THE GREAT NILE DESERTS. 5 1 1 



of this great region lies within the desert or rainless 

 zone where there is no regular rainy season, and 

 where even a shower is a rarity. Torrential rain 

 bursts however occasionally occur, but they only last 

 a short time, and months may elapse, perhaps even 

 years, before another drop falls. Even dews are 

 unknown for the greater part of the year; and as a 

 rule in this desert, a man may lay his gun on the 

 ground beside him at night without its ever rusting. 



The whole country is one vast, barren, almost herb- 

 less des"ert of orange red sand and rock; mountain, 

 valley, and plain, all being tinted with this same col- 

 ouring; and presenting a scene of surpassing desola- 

 tion. As the eye ranges over the mighty expanse, 

 except along the very edge of the river, not a trace 

 of vegetation is in general observable, and in many 

 places Egypt is only a few yards wide a green 

 streak drawn across the desert. During the spring 

 and early summer months, the simoom, an intensely 

 dry, hot wind, sweeps almost constantly across these 

 solitudes, carrying with it eddying columns of sand 

 and dust. Sir Samuel Baker met with it in 1861, 

 throughout nearly the whole of his desert march of 

 over 700 miles from Korosko via Abu Hammed, 

 Berber, and the Atbara, to Cassala. The holiday 

 tourist to Lower Egypt and Cairo, will also meet 

 with it, blowing from the S.E., from the latter end 

 of March till the middle of May. He will hear it 

 spoken of as the " Khamasin, " so called from blowing 

 at intervals during a period of 50 days. An unusual 

 stillness of the atmosphere generally precedes its 

 approach: suddenly "the air assumes a dusky yellow 

 hue, from being laden with impalpable dust, through 



