway  is  hurled  down  and  defaced,  but  the  cartouches 
kings  may  still  be  traced  on  the  fragments.  There  are  thi 
chambers  in  the  rock,  the  walls  of  which  are  covered  wil 
sculptures,  for  the  most  part  representing  the  Egypt! 
ties.  The  temple  was  probably  dedicated  to  Typhon,  or  the 
Evil  Principle,  as  one  of  the  columns  is  still  faced  with  a 
caryatid  of  the  short,  plump,  hig-mouthcd  and  bat-eared  figure, 
which  elsewhere  represents  him.  Over  the  entrance  is  tha 
sacred  winged  globe,  and  the  ceiling  shows  the  marks  of  bril- 
liant coloring.  The  temple  is  not  remarkable  for  its  architec- 
ture, and  can  only  be  interesting  in  an  antiquarian  point  of 
vievr.  It  bears  some  resemblance  in  its  general  style  to  iha 
Temple-palace  of  Goorneb,  at  Thebes. 

The  caBtcm  base  of  the  mountain,  which  fronts  the  Nil^ 
is  strewn  with  hewn  blocks,  fragments  of  capitals,  immenas 
masses  of  dark  bluish-gray  granite,  and  other  remains,  which 
prove  that  a  large  and  magnificent  temple  onoe  stood  there, 
The  escavations  made  by  Lcpsius  and  others  have  uncovered 
the  substructions  Buflicieutly  to  show  the  general  plan  of  two 
buildings.     The  main  temple  wis  at  the  northeastern  coma 


>n^H 


CLUBINO  DJBBEL  SEREEL.  iSI 

of  the  motiutam,  under  ths  Lighesl  point  of  its  pcrpendiculai 
DragH.  Tbe  remaiDB  of  its  small  propjiona  stand  in  advance, 
abont  two  hundred  yarda  from  the  rock,  going  towards  which 
yon  climb  the  mound  formed  by  the  ruins  of  a  large  pylon,  at 
the  foot  of  which  are  two  colossal  ram-hcadcd  sphinscs  of  blue 
granite,  buried  to  their  necks  in  the  sand.  Beyond  this  is  a 
portico  and  pillared  court,  followed  by  other  courts  and  laby- 
rinths of  chambers.  Several  large  blocks  of  granite,  all  more 
or  less  broken  and  defaced,  lie  oa  tho  surface  or  half  quarried 
from  the  rubbish.  They  are  very  finely  polished  and  contain 
figures  of  kings,  evidently  arranged  in  genealogical  order,  each 
aceonipanied  with  his  name.  The  ahekh  had  a  great  deal  to 
tell  me  of  the  Franks,  who  dug  up  nil  the  place,  and  set  ths 
people  to  work  at  hauling  away  the  lions  and  rams,  which  they 
carried  off  in  ships.  I  looked  in  vain  for  the  celebrated  pedes- 
tal ;  it  has  probably  become  the  spoil  of  Lopsius. 

While  taking  a  sketch  of  the  mountain  from  the  eastern 
side,  I  found  the  lieat  almost  insupportable.  The  shekh  look- 
ed over  my  shoulder  all  the  time,  and  at  the  end  pronounced 
it  temam, — "  perfect."  I  then  proposed  climbing  the  moun- 
tain, as  he  had  said  one  could  see  the  whole  world  from  the 
top.  He  was  hound  to  go  with  me  wherever  I  went,  but  shrank 
from  climbing  El  Berkel.  It  would  require  two  hours,  he 
said,  to  go  up.  After  eating  a  slice  of  watermelon  iu  the 
shade  of  one  of  the  pillars,  I  took  off  my  jacket  and  started 
alone,  and  very  good  he  was  at  my  side,  panting  and  sweating 
with  the  exertion.  We  began  at  the  point  mort  easy  of  ascent 
vet  found  it  toilsome  enongh.  After  passing  the  loose  frag 
meuts  which  lie  scattered  around  the  base,  we  came  upon  t 
steep  slope  of  sliding  sand  and  stones,  blown  from  tbe  desert 


438  JOUKNBX  10   RINTIUL  AntlCA. 

Wc  sank  in  this  nearly  to  ihe  knees,  and  slid  backward  st  eidb 
step  at  least  half  as  far  aa  we  bad  stepped  forward.  We  wen 
obliged  to  rest  erery  tliree  or  four  steps,  and  take  breali, 
moiateniDg  tbe  eand  meanwhile  with  a  rain  of  sweat-drops, 
"  Surely  there  is  no  other  mountain  in  the  world  so  high  UT 
this,"  said  the  sliekh,  and  I  was  ready  to  agree  with  him.  A^ 
last  wo  reached  the  top,  a  nearly  level  space  of  about  ten  acreKf, 
Tbere  was  a  pleasant  breeze  here,  but  the  Ethiopia 
below  was  dozing  in  an  atmosphere  of  blue  beat.  There  wue, 
too  mut'h  vapor  in  the  air  to  Bee  tbe  farthest  objects  diatinetlyi, 
and  the  pyramids  of  Noori,  further  up  the  river,  on  iti 
bank,  were  not  visible.  The  Nile  lay  curved  in  the  middle 
the  picture  like  a  flood  of  Tuoltcn  glass,  on  cither  side 
palmy  "  knots  of  paradise,"  then  the  wheat  fieldB,  lying  like 
slabs  of  emerald  against  the  tawny  sands,  that  rolled 
drifts  and  waves  and  long  ridgy  swells  to  the  horizon  north  audi 
south,  broken  Uiire  and  there  by  tbe  jagged  porphyry  peakj. 
Before  me,  to  the  south-east,  were  the  tugged  hills  of  tbt 
Beyooda;  behind  me,  to  the  north  and  west,  the  burning  wil- 
derness of  the  Great  Nubian  Desert. 

As  I  sought  for  my  glass,  to  see  the  view  more  distinctl] 
I  became  aware  that  I  had  lost  my  poekel-book  on  the  way 
As  it  contained  some  money  and  all  my  keys,  I  wo 
little  troubled,  and  mentioned  my  loss  to  Shckh  Mohammc 
We  immediately  returned  in  search  of  it,  sliding  down  thiQ. 
Band  and  feeling  with  oui  hands  and  feet  therein.     We 
made  more  than  half  the  descent,  and  I  began  to  consider 
search  hopeless,  when  the  thekh,  who  was  a  little  in  advam 
cried  out :  "  0  Sidi  I  God  bo  praised  I  God  be  praised  1 " 
saw  tbe  comer  sticking  out  of  the  sand,  took  it  up  kieoed  it 


430 

and  laid  it  od  one  eye,  wliilc  ho  kuelt  wich  his  old  head  turned 
up,  that  I  might  take  it  aSt  I  tied  it  securely  in  a  corner  of  mj 
ahawl  and  we  slid  to  the  hottom,  whore  we  found  Aclimct  and 
the  young  shekhs  in  the  shade  of  a  Luge  projecting  ch£F,  with 
breakfast  spread  out  oa  the  sand. 

It  was  now  noon,  and  only  the  pyramids  remained  to  ba 
Been  on  that  aide  of  the  river.  The  luain  group  ia  about  a 
third  of  a  mile  from  the  mountain,  on  the  ridgo  of  a  sand-hill. 
Tiiero  are  six  pyramids,  Dearly  entire,  and  the  foundations  of 
others.  They  are  almost  precisely  similar  to  those  of  the  real 
Meroe,  each  having  a  small  exterior  chamber  on  the  eastern 
side.  Like  the  latter,  they  are  huilt  of  sandstone  blocks,  only 
filled  at  the  eomcrs,  which  are  covered  with  a  hem  or  mould- 
ing ;  the  sides  of  two  of  them  are  coDves.  On  all  of  them  the 
last  eight  or  ten  courses  next  the  top  have  been  smoothed  to 
follow  the  slope  of  the  side.  It  was  no  doubt  intended  to 
finish  them  all  in  this  manner.  One  of  them  has  also  the  cor- 
ner moulding  rounded,  so  as  to  form,  a  scroll,  like  that  on  the 
cornice  of  many  of  the  Egyptian  temples.  They  are  not  more 
than  fifty  feet  in  height,  with  very  narrow  bases.  One  of 
thorn,  indeed,  seems  to  be  the  connecting  link  between  the 
pyramid  and  the  obelisk.  Nearer  the  river  is  an  older  pyra- 
mid, though  no  regular  courses  of  stooc  are  to  bo  seen  any 
longer.  These  sepulchral  remains,  however,  are  much  inferior 
to  those  of  Mcroti. 

The  oldest  names  found  at  Napata  are  those  of  Ameaoph 
HI.  and  Remeses  II.  (1630  B.  C.  and  1400  B.  C.)  both  of 
whom  subjected  Nuhia  to  their  rule.  The  rcmams  of  Ethi. 
opian  art,  however,  go  no  further  than  King  Tirkaka,  730  B. 
C. — the  Ethiopian  monarch,  who,  in  the  time  of  Hezekinh, 


490 


JOXTKHVT  TO   CKWTRAI.  i 


marcbed  into  Palestine  to  meet  Sennacterib,  King  of  AsajrU 
Nupata,  therefore,  ocoupiea  an  intermediate  place  in  liiator; 
between  Tbebes  and  Merot",  showing  the  graduiil  eouthward 
progress  of  Egyptian  art  a.nd  ciyilization.  It  is  a  en 
ibat  the  old  religion  of  Egypt  should  have  been  here  met  facftl 
to  fa'.'e,  and  overthrovrn,  by  Christianity,  which,  starting  in  tht 
monntains  of  Abyssinia,  followed  the  course  of  the  Nile  north- 
ward. In  the  sixth  century  of  our  era,,  Ethiopia  and  Nubii 
were  converted  to  Christianity  and  remained  thus  until  the 
f'jurteenth  century,  when  they  fell  beneath  the  sword  of  Islam. 

We  rode  bock  to  the  town  on  our  uneasy  donkey  eaddlesi 
Ai?  I  wanted  sraall  money,  the  shekh  proposed  my  calling  on 
Achmedar  Kashif,  the  GoTernor  of  Mcrawe  and  Ambukol, 
asking  him  to  change  me  aome  medjids.  We  accordingly 
under  the  impoaing  stone  piles  of  the  old  kings  to  the  residenoa 
of  the  Kashif,  a  two-story  mud  houso  with  a  portico  in  front, 
covered  with  matting.  It  was  the  day  for  the  people  of  the 
neighborhood  to  pay  their  tulbeh,  or  tax,  and  some  of  hii 
officers  were  seated  on  the  ground  in  the  shade,  settling  this 
business  with  a  crowd  of  Arabs.  I  went  up  stairs  to  the 
divan,  and  found  tho  Kashif  rolling  himself  in  his  shawl 
dinner,  which  his  slaves  had  just  brought  up.  He  receivecly 
me  cordially,  and  I  took  my  seat  beside  him  on  the  floor  and' 
dipped  my  fingers  into  the  various  diebes.  There 
of  baked  fish,  which  was  excellent,  after  which  came  a  tray  (£ 
scarlet  watermelon  slices,  coffee,  pipes,  and  lastly  a  cup  of 
sugar  syrup.  He  readily  promised  to  change  me  the  monej} 
and  afterwards  accepted  my  invitation  to  dinner. 

I  stayed  an  hour  longer,  and  had  an  opportunity  of  witneai- 
ing  some  remarkable  scenes.     A  woman  came  in  to  oomplaii 


1 


431 


of  Iicr  fauBbaad,  who  had  married  another  woman,  leaving  het 
with  one  child.  She  had  a  cow  of  her  own.  which  he  had 
forcibly  taken  and  given  to  his  new  wife.  The  Kaahif  listeD 
od  to  her  story,  and  then  detaching  his  seal  &om  his  button- 
hole, gave  it  to  an  attendant,  as  a  summons  which  the  delin- 
quent dare  not  disobey.  A  company  of  men  afterwards  came 
to  adjust  some  dispute  about  a  water-milL  They  spoke  so  fast 
and  in  such  a.  violent  and  escited  manner,  that  I  could  not 
comprehend  the  nature  of  the  quarrel ;  but  the  group  they 
made  was  most  remarkable.  They  leaned  forward  with  flash* 
ing  teeth  and  eyes,  holding  the  folds  of  their  long  mantles  with 
one  hand,  while  they  dashed  and  hurled  the  other  in  the  air, 
in  the  violence  of  their  contention.  One  would  suppose  that 
they  must  all  perish  the  next  instant  by  spontaneous  combiis- 
tioD.  The  Kashif  was  calmness  itself  all  the  while,  and  after 
getting  the  particulars — a  feat  which  I  considered  marvellous — 
quietly  gave  his  decision.  Some  of  the  party  protested  against 
it,  whereupon  ho  listened  attentively,  but,  finding  no  reason  to 
change  his  judgment,  repeated  it.  Still  Ihe  Arabs  screamed 
and  gesticulated.  He  ejaculated  ims/iee  !  {"  get  away ! ")  in  a 
thundering  tone,  dealt  the  nearest  ones  a  vigorous  blow  with 
his  fist,  and  speedily  cleared  the  divan.  The  Eashif  offered 
to  engage  camels  and  a  guide  for  New  Dongola,  in  caso  I  chose 
to  go  by  the  Nubian  Desert — a  journey  of  three  or  four  days, 
Ihrou^  a  terrible  waste  of  sand  and  rocks,  without  grass  or 
water.  The  route  being  new,  had  some  attractions,  but  I 
afterwards  decided  to  adhere  to  my  original  plan  of  following 
B  of  the  river  to  Amhukol  and  Old  Dongola. 
I  made  preparations  for  giving  the  Eashif  a  handsome 
I  had  mutton  and  fowls,  and  Acbmet  procuic^  eggs 


milk  and  vegctablos,  and  set  his  vbole  Bvailable  forae  to  irorlc 
M^anwliile  tlie  sbiskh  and  I  eat  oa  the  diran  oatsido  tLe  door 
and  exchanged  coroplimeDts.  He  sold  me  a  sword  from 
Bomou,  which  he  had  purchased  from  an  Arab  merchant  wha 
Lad  worn  it  to  Mecca.  He  told  me  be  considered  me  as  hit 
two  Gjes,  and  would  give  me  one  of  his  sons,  if  I  desired 
Than  he  rendered  me  an  account  of  his  family,  occaatonallj 
pninting  out  the  members  thereof,  as  they  passed  to  and  fro 
among  the  palms.  He  asked  me  how  many  children  I  had,  and 
I  was  obliged  to  confess  myself  wholly  his  inferior  in  this 
respect,  "  God  grant,"  said  he,  "  that  whea  you  go  back  to 
your  own  conntry,  you  may  have  many  bods,  just  like  that 
one,"  pointing  to  a  naked  Cupidon  of  four  years  old,  of  a  rich 
chocolate-brown  color.  "  God  grant  it,"  I  was  obliged  to 
reply,  conformably  to  the  rnles  of  Arab  politeness,  but  I  men* 
tally  gave  the  words  the  significance  of  "God  forbid  it!" 
The  ahekh,  who  was  actually  quite  familiar  with  the  rnins  in 
Ethiopia,  and  an  escelleut  guide  to  them,  informed  me  that 
they  were  four  thousand  years  old;  that  the  country  was  at 
that  tunc  in  possession  of  tbe  English,  but  afterwards  the 
Arabs  drove  them  out.  This  corresponds  with  an  idea  Terj 
pccvalcnt  in  Kgypt,  that  the  temples  were  built  by  tbe  forfr 
fathers  of  the  Frank  travellers,  who  once  lived  there,  and  that 
la  the  reason  why  the  Franks  make  a  liadj,  or  pilgrimage  to 
see  them.  I  related  to  the  ahekh  the  history  of  the  warliks 
Queen  Candace,  who  once  lived  there,  in  her  capital  of  NapaU, 
and  be  was  so  much  interested  in  tbe  story  that  he  wrote  it 
down,  transforming  her  name  into  Kandaiiyeli.  Some  later 
traveller  will  he  surprised  to  find  a  tradition  of  the  aforesaid 
queen,  no  doubt  with  many  grotesque  embelliahmetts,  told  him 
on  the  site  of  her  capital 


Ttart  TBOli  TBE  KAGHir.  4SI 

Diuuer  iras  ready  at  sunset,  the  appointed  time,  bat  the 
Kashlf  did  not  come.  I  waited  one  Lour,  two  hours ;  still  he 
lame  not.  Thereupon  I  invited  Acbmet  and  the  ahckh,  and 
we  made  an  escellent  dinner  in  Turkish  style.  It  was  just 
over,  and  I  was  stretched  out  without  jacket  or  tarboosh,  en- 
joying my  pipe,  when  we  heard  the  ferrymen  Binging  on  the 
river  below,  and  soon  afterwards  the  Kaahif  appeared  at  the 
door.  He  apologized,  saying  he  had  been  occupied  in  his 
divan,  I  had  dinner  served  again,  and  tasted  the  dishes  to 
encourage  him,  but  it  appeared  that  be  bad  not  been  able  to 
keep  bis  appetite  so  long,  and  had  dined  also.  Still,  he  ate 
enough  to  satisfy  me  that  he  relished  my  dishes,  and  aftei^ 
wards  drank  a  sherbet  of  sugar  and  vinegar  with  great  gusta 
He  had  three  or  four  attendants,  and  with  him  came  a  Berber 
merchant,  who  had  lately  been  in  Khartoum.  I  produced  my 
sketeh-book  and  maps,  and  astonished  the  company  for  three 
hours.  I  happened  to  have  a  book  of  Shakspereaa  views, 
which  I  had  purchased  in  Stratford-on-Avon.  The  jieturc  of 
Shakspere  gave  the  Kashif  and  shekb  great  delight,  and  the 
former  considered  the  hovel  in  whielithe  poet  was  born,  "very 
grand."  The  church  in  Stratford  they  thought  a  marvellous 
building,  and  the  merchant  confessed  that  it  was  greater  than 
Lattif  Fasha's  palaeo  in  Khartoum,  "which  he  had  supposed  to 
be  the  finest  building  in  the  world. 

The  noxt  morning  the  sbckh  proposed  going  with  me  to 
the  remains  of  a  temple,  half  an  hour  distant,  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  river  ;  the  place,  he  said,  where  the  people  found 
Ibe  little  images,  agates  and  scarabei,  which  they  brought  tu 
mo  in  great  quantities.  After  walking  a  mile  and  a  half  over 
the  sands,  which  have  here  crowded  the  vegetation  to  the  very 
19 


water's  edge,  wc  came  to  b.  broad  raoand  of  stones,  broken 
brU'ks  and  pottery,  witb  a  foundation  wall  of  heavy  linieslone 
blocks,  along  the  western' side.  There  were  traces  of  door* 
and  Diches,  and  on  the  sammit  of  the  monnd  the  pedestals  of 
colmmia  similar  to  tliose  of  El  Bertel.  From  this  place  com. 
menoed  a  wafitG  of  ruins,  eztendiog  for  nearly  two  miles  to- 
wards the  north-west,  while  the  breadth,  from  east  to  west, 
was  about  equal.  For  the  moat  part,  the  buildings  were  en- 
tirely concealed  by  the  sand,  which  was  filled  with  fragments 
of  pottery  and  glass,  and  with  shining  pebbles  of  jasper,  agate 
and  chalcedony.  Half  a  mile  fiirther,  we  struck  on  another 
mound,  of  greater  cstent,  though  the  buildings  were  entirely 
level  with  the  earth.  The  foundations  of  pillara  were  abun- 
dant, and  fragments  of  circular  limestone  blocks  lay  crumbling 
to  pieces  in  the  rubbish,  Tbc  most  interesting  object  was  a 
mutilated  figure  of  blue  gra.nite,  of  which  only  a  huge  pair  of 
wings  could  be  recognized.  The  abekh  said  that  all  the  Frank 
travellers  who  came  there  broke  off  a  piece  aud  carried  it  away 
with  them.  I  did  not  follow  their  example.  Towards  the 
river  were  many  remains  of  crude  briek  walls,  and  the  ground 
was  strewn  with  pieces  of  oseellent  hard-burnt  bricks.  The 
sand  evidently  concealB  many  interesting  objects.  I  saw  in 
ona  place,  where  it  had  fallen  in,  the  entrance  to  a  chamber, 
wholly  below  the  surface.  The  Arabs  were  at  work  in  varioui 
parts  of  the  plain,  digging  up  the  sand,  which  tbey  filled  in 
baskets  and  carried  away  on  donkeys.  The  shekh  said  It  con' 
taiued  salt,  and  was  very  good  to  make  wheat  grow,  whence  1 
inferred  that  (he  earth  is  nitrous.  We  walked  for  an  hour  or 
two  over  the  ruiita,  finding  everywhere  the  evidence  that  a 
loTfre  capital  bad  once  slood  on  the  spot     The  bits  of  water- 


t   COHPARB   GSUaiONS. 

Jars  wLich  we  picked  up  were  frequently  painted  i 
witli  mucli  skill.  Tbe  soil  was  in  many  places  wliolly  aompoa- 
cd  of  tbe  debris  of  tbe  former  dwellings,  Tbia  was,  without 
donbt,  tlie  ancient  Napata,  of  which  Djebel  Berkel  was  only 
the  necropolis.  Napata  must  have  been  one  of  the  greatest 
cities  of  Ancient  AJrica,  after  Thebes,  Memphis  and  Carthage. 
I  felt  a  pccvJiar  interest  in  wandering  over  tbe  site  of  that 
half.forgotten  capital,  whereof  tbe  ancient  historians  knew  lit- 
tle more  than  we.  That  so  little  is  said  by  them  in  relation  to 
it  is  somewhat  surprising,  notwithstanding  itfi  distance  from 
the  Roman  frontier. 

In  tbe  afternoon,  Achmet,  with,  great  eiertion,  backed  by 
aU  the  influence  of  the  Kaskif,  Bucceeded  in  obtaining  ten  piaE^ 
tres  worth  of  bread.  The  latter  sent  me  tbe  shekh  of  the 
camels,  who  furnished  me  with  three  animals  and  three  men, 
to  'Wadi  Haifa,  at  ninety-five  plaatree  apiece.  They  were  to 
»«;ompany  my  caravan  to  Ambukol,  on  the  Dongolese  frontier 
where  the  camels  from  KLartouns  were  to  be  discharged,  t 
apent  th^  rest-  of  the  day  talking  with  the  shekh  on  religions 
matters.  He  pave  me  the  history  of  Christ,  in  retnrn  for 
which  I  relatbd  ti^  him  that  of  the  Soul  of  Mahomet,  from  one 
hundred  and  ten  thousand  years  before  the  Creation  of  the 
World,  until  his  birth,  according  to  the  Arab  Chronicles 
This  quite  overcame  him.  He  seised  my  band  and  kissed  it 
with  fervor,  acknowledging  rae  as  the  more  holy  man  of  the 
Iwo.  He  said  he  had  read  the  Books  of  Moses,  the  Paalma  of 
David  aod  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  but  liked  David  best,  whose 
iVDrdB  flowed  like  the  sound  of  the  sumarra,  or  Arab  flute. 
To  illustrate  it,  he  chanted  one  of  the  Psalms  in  a  series  of  not 
annmaical  cadences.     He  then  undertook  to  repeat  the  ninety- 


JDDBTIET  TO   CERTKAL  ATRIOA. 


ittributcs  of  God,  and  tKoaght  ho  Hncceeded,  but  I  iiotioed 
that  several  of  the  epithets  were  repeated  more  than  once. 

The  north  wind  increased  daring  the  afternoon,  and  towards 
night  blew  a  very  gale.  The  sand  came  in  throngli  the  dooi 
in  anch  qaantities  that  I  vas  obliged  to  moTs  my  bed  tc  a 
Kiorc  sheltered  part  of  my  house.  Nnmbers  of  huge  blacb 
heellcs,  as  hard  and  heavy  aa  grape-shot,  were  dislodged  from 
their  holes  and  dropped  around  me  with  sueh  loud  raps  that  I 
was  scarcely  able  to  sleep.  Tho  sky  waa  dull  and  darh,  hardly 
K  star  to  bo  seen,  and  the  wind  roared  in  the  palms  lite  a 
November  gale  let  loose  among  the  boughs  of  a,  Northern 
forest.  It  was  a  grand  roar,  drowning  the  sharp  rustle  of  the 
leaves  when  lightly  Btirred,  and  rocked  my  fancies  as  glorions- 
ly  as  the  pine.  In  another  country  than  Africa,  I  should  have 
predicted  rain,  hail,  equinoctial  storms,  or  something  of  the 
Kind,  but  there  I  went  to  sleep  with  a  positive  certainty  of 
dunshine  on  tho  morrow. 

I  was  up  at  dawn,  and  had  breakfast  by  sunrise ;  nevertbo- 
lesB,  we  were  obliged  to  wait  a  long  while  for  tho  camels,  or 
rather  the  pestiferous  Katabish  who  went  after  them.  The 
new  men  and  camels  were  in  readiness,  as  the  camel-shekh 
came  over  the  river  to  see  that  all  was  right.  The  Kashlf  seot 
mo  a  fine  black  ram,  as  provision  for  tho  journey.  Finally, 
towards  eight  o'clock,  every  thing  was  in  order  and  my  cara* 
van  began  to  move,  I  felt  real  regret  at  leaving  the  pleasant 
spot,  especially  the  beautiful  bower  of  palms  at  tho  door  of  my  ' 
house.  When  my  cficcts  had  been  taken  out,  the  shekh  called 
his  eldest  son  Saad,  bis  wif«  Fatima,  aod  their  two  young  eons, 
';o  make  their  salaams.  They  all  kissed  my  hand,  and  I  th^D 
gave  thi)  old  man  aod  Saad  my  backsheesh  for  their  b< 


SHEKH'S  BLBssnro.  431 

The  shekh  took  the  two  gold  mcdjids  readily,  without  any 
hypocritical  show  of  reluctance,  and  lifted  my  hand  to  his  lips 
and  forehead.  When  all  was  ready,  he  repeated  the  Fatha^ 
or  opening  paragraph  of  the  Koran,  as  each  camel  rose  from 
its  knees,  in  order  to  secure  the  blessing  of  Allah  upon  our 
journey.  He  then  took  me  in  his  arms,  kissed  both  my  cheeks, 
and  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  stood  showering  pious  phrases  after 
me,  till  I  was  out  of  hearing.  With  no  more  vanity  or  self- 
ishness than  is  natural  to  an  Arab,  Shekh  Mohammed  Abd 
e'-Djebal  had  many  excellent  qualities,  and  there  aro  few  of 
my  Central  African  aoquaintanoos  whom  I  would  raiLer  i6% 
again. 


lonsvET  TO 


OHAPTKR    SXXIV. 


