egypt-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



rooms　for　the　use　of　the　many　amateur　photographers；　who　make　a　point

of　taking　away　with　them　photographs　of　their　travelling　companions

grouped　tastefully　before　some　celebrated　hypogeum。



And　then　numerous　cafes；　where　the　whisky　is　of　excellent　quality。

And；　I　ought　to　add；　in　justice　to　the　result　of　the　/Entente

Cordiale/；　you　may　see　there；　too；　aligned　in　considerable　quantities

on　the　shelves；　the　products　of　those　great　French　philanthropists；　to

whom　indeed　our　generation　does　not　render　sufficient　homage　for　all

the　good　they　have　done　to　its　stomach　and　its　head。　The　reader　will

guess　that　I　have　named　Pernod；　Picon　and　Cusenier。



It　may　be　indeed　that　the　honest　fellahs　and　Nubians　of　the

neighbourhood；　so　sober　a　little　while　ago；　are　apt　to　abuse　these

tonics　a　little。　But　that　is　the　effect　of　novelty；　and　will　pass。　And

anyhow；　amongst　us　Europeans；　there　is　no　need　to　conceal　the　fact

for　we　do　not　all　make　use　of　it　involuntarily？that　alcoholism　is　a

powerful　auxiliary　in　the　propagation　of　our　ideas；　and　that　the

dealer　in　wines　and　spirits　constitutes　a　valuable　vanguard　pioneer

for　our　Western　civilisation。　Races；　insensibly　depressed　by　the　abuse

of　our　〃appetisers；〃　become　more　supple；　more　easy　to　lead　in　the　true

path　of　progress　and　liberty。



On　this　quay　of　Assouan；　so　carefully　levelled；　defiles　briskly　a

continual　stream　of　fair　travellers　ravishingly　dressed　as　only　those

know　how　who　have　made　a　tour　with　Cook　&　Son　（Egypt　Ltd。）。　And　along

the　Nile；　in　the　shade　of　the　young　trees；　planted　with　the　utmost

nicety　and　precision；　the　flower…beds　and　straight…cut　turf　are

protected　efficaciously　by　means　of　wire…netting　against　certain　acts

of　forgetfulness　to　which　dogs；　alas；　are　only　too　much　addicted。



Here；　too；　everything　is　ticketed；　everything　has　its　number：　the

donkeys；　the　donkey…drivers；　the　stations　even　where　they　are　allowed

to　stand〃Stand　for　six　donkeys；　stand　for　ten；　etc。〃　Some　very

handsome　camels；　fitted　with　riding　saddles；　wait　also　in　their

respective　places　and　a　number　of　Cook　ladies；　meticulous　on　the　point

of　local　colour；　even　when　it　is　merely　a　question　of　making　some

purchases　in　the　town；　readily　mount　for　some　moments　one　or　other　of

these　〃ships　of　the　desert。〃



And　at　every　fifty　yards　a　policeman；　still　Egyptian　in　his

countenance；　but　quite　English　in　his　bearing　and　costume；　keeps　a

vigilant　eye　on　everythingwould　never　suffer；　for　example；　that　an

eleventh　donkey　should　dare　to　take　a　place　in　a　stand　for　ten；　which

was　already　full。



Certain　people；　inclined　to　be　critical；　might　consider；　perhaps；　that

these　policemen　were　a　little　too　ready　to　chide　their　fellow…

countrymen；　whereas　on　the　contrary　they　showed　themselves　very

respectful　and　obliging　whenever　they　were　addressed　by　a　traveler　in

a　cork　helmet。　But　that　is　in　virtue　of　an　equitable　and　logical

principle；　derived　by　them　from　the　high　places　of　the　new

administrationnamely；　that　the　Egypt　of　to…day　belongs　far　less　to

the　Egyptians　than　to　the　noble　foreigners　who　have　come　to　brandish

there　the　torch　of　civilisation。



In　the　evening；　after　dark；　the　really　respectable　travellers　do　not

quit　the　brilliant　dining　saloons　of　the　hotels；　and　the　quay　is　left

quite　solitary　beneath　the　stars。　It　is　at　such　a　time　that　one　is

able　to　realise　how　extremely　hospitable　certain　of　the　natives　are

become。　If；　in　an　hour　of　melancholy；　you　walk　alone　on　the　bank　of

the　Nile；　smoking　a　cigarette；　you　will　not　fail　to　be　accosted　by　one

