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A CROCODILE

GIRGEH.

Our curiosity was gratified to-day by the sight of a crocodile. He was stretched upon the sand, enjoying the bright, glowing sunshine, and, on our approach, leisurely crept into the water. He may have been seven feet in length. January 26. We made better progress to-day than we had previously done during our voyage. While retarded by the usual calm in the morning, I went on shore to enjoy a walk among the wheat-fields, and the beautiful groves acacia and palm trees. This region is increasingly populous. I came to several considerable villages in my walk of about two hours.

of

A little after 2 P.M. we passed Girgeh, on the right bank of the river, the former capital of Upper Egypt, now an important market-town with several mosques, and probably as many thousand inhabitants. I was struck with its beautiful situation on the high banks of the Nile, and its minarets towering above the graceful palm-trees, which, as usual, hide all that is disgusting on a nearer approach. Back of the city stretches an immense plain, highly cultivated, and burdened with a various and luxuriant vegetation. In front flows the broad, deep current of the river of Egypt, and Mount Mokattam, returning from one of its magnificent detours in the Desert, approaches quite to the Nile, and rises abruptly from the opposite shore to the height of several hundred feet, into forms so graceful and regular as to resemble some tasteful and venerable monument of architecture. range of mountains I must regard as one of the most remarkable and beautiful features of Egypt. It is wholly unlike any mountain I have before seen, in several respects. I speak of the Arabian chain. That on the Libyan side is similar in its general character, but it generally maintains a greater distance from the river, and I had fewer opportunities of observing it carefully. I think, too, it is much less beautiful and interesting than the Arabian chain, which is always, or nearly so, in full view, constantly inviting and

This

rewarding the gazing eye. I have already spoken of the golden, autumnal colouring with which the elements, too gentle here to deface or destroy, have clothed it, as with a garment of soft, heavenly radiance. Seen at a little distance, it has the appearance of an immense wall of regular masonry. The eye, dazzled and delighted with the mellow lights that are reflected from its radiant cliffs, is unable or unwilling to dwell upon blemishes. A nearer approach discloses a number of shelves and breaks in the rock, and the declivity is in some places so gentle as to be ascended without much difficulty. The side next the river is composed, for the most part, of regular horizontal strata, rising, tier above tier, like a pile of masonry. Occasionally these strata are undulating, still maintaining a surprising degree of regularity, and in a few places they dip at a considerable angle towards the Desert or the river. It must be admitted that, in the whole extent of this long range, there are many deviations from the degree of order and comparative regularity which I have described. The rock assumes a wide variety of aspects and forms; but they are always agreeable to the eye and remarkably graceful. It varies in height from 100 or 200 to 1000 or 1500 feet; while the changes in altitude are generally so gradual as hardly to be observed; sections of the mountain, extending many miles in length, seem to be of a height perfectly uniform. The eye, in ranging along their even summit, is unable to detect the slightest deviation from a right line. This range of mountains, so remarkable in many interesting particulars, during its long course of several hundred miles, alternately approaches quite to the bank of the river, and recedes from it, sweeping away several miles into the Desert, and enclosing in its ample embrace a broad plain, beautiful and fertile, which it protects against the inundations of sand with its impregnable bulwarks; when it returns again to expose its base to the waves of the fraternal Nile. I know

not how many of these semicircular plains we have passed, but this is the prevailing structure of the country.

When seen by moonlight, which is here very brilliant, or when lit up by the rays of the rising or setting sun, these mountains acquire additional and peculiar beauty.

