Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-04-26
HELD BY A ROPE.
DY LEIGH YOUNGE.


nectod with the movements of the prcat
artery that is the life Of the country.
Tho seventeenth of Juno is the "niuht
OF the drop" and is celebrated as fes
tlval. Moore in his "Lalla Rookh" tells us
of the power OF
The drop that down from the neon,
Fails through the healing mir of Juncn
According TO the ancient legends, Isis.
the goddess of Egypt, wecps over the
erldness OF the country, and tho tear
falling from her eye into the Nile causes
tho overflow which brings renewed life
to tho land. The Caircnes spend tho
night beside the river, either in the
open air or in houses near the bank, and
practice oil sorts Of ceremonies Each
member of the family places piece OF
dough on the roof; if the dough rises,
happiness is in store for the fortunate
one who placed it there; if not, it is an
i'll omen.
Ten days later the river slowly begins
TO rise, and the Nile cricr goes through
TING streets every morning with the latest
bulletin ms to the height of tho wafer.
The great fcstIvity OF the year is tho
Weia or the cutting OF the dam, which
takes place between the tenth and four.
LocHlH OI August.
Egypt is now no longer vast lake
during tho inundation rs il formerly
was. The water is conducted into n
net work of canals and rcsorvoirs. and
distributed ms it Is needed and enpi-
noors arc appointed to soc that there is
no loss nor waste. ! cvces arc bu 1t to
Keep the waters within bounds, and
many OF the villages arc connected by
these, while others can only be reached
by boat.
when VIC reached Egypt, in the middle
81 October, the inundation was at tho
highest point. higher than it had been
for years. TO attempt the Journey to
the pyramids was. wo were told, mad.
ness, the whole face of tho country be-
tween Ghizeh and the city being under
water But the flood would not abutc
for weeks, and VIC could not wait, and
so decided to try it.
soliciting our donkeys with care, we
started out, party OF four, including
tho dragoman and the little animals,
which are the street cars of gypt. The
donkey boy, very bright little fellow
OF fourteen years, was family man.
he told us proudly, with two wives and
four children, and he supported his
whole establishment on the one frame n
DAY he earned by taking care of the
donkeys.
On past the city out into tho onen
VIC rode, congratulating ourselves that
we had not hooded the advice given MS.
Our route lay along high embank-
ment beside one of the numerous canals
Which encirclo the city, aud n more
beautiful scene cannot be imagined. Tho
water was almost up with the links. and
IN the sunlight glittered and glistencd.
Tall reeds and rushcs with waving
plumes beautifully green lined the shore.
9nd the reflection in the water gave baclS
Svery leaf and twig.
Then suddenly and abruptly the dyke
was cut off, and before us was sheer
descent into the yellow water. The
force OF the waves had undermined the
foundation, and it had sunk. What to
do next was the question.
Iusscf got down, and went forward
to explore. Finally he came back with
the intelligence that there was a boat Il
little way back, which would take us if
we were willing to go in that way.
Turning, we rode to where n curve in
the embankment formed tiny cove and
there was the boat. long, dirty,
weather-beaten craft, with tho immensely
high mast and the odd-shnpcd sail that
they use only on the Nile.
Leaving our donkeys to the boy who
Vas to take them back to the city, VIC
Embarked and pushed off. The little
boat rocked and rceled with the force of
the current, but the bontmcn seemed to
Hhow their business, and pilotcd us
Safely enough, though it was no easy
task. The tallest trees were In under
water, and the smallest were wholly sub
merged and when one least expected it,
he was apt to run up against one, for the
water was so thick with mud that moth
Ing could be seen below the surface.
Mon were Mt work upon the embark
ments strengthening them, and busy
scene the green terraces rising up out of
the yellow water presented. Where the
rush had swept the dykes completely
away, they were throwing connecting
bridges. | was forcibly reminded OF the
scenes at home, when the Mississippi
bursts its bounds and breaks through the
levees. very available force on the
plantation is set to work to strengthen
the barrier that keeps off the waters. IL
was all the moro striking, rs the fcllahin
and our Southern negroes closely resem.
BILE each other.
Our little boat with its great sail
brought us finally up to the elevated
plateau where the pyramids stand, and
we landed, glad to be on terra frma.
No one ever forgcts the view that he
gets from the top of Cheops, where he
seems to feel the centuries 20 by. The
drawback to the pleasure and awe which
the place inspires is the chattering, the
quarreling and the clamoring for bak-
shish of the swarms of Arabs that haunt
the place. Thanks, however, to the
Overflow, none but our own party were
there, so we were left in peace to the
desoiation of the scene.
Below us lay the waste of water with
the winding line of the embankments
CURING like great green serpent, and
from its bosom seemed to rise the
minarets and domcs of the distant city,
while over all the tall columns of the
Mosque of AIehemet Ali kept ward. AT
our feet crouched the slcepless Sphynx
brooding over the scene as she has done
for fifty centuries.
We explored the Tomb of Numbers.
and the temple in ruins, lunched at the
4 n ~ L. r