Egypt and Nubia. II. Journey from Cairo to Antioch through the coast of Palestine. III. Syria. IV. The Holy Land. V. The Dead Sea and surrounding country. VI. Asia Minor.

The first Letter is a very entertaining narrative of the Voyage to the Second Cataract, which our Authors undertook in company with Messrs Beechey and Belzoni: their principal object was, to open the great Temple of Ebsambal, the model of which has since been exhibited in this country. This part of the volume possesses the least share of originality, owing to the details having been already given to the public by Mr. Belzoni*; and Dr. Richardson's admirable "Travels in Egypt," &c. have not left much room for novelty in describing the same route. The narrative begins, where the French army stopped, at Phile. The party ascended the Nile to Elpha, the last habitable place to which the Nubian boats ascend, intending to prosecute their course beyond the Second Cataract on asses and camels: but they were deceived and thwarted by the natives. The landscape at this point is well described an interesting lithographic sketch illustrates the text, which we regret that we cannot give.

The spot from whence we surveyed the (second) cataract was a projecting cliff, about two hundred feet high, with a perpendicular precipice down to the river side: from this place, which is on the western bank, you look down on the cataract to great advantage. It presents a fine coup d'œil. The river here runs E.N E. and W.S.W. In America, this would be called a rapid, there being no fall visible; only an immense cluster of innumerable black rocks, with the Nile running in all directions with great rapidity, and much noise between them they fill up the whole breadth of the river, which may be about two miles wide; and they extend as far as the eye can reach, altogether making a space of about ten miles of rapids,-three below the rock on which we stood, and seven above. The scenery is here remarkably wild, there being no human habitation visible excepting a fisherman's hut on one of the islands, and the village of Elpha on the opposite side of the river in the distance. Some of the rocks have beds of yellow sand on them, and most of the islands have small trees and shrubs growing in the crevices. The verdure of these, contrasted with the sand and black rocks, produces a fine effect. In front and on both sides, the view is bounded by the desert: to the southward are the tops of two high mountains rearing their heads above the hills, and apparently seventy or eighty miles distant. The western bank of the river is richly covered with trees and shrubs; and it is curious to observe, immediately beyond the green margin, the barren desert without the least vestige of verdure.'

* See Eclectic Review, N. S. Vol. XV. p. 497.

Ebsambal was the highest point to which Sir F. Henniker. ascended. At his arrival, the sand had again covered up the door-way of the Temple, and the natives represented that it would be a labour of thirty men and twelve days, to effect an

entrance.

To prove that they are not to be believed,' he says, I forced in a pole; round this I wound a sheet, and having spread another upon the surface of the sand to prevent it from flowing down upon us, we succeeded, after seven hours' exertion, in constructing a kind of wind-sail or chimney. By means of this I entered.'

Having amused himself for four hours with inspecting the interior, he began to think of making his escape, which was not so easy as entering. He had to work against the stream, for, wherever he forced his knee, the sand from above, being undermined, poured down as subtle as quicksilver.' At length, his dragoman came forward, and with great exertion. managed to drag him through. Sir Frederick now resolved to turn his boat northward, well contented to finish his journey in this part, with having seen the noblest monument of antiquity that is to be found on the banks of the Nile.' There is no temple of either Thebes, Dendera, or Philo, that can be put ' in competition with it.'

three figures in intaglio, evidently not Egyptian,' and either of ancient Greek or Roman workmanship.

Philo is the easternmost of a groupe of islets and granite rocks composing the first cataract, which, according to Sir Frederick Henniker, is not more formidable than London bridge.' The surface of the stream, which has hitherto been rippled to the extent of fifty yards, now becomes smooth. I ask, where are the cataracts? and am informed that we have passed them.' Both of these Writers, on taking leave of Nubia, offer some general remarks, of which we shall transcribe the most important and characteristic.

Immediately beyond the First Cataract, the Mockatem and Lybian chains of mountains close upon the Nile, so as to leave only a narrow strip of cultivated land on either side. The ancients, to preserve the soil from being washed away by the rapid course of the river, constructed immense piers of huge masses of stone, reaching into the river, from the foot of the mountain, or the limit of the Nile's rising, to the point of the lowest ebb.

These piers are invariably built at right angles with the stream, and are generally about fifteen feet wide. As they are very numerous, and as the labour and expense of their construction must have been prodigious, some idea may thence be formed of the importance attached to them. From the number of temples, and from the fine plains of loamy soil, now generally covered with a surface of sand a foot thick, which makes them look like the rest of the desert, there is every reason to suppose that this country was once both populous and flourishing. At the time of the height of Egyptian power, it was considered as an integral part of the state: this is evident from the figures and devices in the temples having every resemblance to those of Egypt. Of the land of Nubia which might be cultivated, I do not suppose one fourth is made use of: this indifference to agricultural pursuits proceeds from the despotic system of the Government. The consequence is, that the date-palm, the fruit of which ripens without any human aid, and which pays no duty, is here more encouraged than any other production: and dates may safely be called the staple of the country. The doura (the holcus arundinaceus of Linnæus) is the only grain to be met with it makes very good bread, but they grow barely sufficient for their own subsistence: indeed, it is so prized, that they frequently preferred it to money, in payment for the articles we purchased. The miri, or land-tax, is paid at the rate of ten dollars per sackey (water-wheel): consequently, every sackey which the Nubians build, becomes an additional inducement to the Turks to come into their country, and it is only the scantiness of the produce which keeps the Pasha from quartering his troops on them. This the crafty natives are well aware of, and they take care to put no temptation in his way. The duty is paid not in cash, but in doura.

