MEMOIR OP BURCKHARDT. 8^ 



of seeing the pyramids, temples, statues, and other 

 antiquities with which the banks of that celebrated 

 river abound; of many of them he took plans, 

 copying inscriptions, and taking notes of the pro- 

 ductions of the country and the habits of the 

 people. On the 31st of March he returned to As- 

 souan, and drew up a journal of his observations, 

 which he transmitted to London. " It has been 

 written," he adds, " in a miserable court-yard, on 

 the side of my camel, under the influence of the 

 hot Kamsin winds, which now raged in Upper 

 Egypt." 



His descriptions of the character and manners of 

 the Nubians are curious and valuable ; so also are 

 his occasional i-emarks on the natural history of 

 those countries. The hippopotamus, he says, is 

 very common in the Nile, about Dongola ; it is a 

 dreadful plague, on account of its voracity, and the 

 want of means in the natives to destroy it. The 

 peasants eat the flesh, but sell the skin and teeth. 

 Above Dcrr, the river has many windings; and 

 this part of it is reputed a favourite haunt of the 

 crocodile. Burckhardt saw half-a-dozen of them 

 lying together on a sand-bank. The flesh of this 

 animal is eaten by the Nubians whenever they can 

 catch it ; which, however, is but seldom. Gazelles 

 of the common gray species are everywhere in great 

 numbers ; and hares are not uncommon. 



The birds are a small species of partridge v»-ith 

 red legs, wild geese of the largest kind, a few storks, 

 the eagle, Rakham, crows in abundance, the Katta, 