OLD      DOKOOL 


OKOOLA. 


Ai'peuMejol'lUeConiiiiT— KdtU— Tin  Town  rfAmbukol— Tha  CuaTm  noi^n 
tod— A  Flfry  Eldf— We  rcMb  Kdabbo-An  LlomlnUod  Ijindscipe— A  Twnwi 
— NDbUui  Ai,-rlcnUare~OI<l  Donguln— The  ThIiicip-Miwiiis  of  Uio  Hablin  Kinp— A 
PwionmBnrpsiiulilloa— TheOld  City— Nubian  Ontlnide— AfloUior  Euid-SIonn 
— A  Driaiy  jDoniey— The  Approach  to  Uaadak— A  Ilniuo  of  DooMftil  Cbsraeter— 
Tbs  iDnKles-Jaurnur  lo  El  Ord«  (New  Donguli)— Kboonhld  B<7— Apptvuua 
of  the  ToiriL 

I  LEFT  Abddm  on  the  morning  of  February  twentieth.  Our 
road  lay  southward,  along  the  edge  of  the  wheat-fields,  ovci 
whose  wavea  we  Baw  the  islimd-like  groups  of  palms  at  a  little 
distance.  For  aeveral  miles  the  bank  of  the  river  was  covered  ' 
with  a  continuous  string  of  Tillages.  After  ekirting  this  glori 
ous  garden  land  for  two  hours,  we  crossed  a  sandy  tract,  over- 
grown with  the  poisonous  euphorbia,  to  avoid  a  curve  in  the 
rivBr,  During  the  whole  of  the  afternoon,  we  travelled  along 
the  edge  of  the  cultivated  land,  aod  sometimes  in  the  midst  of 
it,  obliging  my  camels  to  stumble  clumsily  over  the  raised 
trenches  which  carried  water  from  the  river  to  the  distant  parts 
of  the  fields.  Large,  ruined  forts  of  niibumt  brick,  cxceediDp 
ly  picturesque  at  a  distance,  stood  at  intervals  between  the 
desert  and  the  harvest-laod. 


438 


The  nest  mornlug  was  hot  and  sultry,  with  not  a  breath  of 
air  stirring.  I  rofla  Ht  dawn  and  walked  ahead  for  two  houra, 
through  thickets  of  euphorbia  higher  than  my  head,  and  over 
patches  of  strong,  dark-grean  grass.  The  sakias  were  groan- 
ing all  along  the  shore,  and  the  people  every  where  at  work  in 
Uie  fields.  The  wheat  was  in  various  stages  of  growth,  from 
the  first  thick  green  of  the  young  blades  to  the  full  head. 
Barley  was  tarniug  a  pale  yellow,  and  the  dookhn,  the  heads 
of  which  had  already  been  gathered,  stood  brown  and  dry. 
Djebel  Deeka,  on  my  right,  roso  bold  and  fair  above  the  linea 
of  palms,  and  showed  a  picturesqae  glen  winding  in  between 
its  black-purple  peaks.  It  was  a  fine  feature  of  the  landscape, 
which  would  have  been  almost  too  soft  and  lovely  without  it. 

Before  nine  o'clock  we  passed  the  large  town  of  Korti, 
which,  however,  is  rather  a  cluster  of  small  towns,  scattered 
along  between  the  whealrCelds  and  the  river.  Some  of  the 
houses  were  large  and  massive,  and  with  their  blank  watts 
and  block-like  groups,  over  which  the  doum-tree  spread  its 
arch  and  the  date-palm  hung  its  feathery  erown,  made  fine 
\frican  pictures — admirable  types  of  the  scenery  along  the 
Nubian  Nile.  Beyond  the  town  we  came  upon  a  hot,  dusty 
plain,  sprinkled  with  stunted  euphorbia,  over  which  I  could  see 
the  point  where  the  Nile  turns  westward.  Towards  noon  we 
reached  the  town  of  Ambukol,  which  I  found  to  be  a  large 
agglomeration  of  mud  and  human  beings,  ou  the  sand-hills,  a 
qn&rter  of  a  mile  from  the  river.  An  estcnsivc  pile  of  mud  in 
the  centre  denoted  a  fortress  or  government  station  of  some 
Bort  There  were  a  few  lazy  Arabs  sitting  on  the  ground,  on 
the  shady  side  of  the  walls,  and  some  women  going  back  and 
forth  with  water-jars,  but  otherwise,  for  all  the  life  it  preKanb 


I4U  lOtRKEr  TO   C1C:4TRAL  AFhtCA. 

ed,  the  place  might  haya  heta  deserted.  The  people  we  niel 
Ealutcd  me  vith  much  respect,  and  those  wlio  were  seated  rose 
and  remniued  Btanding  oDtil  I  had  passed.  I  did  not  enter 
the  t«wn,  but  made  direct  for  a  great  acacin  tree  near  its  vrest-. 
em  end.  The  nine  camels  and  nine  men  of  mj  cararan  all 
rested  under  the  shade,  and  there  was  room  for  as  many  more. 
A  number  of  Arabs  looked  on  from  a  distance,  or  tailed  m; 
c«mel-men,  to  satisfy  their  curiosity  regarding  me,  but  no  one 
oame  near  or  annoyed  us  in  auj  way.  I  took  breakfast  leisure- 
ly on  my  carpet,  drank  half  a  gourd  of  marecsa,  and  had  still 
an  hour  to  wait,  before  the  new  camels  were  laden.  The 
Kababish,  who  had  accompanied  mc  from  Ktartonm,  wanted  a 
certificate,  so  I  certified  that  Said  was  a  good  camel-man  and 
Hohammcd  worthless  as  a  guide.  They  then  drank  a  parting 
JKr  of  mareeea,  and  we  went  from  under  the  cool  acacia  int^i 
the  glare  of  the  fierce  sun.  Our  road  all  the  afternoon  was 
in  the  Desert,  and  we  were  obliged  to  endure  a  most  intense 
and  sultry  heat. 

The  nest  day  I  travelled  westward  over  long  akdboM,  01 
/enchcs  of  the  Desert,  covered  with  clumps  of  thorns,  nebbuk 
and  the  jasmine  tree.  The  long  mountain  on  the  opposite 
bank  was  painted  in  rosy  light  against  the  sty,  as  if  tonohed 
with  the  beams  of  a  perpetual  sanrisc.  My  eyes  always  tam- 
ed to  it  with  a  sense  of  rcfrcahmcut,  after  the  weary  glare  of 
the  sand.  In  the  morning  there  was  a  brisk  wind  from  the 
north-east,  but  towards  noon  it  veered  to  the  south-west,  and 
then  to  the  south,  continuing  to  blow  all  day  with  great 
force.  As  I  rodo  westward  through  the  hot  hours  of  the 
afternoon,  it  played  againet  my  faoe  like  a  she^t  of  flame. 
The  sky    became   obscured    with   a  dull,   bluish  ham,   gai 


1    TORY  KroK. 

Die  sands  of  the  Bejooda,  on  my  left,  glimmered  while  and 
dim,  as  if  swept  by  the  blast  of  a  furnace.  There  were  ooc»- 
sional  gusts  thut  made  the  flesh  shrink  aa  if  touched  with  a  Lot 
iron,  and  I  found  it  impossible  to  bear  the  wind  full  on  mj 
face.  One  who  has  never  felt  it,  cannot  conceive  the  withering 
effect  of  sucb  a  heat.  The  earth  seems  swept  with  the  first 
fires  of  that  conflagration  beneath  whieh  the  heavens  will 
shrivel  up  as  a  scroll,  and  joo  instinctively  wonder  to  sec  tha 
palms  standing  green  and  unaiaged,  Jly  camel-men  crept 
behind  the  camels  to  get  away  from  it,  and  Achmet  and  Ali 
muffled  up  their  faces  completely.  I  could  not  endure  the 
sultry  heat  occasioned  by  such  a  preparation,  and  so  rode  all 
day  with  my  head  in  the  fire. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  approached  tho 
Nile  again.  There  was  a  grove  of  aont  and  donm-trces  on  the 
bank,  surrounding  a  large  quadrangular  structure  of  clay,  with 
Bqaare  towers  at  the  comers.  Grave-yards  stretched  for  nearly 
m  mile  along  the  edge  of  the  Desert,  and  six  large,  dome-like 
heaps  of  clay  denoted  the  tombs  of  as  many  holy  men.  We 
nest  came  upon  the  ruins  of  a  large  village,  with  a  fort  and  n 
heavy  palaee-likc  building  of  mud.  Before  reaching  Edabbe, 
the  terminus  of  the  caravan  route  from  Kordofan,  the  same 
evening,  I  rode  completely  around  the  bend  of  the  Nile,  so 
that  my  dromedary's  head  was  at  last  turned  towards  Wadi 
Ilalfa,  I  waa  hot,  tired,  and  out  of  temper,  but  a  gourd  of  cool 
water,  at  the  first  house  we  reached,  made  all  right  again. 
There  were  seven  vessels  in  the  river,  waiting  for  the  caravans. 
One  had  just  arrived  from  Kordofan,  and  the  packages  of  gum 
were  piled  up  along  the  shore.  We  were  immediately  followed 
by  the  sailors,  who  were  anxious  that  I  should  hire  their  tob- 
10" 


* 


IJ3  JOURKI!)    TO   CKNTIUL 

l«ls      I  rode  past  the  town,  wliich   does   not   contain 
th&n  thirty  bousea  ia  all  and  had  my  tent  pitched  on  the  rivwi 
bftnk. 

The  Nile  is  here  half  a  mile  broad,  aod  a  long  reach  of  hiii 
current  is  visibie  to  the  north  and  south.  The  opposite  baniH. 
was  high  and  eteep,  lined  at  the  water's  edge  with  a  belt  of"' 
beans  and  lupias,  behind  which  rose  a.  line  of  palmB,  and  BtQI 
higher  the  hills  of  pale,  golden-hued  sand,  spotted  like  a  leop- 
ard's hide,  with  clumps  of  a  small  mimosa.  The  grouud  woa  ■ 
slear,  tawny  yellow,  but  the  spots  were  deep  emerald.  Below 
the  gorgeous  drapery  of  these  hills,  the  river  glittered  in  a 
dark,  purple-blue  sheet.  The  coloring  of  the  mid- African  land- 
scapes is  truly  unparalleled.  To  me,  it  became  more  than  s 
simple  sense;  it  grew  to  be  an  appetite.  When,  after  a  jour- 
ney in  the  Desert,  I  again  beheld  the  dazzling  green  palms  and 
wheat-fields  of  the  Nile,  I  imagbed  that  there  was  a  positive 
sensation  on  the  retina.  I  felt,  or  seemed  to  feel,  phjsioidlj, 
the  colored  rays — beams  of  pnre  emerald,  topai  and  amethj*^ 
tine  lustre — as  they  struck  the  eye. 

At  Edabbe  I  first  majle  aci]uaintancc  with  a  terrible  po^ 
which  fur  many  days  afterwards  occasioned  me  mnch  tormcnt-'i 
I  small  black  fly,  aa  venomous  KB  the  moaqnito,  and  modi- 
more  difficult  to  drive  away.  I  sat  during  the  evening  wilh 
my  head,  neck  and  eara  closely  bound  up,  notwithatanding  the 
hoat.  After  the  flies  left,  a  multitude  of  beetles,  moths,  wiug- 
ed  ants  and  other  nameless  creatures  came  in  their  place.  I 
uai  and  sweltered,  mnrmnring  for  the  waters  of  Abaua  and 
Pharpar,  rivers  of  DamaaouH,  and  longing  for  a  glass  of  sherbet 
ooolod  with  the  snows  of  Lebanon. 

Wo  were  up  with  the  first  glimmering  of  daim. 


I 


9  of  sherbet      I 
.     Thesl^l 


w«a  J  lU  and  hazy,  and  the  sun  ca.m'e  up  like  a.  shield  of  rust} 
oopper,  as  we  started.  Our  path  lay  tbrough  the  midst  of 
the  cultivated  land,  sometimes  Btirtlng  the  banks  of  the 
Nile,  and  sometimes  swerving  ofi"  to  the  belts  of  sont  and 
euphorbia  which  abut  out  the  sand.  The  sakias,  turned  by 
ft  yoke  of  oxen  each,  were  In  motion  on  the  river,  and  the 
men  were  wading  through  the  squares  of  wheat,  cotton  and 
barley,  turning  the  water  into  them.  All  farming  procoBsea 
from  sowing  to  reaping,  were  going  on  at  the  same  time.  The 
cultivated  land  was  frequently  more  than  a  mile  In  breadth, 
and  all  watered  from  the  river.  The  aakJaa  are  taxed  four 
hundred  and  seventy-five  piastres  each,  notwithstjindtiig  the 
sum  fised  by  Government  Is  only  three  hundred.  The  remain 
der  goes  into  the  private  treasuries  of  the  ftovernora.  For  this 
reason,  many  persons,  unable  to  pay  the  tax,  emigrate  Into 
Kordofan  and  elsewhere.  This  may  account  for  the  frequent 
tracts  of  the  finest  soil  which  are  abandoned.  I  passed  many 
fine  fields,  given  up  to  the  haUeh  grass,  which  grew  most  rank 
and  abundant.  My  dromedary  had  a  rare  time  of  it,  cropping 
the  juicy  bunehea  as  he  went,  along.  The  country  is  thickly 
settled,  and  our  road  was  animated  "with  uatlvea,  passing  bade 
sitd  forth. 

About  Doou,  we  saw  in  advance,  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  Kile,  a  bold,  bluff  ridge,  crowned  with  a  large  square 
building.  This  the  people  pointed  out  to  ub  as  the  location 
of  Old  Songola.  As  we  approached  nearer,  a  long  line  of 
mad  buildings  appeared  along  the  brow  of  the  hill,  whoso 
Dorthem  slope  was  cumbered  with  ruins.  We  left  the  cara- 
TDD  track  and  rode  down  to  the  ferry  place  at  the  river,  OTer  a 
ling  itretch  of  abandoned  fields,  where  the  cotton  was  almoef 


(44  JOURHBT  TO   CEKTRAI.  AVBWA. 

choked  out  with  gmes,  and  the  hcaua  and  leatila  vera  growing  ' 
vild  in  bunches.  After  my  tent  had  been  pitched  in  a.  cotton- 
patch,  I  look  a  grateful  bath  ia  the  river,  and  then  crossed  in 
the  ferry-boat  to  the  old  town.  The  bill  upon  which  it  a 
built  terminates  abruptly  in  a  precipice  of  red  sandstone  rock, 
abont  a  hundred  feet  in  height.  Four  enormous  fra^cnts 
have  been  broken  off,  and  lie  as  they  fell,  on  the  edge  of  the 
water.  A  Bteep  path  through  drifts  of  sliding  yellow  sand 
leads  around  the  cliffs,  up  to  the  dwellings.  I  found  the 
ascent  laborious,  as  the  wind,  which  had  veered  to  the  west, 
was  as  hot  as  ou  the  previous  day ;  but  a  boatman  and  one  of 
my  camel-men  seized  a  hand  each  and  hauled  me  up  most  oon- 
veaiently.  At  the  summit,  all  was  ruin;  interminable  lines 
of  walls  broken  down,  and  streets  filled  up  with  sand.  I  went 
first  to  the  Kasr,  or  Palace,  which  stands  on-the  highest  part 
of  the  hill.  It  is  about  forty  feet  in  height,  having  two  storici 
and  a  broad  foundation  wall,  and  is  built  mostly  of  burnt 
brick  and  sandstone.  It  is  the  palace  of  the  former  Dongoleso 
Kings,  and  a  moro  imposing  building  than  one  would  expect 
to  find  in  such  a  place.  Near  the  entrance  is  an  arched  pas' 
sage,  leading  down  to  some  subterranean  obambers,  which  1 
did  not  explore.  It  needed  something  more  than  tLe  aasQ- 
rance  of  an  old  Nubian,  however,  to  convince  me  that  there  wuE 
an  underground  passage  from  this  place  to  Djebel  Berkel.  A 
broad  flight  of  stone  steps  ascended  to  the  second  story,  in 
which  are  many  chambers  and  passages.  The  walls  are  cover- 
ed with  Arabic  inscriptions,  written  in  the  plaster  while  it  woi 
yet  moist.  The  hatl  of  audience  had  once  a  pavement  of 
marble,  several  blocks  of  which  still  remain,  and  the  oeLlinjF  il 
supported  in  the  centre  by  three  shafts  of  granite,  taken  Ooic 


a  or  OLD  DOKooLi. 


44S 


Bome  old  Egyptian  ruin.  The  floors  aro  covered  with  tiles  uf 
bnmt  brick,  Ijut  the  palm-logs  which  support  them  haTc  given 
away  in  many  places,  rendering  oiic''a  footiug  iosecnrc.  Be- 
hind the  hall  of  audience  is  a  passage,  with  a  nicho,  in  each 
eide  of  which  is  also  an  ancient  pillar  of  granite.  From  the 
tenor  of  one  of  the  Arabic  inscriptionH,  it  appears  that  the 
building  was  originally  designed  for  a  mosque,  and  that  it  was 
erected  in  the  year  1317,  by  Saf-ed-deeu  Abdallab,  after  a 
yietory  over  the  infidels. 

T  ascended  to  the  roof  of  the  palace,  which  is  flat  and  paved 
with  stones.  The  view  was  most  remarkable.  The  height 
on  which  Old  Dongola  is  built,  falls  off  on  all  sides,  inland  as 
well  as  towards  the  river,  so  that  ta  the  east  one  overlooks  a 
wide  extent  of  desert — low  hills  of  rod  sand,  stretching  away 
to  a.  dim,  hot  horizon.  To  the  north,  the  hill  slopes  gradually 
to  the  Nile,  covered  with  the  ruins  of  old  buildings.  North- 
east, hardly  visible  through  the  sandy  haze,  rose  a  high,  isolat- 
ed peak,  with  something  like  a  tower  on  its  summit.  To  the 
south  and  east  the  dilapidated  city  covered  the  top  of  the  hill 
— a  mass  of  ashy-gray  walls  of  mud  and  stone,  for  the  moat 
part  roofless  and  broken  down,  while  the  doors,  courts  and 
alleys  between  them  were  half  choked  up  with  the  loose  sand 
blown  in  from  the  Desert.  The  graveyards  of  the  former  in- 
habitants extended  for  more  than  a  mile  through  the  sand, 
over  the  dreary  hills  behind  the  town.  Among  them  were  a 
great  number  of  eonieal,  pointed  structures  of  clay  and  Btones, 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height.  The  eamel-men  said 
th^  were  the  tombs  of  rossool — prophets,  or  holy  men.  I 
(omited  twenty-five  in  that  portion  of  the  cemetery  which  was 
ntubla    The  whole  view  was  one  of  entire  and  absolute  deeo 


t4S  JOUHHST  TO  CINTRU.  AFRICA. 

latioD,  beiglilcned  the  more  bj  the  clouds  of  sand  which  Gllod 
the  air,  and  which,  in  their  withering  heat,  seemed  to  be  rain 
ing  ruici  upon  tUc  laud. 

I  afterwards  walked  through  the  city,  &nd  wa3  surprised  to 
Gi:d  many  large,  strong  houses  of  stone  and  burnt  brick,  witb 
HpnciQUs  rooms,  the  walls  of  which  were  plastered  and  white- 
washed. The  iinteU  of  the  doors  and  windows  wore  stone, 
the  roofs  in  many  places,  -where  they  still  remained,  covered 
with  tiles,  and  every  thing  gave  evidence  of  a  rich  and  power 
All  city.  Now,  probably  not  more  than  one-fifth  of  the  bousej 
are  inhabited.  Here  and  there  the  people  have  spread  a  roof- 
ing of  mats  over  the  open  walla,  and  nestled  themselves  in  tha 
sand.  I  saw  several  such  places,  the  doors,  or  rather  entrancea 
to  which,  were  at  the  bottom  of  loose  sand-hills  that  constantly 
slid  down  and  filled  the  dingy  dwellings.  In  my  walk  I  met 
but  one  or  two  persons,  bat  as  we  returned  again  to  the  river, 
I  saw  a  group  of  Bongolese  women  on  the  highest  part  of  tha 
cliff.  They  were  calling  in  shrill  tones  and  waving  their  haudi 
to  some  persona  in  the  ferry-boat  on  the  river  below,  and  need- 
ed no  fancy  to  represent  the  daughters  of  Old  Dongola  !«- 
menting  over  its  fuU, 

Some  Bongolese  djellabidt,  or  merchants,  jttst  retnraed 
from  Kordofan,  were  in  the  ferry-boat  One  of  them  showed 
mo  a  snufi'-box  which  be  Lad  bought  from  a  native  of  Fertit, 
b«yond  Dar-For,  It  was  formed  of  the  shell  of  some  fmit, 
with  a  silver  neck  attached.  By  striking  the  head  of  the  hoi 
on  the  thumb-nail,  osactly  one  pinch  was  produced.  The  rail 
took  ofi'  his  mantle,  tied  one  end  of  it  to  the  ring  in  the  botr 
and  stood  thereon,  holding  the  other  end  with  both  handi 
ftreteljed  ab'ive  hitt  head.     He  made  a  fiou  bronzo  figure-besd 


441 


fur  the  boat,  aad  it  was  easy  to  diTme  her  name :  TJie  Ifv^ 
bian.  We  had  on  board  a  number  of  copper-hued  women, 
whoRe  eyelids  were  stained  with  Jcolil,  which  gave  tbcm  a 
ghastly  appearacco. 

Soon  after  my  teat  bad  been  pitched,  In  the  afternoon,  a 
man  came  riding  up  from  the  river  on  a  donkey,  leading  a 
horse  behind  him.  He  had  just  crossed  one  of  the  waler- 
courBes  on  his  donkey,  and  was  riding  on,  holding  the  borse''« 
tope  in  bia  band,  when  tho  animal  started  back  at  the  water* 
course,  jerking  the  man  over  the  donkey's  tail  and  throwing 
him  violently  on  the  ground.  He  lay  as  if  dead  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  but  Achmct  finally  bri>ugbt  him  to  consciousness 
by  pouring  the  contents  of  a  leathern  water-flask  over  bis  head, 
and  raising  him  to  a  sitting  posture.  His  brother,  who  bad 
charge  of  a  sakia  on  the  bank,  brought  me  an  angareb  in  the 
evening,  in  acknowledgment  of  this  good  office.  It  is  a  good 
trait  in  the  people,  that  they  arc  always  grateful  for  kindness. 
The  angareb,  however,  did  not  prove  of  much  service,  for  I 
was  so  beset  by  the  black  gnats  that  it  was  impossible  to  sleep, 
They  assailed  my  nose,  mouth,  cars  and  eyes  In  such  numbers 
that  I  was  almost  driven  mad.  I  rubbed  my  face  witli  strong 
vinegar,  but  it  only  seemed  to  attract  them  the  more.  I  un- 
wound my  turban,  and  rolled  it  aroimd  my  neck  and  ears,  but 
they  crept  under  the  folds  and  booed  and  bit  until  I  wai 
forced  to  give  np  the  attempt. 

Our  road,  the  nest  morning,  lay  near  the  river,  through 
tracks  of  thick  halfeb,  four  or  five  feet  high.  We  constantly 
passed  tho  ruins  of  villages  and  the  naked  frames  of  abandon- 
ed sakias.  The  soil  was  exceedingly  rich,  as  the  exuberant 
^owth  of  halfeb  proved,  but  for  miles  and  miles  there  was  no 


148 


JOUBKXr  TO 


Bign  of  life.  The  tyranny  of  the  Turia  liaa  depopulated  oni 
of  the  fairest  diatrictB  of  Nubia.  The  wind  blew  violently 
from  the  north,  nnd  the  sandy  haze  and  gray  vapor  in  Iho  ait 
hcc.Tine  so  denBC  that  I  could  scarcely  distinguish  the  oppoaiM 
bank  of  the  Nile.  The  river  was  covered  with  white  caps,  ani: 
broke  on  the  beach  below  with  a  wintry  roar.  As  we  jonmey- 
ed  along  through  the  wild  green  grass  and  orchards  of  Bont, 
passing  broken  walls  and  the  traces  of  old  water-eourses,  I 
could  have  believed  myself  travelling  through  some  deserted 
landscape  of  the  North.  I  was  chilled  with  the  strong  wind, 
which  roared  in  the  sont  and  made  my  beard  whistle  under 
my  nose  like  a  wisp  of  dry  grass.  Several  shipa  passed  us, 
scudding  up  stream  under  bare  poles,  and  one,  which  had  k 
single  reef  shaken  out  of  her  large  sail,  dashed  by  like  a  higb- 
proasuro  steamer. 

