Kitabı oku: «The Overland Guide-book», sayfa 6

Same (eastern bank) seven miles above Minyeh, Komahmar, some grottoes, and ruins of an old town; nine miles farther (eastern hank), Beni Hassan, very fine grottoes, with curious paintings; and about a mile and a half farther, a grotto, or rock temple, of Pasht (Bubastis, or Diana), the Speos Artemidos, cat mummies in the ravine.

Antinöe, now Shekh Abadeh, few remains of the town, a theatre, the principal streets, baths, &c., outside the town, on the east, is the hippodrome. The grottoes in the mountain are unsculptured, and have some Christian inscriptions. A little to the north of Antinöe are the remains, apparently, of Besa, scarcely worthy of a visit.

At El Bersheh, a grotto on the mountain, in which a colossus is represented on a sledge. At Oshmoonayn (western bank) no remains of Hermopolis Magna. At Gebel Toona, a mountain, skirting the desert to the west are mummy-pits, a tablet of hieroglyphics, and statues in high relief. At Mellawee, and at Tamoof Tanis, superior mounds, but no ruins. At Shayda, at corner of mountains, on eastern bank, crude brick walls, and some grottoes.

At Shekh Said, the mountains recede to the eastward, leaving the river, and a little beyond is the village of Tel el Armarnar, to the north of which are the remains of a small town, and to the south the ruins of a city, which I suppose to be Alabastron: all the stone buildings have been quite destroyed, but some of the brick houses remain; near the crude brick towers of the temple are the largest houses. To the east are several fine grottoes in the face of the mountain, with curious sculptures, and on the summit of it is an ancient alabaster quarry. Six miles below Maufaloot, at El Haryib, ruins of an old town, in a ravine of the Gebel Aboolfaydee; numerous dog and cat mummies, near El Maabdeh, opposite Maufaloot; crocodile mummies in chambers of great extent in the mountain.

At E'Sioot (Lycopolis), the capital of Upper Egypt, grottoes, wolf mummies; the modern cemetery is prettily laid out. Gow (Antœpolis) a few stones of the temple, close to the river; some grottoes at the corner of the mountain, to the north, below Gow, but not containing good sculptures. Shekh Hereedee, small grottoes; Roman statue at the base of the mountain, cut out of a piece of a rock. The snake of Shekh Hereedee is still supposed to perform cures.

To the west of Soohag, near the corner of mountains, old town of Athribes, a Greek inscription in the ruined temple, grottoes in the mountain; and to the north is the white monastery, or Dayr Amba Shuoodee, nearly opposite Soohag is E'Khmim (Panopolis) Greek inscription of the temple of Pan, and some remains of other stone buildings.

Mensheeh (Ptolemais Hermii), western bank, eight miles above E'Khmim, remains of a stone quay. From Girgh go to Abydos, three hours ride, and send on the boat to Bellianeh, returning to it in the evening, two hours ride; or, coming down the river, stop at Bellianeh, and send on the boat to Girgeh. At Abydos two temples and many tombs.

How (Diospolis parva) has very few remains of Ptolemaic or Roman time. In mounds at the ridge of the desert, a mile and a half south of How, some tombs; one of Dionysius, son of Ptolemy, has some sculpture.

Qasr e Syad (Chenoboscion), remains of a quay; about one mile beyond the eastern mouth of the canal of this village, are some very ancient grottoes, with kings' names. Dendera (Teutyris) opposite Qeneh, two temples, inscriptions, zodiac, &c. Qeneh is famous for its manufacture of porous jars; from it, roads lead to Kossayr on the Red Sea.

Qoft (Coptos), ruins of the old town, and of a temple, a Christian church, canals, &c.; at the village of El Qala, to the north, is a small Roman Egyptian temple.

Qoos (Apollinopolis parva), no more ruins left; at a well on the north of the town is a Ptolemaic monolith, with hieroglyphics, converted into a tank, and a few stone remains of early time in the plain to the west, near a Shekh's tomb. Thebes (Diospolis magna), on the eastern bank, Karnac and Lugsor; on the west, the tombs of the kings, private tombs, several temples, colossi of the plain, &c.