Our difficulties with our worthless rais return every evening. Indeed, we are always annoyed by his indolence and misconduct, except when there is not wind enough to propel the boat at a good rate; then, having nothing to do, he is sometimes harmless. As usual, he turned towards the shore before the proper time this evening. As the wind was still sufficient to enable us to advance against the current, Mr. J. demanded why he deviated from the course. The rais said he was preparing to tack in order to pass an elbow in the river just before us. He proceeded till the boat nearly touched the bank, when Mr. J. ordered him to turn into the stream, which he refused, and said he should stop there for the night. Messrs. C. and J. took the setting-poles and pushed off into the river, when the rais turned back again to the shore, and ordered the men to land. We at length succeeded, with much difficulty, in getting under sail again, compelling the rais to take an oar and work with the men in carrying the boat out into the stream. Nothing can be more disagreeable and painful than these incessant altercations. An irresolute man, who had not time and patience to be delayed and imposed upon at the discretion of these barbarians, would certainly be compelled to give up the voyage, or procure another boat, which, I suppose, could not be done in this region. We have determined to apply to the governor of the next town to displace the rais and appoint one of the men in his place, a Nubian, who understands his business, and is not deficient in industry. We have three Nubians on board, all distinguished for their orderly conduct and attention to their duty. But for them I think we must have abandoned our voyage. We should

WALK ON SHORE.

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certainly have been greatly retarded. These people are reckoned the best sailors upon the river, and are selected by the pacha to man his fleet. They are also preferred to the Arabs as domestic servants, being more industrious, as well as honest.

CHAPTER X.

Walk on Shore.-Curiosity of the Fellahs.-Low Prices.-Doura.-Crocodiles.-Buffaloes.-Domestic Animals.-Tardy Progress.-Rural Villages.-Dogs.-Water Carriers.-Early Devotions.-Idleness and Disgusting Habits of the People.-Pigeon-houses and Pigeons.-Interior of an Arab Cottage.-Gheneh.-Valley of Coseir.-Overland Route to India.-Interesting Manufactures.-Arraignment of the Rais.—An impartial Judge. -Aspect of the Country.-Cultivation.-The Palm-tree.-Its manifold Uses.-Thebaid Palm.-Encroachments of the Desert.-Cowardice of the Boatmen.-The African Wind.-Singular Appearance.--The American Flag.

We left our mooring earlier than usual this morning (January 27). Our people move with more celerity, and show greater readiness to obey. As to the rais, he keeps quiet, leaving the direction of affairs, as usual, pretty much to the old Nubian. He seems to have no respect or sympathy from the crew, among whom discipline and subordination are little known. We have several times heard them call him a fool, and reproach him with knowing nothing of his duty or of the river.

We took a long walk upon the shore, passing by large fields of wheat, and several populous villages. The sun was oppressively hot before 8 o'clock, and I had reason to regret having left my umbrella on board. We at length stopped near a village under the shade of some palm-trees, waiting for the boat, which had fallen far behind us, though we had proceeded at a very moderate pace; so tedious is this navigation, and so indolent are the men, who hardly exceed

One

a mile and a half an hour in towing. The place where we stopped was at a considerable distance from the village; not so far, however, as to save us from the annoyance of the crowd, who, to the number of fifty or sixty, soon thronged us. We had some difficulty to avoid contact with them, so eager was their curiosity. Many of the children and boys were naked, and, with a few exceptions, all the rest were clad in the most vile and tattered habiliments. of the women had brought a few eggs for sale, and upon our servant's showing a little inclination to buy, several boys and girls, in a state of nudity, ran away to the village, and soon returned with an additional supply. We bought all they had, fifty-six in number, for which they asked only one piaster. Our crew, who make all their purchases at better rates than we do, stopped in the village, and bought seventy-five for the same sum. Other articles of food are rather dearer in proportion. A large chicken costs one piaster, or one and a half. We have bought beef at half a piaster the pound, sometimes for less. The common bread of the country is sold here at the incredibly low price of fifteen or sixteen pounds the piaster. It is made of a grain called doura, which grows upon a tall slender stalk, not unlike broom-corn. The grain has some resemblance to barley, and makes a nutritious and not unpalatable bread. It is planted very thick, and yields abundantly. The straw or stalk is used as fuel for cooking and to burn lime, for the roofs of cottages, &c. One species of the doura thrives well without irrigation, and is much cultivated on the high banks of the river, which are not flooded by the inundation. This constitutes the chief food of the common people in this part of Egypt. It is not so generally used as low down the country as Cairo.

Crocodiles are becoming quite plenty. We counted eight to-day at one time, stretched upon the banks of sand that form small islands in the river. Here they remained bask