• The Nubians are a very distinct race from the Arabs. Their dress is commonly a loose white shirt and a turban ; sometimes they

; go uncovered, except a cloth round the waist. They are very su. perstitious, most of them wearing charms to keep off the evil eye, or some other apprehended ills. These charms consist of some words written on a scrap of paper sewed up in leather, and are worn mostly on the right arm over the elbow, and sometimes round the neck, All the cashiefs we saw, had them, and one Nubian dandy had nine of these appendages. Few of them smoke; instead of which they use salt and tobacco mixed, enveloped in wool, and kept between the under lip and the gum : the boys commence this practice when quite young. They are all rogues, but, being bred up in such principles, do not think there is any harm in being so. The opprobrious terms harame, cadab, (thief, liar,) are not considered as abusive with them, as they have no notions of honesty, and cannot keep from pilfering. We detected our sailors at this work almost daily, but they always made a joke of it.

There is great difference in the features and make of the several Nubian tribes. The natives of Elphia are tall and good-looking; the people of Derry are hideous and deformed; the tribe at Amada are small, but handsome and well-made. They are considerably darker than the Arabs. They are great boasters, but do not appear to have any firmness; and they have a great aversion to fire-arms. They evince much outward show of religion, praying four or five times a day; and to shew their piety, they leave the sand on their foreheads, which sticks there while they are performing their devotions. They are respectful to their cashiefs, to whom are referred all their quarrels and disputes. They are invariably armed, and appear very proud of their weapons : they mostly carry a dagger on the left arm, a long pike and a sword slung across the back. The boys, when young, have weapons provided them: this, they imagine, shews their independence, and they acknowledge no government. They are exceedingly passionate with each other, but are soon reconciled, even after the most inveterate abuse. They adhere together, and no bribes can separate them: we never met with an instance in which we had any of them on our side, or when any thing was revealed to us. They eat the locusts grilled, and affirm that they are good. The only manufacture they have, has been pointed out to them by necessity, and consists of neat close-grained platters, made of the date-tree, to contain their milk and food. No earthenware is made in the country: their water-jars are brought from Egypt.

Their women do not cover their faces so scrupulously as the Arabs : they are not ill-looking, are generally well-made, and have good figures. They wear a brown garment reaching down to the ankles; it is thrown over the right shoulder, and comes close under the left arm, the shoulder of which is bare. It has not an ungraceful appearance. They are very partial to rings and bracelets ; the for. mer are frequently worn at the nose; the latter are made of one piece of brown glass, which being forced on as small as possible, often causes much pain. They always go bare-footed. Young girls have

a covering round their loins made of strips of leather hanging down and ornamented with cowry-shells and beads. The hair of the women is plaited somewhat like the mens', and greased with oil.

The Barabras, from their frugal mode of life, are subject to few diseases. They are all marked with one, and sometimes two scars on the spine of the back, where they have been burnt for the cure of an endemial disease which attacks them when young. This mode of treatment, by drawing all the humours to one spot, keeps the discharge open till the patient is recovering; and experience has doubtless shewn it to be often successful. A boy, while we were at Ebsambal, was in a state of cure, and accidentally injured the part, which caused it to bleed; the father immediately applied a remedy, by throwing some sand on the wound, which soon assuaged the pain.'

Irby and Mangles. pp. 110-16.

We add a few additional touches from Sir Frederick's chapter on the Nubian, suppressing some of his wit, and premising, that his assertions have an air of roundness and looseness about them, which makes one suspect that he is less anxious to be minutely correct, than to say a good thing. For example, he tells us, that the Nubian is entirely free from fat, and that this is the more fortunate, as he is naked, and a publican or a coachman would make but an inelegant figure in a state of nudity.' A little further on, we find that these naked figures wear shirts, and their women, we have seen, wear the hyke. He says, the Nubian is bolder than the Arab, which is owing to his freedom; at least, it is but lately that Nubia has been 'subdued.'

The fellahs, when I have been shooting, have run away eight or ten together; but the Nubian, though alone, has unslung his spear, and maintained his ground. The Arab is so completely in dread of the Pasha, that he never carries his natural propensities beyond robbery; but the Nubian does not hesitate to commit murder. Three men at the Cataracts, killed a traveller whom they asked to supper; a breach of hospitality unknown among the Bedouins or freebooters of the desert.' p. 162.

Thus it should seem that even the government of a Turkish pasha may be a political benefit to a country, when the alternative is, bad laws or none. It is far better, that there should be only one man in a country who dares commit murder, than that all should do it; better one tyrant, than a nation of lawless brigands. And Mahommed Ali is a very proper person to deal with such subjects. In passing a village, our Author observed several women in a line, each carrying a platter, who, he found on inquiry, were going to assist at a ululu or wake: the widow in this case being too poor to treat her friends, every one who went to weep, carried a plate of provisions to the pic