Chapter II

Commencement of the Journey across the Great Nubian
Desert. — Description of the Caravan. — Advantages of
Turkish Dress and Customs. — Provisions necessary for the
Desert. — Akaba, or Mountain Passes. — Dead Camels. —
Fear of Robbers. — Anxiety about the Stock of Water. —
Arab Opinion of Travellers. — Alarming Diminution of our
Water. — Dead Bodies of Slaves and Camels. — Hojab el
Jenous. — Bab el Korosko. — Age of the Camel. — Bahr Bela
Ma, or Sea without Water. — Mirage. — Perils and Charms
of the Desert Life. — Dilet el Doom, Valley of the Shade
of the Dooms. — Gold Mines. — Omrishi Sufir. — Wells now
dry. — El Murrah, or the Well of Bitter Waters. —
Hieroglyphics on the Rocks. — Colony of Bishareen. —
Height and Character of the Mountains. — Arab Songs. —
Gazelle. — Danger of leaving Caravan. — Absah Gold Mines.
— Storms in the Desert. — Cambyses. — Bruce. — Arab
Manner of mounting the Camel. — Manner in which the Arabs
repose. — Arrival at the Nile. — Estimate of the Length
of the Route and general Pace of the Camel 17

CHAPTER III.

Abou-Hammed. — Fortified House of the Sheakh. — Island of
Mograt. — Population. — Tax to the Pasha. — Tropical
Rains. — Arab Raft. — Fortunate Escape. — Manner in which
the Camels pass the River. — Gagi. — Description of the
Harem of a Sheakh. — Office hereditary. — Habitation of a
Sheakh. — Ethiopian Flies. — Doum Trees. — Abou-Hashim
and other Villages. — Cultivation. — Arab Civilities. —
Berber Sheep and Goats. — Villages and Islands. — Arab
Burial-ground. — General Character of the Country. —
Tract of Desert. — Wild Asses. — Fifth Cataract. —
Present State of numerous Villages. — Arrival at
Makkarif, Capital of Berber 34

CHAPTER IV.

Visit to the Governor. — Court and ancient Chiefs of the
Country. — Hospitable Reception. — Turkish
Entertainments. — Character of the Governor. — His
Attentions. — Style of living. — Dongolah Horses. —
Anecdotes, Costumes, and Portraits of the Chiefs. —
Turkish Knowledge of the Arts. — Bazaar of Makkarif. —
Houses. — Manufactory of Indigo. — Extent of Cultivation.
— Population. — Camels’ Hides. — Sugar Manufactory. —
Ethiopian Wool. — Bishareen Tribe. — Manner of collecting
their Tribute. — Ababdes and other Arab Tribes. — Turkish
Policy. — Burckhardt. — Character of the People. — Arabs
of the Desert 44

CHAPTER V.

Departure from Makkarif. — Various Villages. — The
Mugrum, ancient Astoboras. — Route to Goss Redjab. —
Verdant Appearance of the Island of Meroe. — Voyage on
the Astapus. — Numerous Villages. — Cottages. —
Hippopotami. — Manner of destroying them. — Villages. —
Arrival at the Pyramids of Meroe 62

CHAPTER VI.

MEROE.

Historical Evidence that this is the Cemetery of the
Capital of Ethiopia. — The imposing Appearance, Number,
Position, and Dimensions of the Pyramids. — Ethiopian
Arch. — Proofs that the Knowledge of the Arts descended
front Ethiopia. — Edifices of a pyramidal Form the best
adapted to resist the Ravages of Time. — Peculiar Style
of the Sculpture. — The Language of Hieroglyphics
generally known in Ethiopia. — The Style of the Sculpture
the Criterion of the Age. — Monumental, geological, and
historical Evidence that the Knowledge of the Arts
descended from Meroe. — Description of the Sculpture. —
Name of Meroe on the Monuments. — Meroe peculiarly
interesting, as the Birth-place of the Arts. — Sandstone
Quarries. — Site of the City. — Villages of the present
Inhabitants. — Agriculture. — Cailliaud 66

CHAPTER VII.

