DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0102
74 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,
bold rocks and hills, lined with villages, of a better construc-
tion than those on the west, situated amongst palm-trees.
These, however, were mere mud buildings, which on the west
were generally of stones, or poles covered with mats or palm-
branches.
On the 25th we arrived at Deir. This is a long straggling
village of mud cottages, situated in a thickly planted grove
of palm-trees. The cashief's house, the best I had seen
since I left Cairo, is built of baked and unbaked bricks. In
front is a rude colonnade, forming a sort of caravansera.
Adjoining is a mosque, the only one I had observed after
leaving Philae. The village is about a mile in length; its
population must be considerable, though I could never
obtain any other answer to my inquiries on that head than,
" many." I landed, and went to a mud caravansera, in
which were horses, and waited till the cashief's son could
be sent for.
A Mamelouk, with a Greek for his attendant, had lately
arrived from Uongola as a merchant. From him I heard
that the Mamelouks had taken possession of the country on
the west bank of the Nile, opposite Dongola, where they
had been driven by the Pasha of Egypt; that they were
in force about eleven hundred, under Ibrahim Bey, the part-
ner and competitor in power with Mourad Bey, at the time
when the French took possession of Egypt; that after de-
bold rocks and hills, lined with villages, of a better construc-
tion than those on the west, situated amongst palm-trees.
These, however, were mere mud buildings, which on the west
were generally of stones, or poles covered with mats or palm-
branches.
On the 25th we arrived at Deir. This is a long straggling
village of mud cottages, situated in a thickly planted grove
of palm-trees. The cashief's house, the best I had seen
since I left Cairo, is built of baked and unbaked bricks. In
front is a rude colonnade, forming a sort of caravansera.
Adjoining is a mosque, the only one I had observed after
leaving Philae. The village is about a mile in length; its
population must be considerable, though I could never
obtain any other answer to my inquiries on that head than,
" many." I landed, and went to a mud caravansera, in
which were horses, and waited till the cashief's son could
be sent for.
A Mamelouk, with a Greek for his attendant, had lately
arrived from Uongola as a merchant. From him I heard
that the Mamelouks had taken possession of the country on
the west bank of the Nile, opposite Dongola, where they
had been driven by the Pasha of Egypt; that they were
in force about eleven hundred, under Ibrahim Bey, the part-
ner and competitor in power with Mourad Bey, at the time
when the French took possession of Egypt; that after de-