when exposed to the sun. The crew are engaged in putting away the sail, taking down the mast, &c., preparatory to the downward voyage, which is performed by oars and the strength of the current.

The road to Philæ runs across the Desert east of Syene for two or three miles, when it returns to the river. We passed two Nubian villages. A crowd of people came forth to gaze upon us, while a score of boys and girls, many of them naked, ran after us for a long distance asking for bucksheesh. They pressed their suit with much goodhumour, and performed many antic feats to amuse us and coax us into liberality.

The houses of these villages are built of mud like the Arab cottages, and are generally without roofs; a mat only, or a few reeds, are laid on the walls to give shelter for the night. The females whom we saw here, as well as at Elephantina and Philæ, which are inhabited by the same race, wear bracelets of bone or beads upon both wrists; their necks are nearly concealed with strings of large beads of various colours, and of trinkets and small coins; similar ornaments adorn the forehead and brow. Their only dress is a sort of petticoat reaching as high as the armpits, covering the bosom, but leaving the arms and shoulders bare. It is fastened by a strap passing over the left shoulder. Girls not more than 10 or 12 years old, and boys still older, go naked, with the exception of a strip of cloth or leather about the loins. The leather, when that material is used, is cut into a fringe like that sometimes attached to a saddle or harness. The children dispense with even this simple covering.

The women dye the under lip a deeper black than Nature has given to their skin, which is about the hue of our negro race. Their features, however, are not negro, and their hair is straight and of a glossy black; it is platted in a multitude of small tufts, which hang down over the fore

head and cheeks like a fringe: it shines, and emits a strong odour from being smeared with the rancid butter of the buffalo or goat. The teeth of the Nubian are as white as ivory and beautifully formed. The men are very muscular, and several of them have fine proportions. The females are much disfigured by tattooing, which often nearly covers the face, breast, and arms with unsightly figures. The Nubians have a peculiar language, differing, it is said, essentially from the Arabic. One word, at least, of that ancient language they have adopted, with which they salute the stranger on all occasions. I have nowhere found such perseverance in asking for bucksheesh.

Just before reaching the Nubian villages, we passed a small caravan of camels loaded with merchandise; there were two or three persons respectably attired and well armed, besides some soldiers with muskets. These were Turkish merchants going to Sennaar to exchange trinkets for slaves.

On our arrival opposite Phile we found a Dongola boat of the rudest construction imaginable, in which we made the transit of the Nile. The breadth and length of this primitive craft were nearly the same, and the helm, oars, sails, and entire structure, indicated a state of the arts the lowest and rudest possible. It was large enough to carry a hundred persons, being built, not for a ferry-boat, but for transporting merchandise; and it was filled with huge packages of untanned goat and sheep skins, on their way from the Upper Nile to Cairo. The rais had no objection to deviating a little from his regular pursuits in order to gain a few additional piasters, and readily consented to aid our researches, so far as nautical skill was necessary. Mounting upon the bales of skins, we were soon landed upon the beautiful island of Philæ.

This interesting spot is about 3000 feet in circuit. It is a granite rock, covered with alluvial soil of no great depth.

To protect this from being injured by the river, a wall is carried quite around the island, and substructions still more massive ensure the foundations of the principal edifices against the effects of the current.

The chief of these edifices is a splendid temple on the southern side of the island: its site may be fifty feet above the bed of the Nile. It is approached through an avenue formed by two irregular colonnades, which extend from the river northward about 240 feet, nearly to the propylon of the temple. Ascending the bank of the Nile to the commencement or southernmost extremity of the av enue, the first object of interest is a small sandstone obelisk on the left; it contains a brief Greek inscription, partly unintelligible, which probably records some offering or other deed of one of the Ptolemies, whose name is at the beginning of the inscription. Our guide told us that the granite obelisk, mentioned by travellers, was carried off by Belzoni, but as the inscription said to have been read upon that is now seen upon the sandstone pillar, I presume this is the monument referred to. Close to the obelisk are the substructions of what seems to have been a small temple or chapel, through which the long colonnade was entered. Six columns on the left or west side are standing. As many adorned the east side, with four at each end. In a line parallel with the six standing columns of this edifice, but a few feet farther west, a long row of columns begins, which forms the western side of the avenue; there are 30 in all, which extend nearly to the propylon of the grand temple. In the rear of these and parallel with them is a wall of the same length: a roof of long flat stones rests upon this wall and the columns, forming a covered gallery 10 feet deep. The ceiling, pillars, and wall are covered with hieroglyphics and ornamented with paintings. The opposite side of the avenue commences near the chapel, with the remains of a large chamber, extending 60 feet