DESCRIPTIONS OF EGY^T. 
203 
Latopolis, a derivation, however, the correctness of 
which he is inclined to doubt. 
That spirit of enterprise, by which English tra- 
vellers have of late been so remarkably distinguish- 
ed, has extended itself to the course of the Nile 
above Egypt 5 a tract which has been proved to 
exhibit a continuation of that series of wonders, 
which mark every part of its progress from Cairo 
to Philae, Of this spirit of inquiry, the only de- 
tailed result which has yet been laid before the 
public, consists in the recent narrative of Mr Legh. 
We shall take it up at the cataracts above Syene, 
Mr Legh confirms the report of all modern tra- 
vellers, that these cataracts present nothing of the 
grandeur which some passages in the ancient writ- 
ers would lead us to expect* It may perhaps be 
a question, whether these writers did not confound 
this with the yet unexplored cataract of Genadil ? 
Those of Syene are formed merely by the river 
forcing its way in a contracted channel among 
rocks of granite, or rather syenite, which form se- 
veral ledges across it ; but boys, for a trifle, will 
swim over them. The aspect of the scene, how- 
ever, is very imposing. " The wild disorder of 
" the granite rocks, which present every variety 
" of grotesque shape, the absence of all cultiva- 
4 ' tion, the murmur of the water, and the sa* 
** vage and desolate character of the whole scene, 
" form a picture which exceeds all power of de~ 
