33

the boat, that though' it blew hard, and we had six oars out, we-
scarcely made any way. In this situation, as there were no
hopes of success, and every chance of being driven against a
rock, we judged it most prudent to return : this was a difficult
manoeuvre; fortunately our Rcis and Crew were good, and we had
need of all their activity and skill. We were however soon landed
in safety on a sandy beach on the Eastern shore, whence we ex-
plored a dry and rocky bed, in which the Nile flows during the in-
undation, and which is the course that the boats take, which then
ascend the river with comparative facility ; the granite islets are
then a considerable depth below the surface of the water, and the
North wind is in that season stronger and less variable. From the
upper extremity of this channel we had a view of the celebrated
Cataracts of Sycne, which are formed by a great number of gra-
nite rocks crossing the bed of the river, here nearly a mile and
a half broad : these rocks do not appear when the water is at
the highest, and then there is no fall, only a very rapid current.
When the river is quite low, they will of course form as many falls,
or cascades, as there arc channels between the rocks, which oc-
casion a constant clash and din to be heard at the distance of se-
veral leagues. Cicero says, the inhabitants in the neighbourhood
were deafened by the noise; and several persons with whom Ave
conversed assured us of this fact—We certainly observed that
they were particularly dull of hearing. On rejoining our boat we
returned by an Eastern passage, by which we avoided the islands;
but which is impracticable in going up, as, in the few difficult
passes, the high mountains to the North and West frequently oc-
casion dangerous and critical calms.

Passing with our boat to the West of Elephantine, we landed
on the west bank of the river, and walked a mile over the sands up
to an old Coptic monastery called Deirel Garbie, which appears

f to