Chapter XV

Korosko — Shooting excursion — Crocodiles — Ipsamboul — Colossal statue.

Korosko, situated on the bend of the river, was the first Nubian village we visited. It is merely a collection of huts, formed of mud walls, covered in at the top with matting. There are no turreted pigeon-house towers over the roof, as in the villages of Egypt, and there is an absence of all attempt at ornament. The little hovels, however, are much cleaner, and there is even an appearance of comfort about them, which is never seen in Arab domiciles. As we stayed here all night, we saw a good deal of the people, and were much prepossessed by their simplicity and integrity. They possess many excellent characteristics; in short, they present us with the Oriental character under one of its most agreeable aspects. In personal appearance they differ from the Egyptians only in colour, but their fine limbs have no covering, and a cloth round their loins is all their dress. They wear their beard long, and reeking with oil; and, like the Eastern nations of antiquity, have the nose hung with a ring, generally of gold or silver. The women also wear these pendants, both in the nose and ears.

A caravan had just arrived, which, with our boats, made the little community quite busy, and brought every one out of doors, flocking to the river, just in front of our anchorage: the scene, as evening came on, was exceedingly animated and picturesque. The camel-drivers, a rugged, unsophisticated race, were prominent figures in the crowd; from them the eye turned on the patient and submissive camels, lying down by their huge burdens, after their long march over the burning sand. The drivers trafficked in ostrich feathers and eggs; and, to make friends with them, we bought some of each, paying almost a London price for the feathers; which, however, were very fine ones. They told us, among other things, that we need be under no fear of wanting water in the desert, as it had lately rained there, and this would insure a good supply. We found they had been thirty days coming across from Khartoum, and had suffered much from the heat.

At Korosko, we lost what, in our emigrant vessels, is called a stow- away; a man, named Ali Suleiman, who had come on board at Cairo without our knowledge, and obtained a passage to Nubia. After we started, he well earned this indulgence by his assiduous attention and diligence, and we had learnt to consider him an acquisition. He was a most devout Mussulman; and, in accordance with the Prophet’s command, knelt five times a-day in prayer. I have seen his fine form bending on the deck under the glare of the noon-day sun; and frequently, when I have come late on deck, have found him praying at midnight. He was still some distance from his native village, which we should not reach till the next day; but, impatient to arrive at home, he determined to walk on, and was soon on his way.

We left Korosko ourselves early in the morning, and borne along by a fine southerly breeze, the first we had had from that quarter since our departure from Cairo, came to Dour by half-past three in the afternoon. The shore, as usual, was crowded with persons awaiting our approach; and foremost in the throng was honest Ali Suleiman, easily distinguished by his flowing robe of white calico, and his yellow turban, drooping at the end. He came to renew his thanks, and to present us an offering of dates—a simple but gratifying tribute, rendered in the most graceful manner.

Soon afterwards we went on shore, taking our guns, but there was little shooting, except doves, of which we might have brought down any number. As we proceeded we met a boy with a camelion, which he offered for sale, and we were only too willing to become its purchasers. This, however, was no easy matter, as its owner, like the robber-boy in the “Heart of Midlothian,” who preferred the white siller to the more precious and unknown gold, knew only one class of coin, and could not be brought to appreciate any other. We offered him half a piastre, but he refused it, demanding ten paras, about half the sum in copper; and it required our last halfpenny to make up the amount. At length we concluded the bargain, and carried off our camelion.

The day closed with a sunset of surpassing beauty, such as no language could adequately describe, or any imagination conceive. The brilliant red glow gradually softened away in a thousand varied tints, appearing in the distance with new distinctness, in numberless bright reflections like liquid flame. Then the gorgeous colouring blended with the first shades of twilight, ushering in the dawn of Venus, followed by the rising moon, in whose silver light, as it spread over the heavens, the planet set. Beneath were the creeping shadows, the calm, placid waters, and the silent and quiescent landscape, composing altogether a scene bright enough to awaken inspiration.

Becker’s Patent on Steel.

LONDON, COLBURN & Co., 1851.]

As we penetrated further, the country underwent a material change. Palm trees, of which there had hitherto been but a sprinkle, increased in number; and, no longer stripped of their upper leaves, assumed a beautiful appearance. Doom trees, too, though not so numerous as in more northern latitudes, started up here and there along the heights, and attained great luxuriance. In the fields, durra and castor-oil plants, the staple of Nubian vegetation, quite superseded the crops of cotton; and lupins and beans grew in the mud on the banks. At intervals, the ground was lying waste, too sterile and too stubborn to invite the labour of the husbandman; here the banks were clothed with thorny mimosas, over which, at every dozen yards, bright green creepers threw their graceful festoons, and we could see the golden sand pouring in a stream between the stems below, like a tributary to the river. These strips of desert became more and more frequent as we advanced; and even where tillage resumed its sway, the cultivated tracts were rarely more than half a mile in breadth. Animal life, too, had more than proportionately decreased. There was no game; iguanos comprised the whole of what we met with in the way of sport, from the time of our leaving Assouan. These were by no means scarce; and we killed one, which, on being dissected, was found to contain twenty-seven eggs. They were immediately handed over to our cook, the ingenious Abbas, whose skill in gastronomy would have procured him immortality under the Caliph Haroum Alraschid; and he served them up at dinner, converting them into a very palatable, if not a dainty dish.

