420 



JOURNAL RELATING TO NUBIA. 



we halted ; one of the natives brought me a mat, on which I laid 

 myself down and soon fell asleep. 



May 26. — Early in the morning I proceeded by the water-side 

 under high cliffs towards the temple, and found merely a ruined 

 castle of considerable size, seated on a high rock separated from the 

 rest of the hills by a ravine on each side. Square towers connected by 

 walls of rude stones piled one on the other and strengthened by trunks 

 of palm-trees, and shafts of columns laid transversely, compose the 

 works. The interior presents the ruins of an Arab town, consisting 

 of a mosque of stone, with mud and stone dwelling-houses. Shafts, 

 capitals, and columns of grey granite are scattered about, on which I 

 distinguished the Maltese cross. This castle is probably one erected 

 by Selim the Second. 



On my return I was shown an excavation in one of the rocks ; I 

 visited it, and found it to consist of a chamber twenty feet wide and 

 ten deep. Opposite the door is a recess forming a seat, and above are 

 three figures sitting sculptured in high relief; but they are much 

 defaced. On the walls of the chamber are hieroglyphics ; I distin- 

 guished also the Greek letters Alio on one of the sides, and the form 

 of a cross. Proceeding through the village, I was met by a venerable 

 old man, who, I found, was called the Aga ; in a friendly and hospi- 

 table manner he invited me " to tarry until the sun was gone down ; 

 to alight, refresh myself, and partake of the food he would prepare for 

 the stranger." I gladly accepted his invitation ; a clean mat was 

 spread for me under the shade of the wall of his house, and refresh- 

 ments, consisting of wheaten cake broken into small bits, and put 

 into water, sweetened with date-juice, were brought to me in a 

 wooden bowl ; then curds, with liquid butter and preserved dates, 

 and lastly some milk. 



Having taken what I wanted, I entered the door of the Aga's 

 house, which, like all the rest, was of mud ; I found myself in a 

 room separated from the other part of the house by a court, and 

 covered by a simple roof of palm-tree branches. This was the 

 place of his divan, and here my mat and cushion were brought to me, 



