PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION.
First published in 1877, this book has been out of print for several years. I have, therefore, very gladly revised it for a new and cheaper edition. In so revising it, I have corrected some of the historical notes by the light of later discoveries; but I have left the narrative untouched. Of the political changes which have come over the land of Egypt since that narrative was written, I have taken no note; and because I in no sense offer myself as a guide to others, I say nothing of the altered conditions under which most Nile travelers now perform the trip. All these things will be more satisfactorily, and more practically, learned from the pages of Baedeker and Murray.
AMELIA B. EDWARDS.
Westbury-on-Trym, October, 1888.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I CAIRO AND THE GREAT PYRAMID.] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Page. | ||
| Arrival at Cairo—Shepheard’s Hotel—The Moskee—The KhanKhaleel—The Bazaars—Dahabeeyahs—Ghîzeh—The Pyramids | [1] | |
| [CHAPTER II CAIRO AND THE MECCA PILGRIMAGE.] | ||
| The Mosque of Sultan Hassan—Moslems at Prayer—Mosque ofMehemet Ali—View from the Platform—Departure of theCaravan for Mecca—The Báb en-Nasr—The Procession—TheMahmal—Howling Dervishes—The Mosque of Amr—TheShubra Road | [15] | |
| [CHAPTER III CAIRO TO BEDRESHAYN.] | ||
| Departure for the Nile Voyage—Farewell to Cairo—Turra—ThePhilæ and crew—The Dahabeeyah and the Nile Sailor—NativeMusic—Bedreshayn | [32] | |
| [CHAPTER IV SAKKARAH AND MEMPHIS.] | ||
| The Palms of Memphis—Three Groups of Pyramids—The M. B.’s and Their Groom—Relic-hunting—The Pyramid ofOuenephes—The Serapeum—A Royal Raid—The Tomb ofTi—The Fallen Colossus—Memphis | [43] | |
| [CHAPTER V BEDRESHAYN TO MINIEH.] | ||
| The Rule of the Nile—The Shâdûf—Beni Suêf—Thieves by Night—The Chief of the Guards—A Sand-storm—“HolySheik Cotton”—The Convent of the Pulley—A Copt—TheShadow of the World—Minieh—A Native Market—Pricesof Provisions—The Dôm Palm—Fortune-telling—Ophthalmia | [65] | |
| [CHAPTER VI MINIEH TO SIUT.] | ||
| Christmas Day—The Party Completed—Christmas Dinner onthe Nile—A Fantasia—Noah’s Ark—Birds of Egypt—GebelAbufayda—Unknown Stelæ—Imprisoned—TheScarab-beetle—Manfalût—Siût—Red and Black Pottery—AncientTombs—View Over the Plain—Biblical Legend | [83] | |
| [CHAPTER VII SIUT TO DENDERAH.] | ||
| An “Experienced Surgeon”—Passing Scenery—Girgeh—SheikSelîm—Kasr es Syad—Forced Labor—Temple of Denderah—Cleopatra—Benighted | [99] | |
| [CHAPTER VIII THEBES AND KARNAK.] | ||
| Luxor—Donkey-boys—Topography of Ancient Thebes—Pylonsof Luxor—Poem of Pentaur—The Solitary Obelisk—Interiorof the Temple of Luxor—Polite Postmaster—Rideto Karnak—Great Temple of Karnak—The HypostyleHall—A World of Ruins | [121] | |
| [CHAPTER IX THEBES TO ASSUAN.] | ||
| A Storm on the Nile—Erment—A Gentlemanly Bey—Esneh—ABuried Temple—A Long Day’s Sketching—Salame theChivalrous—Remarkable Coin—Antichi—The Fellâh—ThePylons of Edfu—An Exciting Race—The Philæ Wins by aLength | [140] | |
| [CHAPTER X ASSUAN AND ELEPHANTINE.] | ||
| Assûan—Strange Wares for Sale—Madame Nubia—Castor Oil—TheBlack Governor—An Enormous Blunder—Tannhäuserin Egypt—Elephantine—Inscribed Potsherds—Bazaar ofAssûan—The Camel—A Ride in the Desert—The Obelisk of the Quarry—A Death in the Town | [157] | |
| [CHAPTER XI THE CATARACT AND THE DESERT.] | ||
| Scenery of the Cataract—The Sheik of the Cataract—VexatiousDelays—The Painter’s Vocabulary—Mahatta—AncientBed of the Nile—Abyssinian Caravan | [176] | |
