Philae and General Observations on Nubia

Friday, August 8, 1817

At three we arrived at Philae, called by Hamilton and Burckhardt, Giesiret el Berbe el Ghassir, or Giesiret Anas el Wodjoud. The first of these names means the Island of ruined Temples – not an inapt denomination. Philae is the easternmost of a group of islands and rocks which compose the first cataract. It is about half-a-mile long, rather high, and, being entirely covered with magnificent ruins, has a grand and imposing appearance: the lofty pylons are seen at a great distance, and produce a fine effect. The island divides the Nile into two streams, and the water, finding so great an impediment in, its course, rushes by with considerable velocity. The principal edifices are approached by an avenue formed on each side by a gallery supported by columns, the capitals of all which are different. There are thirty of these pillars on the left, and on the right only sixteen, with cells (probably the habitation of the priests) within them; the greater part of these last-mentioned columns are finished, but there are some incomplete. These show that the columns were first constructed and erected in the rough, and that the sculpture was finished afterwards. The rough outlines which we found traced were very curious; and, neatly as all the capitals are sculptured, the artist who finished them had but a rough and coarse pattern to guide him. The difference in the number of columns in the two galleries is occasioned by a small temple having been situated at each end of the one on the right: these temples are now entirely ruined. At the end of the avenue is a large pylon, formed by two moles. The entrance in the centre has had two lions, and two small obelisks of red granite, ornamented with hieroglyphics, before it. It is on the pedestal of one of these latter that Mr. Bankes discovered the Greek inscription; and it is on the doorway of this pylon that the inscription was written, announcing that this island was the boundary of the French conquests in Egypt, and consequently of their progress up the Nile. The following is a verbatim copy of it: –
“République Françoise, An 6, Le 13 Messidor. Une Armée Françoise commandée par Bonaparte est descendue à Alexandrie. L’Armée ayant mis, vingt jours après, les Mamlouks en fuite aux Pyramides, Dessaix, commandant la première Division, les a poursuivis au-delà, jusqu’ aux Cataracts, où il est arrivé le 13 Ventose, 3 Mars. Les Généraux de Brigade.” Here follow the names. “An 7 de la République, de Jes. Chr. 1799”

It was in the portico of this temple that we noticed the elephant as an hieroglyphic. This is the only instance of our finding this symbol in the country. The portico leads through the left end of the great pylon, after which there is a handsome court or hail, and then you enter the temple.

We here first noticed a singular imperfection or peculiarity in the sculpture of the large figure of Isis in the great pylon – she has two left hands. We have since observed the same singularity in other places. The French work has given some of them. In all parts of the island, on the sides of the temples, are Greek inscriptions, commemorating the worship of Greek and Roman generals who have come to pay their vows to Isis and Serapis. Philae is said to have been the spot where Isis was appeased of her wrath for the violence offered by Typhon to her husband; and hence we find no less than four temples dedicated to her in so small a compass.

Before I quit Nubia, I will add a few observations on the country and its inhabitants. At present only two English travellers have been in this country. Mr. Hamilton, Colonel Leake, and Captain Hayes, visited Daboude, but were prevented from advancing further by the united efforts of the cashiefs, and the mameluke bey, Elfi. Mr. Hamilton’s book contains the result of the mission into Upper Egypt. The French had penetrated only as far as Philae, where they left the inscription just given. Several years elapsed before any European travellers entered Nubia, when Burckhardt led the way, and was followed by Mr. Legh and Mr. Bankes: – the former has published.

Immediately after passing the first cataract, the traveller observes that the Mockatem and Lybian chains of mountains close in upon the Nile: this remark is applicable, with few exceptions, throughout Nubia, at least as far as we went; there is, consequently, only a narrow strip of cultivated land on either bank of the river. The ancients, to preserve the soil and prevent the rapid stream from washing away the land, constructed immense walls, or, more properly speaking, piers, built of huge masses of stone piled one on the other, and reaching into the river from the foot of the mountain, or rather the limit of the Nile’s rising, to the point of the water’s lowest ebb. These piers are invariably built at right angles with the stream, and are generally about 15 ft. wide. As they are very numerous, and as the labour and expense of their construction must have been prodigious, some idea may be formed of the importance that was 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 resembling in every respect those of Egypt. Of the land in Nubia which might be cultivated, I do not suppose one-fourth is made use of; this indifference to agricultural pursuits proceeds from the despotic nature of the government, where the authorities think of nothing but making the most of their situations whilst they hold them, consequently their sole aim is to get money, no matter how it is procured. A licentious soldiery are ever ready to contribute to the oppression of the inhabitants, more especially when the funds from whence they derive their own pay and emoluments are drawn from this source. This observation applies to Egypt as well as to Nubia, only that the fact is more easily perceived in the latter country. The consequence is, that the date palm, the fruit of which ripens without cultivation, and which pays no duty, is here more encouraged than any other production, and the date may safely be called the staple of the country. The doura, which is the Holcus arundinaceus of Linnaeus, 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 prefer 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, 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 deters the pasha from quartering his troops on them; this the crafty natives are well aware of, and take care to put no temptation in his way. The present mode of collecting the miri in Nubia, is by sending thither annually about two hundred Turkish soldiers in boats, and the money they get hardly defrays the expenses of the expedition. The duty is not paid in cash, but in doura, which they purchase back from the Turks; but they generally contrive that the soldiers do not return very full-handed. These soldiers usually make Derry their head-quarters, and remain about six weeks in the country, during which time the cashiefs retire into the mountains, and the natives conceal their arms, which are always taken from them whenever they are found. In several parts of Nubia we noticed the sites of ancient towns, indicated, as in Egypt, by mounds of rubbish.

