egypt-第15章

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them　and　to　polish　them　thus？　In　the　times　of　the　Pharaohs　they

already　had　their　present　rounded　forms；　worn　smooth　by　the　friction

of　the　water；　and　the　hieroglyphic　inscriptions　on　their　surfaces　are

not　perceptibly　effaced；　though　they　have　suffered　the　periodical

inundation　of　the　summer　for　some　forty　or　fifty　centuries！



It　was　an　exceptional　country；　this　valley　of　the　Nile；　marvellous　and

unique；　fertile　without　rain；　watered　according　to　its　need　by　the

great　river；　without　the　help　of　any　cloud。　It　knew　not　the　dull　days

and　the　humidity　under　which　we　suffer；　but　kept　always　the　changeless

sky　of　the　immense　surrounding　deserts；　which　exhaled　no　vapour　that

might　dim　the　horizon。　It　was　this　eternal　splendour　of　its　light；　no

doubt；　and　this　easiness　of　life；　which　brought　forth　here　the　first

fruits　of　human　thought。　This　same　Nile；　after　having　so　patiently

created　the　soil　of　Egypt；　became　also　the　father　of　that　people；

which　led　the　way　for　all　otherslike　those　early　branches　that　one

sees　in　spring；　which　shoot　first　from　the　stem；　and　sometimes　die

before　the　summer。　It　nursed　that　people；　whose　least　vestiges　we

discover　to…day　with　surprise　and　wonder；　a　people　who；　in　the　very

dawn；　in　the　midst　of　the　original　barbarity；　conceived　magnificently

the　infinite　and　the　divine；　who　placed　with　such　certainty　and

grandeur　the　first　architectural　lines；　from　which　afterwards　our

architecture　was　to　be　derived；　who　laid　the　bases　of　art；　of　science；

and　of　all　knowledge。



Later　on；　when　this　beautiful　flower　of　humanity　was　faded；　the　Nile；

flowing　always　in　the　midst　of　its　deserts；　seems　to　have　had　for

mission；　during　nearly　two　thousand　years；　the　maintenance　on　its

banks　of　a　kind　of　immobility　and　desuetude；　which　was　in　a　way　a

homage　of　respect　for　these　stupendous　relics。　While　the　sand　was

burying　the　ruins　of　the　temples　and　the　battered　faces　of　the

colossi；　nothing　changed　under　this　sky　of　changeless　blue。　The　same

cultivation　proceeded　on　the　banks　as　in　the　oldest　ages；　the　same

boats；　with　the　same　sails；　went　up　and　down　the　thread　of　water；　the

same　songs　kept　time　to　the　eternal　human　toil。　The　race　of　fellahs；

the　unconscious　guardian　of　a　prodigious　past；　slept　on　without　desire

of　change；　and　almost　without　suffering。　And　time　passed　for　Egypt　in

a　great　peace　of　sunlight　and　of　death。



But　to…day　the　foreigners　are　masters　here；　and　have　wakened　the　old

Nilewakened　to　enslave　it。　In　less　than　twenty　years　they　have

disfigured　its　valley；　which　until　then　had　preserved　itself　like　a

sanctuary。　They　have　silenced　its　cataracts；　captured　its　precious

water　by　dams；　to　pour　it　afar　off　on　plains　that　are　become　like

marshes　and　already　sully　with　their　mists　the　crystal　clearness　of

the　sky。　The　ancient　rigging　no　longer　suffices　to　water　the　land

under　cultivation。　Machines　worked　by　steam；　which　draw　the　water　more

quickly；　commence　to　rise　along　the　banks；　side　by　side　with　new

factories。　Soon　there　will　scarcely　be　a　river　more　dishonoured　than

this；　by　iron　chimneys　and　thick；　black　smoke。　And　it　is　happening

apace；　this　exploitation　of　the　Nilehastily；　greedily；　as　in　a　hunt

for　spoils。　And　thus　all　its　beauty　disappears；　for　its　monotonous

course；　through　regions　endless　alike；　won　us　only　by　its　calm　and　its

old…world　mystery。



Poor　Nile　of　the　prodigies！　One　feels　sometimes　still　its　departing

charm；　stray　corners　of　it　remain　intact。　There　are　days　of

transcendent　clearness；　incomparable　evenings；　when　one　may　still

forget　the　ugliness　and　the　smoke。　But　the　classic　expedition　by

