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
I walked into the desert behind the village, and shot a considerable
number of the bird called Gooto, and several hares likewise, so that
I sent one of my servants loaded to the boat. I then walked down past
a small village called Nizelet el Himma, and returned by a still
smaller one called Shuka, about a quarter of a mile from Tima. I was
exceedingly fatigued with the heat by the south wind[112] blowing, and
the deep sand on the side of the mountain. I was then beginning my
apprenticeship, which I fully compleated.
The people in these villages were in appearance little less miserable
than those of the villages we had passed. They seemed shy and surly
at first, but, upon conversation, became placid enough. I bought some
medals from them of no value, and my servants telling them I was a
physician, I gave my advice to several of the sick. This reconciled
them perfectly, they brought me fresh water and some sugar-canes, which
they split and steeped in it. If they were satisfied, I was very much
so. They told me of a large scene of ruins that was about four miles
distant, and offered to send a person to conduct me, but I did not
accept their offer, as I was to pass there next day.
The 21st, in the morning, we came to Gawa, where is the second scene
of ruins of Egyptian architecture, after leaving Cairo. I immediately
went on shore, and found a small temple of three columns in front,
with the capitals entire, and the columns in several separate pieces.
They seemed by that, and their slight proportions, to be of the most
modern of that species of building; but the whole were covered with
hieroglyphics, the old story over again, the hawk and the serpent, the
man sitting with the dog’s head, with the perch, or measuring-rod;
in one hand, the hemisphere and globes with wings, and leaves of the
banana-tree, as is supposed, in his other. The temple is filled with
rubbish and dung of cattle, which the Arabs bring in here to shelter
them from the heat.
Mr Norden says, that these are the remains of the ancient Diospolis
Parva, but, though very loth to differ from him, and without the least
desire of criticising, I cannot here be of his opinion. For Ptolemy,
I think, makes Diospolis Parva about lat. 26° 40´, and Gawa is 27°
20´, which is by much too great a difference. Besides, Diospolis and
its nome were far to the southward of Panopolis; but we shall shew, by
undoubted evidence, that Gawa is to the northward.
There are two villages of this name opposite to each other; the one
Gawa Shergieh, which means the Eastern Gawa, and this is by much
the largest; the other Gawa Garbieh. Several authors, not knowing
the meaning of these terms, call it Gawa Gebery; a word that has no
signification whatever, but Garbieh means the Western.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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