After  two  or  three  hours  we  passed  out  of  this  region. 
The  Desert  extended  almost  to  the  water's  edge,  and  we  had 
nothing  but  sand  and  thoma.  The  wind  by  this  time  was 
more  furious  than  ever,  and  the  air  was  so  full  of  sand  that  we 
could  not  see  more  than  a  hundred  yards  on  either  hand.  The 
sun  gave  out  a  white,  ghastly  light,  which  increased  the  drear> 
iness  of  the  day.  All  trace  of  the  road  was  obliterated,  and 
we  conld  only  travel  at  random  among  the  thoma,  following 
the  course  of  the  Nile,  which  we  were  careful  to  keep  in  view. 
My  eyes,  ears,  and  nostrils  were  soon  filled  with  sand,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  bind  my  turban  so  as  nearly  to  cover  my  face^ 
leaving  only  space  enough  to  take  a  blind  view  of  the  way  wc 
were  going.  At  breakfast  time,  after  two  hours  of  this  mar- 
tyrdom, I  found  a  clump  of  thorns  so  thick  aa  to  shut  off  tha 
wind,  but  uo  sooner  had  I  dismounted  and  crept  under  ita 


I 


I 


i 


t  BANDHSTOKH.  44  S 

filielter  tlian  I  ezporienccd  a  scoroliing  heat  from  the  sim,  and 
wu  attacked  by  myriada  of  the  black  gnats,  I  managed  to 
eat  somethiDg  in  a  mad  sort  of  wny,  beatiug  my  face  and  eare 
eoatioaally,  and  was  glad  to  thruab  my  head  again  into  the 
Band-Btonn,  which  drove  off  the  worse  j<csls.  So  for  hours  we 
puTEued  onr  journey.  I  could  not  look  in  the  face  of  the  wind, 
which  never  ooce  fell.  The  others  suffered  equally,  and  two 
of  the  camel-men  lagged  so,  that  we  bat  sight  of  them  entire- 
ly. It  was  truly  a  good  fortune  that  I  did  not  take  the  short 
road,  east  of  the  Nile,  from  Merawe  to  New  Dongola,  Id  the 
terrible  wastes  of  the  Nubian  Desert,  we  could  scarcely  have 
Burrivcd  such  a  storm. 

Nearly  all  the  afternoon  we  passed  over  deserted  tracts, 
which  wero  oneo  covered  with  flourishing  fields.  The  water- 
couraea  extend  for  nearly  two  miles  from  the  river,  and  cross 
the  road  at  interv.ils  of  fifty  yards.  But  now  the  villages  are 
level  with  the  earth,  and  the  saud  whistles  over  the  traces  of 
Gelds  and  gardens,  which  it  has  not  yet  effaced.  Two  Lours 
before  sunset  the  sun  disappeared,  and  I  began  to  long  for  the 
town  of  Handak,  our  destination.  Aehmet  and  I  were  ahead, 
and  the  other  camels  were  not  to  be  seen  auy  longer,  so  as  sun- 
ect  eame  on  I  grew  restless  and  uneasy.  The  palma  by  thia 
time  had  appeared  again  on  the  river's  brink,  and  there  was  a 
village  on  our  left,  in  the  sand.  We  asked  again  for  Handak. 
"  Just  at  the  corner  of  yon  palma,"  said  the  people.  They 
■poke  with  a  near  emphasis,  which  encouraged  me.  The  Ara- 
bic dialect  of  Central  Africa  has  one  curinua  eharaeteriBtis, 
which  evidently  springs  from  the  waut  of  a  copious  vocabulary. 

S*^— "^  or  intensity  of  meaning  is  usually  indicated  by  accent 
TboB,  when  they  point  to  an.  object  near  at  hand  ihej 


4S0  JOURNKT  to  CRNTOAI.   ATltlOA. 

ny:  henak,  "Uiere;"  if  it  is  a  mTMlerate  distauoe  off,  tbpj 
lengtLon  the  Eound  into  "  ketira-aak  ;"  wbile,  if  it  ia  so  far  at 
tq  be  bnrcly  visible,  the  lost  sellable  is  sustained  with  ; 
breath — "  ken-a-a-OrOra-ak  /"  In  tho  same  way,  sad  signifiei 
"  an  hour  ;"  sa-a-a-a,  "  two  hours,"  &c.  This  habit  of  speedi 
gives  the  language  a  very  singular  and  eccentric  character. 

We  pushed  oo  till  the  spot  was  reached,  but  as  far  ahewi 
an  tho  sand  would  permit  us  to  see,  could  discern  no  hoosa 
We  asked  again ;  the  town  commenced  at  the  nest  corner  of 
the  palina  ahead  of  us,  I  think  this  thing  must  have  happen- 
ed to  U3  five  or  six  times,  till  at  last  I  got  into  that  peculiarly 
amiable  mood  which  sees  nothing  good  in  Heaven  or  Earth. 
If  my  beat  friend  had  come  to  meet  me,  I  should  have  givffli 
him  but  a  Bour  greeting.  My  eyes  were  blinded,  my  head 
doll  and  stupid,  and  my  bonea  sore  from  twelve  hours  in  the 
saddle.  As  it  grew  dark,  wo  were  overtaken  by  four  rider* 
mounted  on  fine  dromedaries.  They  were  going  at  a,  sweeping 
trot,  and  our  beasts  were  ambitious  enough  to  keep  pace  with 
tbem  for  some  time  One  of  them  was  a  stately  shckh,  with 
a  white  robe  and  broad  gold  border  and  fringe.  From  what 
the  people  said  of  htm,  I  took  him  to  be  the  Melek,  or  King 
of  Dongola. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  growing  darL  We  could  see  nothii^ 
of  the  town,  though  a  womftu  who  had  been  walking  beside 
said  wo  were  there  already.  She  biuA  she  had  a  fine  house, 
Thich  we  could  hare  for  the  night,  since  it  was  almost  impo9- 
liblo  for  a  tent  to  stand  in  such  a  wind.  As  I  had  already 
dipped  into  the  night,  I  determined  to  reach  Handak  at  all 
haiardB,  and  after  yet  another  honr,  succeeded.  Acbnct  and 
[  difinioanted  in  a  rained  court-yard,  and  while  I  sat  on  •, 


>rr  LODOiita  in  hardak.  4S1 

broken  wall,  holding  the  camels,  he  went  to  look  for  oar  men 
It  was  a  dismal  place,  in  the  gathering  darkness,  with  the 
wind  howling  and  the  sand  drifting  on  alt  sides,  and  I  wonder- 
ed what  fiend  had  ever  tempted  nie  to  travel  in  Africa,  Be- 
fore long  the  woman  appeared  and  guided  ns  to  a  collection  of 
miserable  huts  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  Her  fine  bouse  proved 
to  be  a  narrow,  mad-walled  room,  with  a  foof  of  smoked  donr- 
ra-statks.  It  shut  off  the  wind,  however,  and  when  I  entered 
and  found  the  occupants  (two  other  women),  talking  to  each 
other  by  the  light  of  a  pile  of  blaring  corn-stalks,  it  looked  ab- 
solutely cheerful  I  stretched  myself  out  on  one  of  the  anga- 
rebs,  and  soon  relapsed  into  a  better  humor.  But  I  am  afraid 
we  were  not  lodged  in  the  most  respectable  house  of  Handak, 
for  the  women  showed  no  disposition  to  leave,  when  we  made 
preparations  for  sleeping.  They  paid  no  attention  to  my  re- 
quests, Qzcept  by  some  words  of  endearment,  which,  from  such 
creatures,  were  sufficiently  disgusting,  and  I  was  obliged  to 
threaten  them  with  forcible  ejection,  before  they  vacated  the 
hooac.  The  camel-men  iuformed  me  that  the  place  is  noto- 
rious for  its  harlotry. 

As  we  had  made  a  forced  march  of  forty  miles  in  one  day, 
I  gave  the  caravan  a.  rest  until  noon,  and  treated  tbo  men  to 
mutton  and  mareesji.  Prices  had  already  increased,  since 
leaving  Souddn,  and  I  could  not  procure  a  sheep  for  less  than 
B<jventeen  piastres.  Ihe  women,  who  had  returned  at  sunrise, 
be^ed  me  to  give  them  the  entrails,  which  they  cut  into  pieces 
oud  ate  raw,  with  the  addition  of  some  onions  and  salt.  The 
fid  woman  told  me  a  piteous  tale  of  the  death  of  her  son,  and 
her  own  distress,  and  haw  King  Dyaah  (who  had  passed 
through  Haudak  the  dai  previous,  on  his  way  to  Dar  El-Uu' 


b. 


46t  MUHSBT  TO  OSHTSAL  AFRIOA* 

ham)  had  giTen  her  two  piastrw,  and  bIm  hoped  I  would  also 
gif«  her  something)  that  she  might  buy  a  new  dress.  I  gave 
her  the  same  as  King  Dyaab^  whidli  she  at  onoe  adced  me  to 
take  back  again,  as  she  erpeoted  at  least  nine  piastres.  See- 
ing I  was  about  to  take  her  at  her  word,  she  made  haste  to  se- 
evre  the  money.  Her  youngest  dan^ter,  a  bold,  masculine 
Ihi^gy  with  hair  cat  dose  to  her  head,  now  came  to  me  for 
backsheesh.  *'  Oh  1*^  said  I,  "  you  are  going  to  do  as  tiie  old 
woman  did,  are  you  ?''  "  No,"  she  exdaimed ;  ''  if  you  will 
giTe  me  two  piastres,  I  will  ask  for  no  more.  The  old  woman 
is  a  miserable  wretdi  l**  and  she  spat  upon  the  ground  to  show 
her  disgust.  "Go  1"  I  said;  "  I  shall  ^ve  nothing  to  a  girl 
who  insults  her  mother." 

From  Handak  to  £1  Ordee  is  two  days'  journey.  The 
cowitry  presents  the  same  aspect  of  desertion  and  ruin  as  that 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Old  Dongola.  Untenanted  Tillages 
line  the  road  during  nearly  the  whole  distance.  The  face  of 
the  country  is  level,  and  there  is  no  mountain  to  be  seen  on 
either  bank  of  the  Nile.  It  is  a  melancholy,  deserted  re- 
gion, showing  only  palms  growing  wildly  and  rankly  along  the 
rirer,  fields  covered  with  halfeh,  water-courses  broken  down, 
sakias  dismantled,  and  everywhere  dwellings  in  ruin.  Here 
and  there  a  few  inhabitants  still  lingered,  tending  their  fields 
of  stunted  cotton,  or  watering  some  patches  of  green  wheat 
The  general  aspect  of  desolation  was  heightened  by  the  strong 
north-wind,  which  filled  the  air  with  elouda  of  sand,  making 
the  sunshine  so  cold  and  white,  that  all  the  color  faded  out  of 
the  landscape.  The  palms  were  dull  and  dark,  and  the  sand- 
hiUs  beyond  the  Nile  a  dead,  lifeless  yellow.  All  this  district 
iwarms  with  black  gnats,  which  seemed  to  have  been  sent  as  a 


APPROACH   TO   EL   ORDES.  453 

eorse  npon  its  desertioiiy  for  thej  never  appeared  where  tbe 
oonntrj  was  thieklj  inliabited  and  all  the  soil  coltiyated. 

On  the  first  day  after  leaving  Handak,  we  passed  the  vi2 
lages  of  Kiar,  Sori  and  Urub,  and  stopped  at  a  place  called 
TettL  The  wind  blew  so  violently  daring  the  night  that  every 
thing  in  my  tent,  my  head  inclnded,  was  thickly  covered  with 
dust.  The  next  day  we  passed  a  large  town  called  Hannak. 
The  greater  part  of  it  was  levelled  to  the  earth,  and  evidently 
by  yiolence,  for  the  walls  were  of  stone.  It  stood  on  a  rocky 
rise,  near  the  river,  and  had  on  its  highest  part  the  remains  of 
some  defences,  and  a  small  palace,  in  tolerable  preservation. 
The  hills  behind  were  covered  for  half  a  mile  with  the  graves 
of  the  fbrmer  inhabitants,  among  which  I  noticed  the  cones 
and  pyramids  of  several  holy  men.  As  we  approached  El  Or- 
dee  (by  which  name  New  Dongola  is  usually  called),  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  country  improved,  although  there  was  still  as 
much  deserted  as  cultivated  land.  The  people  we  met  were 
partly  Dongolese  and  partly  Arabs  from  the  Desert,  the  latter 
with  bushy  hair,  shimng  with  grease,  and  spears  in  their 
hands.  They  cheered  us  with  the  news  that  El  Ordee  was  not 
distant,  and  we  would  arrive  there  at  asser — the  time  of  after- 
noon prayer,  two  hours  before  sunset.  My  camel-men  rejoiced 
at  the  prospect  of  again  having  mareesa  to  drink,  and  I  asked 
old  Mohammed  if  he  supposed  the  saints  drank  mareesa  in 
Paradise.  "  Why  I "  he  joyfully  exclaimed ;  "  do  you  know 
about  Paradise  ?"  **  Certainly ;"  said  I,  ^'  if  you  lead  a  good 
life,  you  will  go  straight  there,  but  if  you  are  wicked,  Eblis 
will  carry  you  down  into  the  flames."  ''  Wallah  1"  said  the 
eld  fellow,  aside  to  Achmet ;  '<  but  this  is  a  good  Frank.  He 
>Hrtaio]y  has  Islam  in  his  heart." 


40i  JOUftVlT  TO  CIMTRAL  AVRICA. 

Alxmt  two  o'dook,  we  descried  the  miiuiret  of  El  Ordeo 
its  BOgtr-loaf  top  gliUering  white  in  the  son.  The  place  wai 
three  or  four  miles  distant,  and  we  did  not  reach  it  until  after 
more  than  an  hour's  traveL  As  we  i^proached,  it  presented 
the  usual  appearanoe  of  the  Nubian  towns — a  long  line  of 
blank  mud  walls,  above  which  rise,  perhaps,  the  second  stories 
of  a  few  more  ambitious  mud  houses ;  here  a  sycamore,  there 
a  palm  or  two,  denoting  a  garden  within ;  a  wide  waste  of  sand 
round  about,  some  filthy  people  basking  in  the  sun,  and  a  mul- 
titude of  the  vilest  kind  of  dogs.  Near  the  river  there  are 
some  fine  large  gardens,  as  in  Khartoum.  I  had  already  de- 
cided to  stop  two  days,  to  rest  my  caravan,  before  commeno- 
ing  the  long  and  toilsome  march  to  Wadi-Halfit,  but  instead 
of  hiring  a  house  I  went  aroxmd  the  town  and  pitched  my  tent 
on  the  northern  side,  on  a  sandy  plain,  where  I  secured  pure 
air  and  freedom  from  molestation  by  the  inhabitants. 

The  morning  after  my  arrival,  the  Oovemor,  Khoorshid 
Bej,  called  at  my  tent,  and  I  returned  the  visit  in  the  after- 
noon. He  was  a  stout,  fair- skinned  and  brown-bearded  man 
of  thirty-eight,  and  looked  more  like  an  American  than  a  Turk. 
I  found  him  in  the  shop  of  a  Turkish  merchant,  opposite  the 
door  of  the  mosque,  which  is  built  in  the  centre  of  the  bazaar. 
Two  soldiers  were  in  attendance,  and  brought  me  coffee  and 
sherbet  The  Bey  was  particularly  anxious  to  know  whether 
the  railroad  from  Alexandria  to  Cairo  would  be  built,  and 
how  much  it  would  cost.  While  I  was  sitting  with  him,  the 
mollahs  were  chanting  in  the  mosque  opposite,  as  it  was  the 
Moslem  Sunday,  and  groups  of  natives  were  flocking  thither 
to  say  their  prayers.  Presently  the  voice  of  the  muezzin  was 
deard  from  the  top  of  the  minaret,  chanting  in  a  loud,  mel> 


BL   ORDEE   (new  DONGOLi).  A5t 


iiGQB,  melancliolj  cadence  the  call  to  prayer —a  singalar  cry, 
the  effect  of  which,  especially  at  sunset,  is  really  poetic  and 
suggestive.  I  took  my  leave,  as  the  Bey  was  expected  to  per- 
form  his  devotions  with  the  other  worshippers. 

The  town  may  be  seen  in  an  hour.  It  contains  no  sights, 
except  the  bazaar,  which  has  about  twenty  tolerable  shops, 
principally  stocked  with  cottons  and  calicoes,  and  a  great  quan- 
tity of  white  shawls  with  crimson  borders,  which  the  people 
here  are  fond  of  wearing  over  their  shoulders.  Outside  the 
bazaar,  which  has  a  roof  of  palm-logs  covered  with  matting, 
are  a  few  shops,  containing  spices,  tobacco,  beads,  trinkets  and 
the  like  small  articles.  Beyond  this  was  the  soog^  where  the 
people  came  with  their  coarse  tobacco,  baskets  of  raw  cotton, 
onions,  palm-mats,  gourds,  dates,  faggots  of  fire-wood,  sheep 
and  fowls.  In  this  market-place,  which  ascended  and  descend- 
ed with  the  dirt-heaps  left  from  ruined  houses,  there  were  four 
ostriches,  which  walked  about,  completely  naturalized  to  the 
place.  One  of  them  was  more  chan  eight  feet  high — a  most 
powerful  and  graceful  creature.  They  were  not  out  of  place, 
among  the  groups  of  wild-haired  Kababish  and  Bish^ree,  who 
frequented  the  market. 

Below  the  river-bank,  which  is  high,  upwards  of  twenty 
small  trading  craft  were  lying.  One  had  just  arrived  with  a 
load  of  lime,  which  the  naked  sailors  were  carrying  up  the 
bank  in  baskets,  on  their  heads.  The  channel  of  the  Nile  here 
is  mainly  taken  up  with  the  large,  sandy  island  of  Tor,  and  the 
stream  is  very  narrow.  The  shore  was  crowded  with  women, 
washing'  ckthes  or  filling  their  water-jars,  men  hoisting  full 
water-skins  on  the  backs  of  donkeys,  and  boys  of  all  shades, 
firom  whity-yellow  to  perfect  black,  bathing  and  playing  on  the 


450  JOUKirKT  TO   OBIITRAL  AFRICA. 

brink.  The  norUiern  part  of  the  town  aj^peared  to  be  deeert 
ed,  and  several  spacious  two-story  buildhigs  were  fidllng  into 
rains.  I  noticed  not  more  tban  half  a  doaien  houses  which 
would  be  considered  handsome  in  Berber  or  Khartomn.  E] 
Ordee  ranks  next  after  tiiose  places,  in  all  the  Egyptian  terri* 
tory  beyond  Assonan,  but  has  the  disadyantage  of  being  mnc 
Slihy  than  they. 


W«  START   FOB   WADI-HALf  A* 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

JOURK£T    THROUGH    DAR    EL-MAHASS    AND    SUKK6T. 

W%  BUrt  for  Wadi-nal&— The  Flagae  of  Black  Gnats— Mohmnmed's  Ck>lBa~TlM 
Island  of  Argo—Market-Day— Scenery  of  the  Nile— Entering  Dar  El-Mllhaas— 
Ruined  Fortresses— The  Camel-Men— A  Rocky  Chaos— Fakir  Bender— The  Akaba 
of  M&hasB— Camp  in  the  Wilderness— The  Charm  of  Desolation— The  Nile  again— 
Pilgrims  fh>m  Dar- Fur— The  Struggle  of  the  Nile— An  Arcadian  Landscape— The 
Temple  of  Soleb— Dar  Sakkdt— The  Land  of  Dates— The  Island  of  Sai— A  Sea  of 
Band— Camp  by  the  River— A  Hyena  Barbecue. 

Wb  lefb  El  Ordee  or  New  Dongola,  before  sunrise  on  the 
twenty-ninth  of  February.  A  boy  of  about  fourteen  years  old 
came  out  from  the  town,  helped  load  the  camels,  and  insisted 
on  accompanying  me  to  Cairo.  As  my  funds  were  diminish- 
ing, and  I  had  no  need  of  additional  service,  I  refused  to  take 
him,  and  he  went  home  greatly  disappointed.  We  were  all  in 
fine  health  and  spirits,  from  the  two  days'  rest,  and  our  ships 
of  the  Desert  sailed  briskly  along  the  sands,  with  the  palmy 
coasts  green  and  fair  on  our  right.  For  some  miles  from  the 
town  the  land  is  tolerably  well  cultivated,  but  the  grain  was 
all  much  younger  than  in  the  neighborhood  of  Old  Dongobu 
Beyond  this,  the  country  was  again  deserted  and  melancholy  ; 
everywhere  villages  in  ruin,  fields  given  up  to  sand  and  thorns, 

20 


453  jwjaBfcf  TO  nnmui.  africtju 

and  groTes  of  date  trees  wasting  their  vigor  in  rank,  nnprnned 
•hootSL  The  edge  of  the  Desert  was  covered  with  grave-yards 
to  a  considerable  extent,  each  one  boasting  its  cluster  of  pyra- 
mids and  cones,  raised  over  the  remains  of  holy  shekhs.  To- 
wards nooia  I  dismounted  for  breakfast  in  a  grove  of  sont 
trees,  but  had  no  sooner  seated  myself  on  my  carpet,  than  the 
small  Uack  flies  came  in  sach  crowds  that  I  was  scarcely  able 
to  eat  They  assailed  my  temples,  ears,  eyes  and  nostrils, 
and  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  drive  them  away.  I  was  half 
crasy  with  the  infliction,  and  at  night  my  neck  and  temples 
were  swollen  and  covered  with  blotches  worse  than  those  made 
by  mosquito  stings  In  &ct,  mosquitoes  are  mild  and  merci- 
ful in  comparison.  Had  not  my  road  been  mostly  in  the 
Desert,  away  from  the  trees,  I  could  scarcely  have  endured  the 
journey.  The  few  inhabitants  along  the  river  kindled  fires  of 
green  wood  and  sat  in  the  smoke. 

In  the  afternoon  the  monotony  of  the  Desert  on  the  western 
bank  was  broken  by  a  solitary  mountain  of  a  remarkable  form. 
It  precisely  re«tembled  an  immense  coffin,  the  ends  being  appa- 
rently cut  square  off,  and  as  the  effect  of  a  powerful  mirage 
lifted  it  above  the  horizon,  it  seemed  like  the  sarcophagus  of 
the  Prophet,  in  the  Kaaba,  to  be  suspended  between  heaven 
and  earth.  The  long  island  of  Argo,  which  I  saw  occasionally 
across  an  arm  of  the  Nile,  appeared  rich  and  well  cultivated. 
It  belongs  mostly  to  Melek  Hammed,  King  of  Dongola,  who 
iras  expected  at  home  the  day  I  passed,  on  his  return  from 
Cairo,  where  he  had  been  three  months  or  moro,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  representing  to  Abbas  Fasha  the  distressed  condition 
of  the  country,  and  obtaining  some  melioration  of  the  system 
of  misrule  inflicted  upon  it.     Near  the  town  of  Argo,  on  the 


TOK   PLAQUK   or   BLACK   ONAT8.  459 

opposite  Bide  of  the  island  my  map  indicated  a  mined  temple, 
and  I  made  a  strong  effort  to  see  it ;  buc  at  Binni,  which  was 
the  nearest  point,  there  was  no  ferry,  and  the  people  knew 
nothing  of  the  temple  nor  of  any  thing  else.  I  left  the  main 
road  and  followed  the  bank,  but  the  terrible  flies  drove  me 
a?(ay,  and  so,  maddened  and  disgusted,  I  came  at  last  to  a 
adkia^  where  the  people  informed  me  that  the  ferry  was  still 
ahead  and  the  ruins  already  some  distance  behind  me.  They 
Raid  this  deliberately  and  carelessly,  sitting  like  black  spectres 
in  the  midst  of  thick  smoke,  while  I  was  crazily  beating  my 
ears.  '^  Tell  the  caravan  to  go  ahead,''  I  said  to  Achmet,  at 
length,  '^  and  don't  talk  to  me  of  temples  until  we  have  go< 
away  from  these  flies." 

