﻿1863.] 
  ADAMS 
  NILE 
  VALLEY. 
  15 
  

  

  Opposite 
  Phike 
  are 
  banks 
  and 
  heaps 
  of 
  river-deposit, 
  some 
  30 
  feet 
  

   higher 
  than 
  the 
  modem 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  inundation 
  ; 
  eastward 
  a 
  fine 
  

   broad 
  valley 
  opens 
  out 
  and 
  stretches 
  in 
  that 
  direction, 
  curving 
  gently 
  

   northwards, 
  when 
  it 
  sweeps 
  round 
  to 
  join 
  the 
  river 
  below 
  Assuan, 
  as 
  

   will 
  be 
  noticed 
  presently 
  ; 
  its 
  northern 
  side, 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  

   the 
  river, 
  is 
  formed 
  of 
  granitic 
  eminences, 
  with 
  valleys 
  which 
  run 
  

   northwards 
  in 
  divers 
  windings 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  former 
  at 
  Assuan. 
  The 
  

   above-mentioned 
  valley 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  covered 
  with 
  sand-drift 
  and 
  

   washings 
  from 
  the 
  slopes 
  on 
  each 
  side. 
  A 
  perpendicular 
  section 
  of 
  

   25 
  feet 
  is 
  well 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  bank 
  of 
  a 
  torrent-bed, 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  from 
  

   the 
  river, 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  ; 
  and 
  this 
  shows 
  the 
  

   following 
  succession 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  1. 
  River-alluvium 
  overlain 
  by 
  sand-drift. 
  

  

  2. 
  Stratified 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel. 
  

  

  3. 
  Conglomerate. 
  

  

  4. 
  Coarse 
  white 
  sand. 
  

  

  A 
  similar 
  section 
  is 
  perceived 
  in 
  another 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  to 
  the 
  

   north, 
  showing 
  much 
  the 
  same 
  order 
  of 
  beds. 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  section 
  may 
  be 
  from 
  35 
  to 
  40 
  feet 
  above 
  high 
  Nile. 
  Among 
  the 
  

   alluvial 
  beds 
  and 
  ancient 
  deposits 
  in 
  the 
  ravines 
  northwards, 
  also 
  

   strewing 
  the 
  surface 
  where 
  the 
  rain 
  had 
  washed 
  down 
  the 
  slopes, 
  

   were 
  abundance* 
  of 
  JEtheria 
  semilunata, 
  Iridina 
  Nilotica, 
  and 
  Bu- 
  

   limus 
  pullus, 
  at 
  heights 
  varying 
  from 
  40 
  to 
  60 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  

   the 
  river. 
  

  

  Nowhere 
  in 
  the 
  Nile 
  Valley 
  is 
  the 
  vast 
  force 
  and 
  fury 
  of 
  the 
  

   storms 
  that 
  now 
  and 
  then 
  burst 
  on 
  Nubia 
  better 
  attested 
  than 
  

   among 
  the 
  shattered 
  rocks 
  and 
  ravines 
  eastward 
  of 
  the 
  First 
  Cata- 
  

   ract. 
  I 
  penetrated 
  several 
  miles 
  in 
  that 
  direction, 
  finding 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  of 
  river- 
  shells 
  either 
  among 
  the 
  soil 
  in 
  the 
  hollows 
  or 
  strewn 
  

   on 
  the 
  surface, 
  impressing 
  me 
  strongly 
  with 
  a 
  belief 
  that 
  the 
  river 
  

   had 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  forced 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  these 
  ravines, 
  just 
  as 
  

   it 
  now 
  makes 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  the 
  others 
  westward. 
  The 
  sand- 
  

   stone 
  was 
  again 
  noticed 
  between 
  the 
  pinnacles 
  of 
  granite, 
  and 
  even 
  

   topping 
  them 
  in 
  many 
  places; 
  whilst 
  (as 
  at 
  Kalabshe) 
  upturned 
  

   masses 
  lay 
  along 
  their 
  flanks. 
  These 
  appearances 
  led 
  me 
  to 
  infer 
  that, 
  

   in 
  all 
  probability, 
  these 
  granite 
  -rocks 
  had 
  been 
  united 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  

   by 
  sandstone, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  river 
  had 
  washed 
  away 
  the 
  intermediate 
  

   and 
  softer 
  rock 
  ; 
  moreover, 
  that 
  the 
  sandstone, 
  between 
  the 
  granitic 
  

   projections 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  had 
  given 
  way 
  to 
  a 
  

   greater 
  extent, 
  causing 
  the 
  river 
  to 
  sink 
  to 
  lower 
  levels 
  and 
  thus 
  

   abandon 
  its 
  ancient 
  channels 
  eastward. 
  Is 
  such 
  a 
  result 
  likely 
  to 
  

   have 
  taken 
  place 
  more 
  readily 
  during 
  a 
  general 
  rise 
  of 
  the 
  river- 
  

   valley 
  ? 
  

  

  8. 
  Phttce. 
  — 
  Opposite 
  Philse, 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  bank, 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  steep, 
  

   the 
  remains 
  of 
  a 
  terrace-cliff 
  are 
  definable, 
  but 
  so 
  overwhelmed 
  by 
  

   drift 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  our 
  endeavours 
  to 
  procure 
  remains 
  a 
  failure. 
  The 
  

   monuments 
  of 
  Philae 
  show 
  that, 
  at 
  least 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  2200 
  years, 
  

   the 
  river 
  has 
  changed 
  very 
  little 
  in 
  any 
  way. 
  There 
  is 
  an 
  opening 
  

  

  * 
  Specimens 
  Nos. 
  13, 
  14, 
  15. 
  

  

  