What We Saw in Egypt Part 9

We rowed to Philae, the sacred island of the ancient Egyptians, in the evening; but it was too late for us to stay amongst the ruins. Early the following morning we left Mahatta. The weather was warm and pleasant, and on the third day the scenery began to be lovely. On both sides the banks of the river were fringed with castor-oil plants and p.r.i.c.kly mimosa; above these we saw plantations of dates and palms. The fruits of these trees are the chief food of the Nubians.

We pa.s.sed near the capital of Nubia without landing. It is a large town, and the streets are wide and busy.

We still had the desert on our left, but it was partly hidden by the broken hills fringed with acacias. The mountain Gebel Derr projects into the river; and for nearly three hours we coasted under broken rocks which rise straight up from the Nile.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF COLONNADE AT PHILae.]

After this we saw acacias on the left bank of the river, and on the right groves of palm-trees. There were numbers of peasants to be seen; some walking, some riding. The men wore long white dresses and turbans, the women blue gowns.

The wind was fair, and we hastened on, pa.s.sing some places where there were interesting ruins without stopping, and at last anch.o.r.ed here at Wadee Halfeh.

Miss Roper has been even more diligent than before in trying to teach Rahaba, who has looked very sad ever since we left Mahatta. To-day Miss Roper has been telling her the story of our Saviour's birth, and of his being laid in a manger; and how he, the King of glory, came to suffer and die for us sinners. Rahaba listens, but she shakes her head. She tries to understand and learn anything that Miss Roper teaches her. But it is only to please her mistress that she does this; and as yet she is no nearer to being a Christian than when she was in her own country.

Directly after breakfast this morning we hired donkeys to take us to the second cataract. All was still and silent as we rode over the loose, s.h.i.+fting sand of the desert. Nothing living was to be seen. We pa.s.sed some skeletons of dromedaries which had been bleached by the sun and wind. They made the silence and desolation seem the greater. After riding for about an hour and a half we came to the first rocky islands.

About an hour more brought us to the Rock of Abousir.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PAPYRUS ON THE NILE.]

The view here was indeed grand. The second cataract covers a s.p.a.ce of about seven miles in length. The river bursts its way among numberless rocky islets. Some of these are so small that they are hardly more than large stones; some are rocks of considerable size; others are larger, islands of rock and sand. Between them all the rapids rush headlong, throwing up their foam on every side. There are trees on some of the islands, and five of the largest at the northern extreme of the cataract are inhabited. Far off to the south we saw what looked like a dark-blue cloud, and were told that it was the mountains of Dongola. We wished that we could have gone to them.

On the side next the cataract the Rock of Abousir is like a straight wall. On the desert side it is a succession of crags. We found the names of various celebrated travellers on these rocks, amongst others that of Belzoni. We gazed at them with a thrill of interest, and lingered long looking at the beautiful view and scanning the names of the travellers, great and small, who had visited the rock. What would we not have given at that moment to go farther and track the grand river to its source!

But it was impossible! We must turn back at this point and begin our homeward journey down the Nile.

Wadee Halfeh, the highest point we reached on our journey up the Nile, is very picturesque. The houses are built in groups, and most of them are surrounded by palm-groves. They are of mud, but are generally larger and cleaner than those of the Egyptian peasants. We went into one. Its mistress had a double row of plaits round her forehead, oiled to an extreme degree. The people are generally well dressed and appear comfortable.

We left Wadee Halfeh at dawn, on our return down the river to Cairo, and arrived at Aboo Simbel, or Ipsambul as it is sometimes called, in time to see the temples before dusk. The sand-drifts of hundreds and hundreds of years had once covered these temples, so much so that nothing could be seen but the giant head of one statue. Burckhardt was the first traveller who discovered them. In the year, 1817, Belzoni, in company with Captain Irby and Captain Mangles, began to clear away the sand.

There are two temples. In the small temple are six giant statues, three on each side of the door. On the walls are pictures. The temple was dedicated to the G.o.ddess Athor, and her emblem was a sacred cow. Mr.

Roper told us that, in the inscriptions, the G.o.ddess is called "Lady of Aboshek," Aboshek being the ancient name of Aboo Simbel.

The front of the large temple is adorned by four enormous statues. They are seated on thrones. The heads of two are nearly perfect, and so is the face of another. We were very much struck by them. On the arms there is an oval bearing the name of the great Rameses. Over the entrance we saw a large figure with a hawk's head. Mr. Roper told us that it is a figure of the G.o.d Re. He pointed out to us the figure of Rameses offering little images of Truth and Justice to the G.o.d.

Mohammed had provided torches for us that we might see the inner chambers of the temple. The walls and ceilings were beautifully ornamented with hieroglyphic figures.