As we resided longer in the country, and had more dealings with the natives than any other Europeans have ever had, I shall subjoin a few remarks regarding them. The Nubians are a very distinct race of people from the Arabs. Their dress is commonly a loose white shirt and a turban; sometimes they are uncovered, except a cloth round the waist. They are very superstitious, most of them wearing charms to keep off “the evil eye,” or other apprehended ills. These charms consist of some words written on a scrap of paper, and sewn up in leather; they 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. These people pride themselves on their cunning schemes to deceive strangers. Few of them smoke, instead of which they use salt and tobacco mixed, enveloped in wool, and kept between the under lip and gum; the boys commence this practice when quite young. They are all rogues, but being bred up such, do not think there is any harm in being so; the opprobrious terms, harame, cadab, (thief, liar,) are not considered abusive with them, as they have no notion of honesty, and cannot possibly keep from pilfering anything within their reach; we detected our sailors at this work almost daily, but they always made a joke of it. The several districts differ much in regard to dress, and particularly in the manner of wearing the hair: some have it curled, ”à la Brutus,” others plaited and hanging down with great uniformity, in ringlets, to the shoulders, where it is cut off square at the bottom, and looks exactly like a mop. These latter grease their locks plentifully with oil; the former have generally a skewer sticking in their hair in readiness to disturb any animalcule which may bite too hard. There is great difference in the features and make of the several Nubian tribes: the natives of Elpha are tall and good-looking; the people of Derry ugly and deformed; the tribe at Armada are small, but handsome, and well made; all of them are considerably darker than the Arabs. Nubians are frugal in their mode of living, subsisting principally on doura, made into flat cakes, and baked on a heated stone, and on sour milk and dates. It is usual to see a man set out on a journey of several days with no other provision than a small bag of dates. They eat the offal of all the beasts they kill, not rejecting any part; and when we were at the village to which the crew belonged, the women came down eagerly to dispute for some fowls, which, having died, had been thrown on shore. They are great boasters, but do not appear to have any firmness; and they have an especial aversion to fire-arms. They evince much outward show of religion, praying four or five times a day; and to display 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 they refer all their quarrels and disputes. They are invariably armed, and appear very proud of their weapons; most of them carry a dagger on the left arm, a long pike and a sword slung across the back. The boys, when young, have weapons given them; this, they imagine, shows 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 saw an instance in which we had any of them on our side, or where they revealed anything to us. Ear-rings are common amongst the men; they usually have but one, and it is immaterial in which ear it is worn. They eat the locusts grilled, and affirm that they are good. Necessity has led them to the only manufacture which they possess. It consists of neat close-grained platters, made of the date-tree, contain their milk and food. No earthenware is made in the country; their water-jars are brought from Egypt.

The 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, comes close under the left arm, the shoulder of which is bare, and has not an ungraceful appearance; they are very partial to rings and bracelets; the former are frequently worn at the nose, the latter are made of one piece of brown glass, which, not yielding and 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 aid ornamented with cowry-shells and beads. The hair of the women is plaited somewhat like the men’s, 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 draws all the humours to one spot, and keeps the discharge open till the patient is recovering; experience has doubtless shown it to be often successful. A boy, while we were at Abou-Simbel, was in a state of cure, and accidentally injured the part, which caused it to bleed; the father immediately applied a remedy, of which there is no scarcity in the country. He threw some sand upon the wound, which soon appeased the boy’s cries and pain.

From Travels in Egypt and Nubia, Syria, and the Holy Land
by Charles Leonard Irby and James Mangles, 1823