Erment (Hermonthis), west bank, temple and early Christian church. Tuot, or E`Selemeëh (Tuphium) on eastern bank, Ptolemy temple, much ruined, and concealed by the hovels of the peasant. Gebelaun, i. e. , "the two hills," a small ancient town in ruins, and grottoes, not worthy of a visit. At Tofnees and Assfoon, mounds of ancient towns, no ruins.

Esneh (Latopolis), fine portico, zodiac and quay. At Edayr, three miles to the north of Esneh, remains of a small temple of the Ptolemies and Cæsars, lately destroyed. Thirteen miles from Esneh, near El Qenan, ruins of a quay; on west bank and three miles farther, a small stone pyramid, opposite the quay, is the junction of the limestone and sandstone. Four miles beyond, on eastern bank, is El Kab (Eilethyas), ruins of a very ancient town, the temples lately destroyed, curious grottoes in the mountain, and a short distance up the valley are three small temples. In the bed of the ravine are ponds encrusted with natron.

Edfoo (Apollinopolis magna) two temples. Eleven miles above Edfoo, and on the eastern bank, remains of an old town, on face of hill, fortified with towers of Arab construction. Silsilis (now Hagar Silsili), quarries of sandstone, used for building the temples of Upper Egypt, tables and grottoes. Komombo (Ombos), two temples; ancient stone gateway, in a crude brickwall on the eastern side of the enclosure of the temples; houses burnt.

At E'Sooan (Syene), ruins of a small temple of Roman date, some columns, Saracen wall, and Cufic tombstones; granite quarries, in one of which is a broken obelisk; Latin inscription of Caracalla near another quarry; road to Philæ, and wall; numerous hieroglyphic tables on the rocks. Island of Elephantine; opposite the projecting rocks of E'Sooan is the Nilometer, which is a staircase, with Greek inscriptions relating to the rise of the Nile. Granite gateway, bearing the name of Alexander, the son of Alexander the Great.

At the northern end of the cataract, in the island of Sehàyl, few vestiges of a temple; hieroglyphic tablets on the rocks. Go from E'Sooan to Sehàyl in a boat, and ride to Philæ. At Philæ, temples and ruins. Islands of Biggeh, opposite Philæ, to the west, ruined temple, tablets, &c., &c.

NUBIA

Dabode (Parembole), temple, west bank. Kerdassy, ruins and quarries. Tafa (Taphis), two small ruins, and stone enclosures. Kalabshee (Talmis), large temple, quarries, and, on hill behind it, to the northward, a small, but interesting temple, called Bayt el Wellee, cut in the rock. Dandoor, temple. Gerf Hossayn (Tutzis), temple, cut in the rock, of the time of Rameses II.

Dakkeh (Pselcis), temple of Ptolemaic and Roman date; It has also the names of two Ethiopian princes, Ergamun, or Ergamenes (mentioned by Diodorus, iii. 6, as a contemporary of Ptolemy Philadelphus), and Ataramun; many Greek inscriptions. Opposite Dakkeh, ruins of Contra Pselcis, or of Metacompso.

Corte (Corti), few remains. Maharraka, or Oofideena, ruins of Hierasycamenon, style bad, and all of late date. Isis is represented under the fig-tree. Taboaa, temple of the time of Rameses II., with avenue of sphinxes; the adytum is cut in the rock, the rest built. Hassain, or Amada, a temple of Thothmes, ancient, nearly opposite to it in Dayr or Derr, on east bank, the capital of Nubia, which has a temple cut in the rock, of the time of Rameses II.

Ibreem (Primis parva), part of the ancient wall on south side of town; remains of a stone building amidst the houses; some small grottoes below the town near the river. Aboosimbel, two temples cut in the rock, the finest Egyptian monuments out of Thebes; they are of the time of Rameses II.

At Ferayg, nearly opposite, on east bank, a small temple in the rock. Farras, on west bank, few remains; grottoes with Coptic inscriptions, some distance from the river. Wadee Alfeh, remains of three buildings on west bank; fine view of the second cataract from a rock on the same bank, a short walk to the south of Wadee Halfeh.

