Sketches from a Nile Steamer for the use of travellers in Egypt, etc

Preface

. This book is intended chiefly for the use of steam boat passengers on the Nile ; it consists of a series of sketches, which were done with pen and brush during a winter spent on that river. Many students have complained of difficulty in following the accounts of the temples given in the guide-books ; it is in order to smooth their way through the confused chaos which the Egyptian temples often present, that the plans and descrip tions have been made as easy and as full as a work of this size admits. The dates, which are put in wherever it is possible to do so, are intended to be approximate rather than exact, for autho rities differ as to the chronology of early Egyptian history ; they are taken from Brugsch's history, " Egypt under the Pharaohs." It is hoped that many sketchers may realize Preface. the fact that sketching is quite possible from the stern of a steamer when in motion, and that much may be done in this way during the four weeks of river-travelling.

After some years of study in the British Museum, and after helping many students there to realize the interest of the study of Egyptology, I had at last the opportunity of going up the Nile as far as Aboo-Simbel, and my hope is that these sketches, the result of that journey, may render the time students spend on the Nile yet more delightful and interesting, by helping them to love and understand a little of the wonders of Ancient Egypt. I wish gratefully to acknowledge the kindness of Prof. Stuart Poole, of the British Museum, who has read this work in proof, and helped me much by his valuable suggestions. HELEN MARY TIRARD, Member of the Committee and Local Hon. Sec. for the Egypt Exploration Fund. 28, Weymouth Street, Portland Place, W. INTRODUCTORY. DRESS AND BOOKS. TRAVELLERS who are starting for Egypt generally ask two questions : What shall we wear ?

What books shall we read? First of all, as to clothes. In reality those who are going up the Nile need take but little besides their ordinary travelling requisites. Ladies, besides the dress in which they start, should have a neat woollen costume, warm, but not too heavy, a lighter one of beige, and, if their visit to Egypt is prolonged into March, one or even two cooler dresses of, e.g., tussore silk. Besides these, a full common blue serge or linen skirt, with blouse body or jacket to match, is extremely useful to keep for donkey riding ; it is really more serviceable than a riding habit (which is unnecessary), because in exploring temples and tombs it is as well to wear something in which one need not mind either dust or candle grease. As to evening dress, ladies who are going Introductory.

X out into society in Cairo will require dresses such as they would wear in London or in Paris ; but for our friend the traveller, one dark dress, that can be worn every evening at table d'hote, is quite sufficient : for instance, a black lace or soft silk dress, with a high and low bodice. Felt hats are by far the most convenient for travelling ; they are light, they protect from the heat of the sun, and they pack into small space ; but for those who are extremely sensitive to heat, a helmet might be added, though this is unneces sary for ordinary people. A holland or tussore silk umbrella lined with green, coloured spectacles if the eyes suffer from glare, and puggeries should be taken by both gentlemen and ladies. One or two gossamer veils might also be useful to the latter. A warm Shetland shawl is a good thing for an evening wrap, for after sunset there is often a chilly feeling in the air.

A flannel dressing gown should certainly not be left at home, and the same under-clothing should be worn as in England ; flannel vests, etc., are on no account to be discarded. A warm jacket, a travelling cloak, and a light dust cloak will be found most useful. For gentlemen, one or two travelling suits of light tweed, a suit of darker material, and two Introductory. XI sets of boating flannels, an overcoat, and a travelling ulster will almost complete what is really needful. For convenience and comfort it is as well to have a pocket drinking-cup, a pocket filter, some carbolic soap, as well as a little book of soap tablets. An opera glass and some magnesium wire ought not to be forgotten. Very little medicine is needed, for Egypt is delightfully healthy, and on each of Cook's steamers there is a doctor with plenty of drugs.

