1824.] Sketch of a Journey through 



Li}'i)inn bills stretcli about a quarter of 

 a league from the sliore. fn the midst 

 «f Ibis saudy valley are a few stripes of 

 land covered with vegetation, and irri- 

 ga(ed by the Persian wheel from the 

 Nile. Similar cases are found near 

 matiy of the Nubian villages; for tlie 

 greatest part of the country, down to tiie 

 Nile, is covered with saud. A little 

 above Abuchor, the cultivated declivi- 

 ties of the hills along the Nile form the 

 vbole of Nubia ; tiic hills approach tlie 

 river very closely, and form steeps of 

 about sixty feet in height; they are all 

 equally high and flattened down, and 

 liave but very few recesses or caves. 

 Trees are scarce ; they are coiifiued to a 

 few liburnums, and small groups of 

 palm-trees. 



In Wadi Danrlur we saw a small 

 temple in tolerable preservation ; and, 

 at about eight leagues from Ktliaicslii, 

 we came to the village of Girge, (pro- 

 |jx)bly ancient Tutzis), inhabited by 

 Berbers. According to the Iteiier. 

 Antonini, the Lybiau chain is in this 

 spot about a league from the shore, and 

 contains one of the largest tenii)Ics in 

 all Egypt, and Nu'jia. The portico, 

 which was likewise cut out of tlie rock, 

 was fiirmerly adorned by a colonnade of 

 sandstone. Eight gigantic statues, 

 twelve feet high, lean against the rock ; 

 but the place is so dilapidated, tliat only 

 two of the figures can be dislingiiislied. 

 Large entrances leail into the first hall, 

 vvbicb is ornamented with a double 

 row of pillars on each side, against 

 which six colossal statues, with tlie 

 emblems of Osiris in their iiands, are 

 leaning. They are placed on lolly pedes- 

 tals, and are twenty-one feet high ; but 

 they rather resemble giant-dwarfs than 

 j^ianls. The walls are provided with 

 cavities, each of which contains three 

 idols holding each other's hands. There 

 are seven other apartments, the last of 

 which contains four statues, of ordinary 

 size, in a silting posture. In the centre 

 of the cavity is the altar. 'J'his enor- 

 mous tem[)le is much injured in all its 

 parts; nevertheless, it contains more 

 statues than any otiicr. 'J'he bas-reliefs 

 in it are much worse in their construc- 

 tion than those in any other cavernous 

 temple ; the stone, too, in which it is 

 cut, consists of a .soft calcareous mass, 

 which is probably the cause of the 

 piercing cold that reigns in its interior. 

 On the other side of liic river, opposite 

 (Urge, are immense ruins of brickwork 

 on the gido of the bill, evidently the 

 walls of some large city, probably 



Monthly Mao. No. 3i)o. 



Nuhia and North Ethiopia. 311 



Tutzis, to which this temple formerly 

 belonged. These ruins are called by the 

 natives Semagura. Owing to the un- 

 skilfulness of our sailors, wc lost a mast, 

 and our sail was torn, so that we were 

 obliged to land near Koshtamhe, where 

 we spent the rest of the day in repairing 

 our damage. Here is a small building, 

 with a door consisting of three stones, 

 of which tiiose of the sides are five feet 

 high ; liie centre-piece bears the usual 

 emblem of eternity, a winged globe. 

 Numerous ruins, covered with sand, 

 testify the flourishing condition of this 

 place in former times. The Lybiau 

 chain is here at a considerable distance 

 from the bank, but all the surface of the 

 interval is encumbered with sand. Only 

 one small spot of cultivated ground is 

 seen at a distance; whicli, with some 

 hundred palm-trees, supports the inha- 

 bitants of this village. This must have 

 been a populous place formerly ; in 

 Nubia, the scite of towns cannot be 

 altered ; wherever the rocks drew 

 farthest from the Nile, were also the 

 most considerable towns, — which opi- 

 nion is confirmed by the ruins and traces 

 of temples. 



Koshtamhe contains 120 inhabitants. 

 The Nubian huts arc so low, as to allow 

 of a sitting posture only in Ihcm. Both 

 men and women (who. in general, are 

 very handsome,) speml the whole day 

 in the open air, under the weak shade of 

 their trees, pulling wool, or cleaning 

 dvr or barley, and only at night with- 

 draw to their houses. Their dwellings 

 are surrounded by small circular clay 

 huts, in which they keep their fowls, 

 pigeons, and small stock of corn. Their 

 whole property usually consists of two 

 or three cows, and a pair of oxen ; some 

 gnats or sheep, which sometimes occupy 

 the same apartment with their master. 

 Those that are rich have sometimes an 

 ass or a camel. The nights are, com- 

 paratively, very cold ; although, at this 

 period, the barometer never stood below 

 10° ; whilst at noon, in the sun, and 

 without wind, it .stood at 42° Reaum. 

 and, with a north-wind, at 35°. The 

 wealthy Nubians wear, in the morning, 

 white, or light blue shirts, which they 

 purchase at Essnan ; and a shawl 

 thrown over the shoulders, finishes 

 their dress. The boys remain naked 

 till Ihcy are twelve years old, a circum- 

 stance which is also observable in the 

 ancient Egyptian paintings. The whole 

 dress of the girls consists of a thick 

 leather fringe, live inches wide, called, 

 in Arabic, racha, or chcrras ; in Nu- 

 2 S biaiiy 



