NUBIA AND THE NILE RAPIDS. 389 



Slowly the pent-up stream bears the boat towards the first 

 rapid. Again, as it nears the rocks, the boat refuses to obey either 

 rudder or oars, but creaking and groaning in every joint, it rushes 

 through the overwhelming waves and boiling foam, through eddy 

 and whirlpool, through narrow channels and abruptly-winding 

 courses, drenched and flooded with water, shaving rocky corners 

 by an arm's-length, almost touching the teeth of hidden reefs. On 

 it rushes to the second rapid. 



From the height of the cataract the eye looks down with 

 dismay at the dreadful violence of the torrent, and one sees at the 

 lower end of the rapid a round block of rock surrounded by foam- 

 ing waves as if it were the head of a white-haired giant rising 

 above the surface. Like an arrow to its mark our fragile ungovern- 

 able boat rushes towards this giant's head. "In the name of the 

 All-merciful, row, row, ye men, ye strong, brave, noble men, ye 

 children of the stream!" cries the steersman. "Larboard, larboard 

 the rudder with all your strength!" But the boat answers neither 

 to oars nor to rudder. It is not indeed the giant block which 

 endangers the craft, but a narrow channel to the starboard into 

 which we are swept and in which we are hurried on towards a 

 labyrinth of rocks through which no possible pathway can be seen. 

 The men already leave their oars, and throw off any clothes they 

 have on, so that they may be unhampered in swimming. A fearful 

 crash turns all eyes backward: the giant's head has caught the 

 next boat, which was longer and less pliant, and holds it oscillating 

 over the seething flood. This increases the dismay. All our men 

 regard the crew of the second boat as doomed, and as for them- 

 selves they prepare to plunge into the torrent. Then the voice of 

 the ancient pilot rings out sharp and clear: "Are ye mad, are ye 

 God-forsaken, ye children of heathen? Work, work, ye boys, ye 

 men, ye heroes, ye giants, ye faithful! In the hand of the Almighty 

 rests all power and strength; give Him the glory, and bend to your 

 oars, ye sons of heroes!" And he himself takes the rudder, and in 

 a few minutes directs the misguided boat from the "way of sinners" 

 into the "right way". One boat after another appears in the open 

 water: but not all. The giant's head still bears his victim, and will 