A day and a half beyond Wadee Halfeh are the two small temples of Samneh and the third cataract.

The distances from the Mediterranean to the second cataract are as follow: —

It may be interesting to the sportsman to know that, in the course of his river trip, he will occasionally find "food for powder." Game is by no means abundant, but here and there a random shot may be had at a gazelle; coveys of partridges have been seen; rock-pigeons are numerous; and the rifle may afford some sport in the land of crocodiles.

The gazelle, ibex, kebsh (or wild sheep), hare, fox, jackal, wolf, and hyæna, are still found in the valley of the Nile, or in the desert.

The "kebsh" frequents the eastern desert, principally in the ranges of primitive mountains, which, commencing about latitude 28° 40' at the back of the limestone hills of the valley of the Nile, extend thence into Ethiopia and Abyssinia.

The Egyptian hare is a native of the valley of the Nile, as well as the two deserts. It is remarkable for the length of its ears, which the Egyptians have not failed to indicate in their sculptures; but it is much smaller than those of Europe.

The intelligent Denon has made a just remark on the comparative size of animals common to Egypt and Europe, that the former are always smaller than our own species, and this is exemplified by none more strongly than the hare and wolf.

In enumerating the wild beasts of the desert, it may not be irrelevant to observe, that the hyæna and wolf are seldom met with in unfrequented districts, or any great distance from the Nile, where they would suffer from want of food, and are therefore principally confined to the mountains lying a few miles from the edge of the culti vated land. The wolf is very rarely seen on the coast of the Red Sea, and few even of the watering-places of the interior of the desert are infested by it, or the hyæna.

The hippopotamus was always rare in Lower Egypt, but in Upper Ethiopia this amphibious animal is common in the Nile.

The crocodile, formerly an inhabitant of Lower Egypt and the Delta, now limits the extent of its visits northward to the districts about Inanfaloot.

APPENDIX (A)

As a guide to the cost of a berth, or cabin, it is only necessary to mention the rates at which passengers can be accommodated, according to the berth or cabin they occupy.

The above charges include every expense, except hotel expenses in Egypt, and wines, beer, and spirits, while passing between Alexandria and Suez. (See p. 38.)

For an estimate of the expense of proceeding from Suez to Bombay, the reader is referred to the East India Company's Regulations, p. 39; see also James Barber and Co.'s Circular.

APPENDIX (B.)

TARIFF

OF DUTIES WHICH ARE LEVIED ON THE IMPORTATION OF THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES: —

Notwithstanding the advice already given in this little volume, we repeat that passengers would always save themselves much trouble, and, by facilitating the examination of luggage, their fellow-travellers great delay, if they would take the precaution to pack goods liable to duty in a separate case, marked "duty goods," and leave it in charge of Mr. Hill, the "Peninsular and Oriental Company's" custom-house agent at Southampton, who always goes on board the steamer on its arrival, and who will punctually forward it as directed. They should, at the same time, deliver to Mr. Hill a list of the contents and the value of each article, bearing in mind that duty is chargeable on the value of the article in England, without reference to its cost price, and that, provided the revenue officer does not approve of the declared value made by the owner of the goods, he can seize the same, in which case, the declared value, with an additional ten per cent., is paid to the owner.

As a general guide, it is recommended that the cost price be given to Mr. Hill, and that he be left to estimate the duty, his great experience qualifying him to do so.

Cotton must not be used for packing goods of any description by the Overland Route; it occasions great difficulty, and subjects them to seizure, under the quarantine laws.

THE FOLLOWING MAY BE IMPORTED FREE OF DUTY

Bullion, Coins and Medals of gold or silver, and battered Plate.

Diamonds.

Live Creatures, and other specimens illustrative of Natural History.

Pictures, Sketches and Drawings, on a declaration by the proprietor (being a British subject), that they are of his or her performance and not intended for sale.

Plants and Trees, alive.

Specimens of Minerals, Fossils or Ores.

APPENDIX (C)

It may be useful, as a reference, to give the distances of the different stations in India from each presidency