The New York herald., 1870-02-07

CAIRO, Dec. 20, 1869.
Like all days in Egypt, our first one on the Nile
the opening description Of which l have forwarded
already-als0 dawned, At which time we moved
from our berth with just enough OF daylight 10 paint
the location Of Benz Soref a. IT appears from the
river.
Joyousy the Nile opened before u.s. as II 1t smiled
sweet welcome TO the strangers The freshness OF
the morning breathed still upon the river and It's
shores. Each sand bank we passed was alive with
pelicans namingoes and what is now called the
white iDls. High above the river continued The lofty
Arabian highlands, nat SUBMITTED gray and utterly
sterile. Westward a.sea Of verdure stretched and
the scene was a. that OF yesterday, with adobe huts
nat rooted, sQuatting low under palm and simmer.
ing sycamores with fields OF vast extent exuberant
with corn and lentils sugar cane ana bean stalks,
and an endless variety OF vegetable products.
The Nile varies Its width at every short distance;
at one time 1t IS but q mile, at another it ia mile
and hail. 1t Is deep In some places, yet 1t has not
the vast volume OF the Missouri or the swift flow OF
the Mississippi 1t is OF the same deep brown color
rs OF the latter river when swollen by the floods In
tho spring. Were It not for the palms, the mud huts
and sky Of Egypt the scenery along the banks might
be taken for that along the Mississippi between St.
Louis and Cairo; but the feathery foliage OF the
palms at ali times delightful 10 look at, at all times
poetizlng the land and the glorious azure Of the
sky, and the sun which tnts everything with magic
glow and richness. are unmistakably OF Egypt,
and 1t is feeble to compare them to
details comparison becomes yet more dificult
Tor such shores those OF the Nile, bounded on one
side by range OF mountains, honeycombed with
gorgeous tombs, repete on the other side with ruins
OF glorious temples, while their viclnage swims In
unsurpassed vegetation, acacia trees exudlng their
sweet aromatic gum, orange trees golden with fruit
aims heavy with dates. donis with nuts, while ever
and anon a slender, sllvery- appearing minaret
shoots above the dark green foliage, or o shadouf
Or. sakia, worked by dark naked figures or oxen is
heard groaning and signing the whole day, while
again the same serene sun shines ever benignly on
the land and his children. For has not the sun been
worshpped for centuries by the people Of this land
For does not the land number many temples ded-
Gated to the sum- Who was Ra but
the sunf Whom did great Sesostrs and
Memnon worship but the sunf ls not matchess
Raniises scnptured upon each portico and wall of
Adytum, as presenting offerings TO the sun The
sun, therefore, showers his favors his dark chill
dren makes their land the richest OF all lands
makes all plants ana seed produce o hundred fold.
And the legends that hang TO every mile OF that
eastern range What say those grand tabular bluffs
aheadY The ghost OF shek Embark forever
The name Gebel Sheik Embarak. Hagar E'selim,
which Is perfect Scylla OF q rock, detached from
the huge mass above. and now shooting above the
surface OF the Nle Is regarded by Nile boasmen as
augurng we'll for the happy termination OF the
voyage when once they have passed 1t. What says
Shelk F0dl, above Aboo Glrgeh Sheik Fodl was
an Arab hermit OF great sanctity who lived upon
Its summit for many years. 'Oh, such q long, long
time ago. Sheik Hassan also high bold lime
stone mountain, split in two by deep ravine-what
legend Is that which gives this name to its The
numerous tombs chisseed IN the rock, the hiero-
glyphlcs which mark the mountains smooth, bold
'front.' the mounds OF brick aud debris, the vein-ike
tombs OF Sheiks the ruins OF convents with perhaps
solitary palm grove near byeach and oil have then
history, upon each and all hang tale But who are
they who will relate their history9 The Arab tradi
tions give but faintest echoes Of the lives which
once joyed or sorrowed upon these mountains. For
the Friedrlchs OF Mzraim, there were no Carlyes;
for Egyptian Johnsons there lived no Bos-
wells; for the Brontes there were no Cats
kels. How delightful would 1t nave been 10
read their biographies on the Nile voyage, to have
their lives before us, such as Carlyle ora Gatske
could write them.
The Bird Mountain we approached towards sunset
II Is high, upright mass OF rock rising perpendlcu
larry from the waters edge TO the height perhaps
OF 800 feet. As the steamers drew abreast OF this
mountain some twenty human vuitures, who had
descrled US from afar, leaped into the river and
came running towards us, crying "Bakshlsh, how
aggii; va Christian, howaggiin aims, gentlemen; 1
am Christian gentlemen) barbarian, after
laying hold OF the towing ropes, dragged himself on
board, and soon after another and another until we
had dozen naked men on board, holding out their
hands, and, In pitiful tones, crying out their men
cant chant, 'Bakshish, howaggl; va Christian, how
aggn The tones adopted by these people to beg are
such as would command Sa your attention even were
is half imperous, half whining, like tnat OF
famine-stricken wretch; and, when you look,
q naked athlete, whose sinews and grlstle
are US nrm steel, and whose muscles stand out
like tumOrs on mis- body. Well, bakshish was
given 20 the unfortunate mendicants, who, immedl-
atey after cappinR their hands above their heads
and utterng glad cries, jumped overheard. we fol-
lowed them with our ewes; we saw them 00bbtng to-
wards the dahabelis in tow OF our steamer: we saw
them climb the sides and utter the same whining I'm
howaggii"
In about half an hour afterwards the eastern banks
underwent a change. Instead OF one single mass OF
high rocks the range opened ut intervals, with wide
ravlnes between, ut tue entrance Of which popula-
tions or fellahs had squatted ana had made the
greatest use Of every inch OF SOIL as left by the Nile
they had built their huts like swallows nests, and
their narrow strips OF green corn denoted their
wealth In future harvest.
The sun at evening seems to remember the days of
old when at morn and evening the thousands of
Egypt bent the knee to him; Tor he goes down In
glory indescribabe, never seen IN northern climes
On this evening all WAS calm; no fringed leaf OF a.
palm waved, the face OF the Nile was like unto
FURNISHED steel mirror, smooth, shining, notionless
Tue clouds great and small all stray feecy. shining
clouds: the great avalanches OF clouds gathered
themselves together on the western horizon until
they lowered one upon another Alps upon Alps, ana
through them the sun was seen slowly descending.
In moment, as II were, the sun had tinted them
thousand colors AZ seen through the foliage 0f the
palms the scene was inconceivably grand. There
was broad azure lake, bordered and overhung by
drifting gauzy vapor; close to 1t was mountain OF
gold, through which ran stream OF blue; above
and around were eyoss OF gold. surrounded Dy
all OF which changed their hues AZ rapidly
AZ the dolphin when dying. The golden