6 The Nile as a Sanatorium. 



cabins ; its roof is covered by an awning, and furnished with 

 sofas, so that the day may be passed agreeably there. When 

 the weather is calm, sailors row ; when a breeze arises, the large 

 sail is spread, and the heavy vessel speeds rapidly on. Its 

 form is shown in the engraving, contrasted by the ordinary 

 native boat beside it. 



Once afloat, life on the river becomes very monotonous. 

 Cairo is so full of bustle and picturesque beauty that the 

 loneliness of the river a few miles from it is doubly drear. 

 Enthusiasm, and the novelty of the position, has its usual effect 

 for a time; but this wears itself out after- days of drifting 

 between high banks of mud, relieved only by clumps of palm 

 trees, squalid villages of earthen huts, and glaring lines of 

 limestone rock. Until Minieh is reached the river is dull and 

 featureless to an extreme degree, and becomes almost insup- 

 portably tedious on the return voyage. 



About four miles further, and we reach the ruined and 

 half-deserted village of Beni-Hassan. Here are the famous 

 rock-cut sepulchres, covered internally by wall-paintings, made 

 by the ancient Egyptians three thousand years ago. They 

 furnish us with the most vivid delineations of the manners and 

 customs of this people we possess, and are the mine from which 

 our modern books, at home and abroad, have been furnished 

 with their most interesting illustrations. They are now all 

 miserably injured where within reach. Time has spared them, 

 and even native barbarity, that looks unfavourably on such art, 

 has held the hand here ; the mischief has been chiefly done by 

 recent European travellers, who delight, in writing or scribbling 

 their obscure names on the walls, or breaking away fragments 

 to take home. When we remember that these old works have 

 afforded us our best comments on the truths of Bible history ; 

 explaining its allusions and proving its genuine character, as a 

 minute record of past manners ; it is sufficient to raise honest 

 indignation at finding Christians thus behaving worse than 

 Turks, particularly when we remember that the Nile journey is 

 an expensive one, and cannot be undertaken by any but those 

 whose education and position should ensure better behaviour. 



From Minieh to Siout, the capital of Upper Egypt, the 

 river presents much variety of scene; the rocky chain that 

 bounds the valley of the Nile sometimes closes on the stream 

 in picturesque cliffs, and at other times opens on verdant plains, 

 brilliantly green with abundant vegetation. Siout is charm- 

 ingly situated; but the traveller may sometimes be long 

 delayed in reaching it, as the river curves continually, and 

 winds are often adverse. He must be prepared to be anchored 

 in a sheltered place occasionally for days together, and bear 

 ennui as best he may. 



