NUBIA AND THE NILE RAPIDS. 379 



the Rocks", in the plunging, whirling "Mother of Stones", in the 

 "Shatterer", the "Camel's Neck", the "Coral", or whatever the rapid 

 may be called; the saga is dumb, though the whole region seems the 

 fittest home of legends, and the boatman has too often reason to be 

 tempted to believe in spirits who wish ill to human kind. 



The rapids are navigated down-stream, at high and middle 

 water, up-stream at middle and low water. When the Nile is lowest 

 any boat going down-stream would be shattered; when the flood 

 comes not even the largest sail would impel a vessel of considerable 

 size against the current. At low water hundreds of men are requi- 

 sitioned to haul one of the all-powerful government's medium-sized 

 barks up-stream; at the time of flood, they would scarcely be able 

 to find footing on the few unflooded rock-islands on either side of 

 the navigable channel. Full flood is the best time for going down- 

 stream, and middle-water is best for going up, since at this time the 

 regular north winds have set in and render practicable the use 

 of sails. 



All the craft specially intended for the rapids are distinguished 

 from other Nile boats by their small size and by peculiarities of build 

 and of rigging. The hull has but few timbers, and the boards are 

 held together by nails driven in obliquely. The sail is not tri- 

 angular, but four-sided, and fastened to two yards in such a way 

 that from the lower more or less canvas can be unfurled, or spread 

 to the wind. The build and rigging are thoroughly adapted to the 

 conditions. The smallness, especially the shortness of the boat, is 

 adapted to the necessity for sharp turnings; the manner in which 

 the boards are joined gives the hull an elastic flexibility and pliancy 

 which are valuable when the vessel runs aground; the adaptability 

 of the canvas to the strength of the wind and of the current makes 

 it possible to maintain a fairly successful contest against a most 

 variable resistance. Nevertheless no one would willingly go up or 

 down stream alone; the boatmen wisely prefer to go in companies, 

 so that they may aid one another whenever occasion demands. 



A fleet of boats plying up-stream presents a beautiful, inspiring 

 picture as it sails away from a landing-place, or from some quiet 

 creek, in which it has rested by night. All the navigable portions 