dahabiya；　the　ascent　of　the　river　from　Cairo　to　Nubia；　will　soon　have

ceased　to　be　worth　making。



Ordinarily　this　voyage　is　made　in　the　winter；　so　that　the　traveller

may　follow　the　course　of　the　sun　as　it　makes　its　escape　towards　the

southern　hemisphere。　The　water　then　is　low　and　the　valley　parched。

Leaving　the　cosmopolitan　town　of　modern　Cairo；　the　iron　bridges；　and

the　pretentious　hotels；　with　their　flaunting　inscriptions；　it　imparts

a　sense　of　sudden　peacefulness　to　pass　along　the　large　and　rapid

waters　of　this　river；　between　the　curtains　of　palm…trees　on　the　banks；

borne　by　a　dahabiya　where　one　is　master　and；　if　one　likes；　may　be

alone。



At　first；　for　a　day　or　two；　the　great　haunting　triangles　of　the

pyramids　seem　to　follow　you；　those　of　Dashur　and　that　of　Sakkarah

succeeding　to　those　of　Gizeh。　For　a　long　time　the　horizon　is　disturbed

by　their　gigantic　silhouettes。　As　we　recede　from　them；　and　they

disengage　themselves　better　from　neighbouring　things；　they　seem；　as

happens　in　the　case　of　mountains；　to　grow　higher。　And　when　they　have

finally　disappeared；　we　have　still　to　ascend　slowly　and　by　stages　some

six　hundred　miles　of　river　before　we　reach　the　first　cataract。　Our　way

lies　through　monotonous　desert　regions　where　the　hours　and　days　are

marked　chiefly　by　the　variations　of　the　wonderful　light。　Except　for

the　phantasmagoria　of　the　mornings　and　evenings；　there　is　no

outstanding　feature　on　these　dull…coloured　banks；　where　may　be　seen；

with　never　a　change　at　all；　the　humble　pastoral　life　of　the　fellahs。

The　sun　is　burning；　the　starlit　nights　clear　and　cold。　A　withering

wind；　which　blows　almost　without　ceasing　from　the　north；　makes　you

shiver　as　soon　as　the　twilight　falls。



One　may　travel　for　league　after　league　along　this　slimy　water　and　make

head　for　days　and　weeks　against　its　currentwhich　glides

everlastingly　past　the　dahabiya；　in　little　hurrying　waveswithout

seeing　this　warm；　fecundating　river；　compared　with　which　our　rivers　of

France　are　mere　negligible　streams；　either　diminish　or　increase　or

hasten。　And　on　the　right　and　left　of　us　as　we　pass　are　unfolded

indefinitely　the　two　parallel　chains　of　barren　limestone；　which

imprison　so　narrowly　the　Egypt　of　the　harvests：　on　the　west　that　of

the　Libyan　desert；　which　every　morning　the　first　rays　of　the　sun　tint

with　a　rosy　coral　that　nothing　seems　to　dull；　and　in　the　east　that　of

the　desert　of　Arabia；　which　never　fails　in　the　evening　to　retain　the

light　of　the　setting　sun；　and　looks　then　like　a　mournful　girdle　of

glowing　embers。　Sometimes　the　two　parallel　walls　sheer　off　and　give

more　room　to　the　green　fields；　to　the　woods　of　palm…trees；　and　the

little　oases；　separated　by　streaks　of　golden　sand。　Sometimes　they

approach　so　closely　to　the　Nile　that　habitable　Egypt　is　no　wider　than

some　two　or　three　poor　fields　of　corn；　lying　right　on　the　water's

edge；　behind　which　the　dead　stones　and　the　dead　sands　commence　at

once。　And　sometimes；　even；　the　desert　chain　closes　in　so　as　to

overhang　the　river　with　its　reddish…white　cliffs；　which　no　rain　ever

comes　to　freshen；　and　in　which；　at　different　heights；　gape　the　square

holes　leading　to　the　habitations　of　the　mummies。　These　mountains；

which　in　the　distance　look　so　beautiful　in　their　rose…colour；　and

make；　as　it　were；　interminable　back…cloths　to　all　that　happens　on　the

river　banks；　were　perforated；　during　some　5000　years；　for　the

introduction　of　sarcophagi　and　now　they　swarm　with　old　dead　bodies。



And　all　that　passes　on　the　banks；　indeed；　changes　as　little　as　the

background。



First　there　is　that　gesture；　supple　and　superb；　but　always　the　same；