We kept a sharp look-out for crocodiles, but for some time were disappointed, though once, in the evening, when it was too dark to distinguish objects, we heard a loud splashing close by, which we had no doubt was caused by some of these monsters gamboling in the water. Next morning we heard from an old shepherd, who came to sell us some milk, that a man had been carried off by a crocodile during the night, while mending his sakeia. It appeared that the monster had first struck him down with his tail, and then seized him, and threw itself into the river. The same crocodile carried off a man last year, in a similar manner, and about the same hour. It is said to be a well known individual, though very rarely showing itself; that in consequence of its cunning, careful observation of its habits is extremely difficult. From the moment the circumstance was reported, our crews, who were incorrigible news-mongers, would talk of nothing else; they were not so willing to plunge into the water as they had been heretofore, though they had shown no hesitation in places where crocodiles are more common, as at Manfaloot.

At Kreem we anchored under a lofty crag, crowned by a ruined castle, which formed a most striking object from the river. The cliff contains several caverns, once repositories of the dead, who, though in their day, mighty men on the earth, have left no name behind. Being almost perpendicular, the ascent was very difficult, but with the aid of a rope, fastened to one of the lintels above, we managed to scramble up. Our first discovery was a square chamber, in which we found three idols in a sitting posture, niched in the rock, each recess being enframed in hieroglyphics. The ceiling was coloured yellow, in square patterns. With the help of a rope, we made our way to two other chambers, constructed on the same plan. They were, however, in better preservation, and in one there were four idols, tolerably perfect. Another cave is of comparatively modern date, and is inscribed with hundreds of names.

We had now two days’ calm, and it was not till Sunday evening that we reached Ipsamboul, having been just a week from Philæ, and two from Thebes. For miles before we arrived, we could see the colossal statue which watches over the temple, standing up erect at his post, a landmark and a beacon to all who approach. The temple is an excavation in the heart of the rock, and the three great figures which guard the entrance, as if it were the portal of another world, are cut out on the face of the rock, in one solid piece. The expression of the face is solemn repose, and, judging from the portion still visible, the attitude is full of grandeur and majesty. The pedestals are embedded in sand, which rises to the knees, and, indeed, has covered one of the figures as high as the neck. It falls down between the two hills like a mountain torrent, and has been converted into an ascent to the idol’s beard, on which, with their usual discriminating taste, several of the Thomsons and Smiths have inscribed their names. The poor god’s face, too, still retains traces of the cast in plaster of Paris, which was taken for the British Museum. I followed in the steps of more notable travellers, and paid my devoir to his remains. Standing on his lips, a man of ordinary height will be unable to reach his eyes—a fact which may give some idea of the enormous magnitude of the figure. There was formerly a fourth statue, of the same gigantic dimensions; but some relentless antiquary, in a paroxysm of love and devotion, cut it down. Such is the fate of gods and men!

The entrance to the wondrous temple, which is nearly blocked up by sand, and threatens to be completely so in a short time, is through an aperture about four feet high, which can only be penetrated in a stooping posture. The visitor, to gain admittance, slides down on his back, carrying with him a good addition to the accumulations of sand; and then, with the aid of a torch, which the darkness renders indispensable, finds himself in a wide and lofty chamber, forming the principal hall of the temple. On either side rise four square pillars, massive and tall; each faced by a huge figure, cut, as usual, in one piece. I climbed on the shoulder of one, and standing there, was not able, with my arms extended, to reach the top of the head. The walls of the chamber are covered with representations of battle scenes and triumphs, as if the heroes of those olden days despised the fugitive page of history, and would only record their deeds on imperishable stone. From this chamber we passed to a smaller one, adorned on each side with similar rows of square pillars, though of smaller dimensions. This was terminated by a sanctuary, in which, as we advanced, our torch flashed upon the mutilated remains of four colossal idols, sitting on a stone divan, fronting a block of granite, which had probably been an altar. A number of chambers opened beyond, and we wandered through room after room—formerly, perhaps, accessible only to the priesthood. The walls are carved and coloured with an almost endless picture, commemorating new scenes of conquest and triumph, illustrated by hieroglyphics; many of which, though we had seen them in almost every direction, were quite new to us. We particularly noticed a troop of black slaves, and copper-coloured natives, drawn with great boldness and power. In another chamber, all the figures from the foremost to the last, wore black bracelets, armlets, and necklaces. The vigour of outline, and brightness and delicacy of colouring, apparent in every figure, could scarcely be surpassed. Many of the faces were beautiful, and we were especially impressed by the serene and benevolent expression, and the air of greatness and dignity which characterized all the colossi. Rameses, the hero of the pictures, was represented at his customary pastime, holding up a bunch of captives by the hair; but, as usual, his vast stature made the achievement anything but difficult. In another place, he is dismounting from an immense chariot, while his Queen, a woman of great beauty, stands by, and presents him with a goblet of wine. There are many other drawings of women in this temple, more than we have ever seen in one place before; and the hieroglyphics, designed to illustrate the marvellous pictures, present an almost endless variety.