It may, however, be helpful to mention a pot of lanoline, cold cream, or vaseline, in case of sunburn ; some quinine, a little flask of brandy, and any favourite remedy for diarrhœa ; also, for fear of an attack of the latter complaint, it is as well to have a strip of flannel, which can be worn round the body as a cholera belt. As to books, if possible some good history, such as Maspero's " Histoire ancienne des Peuples de l'Orient," or Brugsch's "Egypt under the Pharaohs," as well as Perrot's " History of Ancient Egyptian Art," should be read at home beforehand, as they are serious and long books to attempt on a pleasure trip ; but if this be impossible, owing to lack of time and opportunity, there are several smaller books which will be found most interesting. Be- Introductory. XII sides the regular guide-books published by Murray and Baedeker, a most useful handbook by the learned Mr. Wallis Budge, of the British Museum, has been issued by Cook, and is presented to those travelling under his guidance.

But in order to have clear ideas on the history, art, and archæology of Ancient Egypt, travellers should take with them "Monuments of Upper Egypt," by Mariette ; " Apercu generale de l'histoire de l'Egypte," by the same author ; " Archeologie Egyptienne," by Maspero ; and "Art of the Saracens in Egypt," by S. L. Poole. As books of general interest, " Cities of Egypt," by R. S. Poole, and " A Thousand Miles up the Nile," by Miss A. B. Edwards, will be found delightful ; also the little book by S. L. Poole, on " Modern Egypt," in the Foreign Countries Series. I give this short list that it may be within the reach of every one who is starting for the Nile, to add both to the pleasure and interest of this de lightful trip, by some knowledge of that wonderful people of Ancient Egypt, whose temples and tombs yet remain, to compel the admiration and wonder of the whole civilized world.

Chapter I. From Cairo To Luxor

Jan. 31st, 10 a.m. — We are on board the steamer Rameses, the largest and best of Cook's steamers on the Nile. She carries sixty-two passengers, and all her berths are full. There are about forty ladies and twenty men, most of whom are English and Americans ; some are travelling for health, some for pleasure. Among the latter are a few sketchers, ever content, for the light and shade of Egypt always give them something new ; among the former are a few grumblers, who / B grumble even in Egypt, and therefore would grumble anywhere. Close to the landing-stage are the crowds of Nile boats — the dahabeahs of the people and the dahabeahs of the rich, all alike in shape and rig, but differing greatly in either being decked and fitted up — something in the style of a fashion able house-boat, or in being untidy, dirty, and picturesque.

Most of them have Arabs on board : some are doing nothing ; some, half-nude, are mending their clothes ; some are talking ; some sleeping ; but most are lazily watching the great steamer get ready for its start. After a little delay we are off, away from the great fleet of boats, with their graceful long masts and beams. We steam past Cairo, with a beautiful last view of the citadel, which seems to glide along with us for a short distance, with its mountains behind and palm trees in front. After two hours, we reach the site of ancient Memphis, where donkeys are waiting to take us to the Pyramid of Sakkarah. The saddles are on deck, and are thrown quickly to the crowd of hands stretched out by the men and boys waiting for us, each vociferously extolling his own special " good " or " best " donkey.

The donkey-boys were of all ages — mine was a boy of six, my husband's one of sixty ; yet they were all children in spirit, and the donkeys were very good, trotting away splendidly, my little boy rousing his at times to a gallop, and then, secretly as he thought, riding behind on the tail. After passing through a palm-grove, we came to the modern Arab village, with the empty little mud huts, their owners sitting about outside with their babies and cocks and hens. Close to the Arab village are two colossi of Rameses II.,* which formerly stood in the great Memphite temple. Both statues are of limestone. The first, after lying on his face for more than fifty years, has lately been raised, the face turned upwards, and a * The Pharaoh of the oppression of the Israelites (1333 B.C.). rough shed built over it.

