492

TOMB IN THE DESERT.

vicinity of which the Nile is bordered by a narrow belt of cultivation, interpersed with a few date and doum trees. While Monro and myself proceeded across the sand, in the direction mentioned by Burckhardt, Suleiman entered Atfieh in search of a guide. The sun shone exceedingly hot, and my companion, observing the nature of the country, where, without a guide, one might search during a whole month in vain for a tomb, returned to the kandjia. Unwilling, however, to relinquish the undertaking, I continued to advance into the desert, until I had proceeded much beyond the distance mentioned by Burckhardt. There were around me a thousand rocks, each likely as the other to have contained such an excavation ; but no opening, no cavern, nothing like an entrance of any kind appeared. Presently I perceived Suleiman following me alone across the sand, the Nubians whom he had questioned, declaring that no tomb existed in the neighbourhood; nor could they be tempted, even by the promise of a good present, to go out in quest of it. Despairing of succeeding without a guide, I reluctantly returned.

CCCLXX. The air, since we have entered Nubia, resembles in its purity and bracing effect that which we breathe on the tops of mountains, or very high table-lands; a circumstance which I never observed in Egypt. The upper part of Nubia must, in fact, be greatly elevated above the level of the sea, as from Wady Halfa to Es-Souan the fall of the river is considerable, as is evident from the force and

WOMEN OF DERR.

493

rapidity of its current, not less than three miles and a half or four miles per hour. We moored for a short time at Derr, where a number of women, in the primitive style, were engaged in washing their garments on the bank of the river. They use no soap, but dipping the linen in the water, throw it dripping on the mud, where they beat it with the soles of the feet, as the women in France do with their batting-staffs. They were all exceedingly ugly, several having negro features; and, in order to im prove these charms, their hair, twisted into small ringlets, had been saturated with castor oil, which, melting in the sun, ran down in yellow streams over their faces. They had each a small hole in the cartilage of the right nostril, in which a small peg of wood was inserted, in the hope of some day supplying its place with a ring. Among their children there was one fair as an European, but ill-favoured as the rest. Observing us, they brought down eggs and fowls for sale; and dire was the clamour arising out of their bargaining with the Arabs. One woman, in particular, lifted up her hands, and shrieked so loudly, that we imagined some person must have been offering her violence, and immediately inquired into the cause of her rage. An Arab, she replied, had taken from her five eggs, and refused payment. As she seemed perfectly in earnest, we demanded and paid her the price; but this was what she calculated on; and now finding that screaming brought in money, she immediately began again shrieking more loudly than before, beating her breast in the

494

FAST OF THE RAMADAN.

most violent manner.

However, her stratagem did

not in this instance succeed; though she continued shrieking and vociferating in her own language as long as we remained. They were all ornamented with necklaces of coloured glass beads, but went bareheaded, and, contrary to what we had observed on our first visit, their clothes were ragged and dirty.

CCCLXXI. It being now Ramadan, or “Lent,” among the Mohammedans, most of our crew fast from sunrise to sunset, never even tasting water, or smoking a pipe. Our servants, however, who have conquered this prejudice, as they term it, eat all day, and are regarded by the rigid among their countrymen as no better than Christians! As soon as the sun disappears in the evening, even before its light is in the least diminished, the fasters rush like wild beasts upon their food, endeavouring to indemnify themselves as quickly as possible for the day's abstinence. With the rich this is a season of mirth and enjoyment. Literally obeying the injunctions of their Prophet, they eat nothing during the day; but to render obedience more easy, remain, for the most part, in bed, until sunset; after which they arise and spend the whole night in feasting and merriment. Story-tellers stroll about from coffee-house to coffee-house, relating their voluminous tales, which often commence with the Ramadan, are interrupted every night, and terminate only with the period of the fast. Suleiman, who was an excellent disciple of Sheherazade, entertained me, day after day, with

TURKISH GOVERNOR.

495

the Tales of the Ramadan, many of them new versions of the Arabian Nights, but infinitely amusing, and never too long.

CCCLXXII. Late in the afternoon we arrived at Korosko, which being the place where the Berber and Sennaar caravans make a halt on entering the cultivated country, we landed to make inquiries among the natives for ostrich plumes, native arms, and other articles from the interior of Africa, frequently to be met with at this village. Close to the river, in front of the village, a Turkish governor, returning from Sennaar to Cairo, was encamped upon the plain, with a great number of attendants and followers, all preparing to bivouac sub dio, with their baggage, horses, and camels. Their carpets, saddles, water-sacks, culinary utensils, pipes, and African curiosities, lay scattered upon the ground. At a short distance was a small space surrounded with a white linen enclosure about five feet high, in passing which we observed a number of young black female faces, adorned with crisp curls, peeping over the canvass, their thick lips distended with a smile, and their laughing eyes wantonly rolling; and as soon as we had turned the corner, the whole bevy burst out into peals of laughter. They were no doubt rejoicing at the prospect of entering into the harems of white men, where their whole occupation would consist in the gratification of their own passions, by submitting to those of their masters. From all I have seen or heard of these negresses, there is little doubt that,

496

BLACK FEMALE SLAVES.

were the case fairly put before them, ninety-nine out of every hundred in all Africa would prefer the easy wanton life they lead in the harems of the north, to the estate of toil and poverty in which they grovel in their own country; -I mean, before they become mothers; for when women have borne children, there are comparatively few who would not, for their sakes, submit to the greatest toil and privations. But this view of the matter has nothing to do with the question of slavery, which remains the same, in whatever light it may be considered by wantonness and ignorance.

CCCLXXIII. The village of Korosko consists of a few scattered low huts, constructed with small loose stones or clay, roofed with dhourra stalks and palm branches. Several Ababdé and Bisharein Arabs, entirely bareheaded, with their black elf-locks hanging loosely over their shoulders, were seen strolling over the plain. They are generally fine tall men, who, though their features are haggard and savage, have long necks and gracefully formed shoulders,—while the Fellahs and Nubians are distinguished by high shoulders and short bull necks. One fine Ababdé youth I observed walking with the air of an English gentleman, from the camp towards the village, who, notwithstanding his swarthy complexion, was handsome, his features being very regular, and his large black eyes lighted up with much intelligence. Here we saw a specimen of the Nubian or African shield, quite round, with two small notches opposite each