The  next  morning  Achmet  had  some  difficulty  in  awaking 
me,  so  wrapt  was  I  in  dreams  of  home.  I  sat  shivering  in  the 
oool  air,  trying  to  discover  who  and  where  I  was,  but  the  yel- 
low glinmier  of  my  tent-lining  in  the  dim  light  of  dawn  soon 
informed  me.  During  the  day  we  passed  through  a  more 
thickly  settled  country,  and  owing  to  the  partial  cultivation  of 
the  soil,  were  less  troubled  by  that  Nubian  plague,  which  is 
always  worse  about  the  ruined  villages  and  the  fields  given  up 
to  halfeh  grass.  It  was  market-day  at  the  village  of  Hafler, 
and  we  met  and  passed  many  natives,  some  with  baskets  of 
raw  cotton  and  some  with  grain.  I  noticed  one  man  riding  a 
donkey  and  carrying  before  him  a  large  squash,  for  which  ho 
would  possibly  get  twenty  paras  (2  J  cents).  My  camel-men, 
Irho  had  neglected  to  buy  dourra  in  El  Ordee,  wanted  to  stop 
until  noon  in  order  to  get  it,  and  as  I  would  not^wait,  remained 
bdiind. 
•      The  scenery  had  a  wild  and  picturesque  air,  from  the  iso- 


460  ^ovmirxT  to  ckhtral  AnucA. 

hied  maantain  poikSy  whidi  now  appeared  on  both  sides  ot 
the  mer  Sjebel  Arambo,  with  its  high,  preoipitous  sidet 
and  notohed  snmmit,  stood  steeped  in  soft  purple  yapor — s 
beautiful  object  aboTO  the  long  lines  of  palms  and  the  green 
levd  of  the  islands  in  the  riyer.  The  fields  on  the  western 
bank  were  mostly  takoi  op  with  young  wheat,  though  I  saw  a 
ringle  one  of  ripe  barley,  whioh  a  black  Barabra  was  reaping, 
cutting  off  the  stalks  about  one-third  of  the  way  below  the 
heads,  and  depositing  them  in  heap&  By  noon,  I  knew  from 
the  land-marks  that  we  must  be  0]^>06ite  the  island  of  Tombos, 
where  there  are  some  ruins.  I  made  inquiries  for  it,  but  the 
bank  was  almost  deserted,  and  the  few  inhabitants  I  found 
gathered  in  straw  huts  here  and  there  among  the  rank  palm- 
groves,  could  tell  me  nothing  about  it  All  agreed,  however, 
that  there  was  no  ferry  at  this  part  of  the  Nile,  and  to  swim 
across  was  out  of  the  question.  The  crocodiles  swarm  here,  and 
are  quite  delicate  in  their  tastes,  much  preferring  white  flesh 
to  black.  So  my  hope  of  Tombos  vanished  like  that  of  Argo. 
Beyond  the  island  is  a  little  ruined  village,  called  Hannek, 
and  here  I  took  leave  of  Dar  Dongola,  in  which  I  had  been 
travelling  ten  days,  and  entered  Dar  £1-Mahass,  the  kingdom 
of  my  friend  Melek  Dyaab.  The  character  of  the  country 
changed  on  the  very  border.  Long  ridges  of  loose  blocks  of 
sandstone  and  granite,  as  at  Assouan  and  Akaba  Gerri,  in 
Soudan,  appeared  in  front,  at  first  on  the  western  bank,  but 
soon  throwing  their  lines  across  the  stream  and  forming  weirs 
and  rapids  in  its  current.  The  river  is  quite  narrow,  in  soma 
places  not  a  hundred  yards  broad,  and  leads  a  very  tortuou<i 
course,  bearing  away  towards  the  north-west,  until  it  meets 
the  majestic  barrier  rf  Djebel  Foga,  when  it  turns  to  the  nortk 


RUINED   FORTRESSES.  4<ll 

east  About  two  hours  after  passing  Djebel  Arambo,  whieb 
Btandf  opposite  the  northern  extremity  of  Tombos,  we  reached 
the  lavge  and  hilly  island  of  Mosul,  where  the  river  divides  its 
waters  and  flows  for  several  miles  through  deep,  crooked,  rocky 
channels,  before  they  meet  again.  Here  there  is  no  cultiva- 
tion, the  stony  ridges  running  to  the  water's  edge.  The  river- 
bed is  so  crowded  and  jammed  with  granite  rocks,  that  from 
the  shore  it  appears  in  some  places  to  be  entirely  cut  o£  At 
this  point  there  are  three  castellated  mud  ruins  in  sight,  which 
at  a  distance  resemble  the  old  feudal  fortresses  of  Europe. 
The  one  nearest  which  we  passed  was  quadrangular,  with  cor- 
ner bastions,  three  round  and  one  square,  all  tapering  inward 
towards  the  top.  The  lower  port  of  the  wall  was  stone  and 
the  upper  part  mud,  while  the  towers  were  nearly  fifty  feet 
high.  That  on  an  island  in  the  river,  strongly  resembled  an 
Egyptian  temple,  with  its  pylons,  porticoes,  and  walls  of  cir- 
8uit.  They  were  evidently  built  before  the  Turkish  invasion, 
and  were  probably  frontier  forts  of  the  Kings  of  El-Mdhass, 
to  prevent  incursions  from  the  side  of  Dongola. 

We  reached  the  eastern  base  of  Djebel  Foga  about  four 
o'clock,  and  I  thought  it  best  to  encamp,  on  account  of  the 
camel-men,  who  had  a  walk  of  twenty-three  miles  with  bags  of 
dourra  on  their  shoulders,  before  they  could  reach  us.  I  had 
no  sooner  selected  a  place  for  my  tent,  on  the  top  of  a  high 
bank  overlooking  the  river,  than  they  appeared,  much  fatigued 
and  greatly  vexed  at  me  for  leaving  them  in  the  lurch.  I 
ordered  my  pipe  to  be  filled,  and  smoked  quietly,  making  no 
reply  to  their  loud  complaints,  and  in  a  short  time  the  most 
eomplete  harmony  prevailed  in  our  camp.  The  Nile  at  this 
place  flowed  in  the  bottom  of  a  deep  gorge,  filled  with  rooks, 


482  JODRKKY  TO  o«HTRAt  unaoA. 

The  banks  weie  nlniOBt  perpendicular,  but  covered  with  a 

growtb  of  halfeb,  which  our  eamels  greedilj  cropped,  at 
hasard  of  loBing  tbeir  balance  and  tumbling  down  into 
river,  I  fitnciod  there  was  already  a  taate  of  Egjpt  id 
tnounlain  air,  and  flattered  myself  that  I  had  breathed  the 
of  the  Itttiguid  atmosphere  of  Soudan. 

The  nest  morning  led  ua  deeper  into  the  rocky  chaoB. 
bed  of  the  Nile  was  properly  a  gorge,  bo  deep  was  it 
among  the  stony  hills,  and  couGned  within  such  narrow  limitft 
The  ridges  of  loose  blocks  of  graoite  and  porphyry  roll  aftM 
pBoh  other  like  waves,  and  their  crests  assume  the  most  fnnta^ 
tie  variety  of  forms.  They  are  piled  in  heaps  and  balanced  on 
each  other,  topped  with  round  boulders  or  thrown  together  in 
twos  and  threes,  oa  if  some  brood  of  Titan  children  had  been 
at  play  in  those  regions  and  were  frightened  away  in  the 
midst  of  their  employment.  It  is  impossible  t^j  lose  the  im- 
pression that  some  freak  of  human  or  superhuman  fancy  gave 
the  stones  their  quaint  grouping.  Between  the  ridges  an 
shallow  hollows,  terminating  towards  the  west  in  deep,  rocky 
clefts,  and  opening  on  the  river  in  crescent-hke  coves,  between 
the  jaggy  headlands  which  tumble  their  boulders  into  its  bed. 
nigh  peats,  or  rather  conical  piles  of  porphyry  rock,  rise  hera 
and  there  out  cf  this  sterile  chaos.  Toward  the  east,  where 
the  Nile  winds  away  in  a  long  chain  of  mazy  curves,  they  fonn 
ranges  and  show  compact  walla  and  pinnacles.  The  few  palms 
and  the  little  eddies  of  wheat  spriidded  along  both  banks  of 
tho  river,  are  of  a  glorious  depth  and  richness  of  hue,  by  CO* 
traat  with  the  gray  and  purple  wastes  of  the  hills.  In  the 
Bweet,  clear  air  of  the  morning,  the  scenery  was  truly  inspir 
ing,  and  I  rode  over  the  liigh  ridges  in  a  mood  the  ver;  "PV^ 
ute  of  that  I  had  felt  the  day  previous. 


) 


J 


THE    AKABA    OF   MAHA6S.  463 

The  Nile  makes  a  great  cunre  through  the  laLd  of  Mihass, 
to  avoid  which  the  road  passes  through  an  dkaha^  ahout  fortj 
miles  in  length.  At  the  corner,  where  the  river  curves  at  a 
right  angle  from  west  to  south,  is  a  small  ruined  place  called 
Fakir  Bender.  The  high  bank  is  a  little  less  steep  here  than 
at  other  places,  and  its  sides  are  planted  with  lupins.  At  the 
end  of  the  village  is  an  immense  sont  tree,  apparently  very 
old.  A  larg6  earthen  water-jar,  with  a  gourd  beside  it,  stood 
in  the  shade.  The /aA^^^r,  or  holy  man,  from  whom  the  place 
is  named,  was  soon  in  attendance,  and  as  our  camels  knelt 
under  the  tree,  presented  me  with  a  gourd  of  cool  water,  "  in 
the  name  of  God."  I  gave  him  ten  paras  before  we  left,  but  he 
did  not  appear  to  be  satisfied,  for  these  holy  men  have  great 
expectations.  I  ordered  two  wakT-skins  filled,  and  after  an 
hour's  delay,  we  entered  on  the  aki^ba. 

Over  rough  and  stony  ridges,  which  made  hard  travelling 
for  the  camels,  we  came  upon  a  rollin;i;  plain,  bounded  in  the 
distance  by  a  chain  of  hills,  which  we  reached  by  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon.  The  path,  instead  of  seeking  a  pass  or  gorge, 
led  directly  up  the  side,  which,  though  not  very  high,  was 
exceedingly  steep  and  covered  with  loo^  sand,  up  which  the 
camels  could  scarcely  climb.  The  top  was  a  stratun^  of  red 
porphyry,  cropping  out  of  the  sand  in  immense  masses.  Be« 
hind  us  the  dreary  Desert  extended  to  D;ebel  Foga  c'^d  the 
mountains  about  the  cataract :  the  palms  of  the  Nile  wer)  just 
visible  in  the  distance.  Crossing  the  summit  ridge,  we  enter 
ed  a  narrow  plateau,  surrounded  by  naked  black  peaks — a  most 
savage  and  infernal  landscape.  The  northern  slope  was  ccm* 
pletely  covered  with  immense  porphyry  boulders,  among  whiTfa 
our  path  wound.     Nearly  every  rock  had  a  pile  of  «n<^  uUmet 


JODRHBT  TO  CENTRIL  ArRTOA. 


beaped  Dpon  it,  as  a  guide  to  caravans,  and  merely  for  dsEcend 
ing  this  ridge  tliere  were  at  least  two  hundred  of  them.  Thi 
plain  now  extended  away  to  the  north  and  east,  boanded  hy  ■ 
confusion  of  black,  barren  mountains,  oat  of  which  rose  two 
lofty  peaks.  Towards  evening  wo  met  a  Mabtan  family,  with 
their  donkeys,  on  their  way  soathward.  Tbey  begged  for 
water,  which  we  gave  them,  as  their  supply  was  entirely  ez- 
liausted.  X  found  a  bed  of  bard  gravel  large  enongb  for  my 
Qt,  hut  we  had  great  difficulty  in  driving  the  pegs.  The 
camel-men  selected  the  softest  places  among  the  rocks  foi 
their  beds,  but  the  camels  stretched  their  long  necka  on  all 
sides  in  the  vain  search  for  vegetation.  I  sat  at  my  tent  door, 
and  watched  the  short  twilight  of  the  South  gather  over  the 
stony  wildcrnesE,  with  that  strange  feeling  of  happiness  which 
the  contemplation  of  waste  and  desolate  landscapes  always 
inspires.  There  was  not  a  blade  of  grass  to  be  seen ;  Iba 
rocks,  which  assumed  weird  and  grotesque  forms  in  the  twi- 
light, were  as  black  as  ink^  beyond  my  camp  there  was  no 
lifo  in  the  Desert  except  the  ostrich  and  the  hyena — yet  I 
would  not  have  ciLchanged  the  chartn  of  that  scene  for  a  bower 
in  the  gardens  of  the  Hesperides. 

The  dawn  was  gUoimer ing  gray  and  cold  when  I  arose,  and 
the  black  summits  of  the  mountains  showed  dimly  through  a 
watery  vapor.  The  air,  however,  was  dry,  though  cool  and 
invigorating,  and  I  walked  ahead  for  two  hoars,  singing  sod 
shouting  from  the  overflow  of  spirits.  I  hoped  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  Nile  before  mounting  my  dromedary,  but  ona 
long  black  ridge  of  stones  rose  after  another,  and  there  was  nc 
sudden  flash  of  green  across  the  darknesa  of  the  Desert.  At 
last,  towards  noon,  through  a  notch  in  the  drear  and  stonj 


TBI   STRUOOLS   OY  THB   KILS.  46£ 

thnoBj  the  doable  line  of  pabns  appeared  in  the  north- east 
The  riFcr  came  from  the  east,  out  of  the  black  mountain  wil- 
derness. The  valley  is  very  narrow,  and  cultivation  is  onl^ 
possible  in  the  coves  of  soil  embayed  among  the  hills.  I  came 
down  on  one  of  them — a  meadow  of  halfeh,  back  of  the  little 
village  of  Koyee — and  stopped  an  hour  to  rest  the  camels.  A 
caravan  of  merchants,  bound  for  Kordofan  and  Dar-Fur,  had 
just  fflicamped  there,  to  rest  duriDg  the  hot  hours,  according  to 
their  custom.  Among  them  were  some  hadjij  or  pilgrims 
from  Dar-Fur,  on  their  way  home  from  Mecca,  and  a  negro 
from  Fazogl,  who  had  belonged  to  a  European,  and  had  lived 
in  Naples.  He  was  now  free  and  going  home,  wearing  a 
shabby  Frank  dress,  but  without  ;money,  as  he  came  at  once  to 
beg  of  me.  A  Nubian  woman  came  from  the  huts  near  at 
hand,  bringing  me  a  large  gourd  of  buttermilk,  which  I  shared 
with  the  camel-drivers. 

I  set  the  camels  in  motion  again,  and  we  entered  a  short 
akaba,  in  order  to  cross  a  broad  stony  ridge,  which  advanced 
quite  to  the  river's  edge.  The  path  was  up  and  down  the 
sides  of  steep  hollows,  over  a  terrible  waste  of  stones.  Down 
these  hollows,  which  shelved  towards  the  river,  we  saw  the 
palms  of  the  opposite  bank — a  single  dark-green  line,  backed 
by  another  wilderness,  equally  savage.  Through  all  this 
country  of  Mahass  the  Desert  makes  a  desperate  effort  to  cut 
off  the  glorious  old  Eiver.  It  flings  rocks  into  its  bed,  squeezes 
bim  between  iron  mountains,  compels  him  to  turn  and  twist 
through  a  hundred  labyrinths  to  find  a  passage,  but  he  pushes 
Vid  winds  his  way  through  all,  and  carries  his  bright  waters 
m  triumph  down  to  his  beloved  Egypt.  There  was,  to  me, 
•onjething  exceedingly  touching  in  watching  his  course  through 

90* 


466  jrorRNET  to  central  Africa. 

that  fragment  of  the  pre- Adamite  chaos — ^m  seeing  the  type  ol 
Beauty  and  Life  stealing  quietly  through  the  heart  of  a  region 
of  Desolation  and  Death.  From  the  stony  slopes  of  the  hills  I 
locked  down  on  his  everlasting  palms  with  the  same  old  joy 
new-created  in  my  heart. 

After  passing  the  akaba,  I  came  to  a  village  which  I  took 
to  be  Soleb,  but  on  inquiring,  the  people  pointed  ahead.  I 
rode  on,  around  a  slight  curve  of  the  trees,  and  was  startled 
by  a  landscape  of  most  unexpected  interest  and  beauty.  Before 
me,  over  the  crest  of  a  black,  rocky  ridge,  a  cluster  of  shatter- 
ed pillars  stood  around  the  falling  doorway  of  a  temple,  the 
whole  forming  a  picturesque  group,  cut  clear  against  the  sky. 
Its  tint  of  soft  yellow-gray,  was  finely  relieved  by  the  daric 
green  of  the  palms  and  the  pure  violet  of  some  distant  jagged 
peaks  on  the  eastern  bank.  Beyond  it,  to  the  west,  three 
peaks  of  white  and  purple  limestone  rock  trembled  in  the  fiery 
glare  from  the  desert  sands.  The  whole  picture,  the  Desert 
excepted,  was  more  Grecian  than  Egyptian,  and  was  perfect  in 
its  forms  and  groupings.  I  know  of  no  other  name  for  the 
ruin  than  the  Temple  of  Soleb.  It  was  erected  by  Amunoph 
III.  or  Memnon,  and  the  Arcadian  character  of  the  landscape 
of  which  it  is  the  central  feature,  harmonized  thoroughly  with 
my  fancy,  that  Amunoph  was  a  poet. 

The  temple  stands  on  the  west  bank,  near  the  river,  and 
from  whatever  point  it  is  viewed,  has  a  striking  effect  The 
remains  consist  of  a  portico,  on  a  raised  platform,  leading  to  a 
court  once  surrounded  by  pillars.  Then  follows  a  second  and 
more  spacious  portico,  with  a  double  row  of  three  pillars  on 
each  side.  This  opens  upon  a  second  pillared  court,  at  the 
opposite  end  of  which  is  a  massive  doorway,  leading  tg  the 


TBB  TEXFLB  OF  80LEB.  467 

cryta  of  the  temple,  now  oompletelj  levelled  to  the  earth.    Th6 

entire  length  of  the  ruin  is  about  two  hundred  feet.     There 

are  nine  pillars,  with  a  angle  block  of  their  architraTe,  and 

portions  of  two  of  the  porticoes  still  standing :  the  remaindei 

of  the  temple  is  a  mass  of  ruins.  The  greatest  pains  have  been 

taken  to  destroy  it  completely,  and  all  the  mound  on  which  it 

stands  is  covered  with  huge  blocks,  thrown  one  over  the  other 

in  the  wildest  confusion.     In  one  place,  only,  I  noticed  the 

disjointed  segments  of  a  column,  still  lying  as  they  felL    The 

pedestals  remain  in  many  places,  so  that  one  can  partially 

restore  the  original  order.  When  complete,  it  must  have  been 

a  majestic  and  imposing  edifice.     The  material  is  the  white 

limestone    of  the  adjacent  mountains,   veined  with  purple 

streaks,  and  now  much  decomposed  from  the  sun  and  rain. 
From  the  effect  of  this  decomposition,  the   columns  which 

remain  standing  arc  cracked  and  split  in  many  places,  and  in 
the  fissures  thus  made,  numbers  of  little  swallows  and  star- 
lings have  built  their  nests,  where  they  sit  peeping  out  through 
the  sculptures  of  gods.  The  columns  and  doorways  are  cover* 
cd  with  figures,  now  greatly  blurred,  though  still  legible.  I 
Dotieed  a  new  style  of  joining  the  portrait  of  a  monarch  with 
his  cartouche,  the  latter  representing  his  body,  out  of  which 
his  head  and  arms  issued,  like  the  crest  of  a  coat  of  arms. 
The  columns  represent  the  stalks  of  eight  water-plants  Iround 
together,  with  a  capital,  or  rather  prolonged  abacus,  like  the 
Osiride  column.  They  are  thirty  feet  in  height,  without  the 
pedestal,  and  five  feet  in  diameter.  This  is  the  sum  of  my 
observations  :  the  rest  belongs  to  the  antiquarian. 

Before  night,  we  passed  a  third  akaba,  to  get  around  the 
Jmestone  ridge,  which  here  builds  a  buttress  of  naked  rods 


Xik«  Mmk  M  flBHBl  ngiii  warn  Uie  pftlms-^lmt  ttiii 
aie  scwm^ei  falsf  «f  Ilw  SakkM,  for  we  had  crossed 
iiim  tf  Ilw  Ei-MikaK.     TVey  lined  the  rirer  in  a  thick 
^«»  «f  iMH«»  wA  cfvras  «£  kafy  laxuimee.     The  village 
«tf  Smmm^  ■■■ruinii.  iar  kilf  a  wule  in  their  ahade,  waa  better 
Ik2i  ska  asT  I  am  m  Dtt^gola,     Jfanj  of  the  houses  were 
i  ai|Ba2«  eaBn%  wmk  had  a  aeeood  stoiy,  the  massive 
vaUa  alny^g  tafaidi  cack  other  like  a  tmneated  pyra> 
Afhft»  AH  and  Mjaelf  bonghi  about  fifty  piastres 
of  tke  eeMcafeed  dates  of  Snkkot      They  were  the 
lai;gest  and  best  faroted  I  crcr  saw,  and  are  said  to  presenre 
their  q;nalitT  lor  jean.     They  are  aoUL  at  a  piastre  for  an 
earthen  Measure  nontaining  abont  two  hnndred.     When  gath- 
ered, thej  are  first  sli^itly  dried  in  the  large  magazines,  and 
then  bnried  in  the  earth.     Hie  population  of  Snkk5t  subsists 
^^larently  on  the  profits  of  selling  them,  for  little  else  is  culti- 
Tated  along  the  river.      £t«q  here,  nerertheless,  where   the 
people  are  better  able  to  bear  the  grinding  role  of  Egypt,  one 
meets  with  deserted  fields  and  mined  dwellings.     The  King 
of  El-Mahass  informed  me,  when  in  Khartoum,  that  his  people 
were  obliged  to  pay  six  hundred  piastres  (thirty  dollars)  tax 
on  each  water-mill,   being  just   double   the  lawful  amount, 
(which,  alone,  is  very  oppressive),  and  that  his  country  was 
fast  becoming  depopulated,  in  consequence. 

On  the  following  day  I  passed  the  large  island  of  Sai.  The 
country  here  is  more  open  and  the  Nile  has  a  less  vexed  course. 
The  mountains,  especially  the  lofty  blue  mass  of  Djebel  Abyr, 
have  not  the  forced  and  violent  forms  common  to  the  porphyry 
formation.  Their  outlines  are  long,  slopbg,  and  with  that 
slight  but  exquisite  undulation  which  so  charmed  me  in  the 


A   SEA    01    SAND.  469 

hills  of  Arcadia,  in  Greece,  and  in  Monte  Albano  near  Romeii 
Their  soft,  clear,  pale-violet  hue  showed  with  the  loveliest 
effect  behind  the  velvety  green  of  the  thick  palm  clusters, 
which  were  parted  here  and  there  by  gleams  of  the  bright  bine 
river.  From  the  northern  end  of  Sai,  the  river  gradually 
carves  to  the  east  The  western  shore  is  completely  invaded 
by  the  sands,  and  the  road  takes  a  wide  sweep  inland  to  avoid 
the  loose,  sliding  drifts  piled  up  along  the  bank.  We  had  not 
gone  far  before  we  found  a  drift  of  brilliant  yellow  sand  thirty 
feet  high  and  two  hundred  yards  in  length,  lying  exactly  across 
our  road.  It  had  evidently  been  formed  within  a  few  days. 
It  was  almost  precisely  crescent-shaped,  and  I  could  not  account 
for  the  action  of  the  wind  in  building  such  a  mound  on  an  open 
plain,  which  elsewhere  was  entirely  free  from  sand.  We 
rounded  it  and  soon  afterwards  entered  on  a  region  of  sand, 
where  to  the  west  and  north  the  rolling  yellow  waves  extended 
to  the  horizon,  unbroken  by  a  speck  of  any  other  color.  It 
was  a  boundless,  fathomless  sea  of  sand  to  the  eye,  which  could 
scarcely  bear  the  radiated  light  playing  over  its  hot  surface. 
The  day  (for  a  wonder)  was  somewhat  overcast,  and  as  the 
shadows  of  small  clouds  followed  one  another  rapidly  over  the 
glaring  billows,  they  seemed  to  heave  and  roll  like  those  of  the 
sea.  I  was  forced  to  turn  away  my  head,  faint  and  giddy 
with  the  sight.  My  camels  tugged  painfully  through  this 
region,  and  after  two  hours  we  reached  a  single  sont  tree, 
standing  beside  a  well,  and  called  sugger  el-abd  (the  Tree  oi 
the  Slave).  It  was  pointed  out  by  the  camel-men  as  being 
half-way  between  El  Ordee  and  Wadi  Haifa. 

We  journeyed  on  all  the  afternoon  through  a  waste  of  sandy 
and  stony  ridges,  and  as  night  drew  near,  I  became  anxious  to 


f70  ^OURVBT  TO  CEFTRAL  AFKIOA 

iTicb  the  riT^,  no  trace  of  which  codld  be  seea  I  rode  up 
01  e  of  the  highest  ridges,  and  lo  1  there  were  the  iapa  of  the 
d».te-groye8  in  a  hollow,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  on 
mj  right.  The  camels'  heads  were  soon  tamed  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  I  encamped  at  once  on  the  bank,  where  my  beasts 
fonnd  sufficient  grass  and  thorns  for  the  first  time  in  three 
days.  The  river  here  flows  in  a  deep  channel,  boried  among 
the  hills,  and  there  is  neither  coltiYation  nor  population  on  the 
western  bank.  On  the  opposite  side  there  was  a  narrow  strip 
of  8oi]|  thickly  planted  with  date-trees. 

My  camel-men  kindled  a  fire  in  the  splendid  moonli^t,  and 
regaled  themselves  with  the  hind-qnarters  of  a  hyena,  which 
they  roasted  in  the  coals  and  devoured  with  much  relish.  I 
had  curiosity  enough  to  eat  a  small  piece,  which  was  well- 
flavored  though  tough.  The  Nile  roared  grandly  hekm  ool 
camp  all  ni^j^t,  in  the  paoscs  of  the  wind. 


ThiDaln  El-BaJjM,  or  EeHyof  Blone-Andnnl  Orulla  Qunrrlta-TTic  VllLigo  c 
Dal— A  Buiaed  Fortres— A  WIlrlernffiiKirSUiniia— Tlis  Hut  Sprlcgs  ol 
WlDily  Nlgbt^A  Dreaiy  Daj  In  Uia  Desert— Tlie  Bbpkti's  Camct  Fills— !)«■« 
BusDeb— The  Temple  ud  Cacanct— MBeri)i*b~TIie  Sulc  of  Abon-Sln- 
Cmerfsfrom  tlieEelljof  Slone— \  KabaLl^  Camvan— Tiio  Koct  of  Abon-S 
TlBW  of  Uie  Second  CsUnct— We  tMch  Wadl-Haiai— Selling  my  Dtomcdji 
FmreweU  to  Alxm-Bln— Tbsalutftlsg  OB  tl>a  Ferrj-boit— Fining  wllh  th«  Ci 

Ok  tho  Hixth  day  after  leaving  Dongola  I  paaaed  througb 
Sukkut,  and  reached  the  commeDccmcDt  of  Buta  El-Hadjax — ■ 
The  Belly  of  Stone— as  the  sava^  mountain  country  for   i 


172  JOURKBT   TO   CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

aundred  miles  soath  of  the  Second  Cataract  is  termed.  With 
each  day  the  road  became  more  rough  and  t(»l8(»ne,  and  my 
camels  moyed  more  languidly.  In  spite  of  the  &tiga6  which 
wo  all  endured,  I  felt  so  mndi  strengthened  by  our  free  life 
and  so  much  interested  in  the  remarkable  country  through 
which  we  wwe  passing,  that  I  felt  something  like  regret  on 
approadiing  the  southern  limit  of  trayel  on  the  Nile.  Not  sc 
my  dragoman  and  servanti  who  could  not  enoo^  thank  God 
and  the  Prophet  for  having  taken  them  in  safety  through 
countries  which  they  deemed  the  veige  of  the  world.  Achmet 
positively  declared  he  would  never  make  the  kip  again,  for  no 
second  journey  could  be  equally  fortunate.  My  camelnnen,  I 
found,  had  never  before  travelled  to  Wadi  Haifa  by  the  wes<^ 
em  bank,  but  by  a  wonderful  Arab  instineti  they  never  went 
astray  from  the  road. 