The face of the second is more perfect ; it is scarcely injured at all, either by time or by barbarians. The cast of this head in the British Museum gives little idea of its beauty, for the colour of the stone has a slight pink shade, which gives a look of life, while the face has the peaceful expression of one asleep. Were Hans Andersen with us, he would believe his own fairy tale ; and in truth it seems quite credible that, even as we gaze, the old stone should awake. Mounting our donkeys again, we ride on to the Step Pyramid, perhaps the most ancient of all pyramids, and yet but little injured. It still retains the four steps, or stages, from which it takes its name. It owes its preservation to the fact that it stands far from any modern town, so that its stones have been less wanted for building material.

From the Step Pyramid, over a stretch of desert, with down-like ridges of sand, like waves of a golden sea, we soon reach Mariette's house. Close by is the Serapeum, the burial-place of the sacred bulls Apis, which we found lighted up by candles stuck on little tables on each side of the whole length of the gallery, the effect being very good. This is the most modern part of the Serapeum and dates from about the time of the twenty-sixth dynasty (666 B.C.) to Ptolemaic times, the other more ancient parts being filled up with sand. We thread our way under the vaulted limestone, and note the huge sarcophagi on either side, in which the sacred bulls were laid ; one at the end of the gallery is especially beautiful. It is formed of a piece of stone full of crystals, and is about a foot thick. The outside is covered with clearly graven hieroglyphics ;* the inside is plain, the height nearly six feet.

The sides of the gallery were formerly covered with stelæ,*!* most interesting historically, for they gave the year of the king in which the sacred bull died, the successive stelæ thus forming the royal chronology of the time. They have been removed, and placed in the Museum of Ghizeh, near Cairo, and in the Louvre. Through a side gallery, past the earlier rough sarcophagi, we pass out, and five minutes' walk across the sand brings us to the tomb of Ti. Ti was a great man in this part of Egypt about 3000 B.C., and, giving a mental look back to his portrait statue at Ghizeh, it is easy to picture him still * The picture-writing of ancient Egypt. t Memorial slabs of stone. living, so vividly do these tomb-sculptures give us the daily surroundings of his life. Outside the tomb was a small portico ; this, with its two pillars, is gone.

The large court still remains, though unroofed ; the twelve pillars are mostly standing, and the sculptures on the walls are fine, though they have lost their colour. A donkey-boy came up as we were looking at the sculptures of Nile boats on the wall, and, touching them, said, " dahabeah " — so much is the old boat of five thousand years ago like the Arab boat of to-day. A long, dark passage leads to two chambers, where the bas-reliefs are most perfect and the colours quite fresh. We see the daily life of Ti and the surroundings of his home — the sawing of wood, the sandal-making, the dwarf leading the monkey, and all the agricultural and country scenes too often and too well described and copied to be attempted here. On the west wall of the inner chamber are the two false doors ; above is the stone roller representing that on which a curtain was hung at the real house door.

Between the doors and at their sides we see representations of the bringing of flowers, fruit, and food to be piled up on the altars. In the south wall, about four feet from the floor, are two holes, one on either side, about eight inches by four, not far from the east and west walls ; these holes lead into another chamber beyond, where the statue now at Ghizeh was found. Before these holes incense was offered, and through them the Egyptians believed that the double, or ka, of the ancient Ti, while dwelling in his portrait-statue, could smell the fragrance from the tomb-chamber. Close to the tomb of Ti is the tomb of Ptah-hotep, of about the same age ; but the sculptures, though interesting, are not nearly so perfect. Across the sand again it is but a short way to the Pyramid of Ounas (3333 B.C.), called by the Arabs the Mastabat Pharoon.

This pyramid looks like a broken heap of rubbish, but the inside is well worth seeing. An inclined passage leads to a large chamber entirely covered with deeply-cut hieroglyphics, coloured green ; here and there one can see the red outline in which they were traced before they were cut and filled in with the green colour. The roof is covered with green stars on a neutral ground. To the side of this chamber is another, but nothing of interest was found there. The dragoman Mahomed has always a story to tell of the Pyramid of Ounas. He says, " Brugsch he tumble in ; he not keep Ounas waiting ; Ounas sleep that night in the museum." We rode back to the steamer through the large palm-groves, past the mounds of old Memphis, past the great depression where probably stood the great Temple of Ptah, the god of Memphis.

