THE NILE--III
After a river journey of 583 miles from Cairo, Assuan is
reached--limit of Egypt proper and the beginning of an entirely new
phase of Nile scenery. Cultivation in any large sense has been left
behind, and we are now in Nubia, a land of rock and sand, sparsely
inhabited, and, excepting in very small patches along the water's
edge, producing no crops.
[Illustration: FIRST CATARACT FROM ELEPHANTINE ISLAND.]
Built at the northern end of what is called the first cataract, Assuan
is perhaps the most interesting and prettily-situated town in Upper
Egypt. Facing the green island of Elephantine and the golden
sand-drifts which cover the low range of hills across the river,
Assuan stretches along the river-bank, its white buildings partly
screened by the avenue of palms and lebbek-trees which shade its
principal street, while to the north are dense groves of date-palms,
past which the Nile sweeps in a splendid curve and is lost to sight
among the hills. Behind, beyond its open-air markets and the
picturesque camp of the Besharin, the desert stretches unbroken to
the shores of the Red Sea.
The bazaars of Assuan are extremely picturesque, and are covered
almost throughout their length; the lanes which constitute them are
narrow and winding, forming enticing vistas whose distances are
emphasized by the occasional glints of sunlight which break in upon
their generally subdued light. In the shops are exposed for sale all
those various goods and commodities which native life demands; but
visitors are mostly attracted by the stalls of the curio sellers, who
display a strange medley of coloured beads and baskets, rich
embroideries, stuffed animals, and large quantities of arms and
armour, so-called trophies of the wars in the Sudan. Though most of
these relics are spurious, genuine helmets and coats of mail of old
Persian and Saracenic times may occasionally be found, while large
numbers of spears and swords are undoubtedly of Dervish manufacture.
For most Englishmen Assuan has also a tragic interest in its
association with the expedition for the relief of General Gordon, and
the subsequent Mahdist wars, when regiment after regiment of British
soldiers passed through her streets on their way towards those burning
deserts from which so many of them were destined never to return.
Those were exciting, if anxious, days for Assuan, and many visitors
will remember how, some years ago, the presence of Dervish horsemen in
its immediate vicinity rendered it unsafe for them to venture outside
the town. Those days are happily over, and there is now little use for
the Egyptian forts which to the south and east guarded the little
frontier town.
From a ruined Roman fort which crowns a low hill at the south end of
the town we have our first view of the cataract, and the sudden change
in the character of the scenery is remarkable.
In place of the broad fields and mountains to which we have been
accustomed, the river here flows in a basin formed by low, precipitous
hills, and is broken by innumerable rocky islets on different levels,
which form the series of rapids and little cascades which give the
cataract its name. These little islets are formed by a collection of
boulders of red granite filled in with silt, and have a very strange
effect, for the boulders are rounded by the action of the water,
which, combined with the effect of the hot sun, has caused the red
stone to become coated with a hard skin, black and smooth to touch,
just as though they had been blackleaded.
Many of the islets are simply rocks of curious shapes which jut out of
the water; others are large enough to be partially cultivated, and
their little patches of green are peculiarly vivid in contrast with
the rock and sand which form their setting.
The scenery is wildly fantastic, for while the rocks which form the
western bank are almost entirely covered by the golden sand-drifts
which pour over them, smooth as satin, to the water's edge, those on
the east are sun-baked and forbidding, a huge agglomeration of
boulders piled one upon the other and partially covered by shingle,
which crackle under foot like clinkers; between are the islands, many
crowned by a hut or pigeon-cote, and with their greenery often
perfectly reflected in the rapidly flowing water.
Though navigation here is difficult, and a strong breeze is necessary
to enable vessels to ascend the river, boat sailing is a popular
feature of European life in Assuan, a special kind of sailing-boat
being kept for visitors, who organize regattas and enjoy many a
pleasant picnic beneath the shade of the dom palms or mimosa-trees
which grow among the rocks.
In the old days the great excursion from Assuan was by water to the
"Great Gate," as the principal rapid was called, often a difficult
matter to accomplish. To-day the great dam has replaced it as the
object of a sail.
This is the greatest engineering work of the kind ever constructed,
and spans the Nile Valley at the head of the cataract basin. It is a
mile and a quarter in length, and the river, which is raised in level
about 66 feet, pours through a great number of sluice-gates which are
opened or shut according to the season of the year and the necessities
of irrigation or navigation.
Behind, the steep valley is filled, and forms a huge lake extending
eighty miles to the south, and many pretty villages have been
submerged, while of the date-groves which surrounded them the crests
of the higher trees alone appear above water. The green island of
Philae also is engulfed, and of the beautiful temple of Isis built upon
it only the upper portion is visible.
Below the dam activity of many kinds characterizes the Nile, as does
the sound of rushing water the Cataract basin. Above, silence reigns,
for the huge volume of stored water lies inert between its rugged
banks.
