﻿1 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SOCIETY. 
  [Nov. 
  4, 
  

  

  in 
  the 
  western 
  wall 
  for 
  entrance 
  at 
  high 
  Nile 
  ; 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  

   holes 
  in 
  its 
  south-western 
  angle 
  for 
  attaching 
  boats 
  at 
  different 
  levels 
  

   of 
  the 
  water, 
  all 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  rise 
  and 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

   Midway 
  in 
  the 
  easternmost 
  channel, 
  opposite 
  Philse, 
  we 
  found 
  a 
  

   depth 
  of 
  50 
  feet. 
  That 
  the 
  river 
  has 
  subsided 
  much 
  since 
  it 
  flowed 
  

   through 
  its 
  eastern 
  channels 
  is 
  most 
  probable 
  ; 
  moreover, 
  to 
  account 
  

   for 
  the 
  enormous 
  sinking 
  which 
  has 
  taken 
  place, 
  we 
  can, 
  according 
  

   to 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  shown 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  its 
  ancient 
  levels 
  at 
  and 
  

   above 
  the 
  cataract, 
  come 
  to 
  some 
  such 
  a 
  conclusion 
  as 
  this 
  — 
  that 
  the 
  

   primaeval 
  Nile 
  was 
  a 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  rapid 
  river 
  than 
  the 
  Nile 
  is 
  now. 
  

  

  9. 
  Assuan 
  and 
  vicinity. 
  — 
  Proceeding 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  terrace- 
  

   cliffs 
  are 
  visible 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  bank. 
  On 
  one 
  of 
  these, 
  nearly 
  opposite 
  

   Assuan, 
  I 
  found 
  a 
  few 
  specimens 
  of 
  Cyrena 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  had 
  not 
  leisure 
  

   to 
  institute 
  a 
  careful 
  inspection 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  plateaus, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  

   seemed 
  fully 
  100 
  to 
  120 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  river. 
  Proceeding 
  eastward 
  

   from 
  Assuan, 
  in 
  a 
  direction 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  valley 
  opposite 
  Philse, 
  I 
  

   met 
  with 
  abundant 
  proofs 
  of 
  ancient 
  levels. 
  Granitic 
  ridges 
  and 
  

   boulders 
  were 
  observed 
  interspersed 
  among 
  the 
  old 
  banks 
  of 
  allu- 
  

   vium 
  in 
  the 
  ravine 
  near 
  the 
  town; 
  further 
  east, 
  a 
  long 
  ridge 
  of 
  

   sandstone 
  runs 
  northwards 
  (with 
  a 
  white 
  tomb 
  at 
  its 
  extremity) 
  ; 
  

   from 
  this 
  point 
  a 
  vast 
  valley 
  runs 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  marked 
  by 
  

   mounds 
  of 
  alluvium, 
  being 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  valley 
  

   opposite 
  Philse, 
  which 
  concentrates, 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  ravines, 
  in 
  one 
  

   great 
  plain, 
  debouching 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  a 
  little 
  way 
  below 
  the 
  town, 
  as 
  

   already 
  stated. 
  Abundance 
  of 
  river- 
  shells 
  strew 
  the 
  beds, 
  and 
  are 
  

   met 
  with 
  along 
  the 
  banks, 
  chiefly 
  along 
  the 
  eastern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  

   channel, 
  as 
  it 
  sweeps 
  round 
  towards 
  the 
  river. 
  Another 
  excellent 
  

   panorama 
  of 
  the 
  Cataract 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  a 
  Sheik's 
  tomb 
  on 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  a 
  hill 
  directly 
  opposite 
  Assuan. 
  From 
  the 
  terrace-cliffs 
  on 
  

   the 
  left 
  bank 
  to 
  the 
  eastern 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  ravine, 
  the 
  distance, 
  

   in 
  a 
  straight 
  line, 
  may 
  be 
  about 
  2| 
  miles. 
  

  

  After 
  leaving 
  Assuan 
  the 
  river- 
  valley 
  opens 
  out 
  ; 
  and 
  along 
  its 
  

   right 
  bank, 
  at 
  divers 
  elevations, 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  30 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  high- 
  

   est 
  Nile, 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  abundance 
  of 
  freshwater 
  Oysters 
  (JEtheria 
  

   semilunata)* 
  , 
  not 
  only 
  scattered 
  in 
  enormous 
  quantities 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  soil, 
  but 
  adhering 
  in 
  numbers 
  to 
  their 
  old 
  rocky 
  bottoms. 
  At 
  

   the 
  village 
  of 
  Bahveech, 
  opposite 
  the 
  Island 
  of 
  that 
  name, 
  I 
  met 
  

   with 
  beds 
  of 
  these 
  Shells 
  among 
  the 
  old 
  alluvium 
  now 
  being 
  dug 
  out 
  

   of 
  the 
  crevices 
  of 
  the 
  rock, 
  besides 
  Cyrena 
  and 
  Iridina, 
  which 
  were 
  

   likewise 
  plentiful. 
  

  

  10. 
  Ombos 
  and 
  vicinity. 
  — 
  The 
  temple 
  of 
  Ombos 
  has 
  been 
  already 
  

   mentioned 
  (p. 
  10) 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  wearing 
  away 
  of 
  its 
  alluvial 
  

   foundation 
  and 
  the 
  change 
  of 
  the 
  river's 
  course 
  within 
  the 
  historical 
  

   period. 
  Standing 
  among 
  the 
  ruins 
  and 
  looking 
  on 
  the 
  fine 
  broad 
  

   valley, 
  we 
  noticed 
  numerous 
  high 
  beds 
  and 
  banks 
  of 
  soil 
  dotting 
  

   the 
  surface. 
  One 
  in 
  particular 
  is 
  well 
  worthy 
  of 
  attention, 
  being 
  

   perhaps 
  the 
  greatest 
  alluvial 
  accumulation 
  visible 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   river's 
  course 
  from 
  "Wadi 
  Halfeh 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  ; 
  it 
  runs 
  along 
  the 
  left 
  

   bank 
  a 
  short 
  way 
  below 
  Ombos, 
  at 
  a 
  place 
  called 
  Maneche, 
  display 
  - 
  

  

  * 
  Specimen 
  No. 
  10. 
  

  

  