This temple was one of the marvels of ancient Egypt, and we wondered, as we rode on, how much still lay buried there, and how long it would be before the spade of the excavator would unearth the hidden treasure. From the long winding dyke road we saw the men ploughing and harrowing the fields, using the old primitive harrow, the man standing on it as he drove his bullocks along ; and we noted how much the Egypt of to-day resembled that of the old yesterday, which we had just seen pictured in the tomb of Ti. Past the mud huts, with the women and children holding out hands and skirts for backsheesh,* past more palm-groves, till at last we reached the steamer about five o'clock, and by starting immediately we saw the pyramids of Dahshoor before dark. Two of these pyramids strike one from the distance as being actually perfect ; one with very sloping sides, the other with a curious change of angle, called " The The Arab cry for money.

Hay-stack Pyramid " from its shape. They stood out distinctly against the light sky, and then quickly the night closed in. Feb. ist. — A beautiful sunrise with gold and red colouring, and afterwards a quiet day with no excursion — a grateful rest for tired minds and bodies. We were on deck very early to see the Pyramid of Meidoom on the left bank, looking lovely in the early sunlight, with one side in blue shade : beyond it the top of the low range of hills catching the sunshine looked like pink snow above the deep blue middle distance, and the dark palms in the brown foreground. All day long, with their two big sails crossed at the bottom, like birds with wings outspread, the Nile boats follow us, and laden with thousands of water-jars, or with cattle and donkeys ; silently they make their way along the great high-road, the water-way, of Egypt.

On the eastern side the long range of flat-topped Libyan Hills follows the course of the river at a little distance ; the lights of the morning touch them with pink, and the purple shadows mark out the forms of pyramids and mastabah* tombs so distinctly that the old folk may easily have learnt from these natural forms how to fashion their early tombs. Close to the river, on the tow-path, the donkeys trot along, men or women riding in their loose blue robes, and giving a touch of life to the still monotonous landscape. We steam past the town of Beni-Souif, with its minarets and its busy market, and get a sketch of a picturesque sheikh's \ tomb on the opposite bank, with three or four domes nestling among the palms. During the day we passed several sugar-factories in full work. They seem too modern for the old country, and rather disturb its peaceful character * The rectangular flat-topped tomb of ancient Egypt. t Mahomedan saint or Arab chief. with their ugly chimneys.

We stopped for the night at Maghagha, lighted up by the sunset, with dark clouds on the horizon, which in England would threaten rain. Feb. 2nd. — Up early to see the Gebel-el-Teyr,* a cliff two hundred feet high, forming the bank of the river. There is a Coptic convent on the top, and the people still believe that the birds assemble here to take their flight. This mountain varies the long, low, flat lines of the hills, which to some people seem so monotonous ; but as yet, notwithstanding this sameness, there always seems plenty for us to watch in the unceasing change of colour, and in the life of the people on the bank. Women constantly pass bearing large pots of water on their heads. Their upright, graceful carriage fills us with admiration. At one time on the western side, men, women, and children, all busy building up the dyke, paused in their work to gaze at us.

And ever behind and before us is the beautiful broad river, with the white flocks of * Arabic for Bird Mountain. boats, their crews singing as they pass — the sad, sweet, minor chant of the Arab love-songs. Minieh, on the west bank, looked very clean, with white houses, mosques, and minarets ; and soon after we passed Beni-Hasan on the opposite side, with its rows of tombs in the mountain-side, and steamed on two or three miles to the landing-place, close to the modern village. Never have we seen such a crowd of yelling, screaming creatures as that which came down to greet us, tumbling head over heels over each other, into the water, out of the water ; and their donkeys were such wretched little animals, with saddles much too big for their backs. Three of us, all ladies, were carried off by three donkeys and six men, and were rather startled at finding ourselves alone in the midst of the village, the rest of the party being out of sight.

