THE START UP THE NILE.
Our party was now to be divided for a time. We were all anxious to see
the Nile, but it was thought better for the children and their mother to
stay quietly in Cairo. Those who were not pressed for time offered to
remain with them, while the others hastened up to the second cataract.
After much discussing and arranging, it was decided that three should
stay with the invalid and her children in Cairo, and the other three
should go up the Nile together.
The most comfortable sort of boat for travelling is the "dahabieh." One
was engaged. Mohammed laid in the stores necessary for the journey; and
when all was ready, we went to Boulak, which is the port of Cairo, to
see the travellers start.
We went on board the dahabieh.
"What a beautiful room!" Lucy exclaimed, as she went into the saloon.
And so indeed it was. Carpets, cushions, divans, book-shelves; nothing
was wanting to make the dahabieh a most luxurious little home. There
were easy-chairs of every kind on deck, and an awning was spread as a
protection from the sun. The crew consisted of a captain, or reis, as he
is called, a pilot, and fourteen Arab sailors.
We exchanged farewells, heartily wishing that we too were going, and
they started. As we waved our last farewells from the shore, Hugh said,
in a disconsolate voice, "Great fun for them, but no fun for us."
We were all a little dull that evening. But the travellers had promised
to keep a journal, and we soon began to think when we should receive
news of them.
The first instalment of the journal was brought by a gentleman with
whose dahabieh they fell in off Benisooef. It was eagerly opened and
read aloud, while we listened with all our ears and eyes.
JOURNAL ON THE NILE.
The wind was fair when we left Boulak. We passed Roda, the Nilometer,
and Old Cairo. Then a long reach of the river brought us to the village
of E Deyr, which is inhabited by Copt Christians. We next passed, on our
left, El Masarah, where there are large stone quarries. The stone for
the Great Pyramid was taken from these quarries.
At Bedreshyn we landed, Mohammed procured donkeys for us, and we set off
to see the Pyramids of Sakkara.
We rode first to the village of Mitrahenny, where the ancient city of
Memphis once stood. The country round it is very pretty. The village
itself stands in a wood of palm-trees. We were told that at the time at
which the Nile overflows its banks the people leave their houses and
live in the palm-trees, where they put up a sort of scaffolding to sleep
on. When the river falls again, they leave the trees, repair their mud
huts, and live in them till the next overflow.
Memphis, formerly such a splendid city, is gone. There is scarcely a
trace left of this once busy capital of Lower Egypt in which Moses
lived, where the poor Jewish captives toiled to make up the tale of
bricks for Pharaoh's taskmasters. Some few remains of foundation-walls
are found in the sand. But nothing is left to tell of the temples and
palaces of this ancient city, except only a part of a colossal statue of
Rameses, called Sesostris. It is of a pure white, made of polished
limestone, and must have been more than forty feet in height. The statue
lay on its face, and we could not see the features. It has a scroll in
its hands. Pieces of the legs and feet were lying about. All around are
magnificent palm-trees.
[Illustration: BRICKMAKING _(from Egyptian Sculpture)_.]
The Pyramids of Sakkara are near the village of the same name. The
largest of them is called by the Arabs "the Pyramid of Degrees." It has
outside six stories or degrees, each smaller than the one below it.
Inside are passages and chambers.
Near the pyramids are the famous pits, in which are ibis mummies. The
ibis was a sacred bird among the Egyptians. We bought one of these
mummies. It was enclosed in a round earthen jar, the top of which was
shaped like a cone, and was fastened down strongly with cement.
[Illustration: BRICKMAKING _(from Egyptian Sculpture)_.]
The bird was rolled up in long bandages of linen. The head and neck were
folded over the breast, the wings laid close to the sides, and the long
legs were folded up and brought close to the beak. The bird was perfect.
We said we knew how delighted you all, and especially Hugh and Lucy,
would be to see it. But our curiosity was selfish. As soon as the air
played on it, it crumbled into dust.
[Illustration: THE SACRED IBIS.]
There are some fine tombs near the Pyramids of Sakkara. We went to the
one which we were told was the best worth seeing. The roof was hollowed
into the shape of an arch and covered with smoothly-cut stones cemented
together. This led into a room in which is a deep well. We also saw some
hieroglyphics, and some sculpture; most of these represented men
carrying birds. It was not very interesting, and we did not stay long to
look at it.
We had a delightful ride back to Bedreshyn, through fields and among
clumps of thorny mimosa, on which the camels love to browse. The
palm-trees looked beautiful in the clear sunlight. Nothing was wanting
but the song of birds, and this is a want almost always felt by
Europeans in the hot climates of Africa and Asia.
The next day we went to the Pyramids of Dashoor. Two are of stone and
two of brick. The first was the largest. Colonel Howard Vyse gives its
height as three hundred and twenty feet. The entrance was covered with
stones and rubbish. The second pyramid is not so large. The ascent to
the entrance is not very difficult, but the descent is exceedingly so,
and there is not much to repay one for the trouble.
We returned to our boat in good time, and were much amused, after we had
again started, by watching the peasants raising water from the river
with poles and buckets, and with looking at the Arab boats, a number of
which passed us.
We next came to El Kafr el Jyat. It is only a small village, but in it
is the residence of a wealthy chief whose hospitable house is the resort
of travellers. He bears the title of Khabeeree, or "the guide." We find
from Sir G. Wilkinson's book[A] that this title "has been hereditary in
his family since the time of Sultan Selim, who gave it to his ancestor
as a reward for his services in that capacity, when he took possession
of the country after the defeat of the son of El Ghoree."
We next passed the False Pyramid. It takes its name from the base being
of rock and not really part of the building.
The banks of the river and villages were enlivened with palm-trees. But
we passed no place of any size or interest till we came to Benisooef.
Benisooef is the capital of the province, the Fyoom, and has several
manufactories of cotton and silk.
We are lounging idly on deck looking at the scene before us. A great
many boats are tied to the shore, and a number of people are on the
quay. The children are tolerably clad, and some of the old men are
exceedingly picturesque in their white dresses, with their cloaks thrown
over their shoulders and leaning on their staves; girls are coming down
to fill their jars with water and carrying them away most gracefully on
their heads. And as for animals! Hugh would find more than enough to
satisfy him. Dogs, goats, poultry, cows, horses, camels, buffaloes! And
_such_ a noise! we can scarcely hear ourselves speak for the clatter.
But a gentleman who is going down to Cairo, and will leave at daybreak,
has just sent to know whether he can take any letters for us. So good-by
for the present.
[Footnote A: "Modern Egypt," vol. ii.]
[Illustration: SCENE ON THE NILE.]