New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-31
FROM NETWORK TO NINEvEH.
XXI.
pB,Lx AND THE cArARAcr-rHE HoSiAS
NILE.

~. Ko,osxo NuprA, Friday, Dec. is. 1881.
". had scarcely moored our vessel be-
ode the beach at Assouan, before messenger
Of the Governor arrived, to ask II mere was a'
American on board. He received the iniofma-
,;o,. and we were occupied in preparing our
calves for an excursion to the island of Elephant
inc. when Achmet called TO us: " The Governor
il coming" We bad no time to arrange our
cabin for his reception he was already az 'ne
door, with two attendants, and the most couiu
do was to clear sufficient space for seat on my
d;vap. His Excellency was short, stout, broad
faced man.. with large eyes, gray beard and
fat nose. He wore a m-European dress o.
browncfoth, and was blunt though cordial In
hin MANNERS His attendants, one Of whom was
the Captain Of the Cataract, wore the Egyptian
dress, with black turbans. They saluted US by
touching their hands to the lips and forehead,
and we responded in similar manner, after which
the Governor inquired after our health and we
incurred after his delivered my letter, and
while he was occupied with reading it, Achmet
prepared the coffee and pipes. Luckily, we had
three chibouks, the best of which, having an
amber mouth piece, was presented to the Cover
nor. waited for the coffee with some trepida-
ton. for knew we had but two Turkish tnJans,
and Frank cup was out of the question. How
ever. Achmet was a skillful servant. He pre-
sented the cups at such intervals that one was
sure to be empty while the other was full, and
artfullv drew away the attention of our guests
BY his ceremonious presentations; so that not
only they but both OF US partook twice Of Coffee
without the least embarrassment, and believe,
had there been ten persons instead OF five, ne
would have given the two cups the effect OF ten.
After the Governor had expressed his pleasure
in flowing Oriental phrases, and promised to en-
cage me boat for Korosko, he took his leave
and we crossed in ferry barge to Elephantins
This is small but fertile island, whose granite
foundations are fast anchored in the Nile. 1t
once was covered with extensive ruins, but they
have all been destroyed except single gateway
and an altar to Amun, both OF red granite, and a
sitting statue of marble. The southern part 10
entirely covered with ruins of a village of un-
burned brick, from the topmost piles of which
we enjoyed fine view Of the picturesque envl
rons of Assouan The bed of the Nile, to the
south, was broken with isles of dark-red granite
rock, which formation was also seen IA the
Jagged crests of the mountains beyond the CITY,
Scattered over them were the tombs of holy
men, dating from the times OF the Saracens
On the 0ortherA point Of the mountain on the
west bank, which was faced with pyramdal
drifts of yellow sand, stood ruined fortress Of
the Mamelukes. A thin palmgrove somewhat
concealed the barren aspect Of the city, but our
IL ho cfa INF
kindling in the setting SUM-
The island is inhabited by Nubians, and some
twenty or thirty children, OF from six to ten
gears Of age-the boys entirely naked, the girls
wearing narrow Ieathern girdle around the
lons-surrounded us, crying backshish" and
Offering bits of agate, coins and fragments OF
pottery, for sale. Some Of them had cunning
but none of them intelligent faces, and their
large black eyes had an astonishing precocious
expression of sensuality. We bought a few
trifes anu afod "a ufslniss tncm, out their num-
bers increased so that by the time we had made
the tour Of the island we had retnue Of fifty
followers l took the branches of henna they
offered me and switched the most impudent OF
them, but they seemed then to consider that they
had rightful claim to the backshish, and were
more importunate than ever. AS we left, they
gathered .on the shore and sang us farewell
chorus, but few five para pieces, thrown among
them, changed the harmony into scramble and
fight, In which occupation these lovely child
sen of Nature were engaged when we last saw
them.
The next day we visited Philg; WetoOk don.
keys and guide and rode through the dismal
all .n(S ahs of ho
into pass leading throus the granite hills. The
landscape was wintry in its bieakncss and rug
gedness. The path over which we rode was hard
sand and gravel, and on both sides the dark rocks
were piled in thousand wonderful combinations
On the surface there is no appearance of regular
strata, but rather of some terrible CONFUSION,
which has broken the immense masses aad
thrown them confusedly together. After three
or four miles of this travel the pass opened upon
the Nile, just above the Cataract. At the term-
nation Of the portage is Nubian village, whose
plantations Of dome and date palms and acacias
are dazzling in their sreenness, from contrast
with the bleak pyramids of 70 k and the tawny
drifts Of the Lybian sands on the western bank
We rode down to the port where a dozen trad
ing.vessels lay at anchor, and took large boat
for Phila. The Governor of Assouan and q
French engineer in the service Of the Pasha were
there, and His Exeellency showed me the yes
sci he had engaged for Korosko-a small and
sather old dahabiysh, but the best to be had. The
price was $50 piasters for the trip-about 100
miles-beside something for the men. Achmet
attributed this moderate demand 10 the effec, OF
timely present, which had been dehcately con
vsysd into the Governors hands the night before
As the wind carried as out into the stream
We saw the towers of the temple of Isis, on
Phils, through a savage gorge Of the river. The
enormous masses Of dark granite were piled On