We were needlessly alarmed, for, notwithstanding the bad character of the villagers, they only brought us round by a shorter way, in order to get an extra backsheesh for being first in the race. Through the village, over a piece of sand, up the side of the hill to the Speos Artemidos, interesting as an early example of a semi-rock-hewn temple, with sculptures and hieroglyphics of the eighteenth dynasty (about 1 500 B.C.). There was formerly a portico in front, with pillars, behind which was excavated a square sanctuary, with a niche at the further end for the cat-goddess Pasht. There is nothing now very interesting to be seen here, so without much loss of time we rode on to the tombs in the side of the mountain, which we had seen from the river. There is a long line of them, all of about the same date — -the twelfth dynasty (about 2400 B.C.).

Here were buried chieftains of perhaps the time of Abraham — men who ruled over this part of Egypt, and, contrary to custom, chose the eastern side of the Nile for their " eternal resting-place," perhaps because the western bank belonged to other rulers. The tombs vary very much in size and importance. Some have porticoes in front, not built but excavated, with rock pillars. In many the mummy-pit is open, the shaft often descending from the right-hand side of the outer chamber, comparatively rarely from the centre. It is very sad to see the way in which the pictures have been mutilated, scribbled over, scratched, and wilfully destroyed, both by tourists and by Arabs. The pictures are all in fresco, not in relief, so that the destruction has been all the more complete. However, in some, when the eyes get accustomed to the dim light, the scenes can be distinctly followed, line after line, all up the walls of the chambers.

The lower lines are often twice the height of the upper ones ; the representation of the master himself occasionally disturbs these lines to take up the whole height of the wall. There is a frieze at the top, consisting of a row of lotus buds running round the chamber ; sometimes this is replaced by a broader geometrical pattern. The two largest tombs are furthest from the approach. They have porticoes with fluted columns looking very much like the old Doric, while a smaller tomb close by has two columns, with the lotus-bud capital. There are six registers of figures in the chambers inside, and it is here that the most celebrated representations are to be found, e.g. the women playing at ball, the wrestlers, the chase of wild animals, and many others. The subject of the wrestlers is repeated in several of the tombs ; as a rule, the combatants are of the same colour, but in the last tomb we find one represented of a darker red than the other, so that their limbs, when entwined, are easily distinguish able.

The feeding and doctoring of animals, and the favourite group of the man stroking the nose of his gazelle, are also in the last tomb, at the further end of which are the remains of three seated figures, and, though the features are entirely mutilated, they are known to be those of the officer Ameni and his two wives. Four large pillars with sixteen sides support this chamber ; the architrave above them has a beautiful row of light-blue hieroglyphics, while the roof is marked out in yellow-and-white squares. The celebrated picture which was wrongly called "Joseph and his brethren " is in the tomb of Khnum-hotep, the last tomb but one ; it is terribly injured, so much so that it is difficult to find without the help of the dragoman. It represents a Semitic family in long, bright-coloured striped dresses, making their way down to Egypt, and bringing donkeys laden with goods, and presents a similar episode to that which occurred under the Pharaoh of Joseph, some centuries later.

The whole spirit of these pictures differs entirely from that of the earlier ones, such as are found in the tomb of Ti. In the latter the men are occupied certainly, but there is a feeling of great rest and repose in all their actions, as if they had stopped for a moment in their leisurely work, while here we find brisk movement, struggles, fights, play, — the modern spirit of unrest seeming to pervade the frescoes ; the figures have evidently been sketched in rapidly by an artist who was continually working from the life. Here in these chambers, as in the older chambers of Ti, the friends of the deceased assembled year after year on festal days, and prayed for his ka, or double, and made offerings of fruit and flowers and food ; below, perhaps at the depth of forty feet, lay the mummy, conscious, as they believed, of their presence, and benefited in some subtle way by their prayers and offerings.