One's first thought is one of sadness, for everywhere the tree-tops,
often barely showing above water, seem to mourn the little villages
and graveyards which lie below, and as yet no fresh verdure has
appeared to give the banks the life and beauty they formerly had.
As at the cataract, here also the hills are simply jumbled heaps of
granite boulders, fantastically piled one upon the other, barren and
naked, and without any vegetable growth to soften their forbidding
wildness.
On many rocky islands are the ruined mud buildings of the Romans, and
more than one village, once populous, lies deserted and abandoned upon
some promontory which is now surrounded by the flood.
Though a general sense of mournfulness pervades it, the scenery has
much variety and beauty, nor have all the villages been destroyed;
many had already been built far above the present water-level, while
others have sprung up to take the place of those submerged. These
again present new features to the traveller, for, unlike many we have
seen below the cataract, these Nubian dwellings are well built, the
mud walls being neatly smoothed and often painted. The roofs are
peculiar, being in the form of well-constructed semicircular arches,
all of mud, and in many cases the tops of the outside walls are
adorned by a kind of balustrade of open brickwork.
Half hidden among the rocks the native house has often the appearance
of some temple pylon, and seems to fit the landscape in a peculiar
way, for no form of building harmonizes so well with the Egyptian
scenery as the temple. Whether or not the native unconsciously copies
the ancient structure I cannot say, but anyone visiting Egypt must
often be struck by the resemblance, particularly when, as is often the
case, the little house is surmounted by pigeon-cotes, which in form
are so like the temple towers.
Like their homes, the inhabitants of Nubia also differ from those of
Egypt proper, for they are Berbers and more of the Arab type,
handsome, and with regular features and ruddy in complexion, while
many of the small children, who, excepting for a few strings of beads,
run about naked, are extremely beautiful. There is one curious fact
about these villages which no one could fail to notice, for while
there are always plenty of women and children to be seen, there are no
_men_, and though practically there is no cultivation, food appears to
be abundant!
The reason is that these people are so nice in character and generally
so trustworthy, that the men are all employed in Cairo and elsewhere
as domestic servants, or "syces,"[6] and though they themselves may
not see their homes for years, their wages are good, and so they are
able to send food and clothing in plenty to their families.
[Footnote 6: Grooms.]
As we ascend the river and approach the limit of the stored water, the
banks again become fertile, for here the water is simply maintained at
flood-level, and has not had the same disastrous effect as lower down
the valley. Here the scenery is very striking; bold rocks jut out from
the beautiful golden sand-drifts which often pour into the river
itself, or in sharp contrast terminate in the brilliant line of green
which fringes the banks. All around, their ruggedness softened in the
warm light, are the curious, conical mountains of Nubia, and on the
eastern side large groves of palms, green fields, and water-wheels
make up as pretty a scene as any in Egypt; presently, no doubt,
cultivation will again appear on the barren margins of the lake above
the dam and restore to it the touch of beauty it formerly had.
It is intended still further to raise the dam, and the higher level of
water then maintained will not only entirely submerge Philae, but
practically all the villages now existing on its banks, as well as
partially inundating many interesting temples of Roman origin. It
seems a pity that so beautiful a temple as Philae should be lost, and
one feels sorry that the villages and palm-groves of Nubia should be
destroyed, but necessity knows no law, and each year water is required
in greater quantities, as the area of cultivation below extends, while
the villagers are amply compensated by the Government for their loss.
It is interesting to stand upon the dam and see the pent-up water pour
through the sluices to form huge domes of hissing water which toss
their sprays high into the air, and whose roar may be heard many miles
away, while on the rocky islands down-stream numbers of natives are
watching the rushing stream, ready to dive in and secure the numbers
of fish of various sizes which are drawn through the sluice-gates and
are stunned or killed under the great pressure of water.
There are many other interests in Assuan, which is a delightful place
to visit. The desert rides, the ancient quarries where the temple
obelisks were hewn, the camp of the beautiful Besharin, and the
weirdly pictorial Cufic cemetery which winds so far along the barren
valley in which the river once flowed--each have their attraction,
which varies with the changing light, while many a happy hour may be
spent in watching the many coloured lizards which play among the
rocks, the curious mantis and twig-insects, and other strange
specimens of insect life which abound here; while, should you weary of
sight-seeing and the glare of light, quietude and repose may be found
among the fruit-laden fig-trees of Kitchener's Island, or in the shady
gardens of Elephantine.
Such in brief is the Nile from Cairo to the first cataract, though a
great deal more might be written on this subject. The various towns
and villages passed are often very pretty, and some are of great age,
and surrounded by very interesting remains. Then there is the
enjoyment of the many excursions on donkey-back to visit some tomb or
temple, the amusement of bargaining for trophies or curios at the
various landing-places, and a host of other interests which go to make
the trip up the Nile one of the most fascinating possible, and which
prevent any weariness of mind in the passenger. But to write fully
about all these things is beyond the scope of this small book, though
some day, perhaps, many of my readers may have the opportunity of
seeing it all for themselves, and so fill in the spaces my short
narrative must necessarily leave.