of　these　good　people；　who　misunderstanding　the　cause　of　the　unrest　in

your　soul；　offers　eagerly；　and　with　a　touching　frankness；　to　introduce

you　to　the　gayest　of　the　young　ladies　of　the　country。



In　the　other　towns；　which　still　remain　purely　Egyptian；　the　people

would　never　practise　such　an　excess　of　affability　and　good　manners；

which　have　been　learnt；　beyond　all　question　from　our　beneficent

contact。



Assouan　possesses　also　its　little　Oriental　bazaara　little

improvised；　a　little　new　perhaps；　but　then　one；　at　least；　was　needed；

and　that　as　quickly　as　possible；　in　order　that　nothing　might　be

wanting　to　the　tourists。



The　shopkeepers　have　contrived　to　provision　themselves　（in　the　leading

shops；　under　the　arcades　of　the　Rue　de　Rivoli）　with　as　much　tact　as

good　taste；　and　the　Cook　ladies　have　the　innocent　illusion　of　making

bargains　every　day。　One　may　even　buy　there；　hung　up　by　the　tail；

stuffed　with　straw　and　looking　extremely　real；　the　last　crocodiles　of

Egypt；　which；　particularly　at　the　end　of　the　season；　may　be　had　at

very　advantageous　prices。



Even　the　old　Nile　has　allowed　itself　to　be　fretted　and　brought　up　to

date　in　the　progress　of　evolution。



First；　the　women；　draped　in　black　veils；　who　come　daily　to　draw　the

precious　water；　have　forsaken　the　fragile　amphorae　of　baked　earth；

which　had　come　to　them　from　barbarous　timesand　which　the

Orientalists　grossly　abused　in　their　picture；　and　in　their　stead　have

taken　to　old　tin　oil…cans；　placed　at　their　disposal　by　the　kindness　of

the　big　hotels。　But　they　carry　them　in　the　same　easy　graceful　manner

as　erstwhile　the　discarded　pottery；　and　without　losing　in　the　least

the　gracious　tanagrine　outline。



And　then　there　are　the　great　tourist　boats　of　the　Agencies；　which　are

here　in　abundance；　for　Assouan　has　the　privilege　of　being　the　terminus

of　the　line；　and　their　whistlings；　their　revolving　motors；　their

electric　dynamos　maintain　from　morning　till　night　a　captivating

symphony。　It　might　be　urged　perhaps　against　these　structures　that　they

resemble　a　little　the　washhouses　on　the　Seine；　but　the　Agencies；

desirous　of　restoring　to　them　a　certain　local　colour；　have　given　them

names　so　notoriously　Egyptian　that　one　is　reduced　to　silence。　They　are

called　Sesostris；　Amenophis　or　Ramses　the　Great。



And　finally　there　are　the　rowing　boats；　which　carry　passengers

incessantly　backwards　and　forwards　between　the　river…banks。　So　long　as

the　season　remains　at　its　height　they　are　bedecked　with　a　number　of

little　flags　of　red　cotton…cloth；　or　even　of　simple　paper。　The　rowers；

moreover；　have　been　instructed　to　sing　all　the　time　the　native　songs

which　are　accompanied　by　a　derboucca　player　seated　in　the　prow。　Nay；

they　have　even　learnt　to　utter　that　rousing；　stimulating　cry　which

Anglo…Saxons　use　to　express　their　enthusiasm　or　their　joy：　〃Hip！　Hip！

Hurrah！〃　and　you　cannot　conceive　how　well　it　sounds；　coming　between

the　Arab　songs；　which　otherwise　might　be　apt　to　grow　monotonous。



*****



But　the　triumph　of　Assouan　is　its　desert。　It　begins　at　once　without

transition　as　soon　as　you　pass　the　close…cropped　turf　of　the　last

square。　A　desert　which；　except　for　the　railroad　and　the　telegraph

poles；　has　all　the　charm　of　the　real　thing：　the　sand；　the　chaos　of

overthrown　stones；　the　empty　horizonseverything；　in　short；　save　the

immensity　and　infinite　solitude；　the　horror；　in　a　word　which　formerly

made　it　so　little　desirable。　It　is　a　little　astonishing；　it　must　be

owned；　to　find；　on　arriving　there；　that　the　rocks　have　been　carefully

numbered　in　white　paint；　and　in　some　cases　marked　with　a　large　cross

〃which　catches　the　eye　from　a　greater　distance　still〃（sic）。　But　I