The  Batn  El-Hadjar  marks  its  commencement  by  a  range 
of  granite  hills,  which  break  the  river  into  a  foaming  cataract. 
After  leaving  camp,  our  road  lay  along  the  Nile,  behind  some 
high  sand-hills.  In  front  of  us  appeared  Djebel  Ufeer,  a  peak 
about  fifteen  hundred  feet  in  height,  its  naked  sides  tinted  of  a 
deep,  rich  purple  hue  by  the  glowing  air.  The  Nile  flows 
directly  towards  its  base,  making  a  slight  curve,  as  if  to  pass 
it  on  the  eastern  side,  but  finding  the  granite  rocks  heaped 
together  too  thickly,  changes  its  course  and  washes  the  western 
foot  of  the  mountain.  The  granite  lies  scattered  about  in  vast 
masses,  taking  all  sorts  of  quaint  and  fanciful  shapes.  The 
hills  themselves  are  merely  collections  of  boulders  of  all  sizes, 
from  three  to  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  piled  on  an  enormous 
bed  or  stratum  of  the  same.  Intermixed  with  this  are  beds 
of  a  rich  yellowish-red  granite,  which  crops  out  under  the  piles 


aUAKlTE  QUARRIES — DAL.  4^3 

of  gray,  and  has  been  worked,  wherever  it  appears  in  large 
masses.  The  traces  of  the  ancient  quarrjrmen  still  remain,  in 
the  blocks  bearing  marks  of  the  wooden  wedges  by  which  the^ 
were  split.  In  one  place  I  noticed  two  fragments  of  a  column, 
similar  to  those  in  the  palace  at  Old  DoDgola.  The  granite  is 
equal  in  quality  and  still  more  abundant  than  that  at  Assouan, 
bat  was  only  quarried  to  a  limited  extent.  The  aspect  of  the 
country  is  ragged  in  the  highest  degree,  and  how  the  Nile  gets 
through  it  became  more  and  more  a  wonder  to  me.  His  bed 
is  deep-sunken  between  enormous  stone-piles,  back  of  which  are 
high  stone  mountains,  and  wherever  there  is  a  hollow  between 
them,  it  is  filled  with  sand.  The  only  vegetation  was  a  few 
bunches  of  miserable  grass,  and  some  of  those  desert  shrubs 
which  grow  at  the  very  doors  of  Tartarus,  so  tenacious  of  life  are 
they.  A  narrow  shelf,  on  the  opposite  bank,  high  above  the 
river,  bore  the  renowned  palm  of  Sukk6t,  and  frequently  in  the 
little  coves  I  saw  the  living  green  of  the  young  wheat.  The 
iiteep  banks  were  planted  with  lupins,  as  the  people  there  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  hippopotami 

While  I  was  brcakfastiog  off  a  great  granite  table,  a  man 
who  rode  by  on  a  donkey  cheered  me  with  the  news  that  the 
village  of  Dal  was  but  a  short  distance  ahead.  I  had  fixed 
upon  this  as  our  resting-place  for  the  night,  but  on  finding  it 
so  near,  resolved  to  push  on  to  some  natural  hot  springs  and 
roins  of  ancient  baths,  which  the  camel-men  had  informed  me 
were  about  four  hours  further,  to  the  right  of  the  caravan 
track.  At  Dal,  however,  a  difficult  akaba  commences,  and  my 
oamels  already  marched  so  slowly  and  wearily  that  I  judged 
it  best  to  stop  and  give  them  a  little  rest.  About  the  village 
there  are  some  scattering  doum  and  date-palms,  which  lead  a 


*T4 


TO   CBKTRAL  IFttlCl. 


hard  existence,  half  buried  in  sand  snd  choked  witb  -Jie  old 
'leayea,  wliich  the  natives  are  too  idle  to  prune.  The  pegpU 
vrcro  in  the  fields,  cutting  some  wheat  wliiah  was  just  ripe,  and 
two  saklas,  shaded  by  clusters  of  palms,  watered  a  few  patc-hei 
5f  cotton.  I  made  imiuirics,  but  had  much  difficulty  in  finding 
Chn  location  of  the  hot  springs.  Finally,  one  of  the  men  con- 
Muted  to  become  my  guide  in  the  morning,  and  conducted  as 
to  a  eamping-grouud,  where  there  was  a  little  grass  for  the 
camels.  Lured  by  the  promise  of  backehcosb,  he  brought  me 
the  leanest  of  young  sheep,  which  I  purchased  for  eight  pias- 
tres. The  niglit  was  calm,  cool  and  delicious,  and  steeped  my 
whole  frame  in  balm,  after  the  burning  day.  The  moon,  neap- 
ly  full,  shone  with  a  gray  and  bazy  lustre,  and  some  inseet 
that  shrilled  like  a  tree-toad,  reminded  me  of  home. 

Our  Dallee  guide,  Hadji  Mohammed,  as  he  was  called 
from  having  made  two  pilgrimages  to  Mecca,  was  on  hand  be- 
fore sunrise.  Starting  in  advance  of  the  caravan,  I  walked 
along  the  river-bank,  towards  a  castellated  building  on  an  emi- 
nence which  I  had  noticed  the  previous  evening,  whilo  sketch- 
bg  the  landscape.  My  path  was  over  huge  beds  of  gray 
granite,  from  whicb  the  old  Egyptians  might  have  cut  obelisks 
of  a  single  block,  not  only  one  hundred,  but  five  hundred  feet 
in  length.  The  cnormoos  masses  which  had  been  separated 
from  these  beds  and  rolled  into  rounded  masses  by  the  chafing 
of  primeval  floods,  lay  scattered  on  the  surface,  singly,  or  piled 
in  fautastio  groups.  The  building  was  a  large  fortress  ot 
stones  and  clay,  with  maesive  walls,  on  the  summit  of  sn 
island-like  peak  overhanging  the  river,  and  separated  from  the 
bank  by  a  deep  chasm,  which  is  filled  with  water  during  tin 
inundations,  but  was  then  dry,  ojid  its  sides  greeu  with  wheal 


I 


▲  WILDERNESS   OF   STONES.  475 

and  beans.  Wild  doum-palms,  hanging  heavy  with  green  firuiti 
grew  in  the  patches  of  soil  among  the  rocks  and  overhung  th« 
ravine.  The  fortress  was  a  very  picturesque  object,  with  its 
three  square  towers,  backed  by  the  roaring  flood  and  the  dark 
violet-blue  crags  of  Djebel  Meme  behind  The  forms  of  the 
landscape— except  the  palms — ^were  all  of  the  far  North,  but 
the  coloring  was  that  of  the  ripe  and  glowing  South.  I  was  so 
absorbed  in  the  scene,  that  the  caravan  passed  unnoticed,  hav« 
ing  taken  a  path  further  from  the  river.  After  wandering 
about  for  some  time,  I  climbed  one  of  the  granite  piles  and 
scanned  the  country  in  all  directions,  but  could  see  nothing. 
Finally  I  descried  a  distant  trail,  and  on  reaching  it,  recog- 
nized the  tracks  of  my  camels.  I  hurried  on,  and  in  half  an 
hour  met  Hadji  Mohammed  and  one  of  my  camel-men,  coming 
back  in  great  tribulation,  fearful  that  I  was  lost. 

Near  the  Cataract  of  Dal,  an  akaba  commences,  which  ex- 
tends to  the  village  of  Ukme,  in  the  Batn  el-Hadjar,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fifteen  miles.  We  passed  behind  some  peaks  of 
black  porphyry,  whose  shoulders  were  covered  with  steep,  slid- 
ing drifts  of  yellow  sand,  and  travelled  on  through  a  wilder- 
ness of  stones.  All  the  refuse  odds  and  ends  of  Creation — 
the  pieces  left  after  the  rocks  and  mountains  of  the  rest  of  the 
world  were  fashioned — have  been  thrown  together  here.  It 
was  a  sea  of  black  stone-mounds,  out  of  which  rose  occasional 
peaks  of  still  blacker  stone.  Through  this  we  passed  into  a 
region  of  gray  stone  and  then  into  another  of  red  stone,  jour* 
neying  for  four  hours  up  one  mound  and  down  another,  by 
paths  and  no  paths,  which  were  most  laborious  for  our  camela 
I  began  to  be  fearful  we  should  never  get  out  of  the  geological 
bbyrinth  into  which  the  hadji  conducted  us,  but  the  majestiff 


47A  JOUBNKT   TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

range  of  Djebel  El-Lamool,  beyond  the  Nile,  serred  him  as  a 
guide.     He  looked  occasionally  towards  a  bastion-like  projec- 
tion in  the  sheer  walls  of  porphyry,  and  at  last,  when  I  was 
quite  tired  and  famished,  took  us  up  a  ridge  whence  I  saw  thfl 
river  again  below  us.  *  The  road  into  the  valley  was  next  to 
impracticable,  but  our  camels  stumbled  and  scrambled  and  slid 
till  they  readied  the  ledge  of  halfeh  overhanging  the  river. 
Below  us  was  a  square  mass  of  burnt  brick,  about  ten  feet  Id 
height— part  of  a  building  long  since  destroyed.     ^'  Here  is 
the  bath,"  said  the  hadji.     We  dismounted,  and  he  conducted 
us  to  the  foot  of  the  ruin,  where,  in  a  hole  in  the  earth,  a 
spring  of  water  bubbled  up  profusely,  and   trickled  away, 
through  a  trough  of  stones.     There  was  an  end  of  my  antici- 
pations of  a  refreshing  bath,  for  which  I  had  come  prepared. 
The  water  was  hot  enough,  in  truth  (131°),  and  I  could  not 
bear  my  hand  below  the  surface.     Under  the  bank,  a  dozen 
springs  with  a  smaller  flow  of  water,  oozed  through  the  soil, 
which  was  covered  with  a  whitish  deposit  in  places.     To  atone 
for  my  disappointment,  I  took  breakfast  in  the  shadow  of  the 
ruined  wall,  while  my  camel-men  bathed  themselves  in  the  wa« 
ter,  with  many  exclamations  of  "  Bismillahi  !  "  (In  the  name 
of  Grod).     The  hadji  then  left  us,  and  we  followed  the  Nile 
past  the  cataracts  of  Song  and  Tangoori,  which  latter  we  heard 
all  night,  roaring  grandly  between  the  gusts  of  wind. 

Daring  the  night  the  wind  blew  violently,  and  I  had  great 
fears  that  my  tent  would  come  down  about  my  ears.  I  heaped 
the  sand  against  it  on  the  outside,  for  further  protection,  but 
every  thing  within  was  so  covered  that  its  original  color  could 
no  longer  be  discerned.  The  moon  shone  between  wild  and 
stormy  clouds,  and  all  signs  betokened  a  gust  of  rain.     W6 


A  MUiAKT   DAT   VS   THB  DSSEBT.  477 


took  more  than  ordiiuury  pncaiitioiiB  in  the  dupofiitioo  of  our 
baggage,  as  this  .part  of  the  road  was  much  infested  wiih  ma- 
rauding bands  of  Kababish,  who  came  from  the  side  of  Dar- 
Fur  and  plondered  the  inhabitants  along  the  riyer,  as  well  aS 
small  carayans.  I  trusted  in  the  protection  afforded  by  my 
tent,  which,  from  its  appearance,  would  be  taken  as  belonging 
to  an  officer  of  the  goTcnmient. 

On  the  eighth  day  we  rose — for  the  first  time  in  all  mj 
African  trayel — in  a  oold,  raw  and  cloudy  dawn.  Fortunately 
for  US,  a  company  of  merchants,  bound  for  Wadi-Halfa,  passea 
at  daybreak,  for  we  ento^ed  on  an  akaha  of  unknown  length, 
and  the  wind  had  blown  so  yiol^itly  within  the  last  few  days 
that  the  old  caravan  trail  was  not  to  be  found.  The  country 
was  a  wilderness  even  more  drear  than  those  jv^e  had  passed 
On  climbing  the  long  stony  surges,  I  sometimes  flattered  my- 
self with  the  hope  <^  seeing  beyond  the  Desert ;  but  no — ^I 
had  only  a  more  extended  horizon.  Long,  shadowy  streaks  oi 
rain  swept  along  the  eastern  horizon,  and  the  mountain-chains 
which  lay  against  them  were  colored  the  darkest  and  intensest 
shade  of  violet — precisely  that  of  the  lower  leaves  of  the  pansy. 
As  we  advanced,  the  air  grew  colder,  and  a  shower  of  large, 
scattering  drops  passed  over  us.  The  camels  shrank  and  trem- 
bled, and  my  men  crept  behind  them  for  shelter.  Though  it 
was  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  those  African  skies  can  rain 
sometimes,  I  was  soon  so  benumbed  as  to  need  my  capote. 
The  temperature  was  perhaps  not  lower  than  60^,  yet  I  felt  it 
severely.  About  ten  o'clock,  the  shekh's  camel,  which  had  be- 
fore shown  symptoms  of  fatigue,  lay  down  and  refused  to  go 
further.  As  it  was  impossible  to  stop  in  the  Desert,  I  dis- 
tributed its  load  among  the  other  foui*,  and  ordered  him  to 


478  ^OUBRXr  10  OXNTRAL  ATEIOJU 

drivo  it  loose  bdiind  us.  Hub,  however,  was  of  no  avail,  and 
at  last  he  oonclnded  to  wait  till  it  had  rested  a  little.  I  gave 
him  the  water-skin,  and  we  pushed  on.  Half  an  hour  af 
terwards,  when  I  was  eating  breakfast  under  the  lee  of  ■ 
sand-hill,  Ali,  who  had  remained  behind  with  him,  came  upj 
saying  they  had  examined  the  camel  and  decided  that  it  was 
sick.  The  shekh  thereupon  wept  most  vehemently,  fearing  it 
would  die,  and  turned  about  with  it  to  make  his  way  homa 
Ali  lent  him  a  dollar  and  promised  to  take  him  the  rest  of  the 
noney  due  him.  The  other  men  were  quite  downcast  by  the 
shekh's  misfortune.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done,  how- 
ever, but  to  push  ahead,  as  the  other  camels  were  well  nigh 
worn  out 

We  kept  on  all  the  afternoon,  with  the  cold  wind  blowing 
in  our  faces,  and  occasionally  a  shower  of  colder  rain  dashed 
upon  us.  The  road  ascended  until  towards  noon,  when  we 
passed  through  a  gateway  between  two  peaks  of  granite,  whose 
loose  masses  threatened  to  topple  down  the  sides  and  crush  us. 
Then  for  three  or  four  hours  we  travelled  over  more  elevated 
ranges,  from  the  crests  of  which  we  had  wide  glimpses  over  the 
terrible  tract,  yet  could  see  nothing  but  sand  and  stones — stones 
and  sand.  In  the  east  a  long  mountain-range  lay  dark  and 
distant,  under  the  shadow  of  the  rain-clouds,  and  it  was  some 
comfort  to  know  that  it  was  beyond  the  Nile.  As  night  ap- 
proached, I  feared  we  should  be  obliged  to  camp  in  the  akaba, 
and  without  water,  but  after  ten  hours  of  most  wearisome 
travel,  we  reached  a  ridge,  whence  we  looked  into  a  vast  basin 
of  rooky  hills,  between  us  and  the  mountains,  whose  long  chain 
af  jagged  peaks,  touched  with  the  full  yellow  light  of  the  set- 
ting sun,  stood  against  the  black  gust  that  rolled  away  beyond 


TBIIPLB   AHD   OATASA.CT   OF   8AMHSH.  479 

ttiem  into  the  Great  Nubian  Desert  The  Nile  was  net  to  be 
seen,  yet  deep  in  the  centre  of  this  landscape,  I  canght  a 
glimpse  of  some  ihomy  bashes,  which  oar  further  descent 
showed  to  be  near  the  village  and  cataract  of  Samneh.  The 
bed  of  the  river  was  filled  with  masses  of  black  rock,  and  the 
cataract,  just  below  the  village,  roared  magnificently  all 
through  the  night.  The  wind  blew  again,  and  so  violently, 
that  I  awoke  with  my  ears,  mouth  and  nostrils  filled  with  sand. 
The  morning  was  cold,  with  a  violent  wind,  but  I  strength- 
ened my  camels  with  an  abundant  feed  of  bean-vines  and  dour 
ra,  and  set  off  early.  I  walked  ahead  to  the  temple  of  Sam- 
neh, which  stands  on  a  rocky  eminence  above  the  cataract 
The  hill  is  surromided  with  the  remains  of  a  massive  brick 
wall,  and  there  are  traces  of  a  road  leading  to  the  summit 
The  temple  is  quite  small,  and  of  simple  though  graceful  do* 
sign,  containing  only  one  chamber,  at  the  end  of  which  a  head 
less  statue  lies  on  its  back.  From  the  little  portico  in  front 
there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  gorge  through  which  the  river  breaks. 
A  broad  stratum  of  porphyry  crosses  his  bed,  broken  only  in 
the  centre  by  a  gap  or  flood-gate,  not  twenty  yards  across. 
Through  this  the  whole  force  of  his  current  is  poured,  and  at 
the  time  of  my  visit,  when  the  water  was  low,  he  seemed  but  a 
pigmy  flood.  In  fact,  for  a  mile  or  two  below  this  cataract, 
there  is  scarcely  any  point  in  all  hb  tortuous  and  difficult 
course  where  one  might  not  throw  a  stone  across.  After  leav' 
tng  the  temple,  our  road  led  over  the  desolate  stony  hills,  high 
above  the  river's  bed.  We  looked  down  into  the  deep  and 
narrow  deflle  through  which  he  flows,  and  which  his  waters 
searcely  brightened  or  cheered,  for  there  was  no  vegetation  on 
his  banks  exoept  now  and  then  a  bunch  of  halfeh  grass  cr  a 


180  JOVrRHBT   TO   CSKTEAL  AVRICA. 

few  stmited  thorna  The  air  was  8o  lieBUsiiig  that  I  felt  nc 
more  fiitigae,  but  only  regret,  that  the  journey  was  so  near  ite 
dose.  Old  Mohammed  walked  ahead,  singing  his  aocustomed 
song :  **  KooUoo  na$e€  fie  djennaUe^  ttfoddhel^  ya  er^dkhr 
WMn  /^  (O  Most  MereiM,  grant  tiiat  all  my  people  may  enter 
tiiy  HeaTens !)  Thos  we  trarelled  all  day,  and  towards  eyen* 
ing  came  down  to  the  Nile  again  at  the  little  Tillage  of  Meer- 
sheh. 

This  plaoe  is  a  beautifol  little  oasis  in  Uie  midst  of  the 
eayage  Belly  of  Stone.  The  Nile  has  a  more  gentle  current, 
and  his  banks  have  room  enough  for  some  groves  of  luxuriant 
date-trees,  and  fields  of  wheat  and  cotton.  My  tent  was 
pitched  beside  the  rustling  palms,  and  I  sat  down  with  a  glad 
heart  and  a  full  pipe,  on  the  last  night  of  my  long  and  toil- 
some journey  by  land.  During  Uie  evening  one  of  the  natives 
took  a  fancy  to  my  Abou-Sin,  and  made  numerous  small  o£fers 
for  the  purchase  of  him.  I  refused,  preferring  to  send  him  on 
to  Assouan,  but  in  the  morning  the  man  came  again,  and  at 
last,  with  many  struggles,  raised  his  price  to  one  hundred  and 
ninety  piastres,  whereupon  I  thought  it  best  to  sell  and  so 
avoid  all  further  trouble.  I  stipulated,  however,  that  Abou- 
Sin  was  to  be  delivered  to  him  at  Wadi-Halfa,  and  that  he 
should  accompany  us  thither  on  the  morrow.  The  night  was 
intensely  cold,  although  the  air  was  probably  not  below  60° 
I  could  hardly  bear  the  coldness  of  the  water  in  the  morning. 
It  stung  my  burnt  face  like  fire,  and  increased  the  pains  of  mj 
unfortunate  cracked  nose.  The  Barabras  brought  me  some 
milk  for  my  coffee  in  a  basket  of  closely-plaited  grass,  smeared 
with  grease  on  tne  inside.  It  precisely  resembled  those  bas> 
fcets  made  by  the  Indians  of  California,  which  will  carry  water 


A   KABABISH   CARAYAir.  481 

The  milk,  howevery  had  a  taste  of  the  rancid  grease,  which 
prevented  me  from  drinking  much  of  it. 

We  arose  shivering  in  the  early  dawn,  and  for  the  last  time 
put  the  loads  on  our  fagged  and  unwilling  camiels.  Soon  after 
starting,  I  saw  ahead,  through  a  gateway  of  black  porphyry 
rocks,  the  long,  yellow  sand-hills  of  the  Libyan  Desert,  like 
tkoso  which  line  the  western  bank  of  the  Nile,  from  Assouan 
to  Korosko.  This  was  a  joyful  token  that  we  had  reached  the 
end  of  the  savage  Batn  El-Hadjar.  As  we  were  travelling 
over  the  rolling  upland  of  yellow  sand,  enjoying  the  view  of 
the  wild  frontier  of  the  Belly  of  Stone,  out  of  which  we  had 
just  issued,  a  large  caravan  of  Eababish  Arabs,  returning 
towards  Dar-Eur  with  empty  camels,  met  us.  There  were 
upwards  of  fifty  camels  and  thirty  men — ^half-naked  savages, 
with  projecting  features,  wild  eyes,  and  a  wilderness  of  hair  on 
their  heads.  The  Eababish  were  easily  distinguished  by  their 
long  plaits,  laid  close  to  the  head,  and  smeared  with  fat.  The 
others,  who  had  enormous  masses  of  wool,  standing  out  in  all 
directions  for  a  foot  or  more,  were  probably  Howoweet,  from 
the  side  of  Dar-Far.  We  asked  the  distance  to  Wadi  Haifa, 
and  were  answered  with  the  universal  ''Aoaso,"  (just now!) 
whereby  these  people  designate  any  ind^nite  period  of  time. 

After  three  or  four  hours,  I  began  to  look  out  for  Aboii- 
Seer,  a  lofty  cliff  to  which  travellers  r^air  for  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  Second  Cataract— to  them  the  taming  point  of 
their  Nile  journey,  to  me  the  termination  of  my  long  mid« 
African  rambles,  and  the  commencement  of  my  return  to  the 
living  world.  Our  road  was  a  mile  or  two  behind  the  river, 
and  as  Achmet  had  only  visited  the  mountain  from  the  side  of 
Wadi  Haifa,  he  could  not  serve  as  a  guide.     I  turned  into  the 

21 


I8S  JOUBinBT  TO  OXNTBAL  AFRICA, 

hilli|  taldog  him,  Mohammed  and  Ali,  and  leaving  ihe  oihei 
man  to  go  on  with  the  baggage  oameLi.  We  wandered  for 
some  time  oyer  the  ron^  'idges,  and  at  last  reached  a  epor 
of  the  hillB  whidi  Achmet  took  to  be  Abon-Seer.  but  whioh 
was  not  it.  I  was  so  hungry  that  I  stopped  for  break£u(t,  and 
before  I  had  finished,  Ali,  who  was  oyerflowing  with  joy  at  the 
idea  of  reaching  Wadi  Haifa,  came  to  me  with  the  news  that 
he  had  been  climbing  a  high  point,  whence  he  could  see  the 
end  of  the  mountains.  The  Nile,  beyond,  he  said,  was  broad 
and  smooth,  and  there  were  more  date-trees  than  he  had  seen 
since  leaving  Sukk6t.  I  left  him  to  ride  my  Abou-Sin,  and 
walked  on  to  the  peak  he  had  climbed.  As  I  reached  its  base, 
however,  I  saw  that  the  true  headland  projected  still  further 
beyond,  terminating  in  a  cone4ike  summit.  As  I  came  out 
from  among  the  hills  behind  it,  the  view  suddenly  opened 
before  me  far  to  the  north  and  east,  and  I  saw  the  long  date- 
groves  of  Wadi  Haifa  apparently  at  my  feet. 

Abou-Seer  is  a  cliff  of  calcareous  rock,  and  its  base  is  com- 
pletely covered  with  the  names  of  tourists  who  have  visited  it 
Achmet  wanted  me  to  add  my  name  to  theirs,  but  as  I  had 
brought  no  hammer  and  chisel  from  Cairo,  like  most  travellers, 
I  could  not  gratify  him.  A  few  steps  took  me  to  the  summit 
of  the  cliff,  which  drops  on  the  eastern  side  in  a  sheer  preci- 
pice to  the  water's  edge.  It  is  at  least  three  hundred  feet  in 
perpendicular  height,  and  as  it  forms  the  corner  of  the  range, 
the  view  on  three  sides  is  uninterrupted  for  many  leaguca 
The  panorama  is  truly  grand,  and  probably  unlike  any  other 
in  the  world.  To  the  south  the  mountains  of  the  Batn  El- 
Hadjar  rise  like  a  black  wall,  out  of  which  the  Nile  forces  its 
way,  not  in  a  broad  sheet,  but  in  a  hundred  vexed  streams^ 


THE   SSCOin)   CATARACT.  483 

gurgling  up  amid  chaotic  heaps  of  rocks  as  if  from  sabterra* 
nean  sources,  foaming  and  fretting  their  difficult  way  round 
endless  islands  and  reefs,  meeting  and  separating,  seeking 
every  where  an  outlet  and  finding  none,  till  at  last,  as  if  weary 
of  the  long  contest,  the  rocks  recede,  and  the  united  waters 
spread  themselves  out,  sluggish  and  exhausted,  on  the  sands 
below.  It  is  a  wonderful  picture  of  strife  between  two  mate 
rial  forces,  but  so  intricate  and  labyrinthine  in  its  features, 
that  the  eye  can  scarcely  succeed  in  separating  them,  or  in 
viewing  it  other  than  as  a  whole.  The  streams,  in  their  thou- 
sand  windings,  appear  to  flow  towards  all  points  of  the  compass, 
and  from  their  continual  noise  and  motion  on  all  sides,  the 
whole  ^ntastio  wilderness  of  rock  seems  to  heave  and  tug,  as 
it  is  throttled  by  the  furious  waters.  This  is  the  last  great 
struggle  and  triumph  of  the  Nile.  Henceforth,  his  tortured 
waters  find  repose.  He  goes  down  to  Egypt  as  a  conqueror, 
erowned  with  a  double  majesty  after  all  his  toils.  Is  it  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  the  ancient  race  which  existed  by  his  bounty 
should  worship  him  as  a  God  ? 

