182 ISLANDS IN THE NILE. gun he replied,-" We who serve travellers, sir, eat every thing even pork !" In general, I should not care to trust a pork-eating Musulman; but, in this instance, the absence of religious prejudices was not accompanied by the absence of honesty. Rich Turks in Cairo and elsewhere, who hold the hog in abomination, nevertheless keep one or two of them about their houses, as a preservative against the Evil Eye! CXV. Shortly after passing the above curious field, we crossed to the eastern bank. The Nile, which seems daily to increase in grandeur and magnitude, here resembled a little sea, studded with lovely islands, upon the rapid formation and disappearance of which I had heard abundance of exaggeration ; some persons pretending that every inundation effects a total change in its channel, so that a traveller sailing up the country in spring, and returning in winter, would scarcely be able to recognise the features of the scene. All rivers of great volume, which overflow their shores, are more or less unsteady in their course; which is particularly the case with the Ganges, whose waters have overthrown and washed away several ancient cities that once stood upon its banks, and deserted others, which have in consequence fallen to decay. New islands, also, gradually spring up in its channel, while others, of considerable magnitude, crumble away and disappear. And such, likewise, is the case with the Nile; but the changes are wrought slowly. Nearly all the important islands, FLIGHTS OF PELICANS. 183 promontories, and sinuosities marked in Colonel Leake's excellent map, constructed several years ago, still exist in the same state; which seems to be sufficient to exculpate the Nile from the charge of so extreme a degree of fickleness as he has sometimes been reproached with. However, the stateliest date palms sometimes yield to his gnawing waters; an example of which I observed this morning, a fine tree lay prostrate on the margin of the stream, which, though far from being entire, was sixty-six feet in length. In other parts the ruins of mosques, villages, or groves, partially undermined, hang nodding over the hollow banks, ready to be swept away by the first inundation. - CXVI. The Nile was here covered with immense flights of pelicans, which lay in long rows upon the water, but, as we approached, rose in quick succession, screaming, and beating the stream with their wings. One of these birds which we killed probably weighed above thirty pounds. The thick, soft, delicate plumage on the breast is milk-white at the roots, shot towards the top with a faint tint of pink or rose-colour, which shows beautifully when the bird, just rising on the wing, turns its breast towards the sun. Properly dressed, this portion of the pelican's skin would make superb muffs or tippets for the ladies; and, should the article ever be in fashion, the Nile would furnish a supply sufficient for all Europe, and many poor Arabs might be advantageously employed. The flesh, part of which we cooked and tasted, in 184 ROBBERS ON THE NILE. appearance resembled coarse beef; but had an oily, fishy taste, and rank smell, which rendered it unpalatable, though it was all eaten by the Arabs, whose stomachs were less fastidious than ours. The pelican being the largest bird known to the Fellahs, they have given it the name of Gamal el Bahr, or "River Camel." CXVII. For many hours we have had the False Pyramid* in sight; and directly opposite to this singular monument are the shapeless mounds which mark the site of Atarbechist, -one of the cities of Venus, -the Aphroditopolis of the Greeks. The boats were this evening moored by accident on opposite shores; mine on the Arabian, Monro's on the Libyan side; and the wind blowing strong from the west, my Arabs failed in making themselves heard by the other boatmen, and though extremely unwilling to be separated from their friends, would not attempt in the dark to cross the river against the wind. About nightfall a small strange boat, filled with Arabs, moored close under our stern for safety; for robbers, equal in celebrity to the Dacoits of the Ganges, are much dreaded on this part of the Nile; both Bruce and Niebuhr relate anecdotes illustrative of their dexterity. Soon after dark, while at dinner, I heard, for the first time, the wild dismal cry of the jackals which were prowling near us on the banks of the river. They * In Arabic, Haràm el Kedâb. That is, Athor-baki" the city of Athor." THE FALSE PYRAMID. 185 gave but one long howl, and then ceased; while the village dogs seem upon the alert, barking incessantly in several parts of the plain, which must therefore be thickly inhabited. The wind blows in hollow gusts upon the river; and, because there is more danger than usual, our guards appear to be all asleep. Thursday, Dec. 13. We The CXVIII. Early this morning we overtook Monro's boat, which had crossed to the eastern bank. were yesterday entirely mistaken in supposing ourselves to be in sight of the Haram el Kedab, what we saw being that nameless pile which stands between this structure and the pyramids of Dashour. False Pyramid did not become visible until about ten o'clock. The usual track of the kandjias, in ascending this part of the river, is along the western bank; but as we were desirous of examining, in passing, the mounds of Atarbechis, near Atfih, we kept close to the eastern shore, where the current, especially when flowing round the many small promontories which the land here projects into the stream, is so rapid and violent, that I by no means wonder boats should generally keep on the opposite side. Seven small islands lying almost in the middle of the stream, divide the channel of the Nile, and being of considerable height, and covered with reeds and other fluvial plants, drooping and trembling over the water, have a very picturesque aspect. Near these islands we passed the village of Essoof, to the west of which Bruce supposed the ruins of Atarbechis to be situated. El 186 GOOD-NATURE OF THE ARABS. Wuddi, the Wodan, perhaps, of this traveller, stands close to the river, directly opposite the third, not the fifth, of these islets; and a few hundred yards to the north of it, but further inland, is the village of Iksoor, which is rather more extensive. CXIX. In rounding a sharp promontory my boat became nearly unmanageable, whirling about in the current, and tossing from side to side, till at length the tracking rope snapped, and it was borne impetuously down the current. Such accidents necessarily cause great delay, and much additional labour to the poor Arabs, who, in truth, work exceedingly hard, in dragging along the kandjias against the stream. But their good humour, which appears to be the birthright of the whole race, never forsakes them; or if passion, for a moment, obtains the ascendancy, and inflames their minds, its effects are transient, and leave no bitterness behind. While the boat was plunging down the river, baffling all efforts to stop it, and appearing likely to throw them greatly in the rear of their companions, they had recourse to the consolations usually sought on such occasions; and, since the actual causes of their chagrin, the eddies and the kandjia, were deaf and insensible, most vehemently railed and swore at each other; but when the tracking line had been repaired, and the boat, having reached a smoother part of the river, once more reduced under control, smiles and laughter reappeared, and their laborious task was cheerfully resumed. Late in the preceding night, before retiring |