agree　that　the　effect　of　the　whole　has　lost　nothing。



In　the　morning　before　the　sun　gets　too　hot；　between　breakfast　and

luncheon　to　be　precise；　all　the　good　ladies　in　cork　helmets　and　blue

spectacles　（dark…coloured　spectacles　are　recommended　on　account　of　the

glare）　spread　themselves　over　these　solitudes；　domesticated　as　it　were

to　their　use；　with　as　much　security　as　in　Trafalgar　Square　or

Kensington　Gardens。　Not　seldom　even　you　may　see　one　of　them　making　her

way　alone；　book　in　hand；　towards　one　of　the　picturesque　rocksNo。

363；　for　example；　or　No。　364；　if　you　like　it　betterwhich　seems　to　be

making　signs　to　her　with　its　white　ticket；　in　a　manner　which；　to　the

uninitiated　observer；　might　seem　even　a　little　improper。



But　what　a　sense　of　safety　families　may　feel　here；　to　be　sure！　In

spite　of　the　huge　numbers；　which　at　first　sight　look　a　little

equivocal；　nothing　in　the　least　degree　reprehensible　can　happen　among

these　granites；　which　are；　moreover；　in　a　single　piece；　without　the

least　crack　or　hole　into　which　the　straggler　could　contrive　to　crawl。

No。　The　figures　and　the　crosses　denote　simple　blocks　of　stones；

covered　with　hieroglyphics；　and　correspond　to　a　chaste　catalogue　where

each　Pharaonic　inscription　may　be　found　translated　in　the　most

becoming　language。



This　ingenious　ticketing　of　the　stones　of　the　desert　is　due　to　the

initiative　of　an　English　Egyptologist。







CHAPTER　XX



THE　PASSING　OF　PHILAE



Leaving　Assouanas　soon　as　we　have　passed　the　last　housewe　come　at

once　upon　the　desert。　And　now　the　night　is　falling；　a　cold　February

night；　under　a　strange；　copper…coloured　sky。



Incontestably　it　is　the　desert；　with　its　chaos　of　granite　and　sand；

its　warm　tones　and　reddish　colour。　But　there　are　telegraph　poles　and

the　lines　of　a　railroad；　which　traverse　it　in　company；　and　disappear

in　the　empty　horizon。　And　then　too　how　paradoxical　and　ridiculous　it

seems　to　be　travelling　here　on　full　security　and　in　a　carriage！　（The

most　commonplace　of　hackney…carriages；　which　I　hired　by　the　hour　on

the　quay　of　Assouan。）　A　desert　indeed　which　preserves　still　its

aspects　of　reality；　but　has　become　domesticated　and　tamed　for　the　use

of　the　tourists　and　the　ladies。



First；　immense　cemeteries　surrounded　by　sand　at　the　beginning　of　these

quasi…solitudes。　Such　old　cemeteries　of　every　epoch　of　history。　The

thousand　little　cupolas　of　saints　of　Islam　are　crumbling　side　by　side

with　the　Christian　obelisks　of　the　first　centuries；　and；　underneath；

the　Pharaonic　hypogea。　In　the　twilight；　all　these　ruins　of　the　dead；

all　the　scattered　blocks　of　granite　are　mingled　in　mournful　groupings；

outlined　in　fantastic　silhouette　against　the　pale　copper　of　the　sky；

broken　arches；　tilted　domes；　and　rocks　that　rise　up　like　tall

phantoms。



Farther　on；　when　we　have　left　behind　this　region　of　tombs；　the

granites　alone　litter　the　expanse　of　sand；　granites　to　which　the　usury

of　centuries　has　given　the　form　of　huge　round　beasts。　In　places　they

have　been　thrown　one　upon　the　other　and　make　great　heaps　of　monsters。

Elsewhere　they　lie　alone　among　the　sands；　as　if　lost　in　the　midst　of

the　infinitude　of　some　dead　sea…shore。　The　rails　and　the　telegraph

poles　have　disappeared；　by　the　magic　of　twilight　everything　is　become

grand　again；　beneath　one　of　those　evening　skies　of　Egypt　which；　in

winter；　resemble　cold　cupolas　of　metal。　And　now　it　is　that　you　feel

yourself　verily　on　the　threshold　of　the　profound　desolations　of

Arabia；　from　which　no　barrier；　after　all　separates　you。　Were　it　not

for　the　lack　of　verisimilitude　in　the　carriage　that　has　brought　us

hither；　we　should　be　able　now　to　take　this　desert　quite　serio