We came out of the tombs, and from the entrance we had a fine view of the beautiful Nile valley, with the cultivated land looking like a green jewel between the two lines of desert on either side, while through the centre in the sunlight flowed the pinkish yellow Nile. Back to the donkeys, then a walk along the edge of the green land, and, remounting, we soon reached the steamer, and were immediately greeted by the howling multitude at the landing-place, who swarmed round us and round the steamer until we were off. Notwith standing the crowd, we caught sight of one lovely group, consisting of a dear little nude boy of two and a half, who stood there holding a donkey, the top of his head just reaching to the donkey's nose. Towards sunset, just as the colours were deepen ing on the Nile, and the palms growing black against the sky, the steamer stopped at Rhoda, and we went ashore to see the large sugar-factory there.

However interesting the great crushing machines may be, we were far more eager to see the Arabs at Avork. Some were nearly nude; some were dressed in long blue shirts ; some, who were tired, squatted in corners, munching their food. The factory never stops, night or day, and the men work twelve hours, for which each receives two piastres (fivepence). Two or three of our party got separated from the rest, and were immediately surrounded by fifty or sixty Arabs, clamouring and screaming for back sheesh. The manager soon came up, and dispersed them by using his stick freely on their heads and C backs. It was sad to see human beings driven about and beaten like so many animals. The heat was excessive in the boiling-rooms, and we were glad to get out to the cool bank, and back to the steamer. Feb. -$rd. — Soon after sunrise Gebel-Aboo- Faydah came in sight on the eastern bank, great cliffs coming sheer down to the Nile, in one place rising to between five and six hundred feet.

Here and there in the Nile are sandbanks covered with waterfowl ; beautiful flamingoes, herons, flocks of wild ducks and geese, now and then a vulture, or a pelican with its great bill and pouch. Three of the young men on board went inland shooting to-day. They shot twenty-two pigeons, and some pretty specimens — a green bird with orange wings, an owl, and a hoopoo. It seems rather a pity that shooting is becoming such a favourite pastime on the Nile, for soon the birds will unlearn their beautiful familiar ways, flying in and out of the mud huts, sitting in rows on the Nile boats, treating man as their friend instead of their enemy. Tel-el-Amarna lies inland on the right bank. We should like to have seen the site of the great city of the heretic King Amenoph IV., but it is over four miles from the bank, and we had not time, so we steamed on past Manfaloot, with its pretty minarets and cupolas, the celebrated crocodile mummy-pits of Maabdeh being on the opposite bank.

Meanwhile the eastern cliffs seem to be entirely perforated with tombs, much like the tombs of Beni-Hasan, sometimes in long rows eight or ten together, sometimes one or two looking like black holes in the side of the precipice. In these tombs the old Egyptian monks lived for some time, and Athanasius once sought refuge here. The cliff suddenly ceases, or rather retreats from the Nile, leaving a large tract of land with the richest green crops. We passed a long island several miles long, and steamed on and on to the town of Sioot, or Assioot, which we reached about 4.30 p.m. We were no sooner in sight than a crowd of men and donkeys rushed to the landing stage. The donkeys were most beautiful — great white fellows with large necks, holding their heads up high with their gay trappings. The Arabs were more quiet and respectful than at Beni- Hasan, and were very intelligent.

Some of us rode, some walked, to the town, which is most picturesque ; the old walls and the fortified gate through which we passed are delightful. On we went through the narrow streets to the large market-place. It was the evening before the great weekly market. Thirty or forty camels were tethered in one great square ; beautiful donkeys were there for sale ; and there were hundreds of booths, with men and women squatting in front, breaking the sugar-canes over their heads, and eating one half and selling the other half. On one side a juggler had collected a crowd around him, and was conjuring and talking earnestly to a most attentive audience. A splendid place for an artist to spend a few days is this market-place, with its innumerable sketches of men and manners, while in one corner the old mosque, with its brown brick minarets, forms a delightful bit of colour.