of　the　women　in　their　long　black　robes　who　come　without　ceasing　to

fill　their　long…necked　jars　and　carry　them　away　balanced　on　their

veiled　heads。　Then　the　flocks　which　shepherds；　draped　in　mourning；

bring　to　the　river　to　drink；　goats　and　sheep　and　asses　all　mixed　up

together。　And　then　the　buffaloes；　massive　and　mud…coloured；　who

descend　calmly　to　bathe。　And；　finally；　the　great　labour　of　the

watering：　the　traditional　noria；　turned　by　a　little　bull　with　bandaged

eyes　and；　above　all；　the　shaduf；　worked　by　men　whose　naked　bodies

stream　with　the　cold　water。



The　shadufs　follow　one　another　sometimes　as　far　as　the　eye　can　see。　It

is　strange　to　watch　the　movementconfused　in　the　distanceof　all

these　long　rods　which　pump　the　water　without　ceasing；　and　look　like

the　swaying　of　living　antennae。　The　same　sight　was　to　be　seen　along

this　river　in　the　times　of　the　Ramses。　But　suddenly；　at　some　bend　of

the　river；　the　old　Pharaonic　rigging　disappears；　to　give　place　to　a

succession　of　steam　machines；　which；　more　even　than　the　muscles　of　the

fellahs；　are　busy　at　the　water…drawing。　Before　long　their　blackish

chimneys　will　make　a　continuous　border　to　the　tamed　Nile。



Did　one　not　know　their　bearings；　the　great　ruins　of　this　Egypt　would

pass　unnoticed。　With　a　few　rare　exceptions　they　lie　beyond　the　green

plains　on　the　threshold　of　the　solitudes。　And　against　the　changeless；

rose…coloured　background　of　these　cliffs　of　the　desert；　which　follow

you　during　the　whole　of　this　tranquil　navigation　of　some　600　miles；

are　to　be　seen　only　the　humble　towns　and　villages　of　to…day；　which

have　the　neutral　colour　of　the　ground。　Some　openwork　minarets　dominate

themwhite　spots　above　the　prevailing　dullness。　Clouds　of　pigeons

whirl　round　in　the　neighbourhood。　And　amongst　the　little　houses；　which

are　only　cubes　of　mud；　baked　in　the　sun；　the　palm…trees　of　Africa；

either　singly　or　in　mighty　clusters；　rise　superbly　and　cast　on　these

little　habitations　the　shade　of　their　palms　which　sway　in　the　wind。

Not　long　ago；　although　indeed　everything　in　these　little　towns　was

mournful　and　stagnant；　one　would　have　been　tempted　to　stop　in　passing；

drawn　by　that　nameless　peace　that　belonged　to　the　Old　East　and　to

Islam。　But；　now；　before　the　smallest　hamletamongst　the　beautiful

primitive　boats；　that　still　remain　in　great　numbers；　pointing　their

yards；　like　very　long　reeds；　into　the　skythere　is　always；　for　the

meeting　of　the　tourist　boats；　an　enormous　black　pontoon；　which　spoils

the　whole　scene　by　its　presence　and　its　great　advertising　inscription：

〃Thomas　Cook　&　Son　（Egypt　Ltd。）。〃　And；　what　is　more；　one　hears　the

whistling　of　the　railway；　which　runs　mercilessly　along　the　river；

bringing　from　the　Delta　to　the　Soudan　the　hordes　of　European　invaders。

And　to　crown　all；　adjoining　the　station　is　inevitably　some　modern

factory；　throned　there　in　a　sort　of　irony；　and　dominating　the　poor

crumbling　things　that　still　presume　to　tell　of　Egypt　and　of　mystery。



And　so　now；　except　at　the　towns　or　villages　which　lead　to　celebrated

ruins；　we　stop　no　longer。　It　is　necessary　to　proceed　farther　and　for

the　halt　of　the　night　to　seek　an　obscure　hamlet；　a　silent　recess；

where　we　may　moor　our　dahabiya　against　the　venerable　earth　of　the

bank。



And　so　one　goes　on；　for　days　and　weeks；　between　these　two　interminable

cliffs　of　reddish　chalk；　filled　with　their　hypogea　and　mummies；　which

are　the　walls　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile；　and　will　follow　us　up　to　the

first　cataract；　until　our　entrance　into　Nubia。　There　only　will　the

appearance　and　nature　of　the　rocks　of　the　desert　change；　to　become　the

more　sombre　granite　out　of　which　the　Pharaohs　carved　their　obelisks

and　the　gre