egypt-第19节

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is　strange　to　watch　the　movementconfused　in　the　distanceof　all

these　long　rods　which　pump　the　water　without　ceasing；　and　look　like

the　swaying　of　living　antennae。　The　same　sight　was　to　be　seen　along

this　river　in　the　times　of　the　Ramses。　But　suddenly；　at　some　bend　of

the　river；　the　old　Pharaonic　rigging　disappears；　to　give　place　to　a

succession　of　steam　machines；　which；　more　even　than　the　muscles　of　the

fellahs；　are　busy　at　the　water…drawing。　Before　long　their　blackish

chimneys　will　make　a　continuous　border　to　the　tamed　Nile。



Did　one　not　know　their　bearings；　the　great　ruins　of　this　Egypt　would

pass　unnoticed。　With　a　few　rare　exceptions　they　lie　beyond　the　green

plains　on　the　threshold　of　the　solitudes。　And　against　the　changeless；

rose…coloured　background　of　these　cliffs　of　the　desert；　which　follow

you　during　the　whole　of　this　tranquil　navigation　of　some　600　miles；

are　to　be　seen　only　the　humble　towns　and　villages　of　to…day；　which

have　the　neutral　colour　of　the　ground。　Some　openwork　minarets　dominate

themwhite　spots　above　the　prevailing　dullness。　Clouds　of　pigeons

whirl　round　in　the　neighbourhood。　And　amongst　the　little　houses；　which

are　only　cubes　of　mud；　baked　in　the　sun；　the　palm…trees　of　Africa；

either　singly　or　in　mighty　clusters；　rise　superbly　and　cast　on　these

little　habitations　the　shade　of　their　palms　which　sway　in　the　wind。

Not　long　ago；　although　indeed　everything　in　these　little　towns　was

mournful　and　stagnant；　one　would　have　been　tempted　to　stop　in　passing；

drawn　by　that　nameless　peace　that　belonged　to　the　Old　East　and　to

Islam。　But；　now；　before　the　smallest　hamletamongst　the　beautiful

primitive　boats；　that　still　remain　in　great　numbers；　pointing　their

yards；　like　very　long　reeds；　into　the　skythere　is　always；　for　the

meeting　of　the　tourist　boats；　an　enormous　black　pontoon；　which　spoils

the　whole　scene　by　its　presence　and　its　great　advertising　inscription：

〃Thomas　Cook　&　Son　（Egypt　Ltd。）。〃　And；　what　is　more；　one　hears　the

whistling　of　the　railway；　which　runs　mercilessly　along　the　river；

bringing　from　the　Delta　to　the　Soudan　the　hordes　of　European　invaders。

And　to　crown　all；　adjoining　the　station　is　inevitably　some　modern

factory；　throned　there　in　a　sort　of　irony；　and　dominating　the　poor

crumbling　things　that　still　presume　to　tell　of　Egypt　and　of　mystery。



And　so　now；　except　at　the　towns　or　villages　which　lead　to　celebrated

ruins；　we　stop　no　longer。　It　is　necessary　to　proceed　farther　and　for

the　halt　of　the　night　to　seek　an　obscure　hamlet；　a　silent　recess；

where　we　may　moor　our　dahabiya　against　the　venerable　earth　of　the

bank。



And　so　one　goes　on；　for　days　and　weeks；　between　these　two　interminable

cliffs　of　reddish　chalk；　filled　with　their　hypogea　and　mummies；　which

are　the　walls　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile；　and　will　follow　us　up　to　the

