New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-11

or reclining But these Nile sailors sit upon theg
hsunches, inelegsntly squat like the vases that
stand In the tombs and with as much sense OF life
as they. The moment q man becomes inactive
upon the shore, he is transformed into perm anent
figure Of the landscape. The silence enchants
him. and makes bis rePose so profound aud lie
less that il deepens the impression Of silence
But the dusky denizens of Mahratta leaped and
scrambled upon the boat. like impstieat souls
very dubious Of safe ferry agefor returning to the
Cataract confusion, We return to our old simili
tudes Silence, too, shuddered, as they rushed
yelpirg upon the junk If It's very soul mad gone
ont of il forever and ping themselves upon the
deck and the bulwarks, and seizing the huge,
cumbrous oars they commenced, under brisk
kurbashng, to push from the shore, quarseling and
shouting, and mad with gee and excitement. in
entire insanity OF the savage faculty"
The How ad il stood at the blue cabin door, help
less, perhaps hopeless in the grim chaos. and
turning backward as the boat moved from the
bank. beheld Nubia and the further South faint
away upon the Iosy bosom OF the morning
The day was beautiful and MINDLESS, the air
clear and brilliant No wind could have benefited
US, 30 tortuous is the channel through these ra-
pids; and once fairly into the middle OF the river,
its strong swift stream. eddying toward the cata.
ract, swept as on to the frowning battlements OF
rock that rise along the rapid. The oars dipped
slightly. but another power than theirs, an i'm
petus from that bewitched fountain in the most
us on-the speed, the nearing rapid, the exhilarat
ing morning, making this the most exciting day
of the Nile voyaging. The men tugging by threes
snd tours at the oars, laughed and looked at tho
Howaoji, their backs turned TO the rapid, and
manly intent upon the KURDISH which was fren-
ziedly fulfilling its functions. The pilot, whose
eyes were fixed fast and firmly upon the rock
points and the boats PROV shouted them sudden
ly into silence at times, but only for moment
then again like eager, fun overlooking boys, they
prattled and played away.
lntwenty minutes from Mahratta We were close
upon the frat and longest and swiftest rapid. Tho
channel was partly cat away by Mohamusd Alec,
and although it concesls no rocks, 1t is so very
narrow, and shows such ragged, jagged cliff sides
to the stream, that with a large Dahabieh like
ours, driving through the gurgling foanng anc
fsteful dark waters tits bit OF adventure and ex
perience to have passed.
The instant that the strange speed with which
we swept along, indicated that the junk was
sliding down the horizontal cataract, and the
Dahabieh and Howadji and crew felt a. chips
look, pluDging water falls, resistless, aud en-
tirely mastered, driving dreadfally forward like a
tempest tortured shio-that moment the pilot
Murdered caution from the tiller, and confused
scrambliDg ensued pom deck to take in the oars.
for it was not poe Die for us to pass with such
wide. stretch'nS arms through the narrow throat
Of the rapid But there was no instant to lose
The river, ke live monster plunged along with
under us-a witness of smooth undulation along
we rode and so startling was the new sudden
speed, when we were once on the currently slope,
that it seemed as if our monster were dashing on
to plunge us wrecked against the brlstling sldes'
before w could take in our arm like oars, that,
rigid with horrible expectation, reached sunny
out toward their destruction.
But vainly struggled and stumbled the savage
faculty." Ii was clear enough that the junk was
Fate's and Fate's only. At the same instant the
How adj saw and felt that before one reluctant
oar, which was tied and tangled inexricablys
could be hauled in, its blade would strike rocky
reach that stretched forth into the stream-whoh
fosmed and fretted at the momentary obstruction.
then madly eddied forward. Bat in striking the
rock the oar would throw the boat with its broad
side to the stream, capsize IL, and SEND howah).
crew, and Mahratta savages beyond kuroashins.
They saw this at the same instant, and the
whole boats company saw It too and the pilot.
who shouted like one mad, yet who was liked last
to his post, for a single swerye oil the ruddor
would be as fatal as the oar against the TOOK rho
kurbash ragged and fell and ourished, as II u lore
saw the speedy end OF its exercise and authority
and burned to use up all its vitality. But the
mental chaos of the men Of Mahratta was only
more chaotic in this juncture, and while the oar
still stretched to it's fate and like mote upon
lightning flash, the frightfully steady boat darted
through the rapid, the Pacha grasped one column
of the cabin porch, and the other Howadj tho
other, awaiting the crisis which should throw
them into the Jaws of the monster, who would
dash them high up upon the shore below, 10 con-
sumo at leisure.
All this was seen and transpired in less time
than you occupy in reading the record. The pilot
in vain endeavored 10 ease her from the side to.
ward which she was tending and on which still
ard hopeessly stretched the fatal oar. There
was universal silence and expectation, and then
crash struck the oar against the rock was COM
pletely shvered in striking, and the heavy junk,
shudderng moment, but scarce consciously, and
not swerving from her desperate way, darted for.
ward still, and drove high upon the sandy shore,
at the sudden turning OF the rapid, and the How
adj had safely passed the most appalling slope of
the cataract.
Chaos came again Immediately. The pilot de-
scended from his post and expressed bis opinion
that such accurate and able pilotage deserved an
extraordinary bucksheesb. implying, with ethics
not alone oriental that having done his duty be
was entitled 10 more than praise. The men OF
Mahratta smiled significantly at the Howadji, as
II such remarkable exertions "a theirs were pos
sibly hardly to be measured by merely inhdel
minds. and there was general air Of selfsat
sfaction perva aiding all faces, as il the savage fac
uty, and not the grace Of God had brought as
through the cataract
We tarried little while upon the shore. and
then glided again down the swift stream. 1t was
only sW lift now, not startling and the rockiness
was further withdrawn, and there were smooth
reaches of water. We saw several Howadji loi'
teriDg upon a sandy slope. The sun seemed not
70 sparkle as before the descent in the excite
ment OF the morning and there was the same old
tranquility Of Egypt breathing over the dying
RACES and up through the rocky ways OF the cat
sract. It was the lulI and repose that follow In
tense excitement, and Of so suggestive chsrao-
ter, that the Howadji recalled with sympathy the
arisl Aqusrelle of Turner-the summit OF the
Gotthard Pass, looking toward Italy. IL he
wonderful success art, for In the warmth and
depth and variety Of the hue which has the in
finite rarity and decscy of Italian air, and which
seems rather a glow and rosy suiiusion than
material medium-in that and through that, the
bloom Of Italy bresthes warm beauty far into
Switzerland, and sleeps the spectator In the
South. The eye clings 20 il and bathes In IL az
the soul and memory in Italian days. SO in the
tender tranquility OF that morning succeeding
the rapids, sll the golden greenness and sweet
L IL l,an hraafhad haanfx