Burckhardt, John Lewis, 1784-1817; Nile River Valley -- Description and travel; Nubia -- Description and travel
the finest period of Egyptian sculpture; but, on the other hand,
the hieroglyphics on the face of the rock are of very indifferent
execution, and seem to be of the same age as those in the temple
at Derr. A few paces to the south of the four colossal statues,
is a recess hewn out of the rock, with steps leading up to it from
the river; its walls are covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions,
and representations of Isis, and the hawk-headed Osiris.
The temple of Ebsambal serves as a place of refuge to the inhabitants
of Ballyane, and the neighbouring Arabs, against a Moggrebyn tribe
of Bedouins, who regularly, every year, make incursions into these
parts. They belong to the tribes which are settled between the Great
Oasis and Siout. When they set out, they repair first to Argo,
where they commence their predatory course, plundering all the
villages on the western bank of the river; they next visit Mahass,
Sukkot, Batn el Hadjar, Wady Halfa, the villages opposite Derr,
and lastly Dakke; near the latter place, they ascend the mountain,
and return through the desert towards Siout. The party usually
consists of about one hundred and fifty horsemen, and as many
camel-riders: no one dares oppose them in Nubia; on the contrary,
the governors pay them a visit, when they arrive opposite to Derr,
and make them some presents. The incursions of this tribe are one
of the principal reasons, why the greater part of the western bank
of the Nile is deserted. Whenever they advance towards Ballyane, its
inhabitants retreat with their cattle to the temple of Ebsambal. The
Moggrebyns, last year attempted to force this place of refuge,
but failed, after losing several men.
From Ebsambal our road lay E. N. E. along a barren, sandy shore. At
three hours and a half from our setting out in the morning, we
passed some ruined Greek chapels; and at the end of six hours
and a half, alighted (opposite to Formundy, on the east side),
at an Arab tent, in which was a young man, and a pretty girl,
his cousin; their relations lived on the east side, and had sent
them over to watch a few sown fields. I asked the girl whether
she was not afraid of remaining alone with the youth? “O no,”
she replied, “is he not my cousin?” (ليش اخاف ما هو
ابن عمي). Cousins among the Bedouins are considered almost
in the same light as brothers and sisters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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