first　cataract；　until　our　entrance　into　Nubia。　There　only　will　the

appearance　and　nature　of　the　rocks　of　the　desert　change；　to　become　the

more　sombre　granite　out　of　which　the　Pharaohs　carved　their　obelisks

and　the　great　figures　of　their　gods。



We　go　on　and　on；　ascending　the　thread　of　this　eternal　current；　and　the

regularity　of　the　wind；　the　persistent　clearness　of　the　sky；　the

monotony　of　the　great　river；　which　winds　but　never　ends；　all　conspire

to　make　us　forget　the　hours　and　days　that　pass。　However　deceived　and

disappointed　we　may　be　at　seeing　the　profanation　of　the　river　banks；

here；　nevertheless；　isolated　on　the　water；　we　do　not　lose　the　peace　of

being　a　wanderer；　a　stranger　amongst　an　equipage　of　silent　Arabs；　who

every　evening　prostrate　themselves　in　confiding　prayer。



And；　moreover；　we　are　moving　towards　the　south；　towards　the　sun；　and

every　day　has　a　more　entrancing　clearness；　a　more　caressing　warmth；

and　the　bronze　of　the　faces　that　we　see　on　our　way　takes　on　a　deeper

tint。



And　then　too　one　mixes　intimately　with　the　life　of　the　river　bank；

which　is　still　so　absorbing　and；　at　certain　hours；　when　the　horizon　is

unsullied　by　the　smoke　of　pit…coal；　recalls　you　to　the　days　of　artless

toil　and　healthy　beauty。　In　the　boats　that　meet　us；　half…naked　men；

revelling　in　their　movement；　in　the　sun　and　air；　sing；　as　they　ply

their　oars；　those　songs　of　the　Nile　that　are　as　old　as　Thebes　or

Memphis。　When　the　wind　rises　there　is　a　riotous　unfurling　of　sails；

which；　stretched　on　their　long　yards；　give　to　the　dahabiyas　the　air　of

birds　in　full　flight。　Bending　right　over　in　the　wind；　they　skim　along

with　a　lively　motion；　carrying　their　cargoes　of　men　and　beasts　and

primitive　things。　Women　are　there　draped　still　in　the　ancient　fashion；

and　sheep　and　goats；　and　sometimes　piles　of　fruit　and　gourds；　and

sacks　of　grain。　Many　are　laden　to　the　water's　edge　with　these

earthenware　jars；　unchanged　for　3000　years；　which　the　fellaheens　know

how　to　place　on　their　heads　with　so　much　graceand　one　sees　these

heaps　of　fragile　pottery　gliding　along　the　water　as　if　carried　by　the

gigantic　wings　of　a　gull。　And　in　the　far…off；　almost　fabulous；　days

the　life　of　the　mariners　of　the　Nile　had　the　same　aspect；　as　is　shown

by　the　bas…reliefs　on　the　oldest　tombs；　it　required　the　same　play　of

muscles　and　of　sails；　was　accompanied　no　doubt　by　the　same　songs；　and

was　subject　to　the　withering　caress　of　this　same　desert　wind。　And

then；　as　now；　the　same　unchanging　rose　coloured　the　continuous　curtain

of　the　mountains。



But　all　at　once　there　is　a　noise　of　machinery；　and　whistlings；　and　in

the　air；　which　was　just　now　so　pure；　rise　noxious　columns　of　black

smoke。　The　modern　steamers　are　coming；　and　throw　into　disorder　the

flotillas　of　the　past；　colliers　that　leave　great　eddies　in　their　wake；

or　perhaps　a　wearisome　lot　of　those　three…decked　tourist　boats；　which

make　a　great　noise　as　they　plough　the　water；　and　are　laden　for　the

most　part　with　ugly　women；　snobs　and　imbeciles。



Poor；　poor　Nile！　which　reflected　formerly　on　its　warm　mirror　the

utmost　of　earthly　splendour；　which　bore　in　its　time　so　many　barques　of

gods　and　goddesses　in　procession　behind　the　golden　barge　of　Amen；　and

knew　in　the　dawn　of　the　ages　only　an　impeccable　purity；　alike　of　the

human　form　and　of　architectural　design！　What　a　downfall　is　here！　To　be

awakened　from　that　disdainful　sleep　of　twenty　centuries　and　made　to

carry　the　floating　barracks　of　Thomas　Cook　&　Son；　to　feed　sugar

factories；　and　to　exhaust　itself　in　nourishing　with　its　mud　the　raw

material　for　English　cotton…stuffs。







CHAPTER　XII



IN　THE　TEMPLE　OF　THE　GODDESS　OF　LOVE　AND　JOY



It　is　the　month　of　March；　but　as　gay　and　splendid　as　in　our　June。

Around　us　are　fields　of　corn；　of　lucerne；　and　the　flowering　bean。　And

the　air　is　full　of　restless　birds；　singing　deliriously　for　very　joy　in

the　voluptuous　business　of　their　nests　and　coveys。　Our　way　lies　over　a

fertile　soil；　saturated　with　vital　substancessome　paradise　for

beasts　no　doubt；　for　they　swarm　on　every　side：　flocks　of　goats　with　a

thousand　bleating　kids；　she…asses　with　their　frisking　young；　cows　and

cow…buffaloes　feeding　their　calves；　all　turned　loose　among　the　crops；

to　browse　at　their　leisure；　as　if　there　were　here　a　superabundance　of

the　riches　of　the　soil。



What　country　is　this　that　shows　no　sign　of　human　habitation；　that

knows　no　village；　nor　any　distant　spire？　The　crops　are　like　ours　at

homewheat；　lucerne；　and　the　flowering　bean　that　perfumes　the　air

with　its　white　blossoms。　But　there　is　an　excess　of　light　in　the　sky

and；　in　the　distance；　an　extraordinary　clearness。　And　then　these

fertile　plains；　that　might　be　those　of　some　〃Promised　Land；〃　seem　to

be　bounded　far　away；　on　left　and　right；　by　two　parallel　stone　walls；

two　chains　of　rose…coloured　mountains；　whose　aspect　is　obviously

desertlike。　Besides；　amongst　the　numerous　animals　that　are　familiar；

there　are　camels；　feeding　their　strange　nurslings　that　look　like　four…

legged　ostriches。　And　finally　some　peasants　appear　beyond　in　the

cornfields；　they　are　veiled　in　long　black　draperies。　It　is　the　East

then；　an　African　land；　or　some　oasis　of　Arabia？



The　sun　at　this　moment　is　hidden　from　us　by　a　band　of　clouds；　that

stretches；　right　above　our　head；　from　one　end　of　the　sky　to　the　other；

like　a　long　skein　of　white　wool。　It　is　alone　in　the　blue　void；　and

seems　to　make　more　peaceful；　and　even　a　little　mysterious；　the

wonderful　light　of　the　fields　we　traversethese　fields　intoxicated

with　life　and　vibrant　with　the　music　of　birds；　while；　by　contrast；　the

distant　landscape；　unshaded　by　clouds；　is　resplendent　with　a　more

incisive　clearness　and　the　desert　beyond　seems　deluged　with　rays。



The　pathway　that　we　have　been　following；　ill　defined　as　it　is　in　the

grassy　fields；　leads　us　at　length　under　a　large　ruinous　porticoa

relic　of　goodness　knows　what　olden　dayswhich　still　rises　here；　quite

isolated；　altogether　strange　and　unexpected；　in　the　midst　of　the　green

expanse　of　pasture　and　tillage。　We　had　seen　it　from　a　great　distance；

so　pure　and　clear　is　the　air；　and　in　approaching　it　we