| [CHAPTER XII PHILÆ.] | ||
| Pharaoh’s Bed—The Temples—Champollion’s Discovery—ThePainted Columns—Coptic Philæ—Philæ and Desaix—Chamberof Osiris—Inscribed Rock—View from the Roofof the Temple | [188] | |
| [CHAPTER XIII PHILÆ TO KOROSKO.] | ||
| Nubian Scenery—A Sand-slope—Missing Yûsef—Trading bythe Way—Panoramic Views—Volcanic Cones—Dakkeh—Korosko—Lettersfrom Home | [211] | |
| [CHAPTER XIV KOROSKO TO ABOU SIMBEL.] | ||
| El-Id el-Kebîr—Stalking Wild Ducks—Temple of Amada—FineArt of the Thothmes—Derr—A Native Funeral—Templeof Derr—The “Fair” Families—The Sakkieh—Arrivalat Abou Simbel by Moonlight | [220] | |
| [CHAPTER XV RAMESES THE GREAT.] | ||
| Youth of Rameses the Great—Treaty with the Kheta—HisWives—His Great Works—The Captivity—Pithom andRameses—Kauiser and Keniamon—The Birth of Moses—Tombof Osymandias—Character of Rameses the Great | [236] | |
| [CHAPTER XVI ABOU SIMBEL.] | ||
| The Colossi—Portraits of Rameses the Great—The Great Sand-drift—TheSmaller Temples—“Rameses and Nefertari”—TheGreat Temple—A Monster Tableau—Alone in theGreat Temple—Trail of a Crocodile—Cleaning the Colossus—The Sufferings of the Sketcher | [258] | |
| [CHAPTER XVII THE SECOND CATARACT.] | ||
| Volcanic Mountains—Kalat Adda—Gebel est-Shems—The FirstCrocodile—Dull Scenery—Wady Halfeh—The Rock ofAbusîr—The Second Cataract—The Great View—Crocodile-slaying—Excavatinga Tumulus—Comforts of Homeon the Nile | [283] | |
| [CHAPTER XVIII DISCOVERIES AT ABOU SIMBEL.] | ||
| Society at Abou Simbel—The Painter Discovers a Rock-cutChamber—Sunday Employment—Re-enforcement of Natives—Excavation—TheSheik—Discovery of Human Remains—Discoveryof Pylon and Staircase—Decorations ofPainted Chamber—Inscriptions | [295] | |
| [CHAPTER XIX BACK THROUGH NUBIA.] | ||
| Temples ad infinitum—Tosko—Crocodiles—Derr and AmadaAgain—Wady Sabooah—Haughty Beauty—A NamelessCity—A River of Sand—Undiscovered Temple—Maharrakeh—Dakkeh—Fortressof Kobban—Gerf Hossayn—Dendoor—Bayt-et-Welly—TheKarnak of Nubia—Silcoof the Ethiopians—Tafah—Dabôd—Baby-shooting—A Dilemma—Justicein Egypt—The Last of Philæ | [324] | |
| [CHAPTER XX SILSILIS AND EDFU.] | ||
| Shooting the Cataract—Kom Ombo—Quarries of Silsilis—Edfuthe Most Perfect of Egyptian Temples—View from thePylons—Sand Columns | [353] | |
| [CHAPTER XXI THEBES.] | ||
| Luxor Again—Imitation “Anteekahs”—Digging for Mummies—Tombsof Thebes—The Ramesseum—The Granite Colossus—MedinetHabu—The Pavilion of Rameses III—TheGreat Chronicle—An Arab Story-teller—Gournah—Bab elMolûk—The Shadowless Valley of Death—The Tombs ofthe Kings—Stolen Goods—The French House—An ArabDinner and Fantasia—The Coptic Church at Luxor—A Coptic Service—A Coptic Bishop | [370] | |
| [CHAPTER XXII ABYDUS AND CAIRO.] | ||
| Last Weeks on the Nile—Spring in Egypt—Ninety-nine in theShade—Samata—Unbroken Donkeys—The Plain of Abydus—Harvest-time—ABiblical Idyll—Arabat the Buried—Mena—Originof the Egyptian People—Temple of Seti—NewTablet of Abydus—Abydus and Teni—Kom-es-Sultan—Visitto a Native Aga—The Hareem—Condition ofWomen in Egypt—Back at Cairo—“In the Name of theProphet, Cakes!”—The Môlid-en-Nebee—A Human Causeway—TheBoulak Museum—Prince Ra-hotep and PrincessNefer-t—Early Drive to Ghîzeh—Ascent of the GreatPyramid—The Sphinx—The View from the Top—TheEnd | [421] | |
| APPENDIX. | ||
| [I.] | A. McCallum, Esq., to the Editor of The Times | [447] |
| [II. ] | The Egyptian Pantheon | [447] |
| [III.] | The Religious Belief of the Egyptians | [450] |
| [IV. ] | Egyptian Chronology | [452] |
| [V. ] | Contemporary Chronology of Egypt, Mesopotamia andBabylon | [454] |