DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0090
72 A THOUSAND MILES UP TUE NILE.
And now our good luck scorned to have deserted us.
For three days and nights the adverse wind continued to
blow with such force that the men could not even track
against it. Moored under that dreary bank, we saw our
ten days' start melting away and could only make the best
of our misfortunes. Happily the long island close by and
the banks on both sides of the river were populous with
sand-grouse ; so Alfred went out daily with his faithful
George and his unerring gun and brought homo game in
abundance, while we took long walks, sketched boats and
camels and chaffered witli native women for silver torques
and bracelets. These torques (in Arabic T6k) are tubular
but massive, penannular, about as thick as one's little
finger and finished with a hook at one end and a twisted
loop at the other. The girls would sometimes put their
veils aside and make a show of bargaining; but more fre-
quently, after standing for a moment with great wonder-
ing black velvety eyes staring shyly into ours, they would
take fright like a troop of startled deer and vanish with
shrill cries, half of laughter, half of terror.
At Beni Suef we encountered our first sand-storm. It
came down the river about noon, showing like a yellow fog
on the horizon and rolling rapidly before the wind. It
tore the river into angry waves and blotted out the land-
scape as it came. The distant hills disappeared first; then
the palms beyond the island; then the boats close by.
Another second and the air was full of sand. The whole
surface of the plain seemed in motion. The banks rip-
pled. The yellow dust poured down through every rift
and cleft in hundreds of tin}'cataracts. But it was a sight
not to be looked upon with impunity. Hair, eyes, mouth,
ears, were instantly filled and we were driven to take
refuge in the saloon. Here, although every window and
door had been shut before the storm came, the sand found
its way in clouds. Books, papers, carpets, were covered
with it; and it settled again as fast as it was cleared away.
This lasted just one hour, and was followed by a burst of
heavy rain; after which the sky cleared and we had a lovely
afternoon. From this time forth, we saw no more rain in
Egypt.
At length, on the morning of the fourth day after our
first appearance at Beni Suef and the seventh since leaving
Cairo, the wind veered round again to the uorth, and wo
And now our good luck scorned to have deserted us.
For three days and nights the adverse wind continued to
blow with such force that the men could not even track
against it. Moored under that dreary bank, we saw our
ten days' start melting away and could only make the best
of our misfortunes. Happily the long island close by and
the banks on both sides of the river were populous with
sand-grouse ; so Alfred went out daily with his faithful
George and his unerring gun and brought homo game in
abundance, while we took long walks, sketched boats and
camels and chaffered witli native women for silver torques
and bracelets. These torques (in Arabic T6k) are tubular
but massive, penannular, about as thick as one's little
finger and finished with a hook at one end and a twisted
loop at the other. The girls would sometimes put their
veils aside and make a show of bargaining; but more fre-
quently, after standing for a moment with great wonder-
ing black velvety eyes staring shyly into ours, they would
take fright like a troop of startled deer and vanish with
shrill cries, half of laughter, half of terror.
At Beni Suef we encountered our first sand-storm. It
came down the river about noon, showing like a yellow fog
on the horizon and rolling rapidly before the wind. It
tore the river into angry waves and blotted out the land-
scape as it came. The distant hills disappeared first; then
the palms beyond the island; then the boats close by.
Another second and the air was full of sand. The whole
surface of the plain seemed in motion. The banks rip-
pled. The yellow dust poured down through every rift
and cleft in hundreds of tin}'cataracts. But it was a sight
not to be looked upon with impunity. Hair, eyes, mouth,
ears, were instantly filled and we were driven to take
refuge in the saloon. Here, although every window and
door had been shut before the storm came, the sand found
its way in clouds. Books, papers, carpets, were covered
with it; and it settled again as fast as it was cleared away.
This lasted just one hour, and was followed by a burst of
heavy rain; after which the sky cleared and we had a lovely
afternoon. From this time forth, we saw no more rain in
Egypt.
At length, on the morning of the fourth day after our
first appearance at Beni Suef and the seventh since leaving
Cairo, the wind veered round again to the uorth, and wo