Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
Upon the outside of the walls at Carnac and Luxor there seems to be an
historical engraving instead of hieroglyphics; this we had not met with
before. It is a representation of men, horses, chariots, and battles;
some of the attitudes are freely and well drawn, they are rudely
scratched upon the surface of the stone, as some of the hieroglyphics
at Thebes are. The weapons the men make use of are short javelins, such
as are common at this day among the inhabitants of Egypt, only they
have feathered wings like arrows. There is also distinguished among the
rest, the figure of a man on horseback, with a lion fighting furiously
by him, and Diodorus[131] says, Osimandyas was so represented at
Thebes. This whole composition merits great attention.
I have said, that Luxor is Diospolis, and should think, that that
place, and Carnac together, made the Jovis Civitas Magna of Ptolemy,
though there is 9´ difference of the latitude by my observation
compared with his. But as mine was made on the south of Luxor, if
his was made on the north of Carnac, the difference will be greatly
diminished.
The 17th we took leave of our friendly Shekh of Luxor, and sailed with
a very fair wind, and in great spirits. The liberality of the Shekh of
Luxor had extended as far as even to my Rais, whom he engaged to land
me here upon my return.--I had procured him considerable ease in some
complaints he had; and he saw our departure with as much regret as in
other places they commonly did our arrival.
On the eastern shore are Hambdé, Maschergarona, Tot, Senimi, and
Gibeg. Mr Norden seems to have very much confused the places in this
neighbourhood, as he puts Erment opposite to Carnac, and Thebes farther
south than Erment, and on the east side of the Nile, whilst he places
Luxor farther south than Erment. But Erment is fourteen miles farther
south than Thebes, and Luxor about a quarter of a mile (as I have
already said) farther south on the East side of the river, whereas
Thebes is on the West.
He has fixed a village (which he calls [132]Demegeit) in the situation
where Thebes stands, and he calls it Crocodilopolis, from what
authority I know not; but the whole geography is here exceedingly
confused, and out of its proper position.
In the evening we came to an anchor on the eastern shore nearly
opposite to Esné. Some of our people had landed to shoot, trusting to
a turn of the river that is here, which would enable them to keep up
with us; but they did not arrive till the sun was setting, loaded with
hares, pigeons, gootos, all very bad game. I had, on my part, staid on
board, and had shot two geese, as bad eating as the others, but very
beautiful in their plumage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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