But  by  this  time  we  saw  our  baggage-camels,  like  specks  on 
the  sand,  approaching  Wadi  Haifa*  Ali,  xmable  to  contain 
himself,  started  o£f  on  a  run,  and  we  soon  lost  sight  of  him.  I 
mounted  my  faithful  big  dromedary,  Abou-Sin,  and  after  two 
more  hours  on  his  lofty  hump,  dismounted  at  the  ferry-place, 
opposite  Wadi  Haifa,  never,  alas !  to  mount  him  again.  A 
boat  with  a  company  of  merchants  from  Cairo  had  just  arrived, 
and  the  sailors  were  unloading  their  packages  of  merchandise. 
The  merchants  came  up  and  saluted  me,  and  could  scarcely 
believe  that  I  had  been  so  far  as  the  White  Nile.  They  were 
bound  for  Dongola,  and  one  of  them,  learning  that  my  brown 


484  jouRinnr  to  cemtbal  avbica. 

dronedaiy  wmi  for  nk,  offered  to  Iraj  it.  Adimei  oondncied 
Uie  boMiiess  lor  aie,  for  tlie  beigaining  lasted  at  least  twe 
bom,  before  the  purchaser  soeeeeded  in  slowly  stmggliDg  up 
to  a  deeent  priee.  The  Barahra  who  had  booghi  Abou-Sio 
was  also  on  hand,  to  ratify  the  bargain,  and  I  was  thus  saved 
from  the  neeossity  ci  sending  the  animals  to  the  markets  of 
Assouan.  I  must  do  both  the  men  the  jostioe  to  say  that  they 
afterwards  made  erery  exertion  to  cheat  me,  in  the  way  of 
eoonting  money  and  offering  bad  pieoeSy  and  at  last  gave  a 
large  pile  of  copper  coin,  whieh,  when  it  was  eonntedy  lacked 
two  piastres  of  the  right  amoont.  When  all  was  finished,  I 
deliTcred  Abon-Sin  into  the  hands  of  his  rascally  new  master, 
with  a  sorrowfiil  heart,  for  the  old  fellow  and  I  were  good 
friendSi  Had  he  known  we  were  to  be  separated,  I  am  sure 
those  large  blaek  eyes  of  his  would  have  dropped  a  few  tears, 
and  that  capacions  throat  gorgled  oat  a  sound  of  lamentation. 
Achmet  threw  his  arms  around  the  beast's  big  head  and  kissed 
him  tenderly.  I  was  about  to  do  the  same  thing,  when  I 
remembered  that  the  neyer-sweating  skin  of  a  dromedary 
exhales  not  the  freshest  of  odors,  and  preferred  caressing  him 
with  my  hand  rather  than  my  lips.  So  farewell  to  Abou-Sin, 
and  may  he  never  want  dourra  and  bean-vines,  nor  complain 
under  too  heavy  loads :  and  should  he  die  soon  (for  he  is 
waxing  in  years),  may  some  son  of  his  strong  loins  be  there  to 
carry  me,  when  next  I  visit  Central  Africa  I 

My  arrival  at  Wadi  Haifa  terminated  the  journey  of  thirty- 
four  days  from  KhartounL  In  that  time  my  little  caravan 
had  travelled  between  eight  and  nine  hundred  miles,  and  at 
least  half  of  it  as  rough  travelling  as  can  be  found  in  Africa. 
Now  we  were  beyond  danger  and  done  with  fatigue,  and  could 


TSfAincsaiviNO  and  pa]itik&«  485 

look  forward  to  seeing  Cairo  in  another  month.  Not  until  we 
were  all  seated  in  the  ferry-boat,  crossing  from  the  opposite 
bank,  did  I  fairly  realize  that  our  severe  joumtjy  was  over. 
The  camels  were  left  behind,  the  baggage  piled  up  on  board, 
and  as  we  were  rowed  slowly  across  the  river,  it  suddenly 
flashed  through  my  mind  that  the  same  gentle  motion  of  oars 
and  waves  was  thenceforth  to  rock  me  all  the  way  to  Cairo. 
I  drew  a  long  breath,  and  fervently  ejaculated  :  '<  el  hamdu 
lilldh  / "  to  which  the  others,  as  in  duty  bound,  responded. 
Achmet,  who  usually  postponed  his  prayers  until  he  reached 
home,  recited  a  chapter  from  the  Koran,  and  Ali,  who  never 
prayed,  broke  into  sailor-songs  by  starts,  and  laughed  continu- 
ally,  from  inward  delight. 

After  my  tent  was  pitched  on  the  beach,  I  called  my  cameU 
men,  Ali  and  Mohammed,  who  had  crossed  with  me,  and  gave 
them  each  the  forty  piastres  still  due,  with  a  Maria  Theresa 
dollar — ahotb-zerdrj  or  the  Father  of  Buttons,  as  this  coin  ig 
ealled  in  Central  Africa,  from  the  button  which  clasps  the 
drapery  on  the  Empress's  shoulder — as  backsheesh.  The  men 
were  delighted,  and  kissed  my  hand,  in  token  of  gratitude.  I 
gave  them  also  the  money  for  the  shekh,  and  took  leave  of 
them  with  the  exclamation :  <<  May  Ood  grant  you  a  prosper- 
ous return  to  your  country  ! "  They  replied,  warmly:  ''May 
Gk>d  prol<Hig  your  days,  O  Effendi  1 "  and  as  they  moved  away, 
£  overheard  old  Mohammed  again  declare  to  Achmet :  "  Wal- 
lah, but  this  is  a.  good  Frank  I    He  certainly  has  Islam  in  his 

hOATt  l»' 


4M  jotmnr  to  cximtAL  avkppa. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

THK     ftOCK     TKMPLKB     OF     ABOU- 8I11BBL. 

V*l  ndttk-A  Boftt  Sm*  AsKHttB— We  Smbuk  oa  the  Nile  Again— An  Egyptlai 
T«viplBB  cf  Aboa-Simbel— The  SmaBer  Temple— The  CokMi   of 
R— TalfHtty  eT  TnrelkK*— EatertBg  tbe  Gieal  Temple— My  Inptet- 
eT  Aba«-Simbel— The  SmeUer  Ghamben— The  Baots  of  Me»- 
^aad  the  Oiptire  Klngi    Depeitara. 

Wadi  Halfa  is  mn  ordinary  Arab  Tillage,  and  noted  only  for 
being  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Nubian  Nile.  There 
were  six  or  seven  boats  in  port,  some  of  them  loaded  with  gum 
and  ready  to  start  for  Assouan.  They  were  all  nekkers,  or 
trading  boats,  built  of  heavy  wood,  and  not  to  be  moved  down 
stream  against  a  strong  head-wind.  I  therefore  engaged  the 
ferry-boat  in  which  I  had  crossed — a  light,  open  boat,  manned 
by  two  Nubian  boys.  The  rais  made  a  frame  of  sticks  near 
the  stem,  and  covered  it  with  palm-mats,  to  serve  as  a  cabin. 
The  oipexk  hold  was  turned  into  a  kitchen,  and  taken  poasessiou 
of  by  my  two  men.  There  was  barely  room  enough  for  all  of 
18  and  our  baggage,  and  a  fat  sheep  I  bought,  as  provision  for 
the  voyage,  but  as  I  proposed  being  gloriously  laiy,  to  make 
ap  for  the  for^ne  toils,  I  needed  no  more. 


VOTAOS  DOWK   THE   VlLtL  461 

The  morning  after  my  arrival  at  Wadi  Haifa  all  was 
ready.  A  few  children  came  down  to  greet  me  with  the  hate- 
ful word  '^  backsheesh,"  which  I  had  not  heard  for  three 
months  and  hoped  neyer  to  hear  again ;  but  a  few  Arabic  ex* 
elamations  soon  put  them  to  flight.  We  shoyed-away  from  the 
beach,  followed  by  the  cries  of  a  dozen  lazy  sailors,  who  also 
wanted  backsheesh  for  saying  '^  salaam  "  at  parting.  I  stretch- 
ed myself  oat  on  my  bed,  on  deck,  and  lay  looking  on  the 
receding  shore,  where  my  camel-men  and  camels  (Abou-Sin 
still  among  them)  were  encamped.  Abon-Sin's  head  was  turn- 
ed  towards  the  river,  as  if  looking  for  his  master,  for  the 
hapless  creatore  certainly  thought  I  should  go  over  to  mount 
him  on  the  morrow.  Alas,  my  brave  old  dromedary !  we  shall 
never  again  play  friendly  tricks  upon  each  other.  Kai's  Bam* 
adan  took  his  station  at  the  helm,  and  the  boys  plied  their 
oars  actively,  so  that  we  soon  lost  sight  of  Wadi  Haifa.  All 
the  afternoon  we  glided  slowly  down  the  stream  between  rich 
palm-groves  and  grain-fielda  The  appearance  of  thrift  and 
fertility,  which  the  country  presented,  was  most  agreeable 
after  the  waste  fields  of  Doogola,  and  the  unproductive  rocks 
and  sands  of  the  intermediate  districts.  The  mountains  behind 
vere  lower  and  rounder  in  their  outlines,  and  the  landscapes 
softer  an  richer  than  any  I  had  seen  since  leaving  beautiful 
Dar  Shygheea.  By  sunset  we  had  made  ibuch  good  progresSy 
that  there  was  every  hope  of  reaching  Abou-Simbel  in  the 
morning. 

There  was  no  wind  during  the  night,  and  the  boys  worked 
bravely.  About  two  hours  after  midnight  I  was  awakened 
from  a  deep  sleep  by  the  shock  of  the  boat  striking  the  shore. 
I  opened  my  eyes  and  saw,  as  I  lay,  without  moving  my  head, 


488  JOURNET  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

a  huge  wall  of  rock  before  me,  against  which  sis  enormoiu 
statues  leaned  as  they  looked  from  deep  niches  cut  in  its  front 
Their  solemn  faces  were  touched  by  the  moon,  which  shone 
full  on  the  cliff,  and  only  their  feet  were  wrapped  in  shadow. 
The  lines  of  deep-cut  hieroglyphics  oyer  the  portal  of  this 
rocky  temple  were  also  filled  with  shadow  and  painted  legibly 
on  the  gray,  moonlit  rock.  *  Below  them  yawned  the  door — a 
square  of  complete  darkness.  A  little  to  the  left,  over  a  long 
drift  of  sand  that  sloped  from  the  sunmiit  of  the  cliff  nearly  to 
the  water^s  edge,  peered  the  mitred  head  of  a  statue  of  still 
more  colossal  proportions.  I  gazed  on  this  broad,  dim,  and 
wonderful  picture  for  a  moment,  so  awed  by  its  majesty  that  I 
did  not  ask  myself  where  nor  what  it  was.  This  is  some  grand 
Egyptian  dream,  was  my  first  thought,  and  I  closed  my  eyes 
for  a  few  seconds,  to  see  whether  it  would  yanish.  But  it 
stood  fast  and  silent  as  eyer,  and  I  knew  it  to  be  Aboa- 
Simbel.  My  seryants  all  slept,  and  the  rais  and  boys  noise 
lessly  moored  the  boat  to  the  shore,  and  then  lay  down  and 
slept  also.  Still  I  lay,  and  the  great  statues  looked  solemnly 
down  upon  me,  and  the  moon  painted  their  kingly  nomens  and 
banners  with  yet  darker  distinctness  on  the  gray  rock.  The 
riyer  made  no  sound  below,  the  long  grass  stirred  not  a  blade 
at  the  foot  of  the  crags,  and  the  slopes  of  sand  were  white  and 
dumb  as  snow.  I  lay  in  too  deep  a  repose  for  thought,  and 
was  not  then  conscious  how  grateful  was  such  a  silence  in  Na- 
ture, while  the  moon  held  up  that  picture  before  me.  It  might 
have  been  two  minutes  or  twenty,  before  the  current  slowlj 
swung  the  stern  of  the  boat  around,  and  tlie  picture  as  slowljf 
shifted  from  my  yiew,  leaying  instead  the  Southern  Cross  ir. 
its  shrine  of  stars. 


• 


TRB  TEMPLES   OT   AB01THSIUBBL.  48£ 

In  the  morning,  I  found  that  we  lay  at  tho  foot  of  the 
Bmaller  temple.  I  quietly  waited  for  my  cup  of  coffee,  for  the 
morning  reality  was  infinitely  less  grand  than  my  yision  of  the 
night.  I  then  climbed  to  the  door  and  entered.  The  interior  is 
not  large  nor  imposing,  after  one  has  seen  the  temples  of  Egypt 
The  exterior,  however,  is  on  such  a  colossal  scale,  that,  not- 
withstanding the  want  of  proportion  in  the  different  statues, 
the  effect  is  yery  striking.  The  largest  ones  are  about  thirty- 
five  feet  high,  and  not  identical,  as  are  those  of  the  great  tem- 
ple. One,  who  stands  with  one  leg  advanced,  while  he  holds 
a  sword  with  the  handle  pressed  against  his  breast,  is  executed 
with  much  more  spirit  than  is  usually  met  with  in  statues  of 
this  period.  The  sculptures  of  the  interior  are  interesting 
and  being  of  the  time  of  Eemeses  the  Great,  whose  history 
they  illustrate,  are  executed  with  much  skill  and  labor.  Tho 
head  of  the  goddess  Athor,  on  the  face  of  the  columns  in  the 
hall,  is  much  less  beautiful  than  that  of  the  same  goddess  at 
Dendera.  It  is,  in  fact,  almost  broad  and  distorted  enough  to 
represent  the  genius  Typhon. 

The  front  of  the  great  temple  is  not  parallel  to  that  of  the 
other,  nor  does  it  face  the  river,  which  here  flows  in  a  north 
east  course.  The  line  of  the  cliff  is  broken  between  the  two, 
BO  that  the  figures  of  the  great  Remeses,  seated  on  each  side 
of  the  door,  look  to  the  east,  the  direction  of  the  lino  of  the 
face  being  nearly  north.  Through  the  gap  in  front,  the  sands 
have  poured  down  from  the  Desert  behind,  almost  wholly  fill- 
ing up  the  space  between  the  two  cliffs ;  and  though  since  the 
temple  was  first  opened,  in  1817,  it  has  been  cleared  nearly  to 
the  base  more  than  once,  the  rapid  accumulation  of  sand  has 
«gain  almost  closed  the  entrance     The  southern  colossus  h 

21* 


490  JOURNEY   rO   OKimtAL  AFRICA. 

only  buried  about  half  way  to  the  knee,  but  of  the  two  northern 
ones  there  is  little  else  to  be  seen  except  the  heads.  Obscured 
as  is  the  effect  of  this  grand  front,  it  is  still  without  parallel  i» 
the  world.  I  had  not  thought  it  possible  that  in  statues  0/ 
Mich  enormous  magnitude  there  could  be  such  singular  beauty 
of  expression.  The  face  of  Bemeses,  the  same  in  each,  is  un 
doubtedly  a  portrait,  as  it  resembles  the  faces  of  the  statues  in 
the  interior  and  those  of  the  King  in  other  places.  Besides, 
there  is  an  individuality  in  some  of  the  features  which  is  too 
marked  to  represent  any  general  type  of  the  Egyptian  head. 
The  fullness  of  the  drooping  eyelid,  which  yet  does  not  cover 
the  large,  oblong  Egyptian  eye;  the  nose,  at  first  slightly  in- 
clining to  the  aquiline,  but  curving  to  the  round,  broad  nos- 
trils ;  the  generous  breadth  of  the  calm  lips,  send  the  placid, 
serene  expression  of  the  face,  are  worthy  of  the  conqueror  of 
Africa  and  the  builder  of  Karnak  and  Medeenet  Abou. 

The  statue  next  the  door,  on. the  southern  side,  has  been 
shivered  to  the  throne  on  which  it  is  seated,  and  the  fragments 
are  not  to  be  seen,  except  a  few  which  lie  upon  the  knees. 
The  ridiculous  vanity  of  tourists  has  not  even  spared  these 
sublime  monuments,  and  they  are  covered  wherever  a  hand  can 
reach,  with  the  names  of  noble  and  ignoble  snobs.  The  enthu- 
siastic antiquaries  who  cleared  away  the  sands  have  recorded 
the  fact  in  modest  inscriptions,  near  the  door,  where  they  do 
not  offend  the  eye;  and  one  readily  pardons  the  liberty  the 
writers  have  taken.  But  there  are  two  Germans  (whose  names 
I  will  not  mention,  since  it  would  help  give  them  the  very  noto- 
riety they  covet),  who  have  carved  their  names  in  letters  a  foot 
long,  on  the  thigh  of  one  of  the  statues,  and  afterwards  filled 
them  with  black  paint.    I  should  like  to  sec  them  subjected  to  a 


THE   INTERIOR   OT  TBB   ORE^T   TEMPLE.  491 

merciless  bastinado,  on  the  same  part  of  their  own  bodies 
Certainly,  to  haye  one  of  the  statues  seated  on  their  breasts  al 
a  nightmare,  every  night  of  their  lives,  would  not  be  too  much 
punishment  for  such  a  desecration. 

The  great  doorway  of  the  temple  is  so  choked  up  with  sand 
that  I  was  obliged  to  creep  in  on  my  knees.  The  sun  by  thi? 
time  had  risen  exactly  to  the  only  point  where  it  can  illumine 
the  interior,  and  the  rays,  taking  a  more  yellow  hue  from  the 
rock  and  sand  on  which  they  fell,  shone  down  the  long  drift 
between  the  double  row  of  colossal  statues,  and  lighted  up  the 
entrance  to  the  second  hall  of  the  temple.  I  sat  down  in  the 
sand,  awed  and  half  frightened  by  the  singular  appearance  of 
the  place.  The  sunshine,  falling  obliquely  on  the  sandsi 
struck  a  dim  reflection  against  the  sculptured  roof,  and  even 
lighted  up  the  farthest  recesses  of  the  grand  hall  sufficiently  to 
show  its  imposing  dimensions.  Eight  square  pillars—four  on 
either  side  of  the  central  aisle— seem  to  uphold  the  roof,  and 
en  their  inner  sides,  facing  each  other,  are  eight  statues  of  the 
King.  The  features  of  all  are  preserved,  and  have  something 
of  the  grace  and  serenity,  though  not  the  majesty  of  the  great 
statues  outside.  They  look  into  each  other's  eyes,  with  an 
eternal  question  on  their  fixed  countenances,  but  none  can  give 
answer.  There  was  something  so  stem  and  strange  in  these 
eight  faces,  that  I  felt  a  shudder  of  fear  creep  over  me.  The 
strong  arms  are  all  crossed  on  their  breasts,  and  the  hands 
hold  various  sacred  and  regal  symbols,  conspicuous  among 
which  is  something  resembling  a  flail,  which  one  sees  often  in 
Egyptian  sculpture.  I  thought  of  a  marvellous  story  I  once 
read,  in  which  a  genie,  armed  with  a  brazen  flail,  stands  at  the 
entrance  of  an  enchanted  castle,  crushing  with  the  stroke  of 


493  louKisvr  to  central  afbioa. 

his  terrible  weapon  all  who  come  to  seek  the  treasure  withia 
For  a  moment  the  childish  faith  in  the  supernatural  was  a. 
strong  as  eyer,  and  I  looked  at  the  gloomy  entrance  beyond, 
wishing  to  enter,  but  fearing  the  stony  flails  of  the  terribk 
Kemesi  on  either  hand.  The  fsuses  were  once  partially  colored, 
and  the  black  eyeball,  still  remaining  on  the  blank  eye  of  stone, 
gives  them  an  expression  of  stupor,  of  death-in-life,  which 
accounted  to  me  for  the  nervous  shock  I  experienced  on  enter 
ing. 

There  is  nothing  in  Egypt  which  can  be  likened  to  the 
great  temple  of  Abou-Simbel.  Kamak  is  grander,  but  its 
grandeur  is  human.  This  belongs  rather  to  the  superhuman 
fancies  of  the  East — ^the  halls  of  the  Afrites— -or  to  the  reahn 
of  the  dethroned  Titans,  of  early  Greek  mythology.  This  im- 
pression is  not  diminished,  on  passing  the  second  hall  and 
corridor,  and  entering  the  adytum,  or  sacred  chamber  of  the 
temple.  There  the  granite  altar  yet  stands  in  the  centre, 
before  the  undestroyed  figures  of  the  gods,  who,  seated  side  by 
side,  calmly  await  the  offerings  of  their  worshippers.  The 
peculiar  individuality  of  each  deity  is  strikingly  shown  in  these 
large  statues,  and  their  attitude  is  much  less  constrained  than 
in  the  sitting  statues  in  the  tombs  of  Thebes.  These  look  as 
if  they  could  rise,  if  they  would.  The  walls  are  covered  with 
sculptures  of  them  and  of  the  contemplar  deities,  in  the  grand, 
bold  style  of  the  age  of  Bemeses.  Some  visitors  had  left  a 
supply  of  dry  palm  branches  near  the  entrance,  and  of  Hiese  1 
made  torches,  which  blazed  and  crackled  fiercely,  flaring  with  a 
rich  red  light  on  the  sculptured  and  painted  walls.  There 
vras  sufficient  to  enable  me  to  examine  all  the  smaller  chambers, 
of  which  there  are  eight  or  nine,  cut  laterally  into  the  rock, 


THE   RACES    OF   MEK.  499 

without  any  attempt  at  symmetry  :>f  foim,  or  regularity  of 
arrangement.  Several  of  them  have  seats  running  around 
three  sides,  exactly  like  the  divans  in  modem  Eg3rptian  houses. 
They  were  probably  designed  for  the  apartments  of  the  priest? 
or  servants  connected  with  the  temple. 

The  sculptures  on  the  walls  of  the  grand  hall  are,  after 
those  of  Medeenet  Abou,  and  on  the  exterior  wall  of  Karnak 
the  most  interesting  I  have  seen  in  Egypt.  On  the  end  wall 
on  either  side  of  the  entrance,  is  a  colossal  bas-relief,  repre 
senting  Remeses  slaying  a  group  of  captive  kings,  whom  he 
holds  by  the  hair  of  their  heads.  There  are  ten  or  twelve  in 
each  group,  and  the  features,  though  they  are  not  colored, 
exhibit  the  same  distinction  of  race  as  I  had  previously  remark- 
ed in  Belzoni's  tomb,  at  Thebes.  There  is  the  Negro,  the 
Persian,  the  Jew,  and  one  other  form  of  countenance  which  I 
could  not  make  out — all  imploring  with  uplifted  hands  th6 
mercy  of  the  conqueror.  On  the  southern  wall,  the  distinction 
between  the  Negro  and  the  Egyptian  is  made  still  more  obvi- 
ous by  the  coloring  of  the  figures.  In  fact,  I  see  no  reason 
whatever  to  doubt  that  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  dif- 
ferent races  of  men  were  as  strongly  marked  in  the  days  of 
Remeses  as  at  present.  This  is  an  interesting  fact  in  discus- 
sing the  question  of  the  unity  of  origin  of  the  race.  Admitting 
the  different  races  of  men  to  have  had  originally  one  origin^ 
the  date  of  the  first  appearance  of  Man  on  the  earth,  must  have 
been  nearer  fifty  thousand  than  five  thousand  years  ago.  If 
climate,  customs,  and  the  like  have  been  the  only  agents  in 
producing  that  variety  of  race,  which  we  find  so  strongly  mark- 
ed nearly  four  thousand  years  ago,  surely  those  agents  must 
aave  been  at  work  for  a  vastly  longer  period  than  that  usually 


404  jouRinnr  to  cxhtr^l  atrica. 

Moepied  af  the  age  of  Man.  We  are  older  than  we  know;  boi 
our  beginning,  like  our  end,  is  darkness  and  mystery. 

The  sonlptores  on  the  side  walls  of  tho  temple  represent 
the  wars  of  Remeses,  who,  as  at  Medeenet  Abou,  stands  in  a 
ehariot  which  two  horses  at  fall  speed  whirl  into  the  ranks  of 
the  enemy.  The  king  disdiargee  his  arrows  against  them,  and 
diroetly  in  front  of  him  a  charioteer,  mortally  woonded,  is 
hurled  from  his  overthrown  chariot.  The  groups  are  chiselled 
with  great  spirit  and  boldness ;  the  figures  of  the  king  and  his 
horses  are  fall  of  life.  Towering  over  all,  as  well  by  his  supe- 
rior proportions  as  by  the  majesty  and  courage  of  his  attitude, 
Remeses  stands  erect  and  motionless  amid  the  shock  and  jar 
and  riot  of  battle.  There  is  no  exultation  in  his  fiitce ;  only 
the  inflexible  calmness  of  Destiny. 

I  spent  some  time  contemplating  these  grand  and  remark- 
able memorials  of  the  greatest  age  of  Egypt,  and  left  with  my 
feeling  for  Egyptian  art  even  stronger  than  before.  I  watched 
the  giant  figures  of  the  portico,  as  the  swift  current  carried 
mj  boat  down  stream,  reluctant  to  lose  sight  of  their  majestic 
features.  But  the  yellow  of  the  diff  tamed  to  purple,  and  at 
Ust  other  crags  passed  before  it. 


LOSSt  UT  SUNSHIirX.  495 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII 

RBTURK     TO     EGYPT. 