Departure from the Ruins. — Numerous Villages, one called
Meroueer. — Shendy. — Fortified House of the Melek. —
Insignificance of the present Capitals of Ethiopia. —
Population of Shendy. — Bazaar. — Prices of Camels,
Slaves, &c. — Manner of transacting Business. — Women of
Shendy. — Slave System. — Power of the ancient Meleks. —
Their Wives. — Army of the Pasha. — Death of Ismael
Pasha. — Metammah. — The Katshef of that Place, and his
Court. — Katshef of Shendy 86

CHAPTER VIII.

Departure from Shendy. — Difficulties. — Desert. — Visit
from and Anecdotes of Lions. — Immense Ruins. — Confusion
of the Plan. — Built by bad Architects. — Detailed
Description of the principal Temple. — Style of the
Sculpture. — Other Ruins. — Singular Situation of the
Ruins. — The Purpose for which they were constructed. —
Their probable Age 94

CHAPTER IX.

Deficiency of Water. — Return to the Nile. — Wild
Animals. — Ancient Canal. — Temple of Abou Naga. —
Difficulties. — The modern Capitals of Ethiopia. —
Sennaar. — The Difficulty of penetrating to the Source of
the Bahr el Abiad. — Tribe of Arabs on its Banks. — Water
less sweet than that of the Bahr el Azruk. — Arab
Description of the River. — Inundation of the Nile. —
Return to Shendy. — Mameluke Exercise 111

CHAPTER X.

Metammah. — Difficulty of finding Camels to cross the
Bahiouda Desert. — Wretched State of the Peasants when
attacked by Illness. — Intermittent Fevers. — Costumes of
Metammah. — Women of high Rank. — Their long Nails. —
Manner of increasing their Length. — Bahiouda Desert. —
Wells at Aboulay. — Reflections on the Desert Life. —
Shageea Tribe. — Wells called Gagdool. — Signor B.
unwell. — Hassanyeh Tribe. — Animals of the Desert. —
Greyhound Dog. — Well of Magaga. — Dangerous Illness of
Signor B. — Well of delicious Water called Haless. —
Beauty of the Scenery. — Shepherd Boys. — Character of
the Rocks. — Wells of good Water called Hannek and
Prasoli. — The Manner the Shageea salute. — Coptic
Christian Church. — Arrival at the Town of Meroueh. —
Hieroglyphics on a Slab in the Castle 123

CHAPTER XI.

Antiquities of Gibel el Birkel. — Description and
Dimensions of the Mountain. — Temple built by the Tirhaka
of the Bible. — Various other interesting Remains and
Temples. — Pyramids. — Circular and pointed Arch invented
in Ethiopia 134

CHAPTER XII.

Present Inhabitants of Birkel. — Funeral Ceremonies in
the Mahometan Burial-grounds. — Name of Rameses II. or
Sesostris. — Description of the present State of the
Country. — Indigo Manufactories. — The Shageea Tribe. —
One of their Meleks. — Pyramids of Nouri, dilapidated
State. — Curious Construction of one. — General
Dimensions. — Antiquity. — Comparison between the ancient
and modern Buildings of Ethiopia. — Return to Meroueh. —
Turkish Manner of being paid for Services. — Voyage down
the Nile. — Numerous Villages. — Shageea Tribe. —
Intoxication, Learning, &c. — Various Villages and
Islands. — Effects of the Climate and other Peculiarities
of this Country on the Character of the People. — Noble
Manners of the Arabs. — Dongolah Agous. — Probable Site
of Napata. — Negro Slaves. — Effects of the Cruelty of
their Owners. — Encroachments of the Desert. —
Cultivation. — Peasants 160

CHAPTER XIII.