These temples must have been very grand when in their beauty, for they are grand even now in their decay. As we walked through them our thoughts went back to the time when Egypt was in her glory, when princes wors.h.i.+pped their G.o.ds in these gorgeous temples, and when priests clad in splendid robes offered their sacrifices with all the pomp of grand processions. All have pa.s.sed away. The temples of the false G.o.ds have fallen into ruin. The kings, and those who recorded their victories, are all gone. The giant ruins which are left only serve to show how great has been the decay.

Thus, "the fas.h.i.+on, of this world pa.s.seth away, and the glory of man is as the flower of the gra.s.s; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever."

The throne of our great and glorious G.o.d is in heaven; in that holy temple his faithful servants shall wors.h.i.+p him through endless ages. It knows no decay and no change.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EGYPTIAN TEMPLE.]

After pa.s.sing through several places of interest without stopping, because our time is getting short, we anch.o.r.ed last night at El Kab, and this morning started to see the tombs. They are about twenty minutes'

ride from the spot where our boat is moored. In the larger grotto we saw curious coloured pictures of the occupations of the ancient Egyptians.

In the first line the peasants are ploughing and sowing. There is a car in the field, which is supposed to show that the master has come out to overlook his workpeople.

There is an inscription in hieroglyphics which was translated by Champollion thus:

"Work, oxen, work, Bushels for you and bushels for your master."

In the second line, the peasants are reaping wheat and barley with a sickle, and pulling the doora, a kind of corn, up by its roots.

In the third line they are carrying the crops, and oxen are also treading out the ears of the wheat and barley. The doora was not trodden out. It is represented as being bound in sheaves and carried to the thres.h.i.+ng-floor, where the grain was stripped from the stalks with a p.r.o.nged instrument.

The hieroglyphics are thus translated by Birch in his _Egyptian Hieroglyphics_:

"Thrash ye for yourselves, Thrash ye for yourselves, O oxen; Thrash ye for yourselves, Thrash ye for yourselves, The straw which is yours, The corn which is your master's."

There are also pictures of winnowing, measuring, and homing the grain.

Below are the a.s.ses, pigs, goats, cattle, belonging to the owner of the tomb. They are brought to be numbered and a list made of them by his scribes.

In another part there are other scenes. There is a boat with a chariot on board. There are also men fis.h.i.+ng, catching geese, and salting fish and geese. There is also a party of guests.

Then in the last compartment is the funeral procession of the owner of the tomb--the end of all things for him. This, with some religious subjects, take up the remainder of the wall. We noticed that the Egyptian boats were large and handsomely painted--large enough to take a chariot and its two horses on board.

On the opposite side of the tomb the owner and his wife are seated, with a pet monkey close to them, tied. They are entertaining a party of guests, the men and women sitting separate; servants are handing round refreshments, and musicians, with a double pipe and a harp, are amusing the company.

These pictures of the home-life and manners of the early Egyptians have interested us very much. I certainly prefer them to the battle scenes and pictures of sacrifices to their G.o.ds.

Leaving El Kab, we next stopped at Esneh. Our sailors have been baking bread here. They bring it from the oven and spread it on the roof of the cabins, where the wind and sun dry it into a sort of biscuit.

We landed to see the temple. It is very perfect, and the pillars are of great beauty. They are about fifty feet high, and are covered with hieroglyphics. There are four rows of pillars, six in each row. On the ceiling is a zodiac, and the walls are covered with sculpture.

The villa built here by Mohammed Ali is well worth a visit. It is on the bank of the river below the town. A flight of stone steps leads up to a terrace, which is shaded by acacias and other shrubs. The palace stands in a garden; the entrance and chief rooms are large and high, and have carved wooden roofs. The pacha's rooms are very comfortably furnished, with carpets, divans, and every sort of luxury. We saw numbers of lemon, orange, cypress, acacia, and palm-trees in the garden, and hedges of Cape jessamine. Below the palace there is a delightful walk on the bank of the Nile. Altogether it is a charming retreat.

We have now an opportunity of sending letters. They will be the last you will have. For we shall delay nowhere on our way back after we have again visited the temples at this place. You may expect us in two days after this packet arrives.

"So they are really coming back," said Lucy; "I am so glad. I want very much to see Rahaba."

Hugh, who was more taken up with sight-seeing at that moment, began to make his calculations as to how much we should be able to see before the Nile party reached Cairo.

We determined to lose no time, but to set off early in the morning to see Pompey's Pillar, and such other sights as we could. The day after, we must go back to Cairo to meet our friends.

CHAPTER XII.

CONCLUSION.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

We wished to make the most of our day in Alexandria; and, at Lucy's request, went first to see Cleopatra's Needle, which, as Lucy observed, is not a needle, but an obelisk of red granite, about seventy feet high.

There were two, but one has fallen.