DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT. 17^ 
the site of the ancient city, was situated in a more 
southern position than either the ancient or the 
modern town. The isle of Elephantine is situa- 
ted opposite to Syene, and has been apparently 
formed by the accumulation of the sediment of the 
Nile. It is about three hundred fathoms long, and 
four hundred broad. It contains the ruins of a 
small temple consecrated to Orus, the figures 
sculptured on which have the characteristic fea- 
tures of negroes, f The modern inhabitants of this 
isle exhibit considerable resemblance to the negro 
race in features, hair, and person, t Termissi and 
Marada, small villages which lie on the first cata- 
ract of the Nile, are about six miles above Syene. 
At this cataract, or rather rapid, by the Arabs de- 
nominated Shelal, the Nile, which is scarcely half 
a mile in breadth, is divided into a number of 
small channels by numerous isles and rocks of gra- 
nite, that run across the bed of the river. The 
face of the country is peculiarly rough and irre- 
gular, being formed of a confused mass of naked pre- 
cipices and sandy declivities. The fall of the Nile it- 
seif appeared to Norden to be only about four feet 
in height. Pococke, who seems to have observed it 
at a more favourable season, mentions three dif- 
ferent falls ; the first three feet in height, the se- 
* Kipaud's Report on the Antiquities of Upper Egypt, 
& 22. 
f Browne's Travels, p. 141. 