The subordinate temple, constructed on the same plan as the other, is of much smaller dimensions. There are several suites of chambers, all adorned with figures and sculptures, but everything is on a reduced scale, and the impression created is not so striking. The colossi, unlike those in the larger temple, are represented standing, and, though executed in a masterly manner, have not the same majestic appearance. The _façade_ of the temple, however, which is hewn out of the rock overhanging the river, is very grand and imposing.

After exploring the whole, we returned to the principal chamber of the great temple, and regaled ourselves with a pipe. The silence around was absolute, and we did not care to break it. For the scene was of a character to engross all our thoughts. Around and above were the dark mysteries of the past: while our torch, flashing brightly up, threw its ruddy light over our own figures, lying at the feet of those grim idols.

In the background were our Arab attendants, sitting or lying down, and half shrouded in the darkness. A legion of bats, which had been startled by our invasion, flew wildly about; the only tenants of the temple.

With reluctance we turned our steps from this wondrous fabric, and as evening was now stealing on, repaired to our boats. Next morning, however, we were up at sunrise, and took one more look at its mystic chambers. Then all was over, and we bade an unwilling adieu to Ipsamboul.

As soon as the anchor was weighed, a fresh breeze, which had been blowing all night, swelled our sails, and carried us merrily on. It lasted through the day, and by five o’clock we reached Wady-Halfa, where our water journey was to terminate.

From the size of Wady-Halfa on the maps, we had expected to find a large town, or, at least, a place of some importance; but, to our great disappointment, it proved a miserable Egyptian village, with about three hundred inhabitants. We paid a visit to the Governor, who, on being shown our firman, treated us with marked courtesy, and promised his aid in making an arrangement for our transit across the desert. Whether his interference was of any service, or did not tend to raise the terms, is a difficult question to decide, but such good offices are generally dictated by self-interest in this part of the world.

Next morning we crossed to the other side of the river, the rendezvous for camels, and thus escaped both the noise of the busy sakeias, and the gaze of the idle crowd, to which we had hitherto been subjected. Here we landed, and for the first time mounted some camels, and tested their capabilities. The experiment was satisfactory; and we found the new way of riding, though a little difficult at first, by no means uncomfortable. From this we made our way to the Mount of Names, and the second cataract.

The mount so enviably distinguished, rises perpendicularly from the river, but to no great height, and on the land side, the elevation is only a few yards. These elevations are entirely covered with names, including some of European celebrity. On a spot dedicated to the purpose, we felt a pleasure in inscribing our own, a task of no great difficulty, as the rock, which is composed of white lime-stone, is easily marked. We could not but think, on inspecting the great tablet, that the name of Belzoni appeared to more advantage here than on the sphinx at Karnac, or the doorway of Ipsamboul; and it was a satisfaction to ascertain that a name so widely popular as Miss Martineau’s could be found nowhere else. I am happy to say that we can make the same boast of ours.

It was not till the following morning that we reached the Cataract, which we skirted, on our way back, in our little boat, and viewed its whole extent from the summit of a cliff. It is inferior to the Cataract of Assouan, both in the grandeur of the fall, and in its situation. The river is so broken and contracted by a number of little islets of black rock, sprinkled through it for about three miles, and nowhere leaving the channel wider than from twenty to thirty yards, that the water is necessarily impeded, and descends with but little force. The flat shores, almost level with the river, offer no object of interest; and memory reverts with more pleasure to the romantic heights and rushing waters of the first Cataract.

We have now reached the first stage of our journey, and have accomplished the passage from Cairo in thirty-six days, which is about the usual time. The boats, with a fairer allowance of wind, would have done it in less, having throughout sailed in the most creditable manner; but we have had many calms, and the process of tracking is very slow and tedious. Of the winds on the Nile it is impossible to speak in anything but the most severe terms. They are of the most variable nature, and more fickle than Fortune. It is impossible to count on a breeze for a single day.

We had every reason to be satisfied with the boats, though ‘The Fanny,’ spite of the precautions of the Reis, was, at starting, somewhat infested with rats. But the strong remedy of a cat obviated this inconvenience, and we had no further ground for complaint.

The two crews I cannot commend too highly. For Arabs, they worked uncommonly well, and were exceedingly willing. The plenary power of the Reis, as administrator and disciplinarian, were exercised very seldom, when one or two of the men received a box on the ear, in the heat of argument or remonstrance; and once a sailor was bastinadoed for being tipsy. This was but a lame affair, the Reis being, in fact, very reluctant to administer the punishment at all; however, as he had sworn to do so, he made the man lie down, and receive a dozen over his coat, which, being of no common thickness, effectually protected his skin.