DOI Heft:
No. 31 (October, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Buckman, Percy: Egypt as a sketching ground
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17295#0053
Egypt as a Sketching Ground
.. . -----------
the nile at sunset " by percy buckman
rative artist with a fine theme for an upright panel. Egypt, or in fact any Eastern country, is the oppor-
Along the road to the market come men, women and tunity it offers for the study of the human form in
children, donkeys, buffaloes and camels, in endless action; for the Arab, on setting bis hand to any
procession, each laden with his share of country species of labour, whether working the shadoof or
produce; perhaps with more than his share, the poling a boat off the shifting sandbanks of the
camel looks like an enormous haystack walking river, first divests himself of his only garment, and
majestically on four disjointed sticks; but even then with limbs unimpeded and many invocations
the supercilious, ungainly " oont," as Mr. Rudyard to Allah, buckles to with a will. While crossing
Kipling calls him, when trapped out in his tassels a ferry, usually a slow process, I have often seen
and embroidered saddle-bags, and surmounted by two or more of the passengers shed their garments,
his Bedouin master, looks a dignified and imposing and getting into the water accelerate matters by
figure as he covers the weary miles with his long- shoving behind. These ferry-boats, crowded to
measured stride. One of the principal charms of excess, as they mostly are, with every species of
merchandise, are among the
most picturesque and amus-
ing sights on the Nile. Sheep,
cows, donkeys, and fowls are
mixed pell-mell with mar-
keters or the members of a
wedding or funeral procession.
The noise and excitement on
embarkation is indescribable,
and to European notions
totally unnecessary ; and
when at length we push out
into the swift current there is
a large crowd left on the
bank, swearing and gesticu-
lating till the boat is out of
earshot; nor is this to be
wondered at, seeing that
a water mill" pencil sketch by percy buckman these omnibuses of Egypt's
40
.. . -----------
the nile at sunset " by percy buckman
rative artist with a fine theme for an upright panel. Egypt, or in fact any Eastern country, is the oppor-
Along the road to the market come men, women and tunity it offers for the study of the human form in
children, donkeys, buffaloes and camels, in endless action; for the Arab, on setting bis hand to any
procession, each laden with his share of country species of labour, whether working the shadoof or
produce; perhaps with more than his share, the poling a boat off the shifting sandbanks of the
camel looks like an enormous haystack walking river, first divests himself of his only garment, and
majestically on four disjointed sticks; but even then with limbs unimpeded and many invocations
the supercilious, ungainly " oont," as Mr. Rudyard to Allah, buckles to with a will. While crossing
Kipling calls him, when trapped out in his tassels a ferry, usually a slow process, I have often seen
and embroidered saddle-bags, and surmounted by two or more of the passengers shed their garments,
his Bedouin master, looks a dignified and imposing and getting into the water accelerate matters by
figure as he covers the weary miles with his long- shoving behind. These ferry-boats, crowded to
measured stride. One of the principal charms of excess, as they mostly are, with every species of
merchandise, are among the
most picturesque and amus-
ing sights on the Nile. Sheep,
cows, donkeys, and fowls are
mixed pell-mell with mar-
keters or the members of a
wedding or funeral procession.
The noise and excitement on
embarkation is indescribable,
and to European notions
totally unnecessary ; and
when at length we push out
into the swift current there is
a large crowd left on the
bank, swearing and gesticu-
lating till the boat is out of
earshot; nor is this to be
wondered at, seeing that
a water mill" pencil sketch by percy buckman these omnibuses of Egypt's
40