I  LoM  my  Sansbine,  and  Begain  it— Nubian  Scenery— Derr— The  Temple  of  Amadi 
— Mysterious  Bappings— Familiar  Scenes— Halt  at  Korosko— Escape  ftT>m  Sbip- 
wreck — The  Temple  of  Sebooar— Gbasiog  other  Boats — Tempie  of  rjerf  Hoawya— 
A.  Backsheesh  Experiment— Kalabshee — Temple  of  Dabdd— We  reach  the  Sgyp- 
tian  Frontier. 

The  distresslDg  coldness  of  the  temperature  the  night  before 
reaching  Wadi  Haifa,  affected  me  more  painfully  than  all  the 
roastings  I  had  endured  in  Soudan.  Mj  nose  after  losing  six 
eoats  of  skin,  became  so  hard  and  coppery,  that  like  Anthony 
Van  Corlear's,  the  reflected  rays  from  it  might  have  pierced 
even  the  tough  skin  of  a  crocodile.  My  frame  was  so  steeped 
in  heat,  that  had  our  fuel  fallen  short,  I  might  have  ''drawn" 
my  tea,  by  hugging  the  ketUe  in  my  arms.  I  had  been  so 
bathed  and  rolled  in  light,  the  sun  had  so  constantly,  with 
each  succeeding  day,  showered  upon  me  his  burning  baptism, 
that  I  came  to  regard  myself  as  one  of  his  special  representa^ 
tiyes,  and  to  fancy  that,  wherever  I  went,  there  was  a  sort  of 
nimbus  or  radiation  around  me.  But  those  few  drops  of  rain, 
among  the  stony  mountains  of  the  Batn  El-Hadjar,  quenched 
%t  once  the  glow  of  my  outer  surface,  and  the  cold  winds  whiob 


4il6  jocmrsr  to  oxktral  Africa. 

foOowed,  neyer  ceased  blowing  till  they  extinguished  even  the 
central  fires.  I  was  like  an  incipient  comet,  snuffed  out  of 
existence  and  made  satellite  to  some  frozen  planet.  My  frame 
was  racked  with  pains,  which  tamed  into  misery  the  refresh- 
ing  indolence  of  the  Nile.  I  had  no  medicines,  but  put 
my  philosophy  into  practice :  the  climate  of  Nubia,  I  said, 
has  giren  me  this  infliction,  therefore  the  country  must  supply 
the  remedy.  So  1  sent  the  ra'is  ashore  m  search  of  it.  He 
came  back  with  a  cup  of  oil  which  a  shining  daughter  of  the 
land  was  about  bestowing  upon  her  crispy  tresses,  and  I  drank 
it  with  a  heroic  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  my  theory.  I  was  not 
disappointed,  and  ou  the  third  day  sat  once  more  in  the  sun, 
in  the  bow  of  my  boat,  trying  to  regain  the  effluence  I  had 
lost 

The  scenery  of  the  Nile  below  Abou-Simbel  is  very  beauti- 
fuL  The  mountains  recede  again  from  the  bank,  and  show 
themselves  occasionally  in  picturesque  peaks.  The  shores  are 
low  and  rich  and  the  groves  of  date-trees  most  luxuriant.  The 
weather  was  delightfully  calm  and  warm,  and  the  Nile,  though 
swift,  ran  smooth  and  shining  as  the  oil  of  his  own  castor 
bean-fields.  During  the  sweet,  quiet  hour  before  and  after 
sunset,  we  floated  down  through  tho  lovely  region  about  Bos- 
ton and  Tesbka.  Three  tall  peaks  of  dark-brown  rock  rose 
inland,  beyond  the  groves  of  the' beautiful  Ibreemee  palra, 
whose  leaves,  longer  and  more  slender  than  those  of  the  Egyp- 
tian date-tree,  are  gracefully  parted  at  the  sides — ^half  of  them 
shooting  upward  in  a  plumy  tuft,  while  the  other  half  droop 
around  the  tall  shaft  of  the  tree.  Tho  boys  worked  during  the 
second  night  with  unabated  force.  I  awoke  as  the  moon  was 
rising  through  black  clouds,  and   found   the  lofty  crags  of 


TBS    TBMPLB   OF    AUADJu  49l 

Ibreem  oyerliaDgiDg  na  We  swept  silentlj  under  ^e  base 
of  the  heightSi  which  in  the  indistinct  light,  appeared  to  rise 
four  or  fiye  hundred  feet  aboye  us.  By  sunrise,  the  date- 
groves  of  Derr,  the  capital  of  the  Nuba  country,  were  in  sight, 
and  we  were  soon  moored  beside  the  beach  in  front  of  the 
town.  Derr  stretdics  for  some  distance  along  the  shore,  and 
presents  an  agreeable  front  to  the  riyer.  A  merchant,  from  a 
boat  near  ours,  brought  me  two  small  loaves  of  delicious 
Egyptian  bread.  He  had  been  in  Soudan,  and  knew  how  such 
bread  would  relish,  after  the  black  manufacture  of  that 
country. 

An  hour  afterwards  my  boat  ran  to  the  eastern  bank,  to 
allow  me  to  visit  the  little  temple  of  Amada.  This  temple 
stands  on  a  slight  rise  in  the  sands,  which  surround  and  en- 
tirely overwhelm  it.  It  consists  only  of  a  low  portico,  sup- 
ported by  eight  pQlars,  a  narrow  corridor  and  the  usual  three 
chambers — all  of  very  small  dimensions.  The  sculptures  on 
the  walls  are  remarkable  for  the  excellent  preservation  of  their 
colors.  The  early  Christians,  who  used  this  temple  for  their 
worship,  broke  holes  in  the  roof,  which  admit  sufficient  li^t 
for  the  examination  of  the  interior.  Without  knowing  any 
thing  of  the  hieroglyphic  inscriptions  on  the  temple,  I  diould 
judge  that  it  was  erected  by  some  private  person  or  persons. 
The  figures  making  the  offerings  have  not  the  usual  symbols 
9f  royalty,  and  the  objects  they  present  consist  principally  of 
die  fruits  of  the  earth,  which  are  heaped  upon  a  table  placed 
before  the  divinity.  The  coloring  of  the  fruit  is  quite  ridi 
and  glowing,  and  there  are  other  objects  which  appear  to  be 
eakes  or  pastry.  While  I  was  examining  the  central  chamber 
I  heard  a  sound  as  of  some  one  sharply  strikuig  one  of  the  out 


509  JOURHBT  TO   OnmAL  AFRIOA. 

witb  the  colossal  figures  attached  to  them,  produce  a  strikins: 
impression.  The  effect  of  these  pillars,  whidb  fill  nearly  half 
the  space  of  the  hall  itself,  is  to  increase  its  aj^Murent  dimen- 
sions, so  that  the  temple,  at  the  first  glance,  seems  to  be  on  a 
grander  scale  than  is  really  the  casa  I  had  some  cariosity 
regarding  this  place,  from  the  enthusiastic  description  of  War- 
barton,  and  the  disparaging  remarks  of  Wilkinson.  After  see* 
ing  it,  I  find  them  both  correct,  in  a  great  measure.  The  co- 
lossal statues  of  the  grand  hall  are  truly,  as  the  latter  ob- 
serves, clumsy  and  badly  executed,  and  the  sculptures  (m  the 
walls  are  unworthy  the  age  of  Remeses ;  but  it  is  also  trae 
that  their  size,  and  the  bulk  of  the  six  pillars,  which  are  lofty 
enough  to  be  symmetrical,  would  have  a  fine  effect  when  seen 
at  night,  by  the  light  of  torches,  as  Warburton  saw  them.  A! 
the  chambers  have  suffered  from  onoke  and  bats,  and  tk 
bigotry  of  the  old  Christians.  The  walls  are  so  black  that  i 
is  difficult  to  trace  out  the  figures  upon  them.  This,  howeyer 
rather  heightens  the  impression  of  a  grand,  though  uncouth 
and  barbarous  art,  which  the  temple  suggests.  I  made  but  a 
brief  visit,  and  marched  down  the  hill  with  the  population  of 
Djerf  Hossayn  in  my  train.  The  boat  had  gone  ahead,  as  the 
only  approach  to  the  shore  was  a  mile  or  two  beyond,  but  they 
insisted  on  following  me.  I  ordered  them  to  leave,  fearing  lest 
the  very  fact  of  their  walking  so  far  in  the  hot  sun  would  in- 
duce me  to  break  my  resolution.  It  would  have  been,  indeed, 
a  satisfaction  to  give  ten  piastres  and  be  freed  from  them, 
and  I  took  no  little  credit  to  myself  for  persisting  in  refusing 
them.  They  all  dropped  off  at  last,  except  two,  who  came 
almost  to  the  spot  where  the  boat  was  moored,  and  only  turned 
back  because  I  was  in  advav  ce  and  ordered  the  rai's  to  move 


CALiBASHEE.  503 

on  as  soon  as  I  got  on  board.  I  should  like  to  know  theii 
opinion  of  me.  I  have  no  dDubt  the  people  considered  me  the 
most  eccentric  Frank  who  ever  came  among  them. 

The  next  morning  we  reached  Kalabshee,  and  before  sun- 
rise I  was  standing  on  the  long  stone  platform  before  the  tem- 
ple. The  pylon  of  hewn  sandstone  rises  grandly  above  the 
spacious  portal,  and  from  the  exterior  the  building  has  a  most 
imposing  air.  Its  interior  once,  probably,  did  not  diminish 
the  impression  thus  given ;  but  at  present  it  is  such  an  utter 
mass  of  ruin  that  the  finest  details  are  entirely  lost.  The 
temple  is  so  covered  with  the  enormous  fragments  of  the  roof 
and  walls  that  it  is  a  work  of  some  difficulty  to  examine  it ; 
but  it  does  not  repay  any  laborious  inspection.  The  outer 
wall  which  surrounds  it  has  also  been  hurled  down,  and  the 
whole  place  is  a  complete  wreck.  I  know  of  no  temple  which 
has  been  subjected  to  such  violence,  unless  it  be  that  of  Soleb 
in  Dar  El-Mahass. 

Below  the  temple  we  passed  the  Bab  (Gate)  El-Kalabshee. 
where  the  river  is  hemmed  in  between  enormous  boulders  of 
granite  and  porphyry.  The  morning  was  cold  and  dark,  and 
had  there  been  firs  instead  of  palms,  I  could  have  believed  my* 
self  on  some  flood  among  the  hills  of  Norway.  I  urged  on  the 
boys,  as  I  wished  to  reach  Dabdd  before  dark,  and  as  Ali,  who 
was  anxious  to  get  back  to  Egypt,  took  a  hand  at  tho  oar  oc« 
casionally,  our  boat  touched  the  high  bank  below  the  temple 
just  after  sunset  There  is  a  little  village  near  the  place,  and 
the  reapers  in  the  ripe  wheat-fields  behind  it  were  closing  their 
day's  labor.  One  old  man,  who  had  no  doubt  been  a  servant 
in  Cairo,  greeted  me  with  ^^  buona  sera  /  "  Achmet  followed, 
to  keep  off  the  candidates  for  backsheesh  and  I  stood  alone  io 


504  JOUIINET   TO    CEKTRAl    AFRICA. 

the  portico  of  the  temple,  just  as  the  evening  star  began  ie 
twinkle  in  the  fading  amber  and  rose.  Like  Kalabshee,  the 
temple  is  of  the  times  of  the  Caesars,  and  unfinished.  There 
arc  three  chambers,  the  interior  walls  of  which  are  covered 
with  sculptures,  but  little  else  is  represented  than  the  offerings 
to  the  gods.  Indeed,  none  of  the  sculptures  in  the  temples  of 
the  Csesars  have  the  historic  interest  of  those  of  the  Eighteenth 
Egyptian  dynasty.  The  object  of  the  later  architects  appearp 
to  have  been  merely  to  cover  the  walls,  and  consequently  wo 
find  an  endless  repetition  of  the  same  subjects.  The  novice  in 
Egyptian  art  might  at  first  le  deceived  by  the  fresher  appear- 
ance of  the  figures,  their  profusion  and  the  neatness  of  their 
chiselling;  butalit*:le  experience  will  satisfy  him  how  truly 
superior  were  the  ancient  workmen,  both  in  the  design  and 
execution  of  their  historic  sculptures.  In  Dabod,  I  saw  the 
last  of  the  Nubian  temples,  in  number  nearly  equal  to  those 
of  Egypt,  and  after  Thebes,  quite  equal  to  them  in  interest 
No  one  who  has  not  been  beyond  Assouan,  can  presume  to  say 
that  he  has  a  thorough  idea  of  Egyptian  art.  And  the  Nile, 
the  glorious  river,  is  only  half  known  by  those  who  forsake 
him  at  Philds. 

After  dark,  we  floated  past  the  Shaymt-el-Wah,  a  powerful 
eddy  or  whirlpool  in  the  stream,  and  in  the  night  cam^  to  a 
small  village  within  hearing  of  the  Cataract.  Here  the  rais 
had  his  family,  and  stopped  to  see  them.  "We  lay  there  quiet 
ly  the  rest  of  the  night,  but  with  the  first  glimpse  of  light  I 
was  stirring,  and  called  him  to  his  duty.  The  dawn  was  deep- 
eumg  into  a  clear  golden  whiteness  in  the  East,  but  a  few 
large  stars  were  sparkling  overhead,  as  we  approached  Phike. 
Its   long  colonnades   of  light   sandstone    glimmered   in   the 


AHKIVAL   AT   AdSOUAK.  6Dfi 

shadows  of  the  palms,  between  the  dark  masses  of  the  moun- 
tains  on  either  hand,  and  its  tall  pylons  rose  beyond,  distinct 
ugainst  the  sky.  The  little  hamlets  on  the  shores  were  still  is 
the  hush  of  sleep,  and  there  was  no  sound  to  disturb  the  im> 
pression  of  that  fairy  picture.  The  pillars  of  the  airy  chape) 
of  Athor  are  perfect  in  their  lightness  and  grace,  when  seen 
thus  from,  a  boat  coming  down  the  river,  with  the  palm-groves 
behind  them  and  the  island-quay  below.  "We  glided  softly 
past  that  vision  of  silence  and  beauty,  took  the  rapid  between 
the  gates  of  granite,  and  swept  down  to  the  village  at  the  head 
of  the  Cataract.  The  sun  had  just  risen,  lighting  up  the  fleet 
of  trading  boats  at  anchor,  and  the  crowds  of  Arabs,  Egyptianfi 
and  Barabras  on  the  beach.  The  two  English  dahabiyehs  I 
had  been  chasing  were  rowed  out  for  the  descent  of  the  Cata- 
ract, as  I  jumped  ashore  and  finished  my  travels  in  Nubia. 


22 


#M  JOOftNKT  TO  CSHTRJJ.  AVBIOA. 


CHAPTEK    XXXIX. 

TOTAOE      DOWN      THE      KILE. 

&0o«a»— A  Boat  ibr  Cairo— English  Tourists— A  Hettd-wind— Ophtiialmifr— Bsneli— J 
Ibuninfed  Pili  cess— Ali  Effendi's  Stories— A  Donkey  Aftlte— Antvil  at  Lava^ 
The  Egyptian  Aatumn— A  Day  at  Tbebos— Songs  of  the  Sailors— Ali  leaves  m»— 
Bide  to  Dendera— Head-winds  again— Visit  to  Tahtah— The  Hoose  of  BofU  Bey. 

I  BEACHED  the  Egyptian  frontier  on  the  morning  of  the  six- 
teenth of  March,  haying  been  forty  days  in  making  the  joar> 
ney  from  Khartoam.  Immediately  upon  our  arrival,  I  took  a 
donkey  and  rode  around  the  Cataract  to  Assouan,  leaving  All 
to  take  care  of  the  baggage-camels.  I  went  directly  to  the 
beach,  where  a  crowd  of  vessels  were  moored,  in  expectation 
of  the  caravans  of  gum  from  the  South.  An  Egyptian  Bey, 
going  to  Khartoum  in  the  train  of  Kustum  Pasha,  had  arrived 
the  day  before  in  a  small  dahabiyeh,  and  the  captain  thereof 
immediately  offered  it  to  me  for  the  return  to  Cairo.  It  was 
a  neat  and  beautiful  little  vessel,  with  a  clean  cabin,  couch, 
divnn,  and  shady  portico  on  deck.  He  asked  twelve  hundred 
piastres ;  I  offered  him  nine  hundred ;  we  agreed  on  a  thou< 
sand,  and  when  my  camels  arrived  there  was  a  new  refuge  pre- 
pared for  my  household  gods.     I  set  Achmet  to  work  at  get 


BNQLISH   TOI^RISTS.  50*1 

ting  the  necessary  supplies,  setit  the  rais  to  bake  bread  for  the 
voyage,  and  then  went  to  see  the  jolly,  flat-nosed  Governor. 
He  received  me  very  cordially,  and  had  a  great  deal  to  say  of 
the  unparalleled  herd  of  travellers  on  the  Nile  daring  the 
winter.  Ninety-six  vessels  and  eleven  steamboats  had  reached 
tho  harbor  of  Assouan,  and  of  these  the  greater  number  were 
Americans.  ''  Mashallah  !  your  countrymen  must  be  very 
rich,"  said  the  Governor. 

When  I  left  the  divan,  the  firing  of  guns  announced  the 
safe  arrival  of  the  English  boats  below  the  Cataract  Very 
soon  I  saw  two  burnt-faced,  tarbooshed  individuals,  with  eye- 
glasses in  their  eyes,  strolling  up  the  beach.  For  once  I 
threw  off  the  reserve  which  a  traveller  usually  feels  towards 
every  one  speaking  his  own  language,  and  accosted  them. 
They  met  my  advances  half-way,  and  before  long  my  brain 
was  in  a  ferment  of  French  and  English  politics.  Europe  was 
still  quiet  then,  but  how  unlike  the  quiet  of  the  Orient  1  The 
Englishmen  had  plenty  of  news  for  me,  but  knew  nothing  of 
the  news  I  most  wanted^-^those  of  my  own  country.  Had  our 
positions  been  reversed,  the  result  would  have  been  different 
They  left  at  sunset  for  the  return  to  Thebes,  but  I  was  detain- 
ed until  noon  the  next  day,  when  I  set  off  in  company  with 
the  boat  of  Signer  Drovetti,  of  Alexandria,  who  left  Khar- 
toum a  few  days  after  me.  I  had  six  men,  but  only  two  of 
them  were  good  oarsmen. 

In  the  morning,  when  I  awoke,  tho  broken  pylon  of  Ombos 
tottered  directly  over  the  boat.  I  rushed  on  deck  in  time  to 
catch  another  sight  of  the  beautiful  double  portico,  looking 
down  from  the  drifted  sands.  The  wind  blew  very  strongly 
from  tlie  north,  but  in  the  afternoon  we  succeeded  in  reaching 


508  JOURKBY  TO  OSKTRAL  AWBICA, 

Sjebel  Silsileli,  where  the  English  boats  were  moored.  Wc 
exchaDged  pistol  salutes,  and  I  ran  up  to  the  hank  to  yisit 
some  curious  sculptured  tablets  and  grottoes,  which  we  did  not 
ice  on  the  upward  voyage.  During  the  night  the  wind 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  all  the  boats  were  obliged  to 
lay  to  The  morning  found  our  four  dahabiyehs  floating  slow- 
ly down  in  company,  crossing  from  side  to  side  transversely,  in 
order  to  make  a  little  headway.  After  three  or  four  hours, 
however,  the  wind  grew  so  strong  that  they  were  driven  up 
stream,  and  all  ran  to  the  lee  of  a  high  bank  for  shelter. 
There  we  lay  nearly  all  day.  The  Englishmen  went  ashore 
and  shot  quails,  but  I  lounged  on  my  divan,  unable  to  do  any 
thing,  for  the  change  from  the  dry,  hot  desert  air,  to  the  damp 
Nile  blasts,  brought  on  an  inflammation  of  the  eyes,  resembling 
ophthalmia.  I  was  unable  to  read  or  write,  and  had  no  reme- 
dies except  water,  which  I  tried  both  warm  and  cold,  with 
very  little  effect. 

Towards  evening  the  wind  fell ;  after  dark  we  passed  the 
pylon  of  Edfoo,  and  at  noon  the  next  day  reached  Esneh.  1 
went  at  once  to  the  temple,  so  beautiful  in  my  memory,  yet 
still  more  beautiful  when  I  saw  it  again.  The  boys  who 
admitted  me,  lifted  the  lids  of  the  large  coffin  and  showed  the 
royal  mummies,  which  arc  there  crumbling  to  pieces  from  the 
neglect  of  the  Egyptian  authorities,  who  dug  them  up  at 
Goorneh.  The  coffins  were  of  thick  plank  and  still  sound,  the 
wood  having  become  exceedingly  dry  and  light  The  mum- 
mies were  all  more  or  less  mutilated,  but  the  heads  of  some 
were  well  preserved.  In  form,  they  differ  considerably  from 
the  Arab  head  of  the  present  day,  showing  a  better  balance  of 
the  intellectual  and  moral  faculties.     On  one  of  them  the  haij 


kU.  EFFENDfs  STORIES.  509 

was  still  fresH  and  nncorrupted.  It  was  of  a  finu,  silky  tex- 
ture and  a  bright  aubnrn  color.  The  individual  was  a  womau; 
with  a  very  symmetrical  head,  and  small,  regular  features. 
She  may  have  been  a  beauty  once,  but  nothiug  could  be  more 
hideou&  I  pulled  off  a  small  lock  of  hair,  and  took  it  with 
mo  as  a  curious  relic.  Esneh  appeared  much  more  beautiful 
to  me  than  on  my  upward  journey ;  possibly,  by  contrast  with 
the  mud-built  houses  of  Soudan.  I  went  to  a  coffee-shop  and 
smoked  a  sheeshehy  while  the  muezzin  called  down  from  the 
mosque  in  front :  "  God  is  great ;  there  is  no  God  but  God ; 
Mohammed  is  the  Prophet  of  God." 

Ali  Effendi,  the  agent  of  the  Moodir,  or  Governor,  came 
to  see  me  and  afterwards  went  on  board  my  vessel.  As  the 
wind  was  blowing  so  furiously  that  we  could  not  leave,  I  invit- 
ed him  to  dinner,  and  in  the  meantime  we  had  a  long  talk  on 
afrites  and  other  evil  spirits.  I  learned  many  curious  things 
concerning  Arabic  faith  in  such  matter&  The  belief  in  spirits 
is  universal,  although  an  intelligent  Arab  will  not  readily  con- 
fess the  fact  to  a  Frank,  unless  betrayed  into  it  by  a  simulated 
belief  on  the  part  of  the  latter.  Ali  Effendi  informed  me  that 
the  spirit  of  a  man  who  is  killed  by  violence,  haunts  the  spot 
where  his  body  is  buried,  until  the  number  of  years  has  elapsed, 
which  he  would  otherwise  have  lived.  He  stated,  with  the 
greatest  earnestness,  that  formerly,  in  passing  at  night  ovef 
the  plain  between  Embabeh  and  the  Pyramids,  where  Napo- 
leon defeated  the  Mamelukes,  he  had  frequently  heard  a  con* 
fusion  of  noises,— cries  of  pain,  and  agony,  and  wrath — bat 
that  now  there  were  but  few  sounds  to  be  heard,  as  the  time  of 
Bervice  of  the  ghosts  had  for  the  most  part  expired. 

One  of  his  personal  experiences  with  an  afrite  amused  me 


510  JOURNKt'  TO   OINTRAL  AFBICA. 

exoeedingij.  He  was  walking  one  nig^t  on  the  road  from 
Cairo  to  Shoobra,  when  he  suddenly  saw  a  donkey  before  him. 
As  he  was  somewhat  &tigoed,  and  the  donkey  did  not  i^peai 
to  have  an  owner,  he  mounted,  and  was  riding  along  very 
pleasantly,  when  he  was  startled  by  the  fiict  that  the  animal 
was  gradoally  increasing  in  sise.  In  a  few  minutes  it  beoams 
nearly  as  large  as  a  camel ;  and  he  thereby  knew  that  it  was 
no  donkey,  but  an  afrite.  At  first  he  was  in  such  terror  that 
the  hairs  of  his  beard  stood  straight  out  from  his  fiioe,  but 
suddenly  remembering  that  an  afrite  may  be  brought  to  reyeal 
his  true  nature  by  wounding  him  with  a  sharp  instrument,  he 
oautiously  drew  his  dagger  and  was  about  to  plunge  it  into  the 
creature's  back.  The  donkey-fiend,  however,  kept  a  sharp 
watch  upc>n  htni  with  one  of  his  eyes,  which  was  turned  bade- 
wards,  and  no  sooner  saw  the  dagger  than  he  contracted  to 
his  original  shape,  shook  off  his  rider  and  whisked  away  with  a 
yell  of  infernal  laughter,  and  the  jeering  exclamation :  "  Ha  I 
ha !  you  want  to  ride,  do  you  ?  '* 

We  had  scarcely  left  Esneh  before  a  fresh  gale  arose,  and 
kept  us  tossing  about  in  the  same  spot  all  night.  These 
blasts  on  the  Nile  cause  a  rise  of  waves  which  so  shako  the 
vessel  that  one  sometimes  feels  a  premonition  of  sea-sickness. 
They  whistle  drearily  through  the  ropes,  like  a  gale  on  the 
open  sea  The  air  at  these  times  is  filled  with  a  gray  haze, 
and  the  mountain  chains  on  either  hand  have  a  dim,  watery 
loom,  like  that  of  mountains  along  the  sea-coast.  For  half  a 
da^  I  lay  in  sight  of  Esneh,  but  during  the  following  night,  as 
there  was  no  wind,  I  could  not  sleep  for  the  songs  of  the  sail- 
ors. The  sunrise  touched  the  colonnade  of  Luxor.  I  slept 
bejond  my  usual  time,  and  on  going  out  of  the  cabin  wha) 


THBBES '  R1EVISITED.  *         611 

iiflould  I  see  but  iny  former  guide,  Hassan,  leading  down  the 
beach  the  same  little  brown  mare  on  which  I  had  raced  with 
him  around  Karnak.  We  mounted  and  rode  again  down  thf 
now  familiar  road,  but  the  harvests  whose  planting  I  had  wit 
nossed  in  December  were  standing  ripe  or  already  gathered  ia 
It  was  autumn  in  Egypt.  The  broad  rings  of  clay  were 
beaten  for  threshing  floors,  and  camels,  laden  with  stacks  of 
wheat-sheaves  paced  slowly  towards  them  over  the  stubble 
fields.  Herds  of  donkeys  were  to  be  seen  constantly,  carrying 
hcayy  sacks  of  wheat  to  the  magazines,  and  the  capacious 
freight-boats  were  gathering  at  the  towns  along  the  Nile  to 
carry  off  the  winter's  produce. 