Visit to the Governor. — Extent of his Government. —
Indigo. — Water Wheels. — Population. — Taxes. — Prices
of Produce. — Oasis of Dongolah, called El Gab. — Route
to Kordofan. — Information about that Country. — Baneful
Climate. — Captain Gordon. — Arab Tribes of Kordofan. —
General Appearance of New Dongolah. — The Bazaar. —
Curious Use of Ointment. — Merchandise. — The Bazaar. —
Slave Market. — Commerce carried on by Barter. — Curious
Manner of effecting Sales. — Dongolah Goldsmith. —
Auctioneers. — Various Arab Tribes. — Costumes. — Women,
the Elegance of their Attire. — Breaking of the _Rat_. —
Giraffe. — Hassanyeh Tribe. — Elephants 176

CHAPTER XIV.

Marriage and other Ceremonies of Dongolah. — Character of
the People, their Habitations. — Women, their Amusements.
— Arab Tale. — Government of Dongolah 189

CHAPTER XV.

Departure from Dongolah. — Numerous Villages. — Island of
Argo. — Residence of the Melek. — Arab Accountants. —
Melek Tumbol. — Extent of his Territory. — Arab Manners
compared with European. — Philosophy of the Arabs. — The
Melek’s Dinner. — Military Force. — Garden. — Visit to
the Antiquities. — Numerous Vestiges of ancient Towns. —
Colossal Statues. — Remains of a large Temple. — Name of
Sabaco, the Conqueror of Egypt. — Entertainment of an
Arab Sheakh. — Richness of the Island. — Indigo. —
Ethiopian Fort. — Cataract of Toumbos. — Mutilated
colossal Statue. — Hospitality of an Arab Sheakh. —
Character of the Inhabitants. — Hippopotamus. — Alarming
Intelligence. — Revolt of the Mahas. — Dreadful
Consequences. — Our providential Escape. — Arab Stories
of Travellers 204

CHAPTER XVI.

Return to New Dongolah. — The Governor. — His Indecision.
— General Alarm. — Interview with the Governor. — His
difficult Situation and Want of Energy. — Increase of the
Insurgents. — Retreat of the Katshef of Haffeer. — Troops
marched out against the Insurgents. — Fears about the
Result. — Their Army. — The Battle. — Effects of the
Revolt. — Roads impassable. — Return of the Expedition. —
Turkish and Arab Evolutions. — Hassanyeh. — Funge. —
Curious Assemblage. — _Lululoo_ of the Women. — Turkish
System of Government in the Provinces, and present State
of the Peasantry and Arabs of the Desert above Wady
Halfah 222

CHAPTER XVII.

Departure from El Ourde. — Alarms of the Caravan. — Melek
Backeet. — Return to Haffeer. — Detention in the Indigo
Manufactory. — Nubian Plants. — Second Expedition of the
Government. — Fanaticism of the Insurgents. — The Battle.
— Prisoners. — Departure from Haffeer. — Description of
the Caravan. — Cataract. — Effects of the Revolution. —
Splendid Ruins of Solib. — Excavated Tomb near Solib. —
Ruins of Sukkot. — Heat of the Climate. — Island of Sais.
— Remains of Christian Ruins. — Destructive Effects of
the Desert 237

CHAPTER XVIII.

Kasr Towaga. — Difficulty of crossing the River. —
Indolence of the Arabs. — Arab Sheakh. — Temple of
Amarah. — Present Inhabitants. — Wady el Hadjar. —
Fortified House on an Island at Dahl. — Cataract of
Uckma. — Bigotry of the Inhabitants. — Various Cataracts
of the Nile. — Mineral Spring at Tangoure. — Temples of
Semneh, on the Western Bank. — Curious Manner of crossing
the River. — Temple of Semneh, on the Eastern Bank. —
Inscriptions on the Rocks. — The Arab Robber Isah. —
Second Cataract of the Nile. — Inducements for Travellers
to extend their Journey beyond this Point. — Comparison
between Voyages in the Desert and at Sea 259