DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT. 
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 
features of negroes.* The modern inhabitants of 
this isle exhibit considerable resemblance to the 
negro race in features, hair, and person, t Ter- 
missi and Marada, small villages which lie on the 
iirst cataract of the Nile, are about six miles above 
Syene. At this cataract, or rather rapid, by the 
Arabs denominated 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 granite that run across the bed of the 
river. The face of the country is peculiarly 
rough and irregular, being formed of a confused 
mass of naked precipices and sandy declivities. 
The fall of the Nile itself appeared to Norden to 
be only about four feet in height. Pococke, who 
seems to have observed it at a more favourable sea- 
son, mentions three different falls ; the first three 
* Ripaud's Report on the Antiquities of Upper Egypt, 
p. 22. 
f Browne's Travels, p. Ml. 