It  was  a  bright,  warm  and  quiet  day  that  I  spent  at 
Thebes.  The  great  plain,  girdled  by  its  t^^ee  mountain- 
chains,  lay  in  a  sublime  repose.  There  was  fio  irayeller  there, 
and,  as  the  people  were  expecting  none,  they  had  already  given 
up  the  ruins  to  their  summer  silence  and  loneliness.  I  had  no 
company,  on  either  side  of  the  rivor,  but  my  former  guides, 
who  had  now  become  as  old  friends.  We  rode  to  Karnak,  to 
Medeenet  Abou,  to  the  Memnoniom,  and  the  Colossi  of  the 
Plain.  The  ruins  had  now  not  only  a  memory  for  me,  but  a 
language.  They  no  longer  crushed  me  with  their  cold,  stem, 
incomprehensible  grandeur.  I  was  calm  as  the  Sphinx,  whose 
lips  no  longer  closed  on  a  mystery.  I  had  gotten  over  the 
awe  of  %  neophyte,  and,  though  so  little  had  been  revealed  t 
me,  walked  among  the  temples  with  the  feelings  of  a  master. 
Let  no  one  condemn  this  expression  as  presumptuous,  foi 
Dothing  is  so  simple  as  Art,  when  once  we  have  the  clue  to  her 
infinite  meanings. 

White  among  the  many  white  days  of  my  travel  that  daj 


512  JOURNEY  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

at  Thebes  is  registered ;  and  if  I  left  with  pain,  and  the  vast 
regret  wo  feel  on  taming  away  from  such  spots,  at  least  I  took 
with  me  the  joy  that  Thebes,  the  mighty  and  the  eternal,  was 
greater  to  me  in  its  living  reality  than  it  had  ever  been  in  all 
the  shadow-pictures  my  anticipation  had  drawn.  Nor  did  the 
faultless  pillars  of  the  Memnonium,  nor  the  obelisks  of  Kar* 
nak,  take  away  my  delight  in  the  humbler  objects  which  kept  a 
recognition  for  me.  The  horses,  whose  desert  blood  sent  its 
contagion  into  mine ;  the  lame  water-boy,  always  at  my  elbow 
with  his  earthen  bottle ;  the  grave  guides,  who  considered  my 
smattering  of  Arabic  as  something  miraculous,  and  thence 
dubbed  me  "  Taylor  Effendi ; "  the  half-naked  Fellahs  in  the 
harvest-fields,  who  remembered  some  idle  joke  of  mine, — all 
these  combined  to  touch  the  great  landscape  with  a  home-like 
influence,  and  to  make  it  seem,  in  some  wise,  like  an  old  rest- 
ing-place of  my  heart.  Mustapha  Achmet  Aga,  the  English 
agent  at  Luxor,  had  a  great  deal  to  tell  me  of  the  squabbles  of 
travellers  during  the  winter :  how  the  beach  was  lined  with 
foreign  boats  and  the  temples  crowded  day  after  day  with 
scores  of  visitors ;  how  these  quarrelled  with  their  dragomen, 
and  those  with  their  boatmen,  and  the  latter  with  each  other, 
till  I  thanked  Heaven  for  having  kept  me  away  from  Thebes 
at  such  a  riotous  period. 

Towards  evening  there  was  a  complete  calm,  and  every  thing 
was  so  favorable  for  our  downward  voyage  that  I  decliped 
Mustapha's  invitation  to  dine  with  him  the  next  day,  and  set 
off  for  Kenneh.  The  sailors  rowed  lustily,  my  servant  Ali 
taking  the  leading  oar.  Ali  was  beside  himself  with  joy,  at 
the  prospect  of  reaching  his  home  and  astonishing  his  family 
with  his  marvellous  adventures  in  Soudan.     He  led  the  chorus 


SONGS   OF   THE   SAILORS.  619 

with  a  Toice  so  strong  and  cbccrj  that  it  rang  from  shore  ia 
shore.  As  I  was  unable  to  write  or  read,  I  sat  on  deck,  with 
the  boy  Hossayn  at  my  elbow  to  replenish  the  pipe  as  occasior 
required,  and  listened  to  the  songs  of  the  sailors.  Their 
repertory  was  so  large  that  I  was  unable  to  exhaust  it  during 
the  voyage.  One  of  their  favorite  songs  was  in  irregular 
trochaio  lines,  consisting  of  alternate  questions  and  answers, 
such  as  "  ed'dodkan  el-Uboodeh  fayn  ?  "  (where's  the  shop  of 
the  cotton  caps  ?)  sung  by  the  leader,  to  which  the  chorus  re- 
sponded :  "  Bahari  Luxor  heshiuoytayn.^^  (A  little  to  the 
northward  of  Luxor).  Another  favorite  chorus  was  :  Imlal- 
imldl-imldlee  !  "  (Fill,  fill,  fill  to  me  !)  Many  of  the  songs 
were  of  too  broad  a  character  to  be  translated,  but  there  were 
two  of  a  more  refined  nature,  and  these,  from  the  mingled 
passion,  tenderness  and  melancholy  of  the  airs  to  which  they 
were  sung,  became  great  favorites  of  mine.* 

*  I  give  the  following  translations  of  these  two  songs,  as  nearly  litet* 

al  as  possible : 

L 

Look  at  me  with  your  eyes,  O  gazelle,  O  gazelle  1  The  blossom  of 
your  cheeks  is  dear  to  me ;  yoar  breasts  burst  the  silk  of  your  vest ;  I 
cannot  loose  the  shawl  about  your  waist ;  it  sinks  into  your  soft  waist 
"Who  possesses  you  is  blessed  by  heaven.  Look  at  me  with  your  eyes, 
O  gazelle,  O  gazelle  1  Your  forehead  is  like  the  moon ;  your  face  is 
foirer  than  all  the  flowers  of  the  garden;  your  bed  is  of  diamonds;  h€ 
IB  richer  than  a  King  who  can  sleep  thereon.  Look  at  me  with  your 
eyes,  0  gazelle,  0  gazelle  I 

IL 

O  night,  0  night — 0  darling,  I  lie  on  the  sands.     I  languish  for  the 

light  of  your  face ;  if  you  do  not  have  pity  on  me,  I  shall  die. 
0  night,  O  night — 0  darling,  I  lie  on  the  sands.    I  have  changed  coior 

22* 


514  JOURNEY  TO    CENTRAL   AFRICA. 

Before  sunrise  we  reached  Kenndi.  Here  I  ivas  obliged 
to  stop  a  day  to  let  the  men  bake  their  bread,  and  I  employed 
the  time  in  taking  a  Turkish  bath  and  revisiting  the  temple  of 
Dondcra.  My  servant  All  left  me,  as  his  family  resided  in 
the  place.  I  gave  him  a  good  present,  in  consideration  of  his 
service  duriog  the  toilsome  journey  we  had  just  closed.  He 
kissed  my  hand  very  gratefully,  and  I  felt  some  regret  at 
parting  with,  as  I  believed,  an  honest  servant,  and  a  worthy, 
though  wild  young  fellow.  What  was  my  mortification  on 
discovering  the  next  day  that  he  had  stolen  from  me  the  beau* 
tiful  stick,  which  had  been  given  me  in  Khartoum  by  the  Sul- 
tana Nasra.  The  actual  worth  of  the  stick  was  trifling,  but  the 
iction  betrayed  an  ingratitude  which  I  had  not  expected,  even 
In  an  Arab.  I  had  a  charming  ride  to  Dendera,  over  the  fra 
grant  grassy  plain,  rippled  by  the  warm  west  wind.  I  was  ac- 
companied only  by  the  Fellah  who  owned  my  donkey — an  amia 
ble  fellow,  who  told  me  many  stories  about  the  robbers  who  used 
formerly  to  come  in  from  the  Desert  and  plunder  the  country 
We  passed  a  fine  field  of  wheat,  growing  on  land  which  had 
been  uncultivated  for  twenty  years.  My  attendant  said  that 
this  was  the  work  of  a  certain  Efiendi,  who,  having  seen  the 
neglected  field,  said  that  it  was  wrong  to  let  God's  good  ground 
lie  idle,  and  so  planted  it.  "  But  he  was  truly  a  good  man," 
he  added ;  "  and  that  is  the  reason  why  the  crop  is  so  good. 
If  he  had  been  a  bad  man,  the  wheat  would  not  have  grown  so 
dnely  as  you  see  it." 

fi^m  my  longing  and  my  sorrow ;  you  only  can  restore  me,  O  m} 
darhng. 
0  night,  O  night — O  darling,  I  lie  on  the  sands.    O  dailing,  taice  me  in: 
give  me  a  place  by  youi  side,  or  I  must  go  back   rretched  to  my 
own  country 


DI8CSNDINO   THE   NILS.  51 A 

For  three  days  afber  leaying  Kenneh,  a  forions  bead- wind 
did  its  best  to  beat  me  back,  and  in  tbat  time  we  only  made 
sixty  miles.  I  sighed  when  I  thought  of  the  heaps  of  letters 
awaiting  me  in  Cairo,  and  Achmet  could  not  sleep,  from  the 
desire  of  seeing  his  family  once  more.  He  considered  himself 
as  one  risen  from  the  dead.  He  had  heard  in  Luxor  that  his 
wife  was  alarmed  at  his  long  absence,  and  that  his  little  son 
went  daily  to  Boulak  to  make  inquiries  among  the  returning 
boats.  Besides,  my  eyes  were  no  better.  I  could  not  go 
ashore,  as  we  kept  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  my  only 
employment  was  to  lounge  on  the  outside  divan  and  gossip 
with  the  rai's.  One  evening,  when  the  sky  was  overcast,  and 
the  wind  whirled  through  the  palm-trees,  we  saw  a  boy  on  the 
bank  crying  for  his  brother,  who  had  started  to  cross  the  river 
but  was  no  longer  to  be  seen.  Presently  an  old  man  came  out 
to  look  for  him,  in  a  hollow  palm-log,  which  rolled  on  the 
rough  waves.  We  feared  the  boy  had  been  drowned,  but  not 
long  afterwards  came  upon  him,  drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the 
current,  having  broken  his  oar.  By  the  old  man's  assistance 
he  got  back  to  the  shore  in  safety. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  wind  ceased.  The  Lotus  floated 
down  the  stream  as  lightly  as  the  snowy  blossom  whose  name 
I  gave  her.  We  passed  Grirgeh,  Ekhmin ;  and  at  noon  we 
brushed  the  foot  of  J)jebel  Shekh  Hereedee  and  reached  the 
landing-place  of  Tahtah.  I  had  a  letter  from  Kufaa  Bey  in 
Khartoum  to  his  family  in  the  latter  town,  and  accordingly 
walked  thither  through  fields  of  superb  wheat,  heavy  with 
ripeniug  ears.  Tahtah  is  a  beautiful  old  town ;  the  houses  are 
of  burnt  brick ;  the  wood-work  shows  the  same  fanciful  Sara- 
cenic patterns  as  in  Cairo,  and  the  bazaar  is  as  ouiet,  dim  and 


516  JOURNET  TO  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

spicy  as  an  Oriental  dream.  I  found  the  Bey's  house,  and 
delivered  my  letter  through  a  slave.  The  wife,  or  wives,  whc 
remained  in  the  hareem,  invisible,  entertained  me  with  coffee 
and  pipes,  in  the  same  manner,  while  a  servant  went  to  bring 
the  Bey's  sou  from  school.  Two  Copts,  who  had  assisted  me  in 
finding  the  house,  sat  in  the  court-yard,  and  entertained  them- 
selves with  speculations  concerning  my  journey,  not  supposing 
that  I  understood  them.  ''  Grirgos,*'  said  one  to  the  other, 
'^  the  Frank  must  have  a  great  deal  of  money  to  spend. '^ 
"  You  may  well  say  that; "  his  friend  replied,  "  this  journey 
to  Souddn  must  have  cost  h[m  at  least  three  hundred  purses.'* 
In  a  short  time  the  Bey's  son  came,  accompanied  by  the 
schoolmaster.  He  was  a  weak,  languid  boy  of  eight  or  nine 
years  old,  and  our  interview  was  not  very  interesting.  I  there- 
fore sent  the  slave  to  bring  donkeys  and  we  redo  book  to  the 
boat. 


nOUT   IN    HAHVE8T-TIUB.  SI'S 


CHAPTER    XL. 

THE     RETURN      TO      CAIRO CONCLUfilOK. 

Bioat  In  Harreflt-tiine— A  kind  Englishwoman— A  Slight  Experience  of  Ilasbeeali- 
The  Calm— Rapid  Progress  down  the  Nile— The  Last  Day  of  the  Yojage— Arrival 
at  Cairo— Tourists  preparing  for  the  Desert — Parting  with  Achmet— Oonclnsion. 

We  reached  Siout  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-eighth  of 
March,  twelve  days  after  leaving  Assouan.  I  had  seen  the 
town,  daring  the  Spring  of  an  Egyptian  November,  glittering 
over  seas  of  lusty  clover  and  young  wheat,  and  thought  it  never 
could  look  so  lovely  again ;  but  as  I  rode  up  the  long  dyke, 
overlooking  the  golden  waves  of  harvest,  and  breathing  the 
balm  wafted  from  lemon  groves  spangled  all  over  with  their 
milky  bloom,  I  knew  not  which  picture  to  place  in  my  mind's 
gallery.  I  remained  half  a  day  in  the  place,  partly  for  old  ao- 
quamtance  sake,  and  partly  to  enjoy  the  bath,  the  cleanest  and 
most  luxurious  in  Egypt.  I  sought  for  some  relief  to  my 
eyes,  and  as  they  continued  to  pain  me  considerably,  I  wont 
on  board  an  English  boat  which  had  arrived  before  me,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  some  medicine  adapted  to  my  case.  The  trav- 
ellers were  a  most  innocent-faced  Englishman  and  his  wife-— a 
beautiful,  home-like  little  creature,  with  as  kind  a  heart  as 


518  JOURMKT  TO  OKNTRAL  AFRICA. 

erer  boat  They  Had  no  medicine,  but  somebody  had  recom- 
mended a  decoction  of  parsley,  and  the  amiable  woman  spoiled 
their  soup  to  make  me  some,  and  I  half  snspect  threw  away 
her  Eau  de  Cologne  to  get  a  bottle  to  pnt  it  in.  I  am  sure  I 
bathed  my  eyes  duly,  with  a  strong  faith  in  its  efficacy,  and 
fancied  that  they  were  actually  improving,  but  on  the  second 
day  the  mixture  turned  sour  and  I  was  thrown  back  on  my 
hot  water  and  cold  water. 

While  in  Egypt,  I  had  frequently  heard  mention  of  the 
curious  effects  produced  by  hasheesh^  a  preparation  made  from 
the  cannabis  indica.  On  reaching  Siout,  I  took  occasion  to 
buy  some,  for  the  purpose  of  testing  it.  It  was  a  sort  of  paste, 
made  of  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  mixed  with  sugar  and  spices. 
The  taste  is  aromatic  and  slightly  pungent,  but  by  no  means 
disagreeable.  About  sunset,  I  took  what  Achmet  considered 
to  be  a  large  dose,  and  waited  half  an  hour  without  feeling  the 
slightest  effect  I  then  repeated  it,  and  drank  a  cup  of  hot  tea 
immediately  afterwards.  In  about  ten  minutes,  I  became  con- 
scious of  the  gentlest  and  balmiest  feeling  of  rest  stealing  over 
me.  The  couch  on  which  I  sat  grew  soft  and  yielding  as  air  * 
my  flesh  was  purged  from  all  gross  quality,  and  became  a 
gossamer  filagree  of  exquisite  nerves,  every  one  tingling  with  a 
sensation  which  was  too  dim  and  soft  to  be  pleasure,  but  which 
resembled  nothing  else  so  nearly.  No  sum  could  have  tempt- 
ed me  to  move  a  finger.  The  slightest  shock  seemed  enough 
to  crush  a  structure  so  frail  and  delicate  as  I  had  become.  I 
telt  like  one  of  those  wonderful  sprays  of  brittle  spar  which 
hang  for  ages  in  the  unstirred  air  of  a  cavern,  but  are  shivered 
to  pieces  by  the  breath  of  the  first  explorer. 

As  this   sensation,  which   lasted  but  a  short  lime,  waa 


A  BUGHr  EXFEBIENCS   OF  HAfiHEESH.  519 

gradually  fading  away,  I  found  myself  infected  with  a  ten* 
dency  to  view  the  most  common  objects  in  a  ridiculous  light 
Achmet  was  sitting  on  one  of  the  provision  chests,  as  was  hii 
oustom  of  an  evening.  I  thought :  was  there  ever  any  thinff 
so  absurd  as  to  see  him  sitting  on  that  chest  ?  and  laughed  im- 
moderately at  the  idea.  The  turban  worn  by  the  captain  next 
put  on  such  a  quizzical  appearance  that  I  chuckled  over  it  for 
some  time.  Of  all  turbans  in  the  world  it  was  the  most  ludi* 
orous.  Various  other  things  affected  me  in  like  manner,  and 
at  last  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  eyes  were  increasing  in 
breadth.  '^  Achmet,"  I  called  out,  <<  how  is  this  ?  my  eyes  arc 
precisely  like  two  onions."  This  was  my  crowning  piece  of 
absurdity.  I  laughed  so  loud  and  long  at  the  singular  com- 
parison I  had  made,  that  when  I  ceased  from  sheer  weariness 
the  effect  was  over.  But  on  the  following  morning  my  eyes 
were  much  better,  and  I  was  able  to  write,  for  the  first  time  in 
a  weeK. 

The  calm  we  had  prayed  for  was  given  to  us.  The  Lotus 
floated,  sailed  and  was  rowed  down  the  Nile  at  the  rate  of 
seventy  miles  a  day,  all  hands  singing  in  chorus  day  and  night, 
while  the  rai's  and  his  nephew  Hossayn  beat  the  tarabooka  ox 
played  the  reedy  zumarra.  It  was  a  triumphal  march;  for 
my  six  men  outrowed  the  ten  men  of  the  Englishman.  Somo- 
times  the  latter  came  running  behind  us  till  they  were  within 
hail,  whereupon  my  men  would  stand  up  in  their  places,  and 
thundering  out  their  contemptuous  chorus  of ''  he  tdm,  idtn^ 
Isoosbarra  I "  strike  the  water  so  furiously  with  their  long 
oars,  that  their  rivals  soon  slunk  out  of  hearing.  So  we  went 
down,  all  excitement,  passing  in  one  day  a  space,  which  it  had 
taken  us  four  days  to  make,  on  our  ascent     One  day  at  Man 


ft20  JOCRKKT  TO   CKXTRAL  AIIUOA. 

^ooi ;  the  next  at  Miny^ ;  the  next  at  Beoisooef ;  the  next 
in  sight  of  the  Pynunids ;  and  ao  it  came  to  pass  that  in  spite 
of  all  my  delays  before  reaching  Sioat,  on  the  sixteenth  daj 
after  Icaring  Assouan,  I  saw  the  gray  piles  of  Dashoor  and 
Sakkara  pass  behind  me  and  grow  dim  under  the  Libyan 

UiUflL 

And  now  dawns  the  morning  of  ike  first  of  April,  1852 — a 
day  whidi  will  be  erer  memorable  to  Achmet  and  myself,  as 
that  of  our  return  to  Cairo.  When  the  first  cock  crowed  in 
some  Tillage  on  shore,  we  all  arose  and  put  the  Lotus  in  mo- 
tion. Over  the  golden  wheat-fields  of  the  western  bank  the 
pyramids  of  Dashoor  stand  clear  and  purple  in  the  distance. 
It  is  a  superb  morning ;  calm,  bright,  mild,  and  vocal  with  the 
songs  of  a  thousand  birds  among  the  palm&  Ten  o'clock 
comes,  and  Achmet,  who  has  been  standing  on  the  cabin-roof, 
cries :  '^  0  my  master !  God  be  praised !  there  are  the  mina- 
rets of  Sultan  Hassan ! "  At  noon  there  is  a  strong  head- 
wind, but  the  men  dare  not  stop.  We  rejoice  over  every  mile 
they  make.  The  minaret  of  old  Cairo  is  in  sight,  and  I  give 
the  boat  until  three  o'clock  to  reach  the  place.  If  it  fails,  I 
shall  land  and  walk.  The  wind  slackens  a  little  and  we  work 
down  towards  the  island  of  Roda,  Gizeh  on  our  left  At  last 
we  enter  the  narrow  channel  between  the  island  and  Old  Cairo; 
it  is  not  yet  three  o'clock.  I  have  my  pistols  loaded  with  a 
double  charge  of  powder.  There  are  donkeys  and  donkey-boys 
ou  the  shore,  but  Arabian  chargers  with  Persian  grooms  were 
not  a  more  welcome  sight  We  call  them,  and  a  horde  comes 
rushing  down  to  the  water.  I  fire  my  pistols  against  the  bank 
of  Roda,  stunning  the  gardeners  and  frightening  the  donkey 
boys.     Mounted  at  last,  leaving  Achmet  to  go  on  with  the 


ARRIVAL   AT   CAIRO.  521 

boat  to  Boulak,  I  dash  at  full  speed  down  the  long  street  lead, 
ing  into  the  heart  of  Cairo.  No  heed  now  of  a  broken  neck : 
away  we  go,  upsetting  Turks,  astonishing  Copts  and  making 
Christians  indignant,  till  I  pull  up  in  the  shady  alley  before 
the  British  consulate.  The  door  is  not  closed,  and  I  go  up 
Etairs  with  three  leaps  and  ask  for  letters.  None;  but  a 
quantity  of  papers  which  the  shirt  of  my  donkey-boy  is  scarce- 
ly capacious  enough  to  hold.  And  now  at  full  speed  to  my 
banker's.  "  Are  there  any  letters  for  me  ?"  "  Letters  ? — a 
drawer  full ! "  and  he  reaches  me  the  missives,  more  precious 
than  gold.  Was  not  that  a  sweet  repayment  for  my  five 
months  in  the  heat  and  silence  and  mystery  of  mid- Africa, 
when  I  sat  by  my  window,  opening  on  the  great  square  of  Cai- 
ro, fanned  by  cool  airs  from  the  flowering  lemon  groves,  with 
the  words  of  home  in  my  ears,  and  my  heart  beating  a  fervent 
response  to  the  sunset  call  from  the  minarets :  "  God  is  great  I 
Gk)d  is  merciful  1 " 


I  stayed  eight  days  in  Cairo,  to  allow  mj  eyes  time  to 
heaL  The  season  of  winter  travel  was  over,  and  the  few 
tourists  who  still  lingered,  were  about  starting  for  Palestine, 
by  way  of  Gaza.  People  were  talking  of  the  intense  heat,  and 
dreading  the  advent  of  the  Ichamseen^  or  south-wind,  so  called 
because  it  blows  fifty  days.  I  found  the  temperature  rather 
cool  than  warm,  and  the  Wiamseen^  which  blew  occasionally, 
filling  the  city  with  dust,  was  mild  as  a  zephyr,  compared  to 
the  furnace-like  blasts  of  the  African  Desert.  Gentlemen  pre 
pared  themselves  for  the  journey  across  the  Desert,  by  pur 
chasing  broad-brimmed  hats,  green  veils,  double-lined  umbre^ 


Sit  JOURKKT  TO  CKKTBAh  AFRIOA. 

laSi  tnd  blae  Bpeotaclea.  These  may  be  mil  rerj  good,  Iml  1 
luiTe  neTer  seen  the  son  nor  felt  the  heat  which  could  induce 
me  to  adopt  them.  I  would  not  exchange  my  recollections  of 
the  fierce  red  Desert,  biasing  all  over  with  intmisest  light,  fot 
any  amoont  of  green,  gaosy  sky  and  blue  sand.  And  as  for 
an  umbrella,  the  Desert  with  a  continual  shade  around  you,  » 
M>  desert  at  alL  Tou  must  let  the  Sun  lay  his  sceptre  on 
your  head,  if  you  want  to  know  his  power. 

I  left  Cairo  with  regret,  as  I  left  Thebes  and  the  White 
Nile,  and  every  other  place  whidli  giyes  one  all  that  he  came 
to  seeL  Moreover,  I  left  behind  me  my  &ithful  dragoman, 
Achmet  He  had  foimd  a  new  son  in  his  home,  but  also  an 
invalid  wife,  who  demanded  his  care,  and  so  he  was  obliged  to 
li;ive  up  the  journey  with  me  throng  Syria.  He  had  quite  en- 
deared himself  to  me  by  hb  constant  devotion,  his  activity, 
honesty  and  intelligence,  and  I  had  always  treated  him  rather 
as  a  friend  than  servant  I  believe  the  man  really  loved  me, 
for  he  turned  pale  under  all  the  darkness  of  his  skin,  when  we 
parted  at  Boulak. 

I  took  the  steamer  for  Alexandria,  and  two  or  three  days 
afterwards  sailed  for  fresh  adventures  in  another  Gontinenti 
If  the  reader,  who  has  been  my  companion  during  the  journey 
which  IS  now  closed,  should  experience  no  more  fatigue  than  I 
did,  we  may  hereafter  share  also  in  those  adventures. 


FINIS. 


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