A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

EGYPTIAN SCENERY. 139
romancing or dreaming. A low narrow strip of
cultivated land borders the river, like a gi-een
ribbon, on either side ; occasionally a mud village,
a Sheikh's tomb, a colony of pigeon-houses, a
grove of palm-trees (the Doum or Theban palm,
has here replaced the graceful date-palms of
Lower Egypt), a sakkiah, or a shadoof (both of
them contrivances for raising the water from the
river), diversifies the scene. And beyond, nought
is to be seen but the barren sands of the Libyan
desert, stretching away to the west, and those of
the desert of Suez traversed by the Mokattam
ridge of hills, bounding the prospect to the east.
I often wonder, if Tom Moore had seen them, as
I now do, whether he would ever have written
his
" Fly to the desert—% witli me !
Our Arab tents thy home shall be, &c., &c."
Heaven defend me from such a flight, even on
the back of an Arab steed, and with the tent of
Antar himself in perspective !
We reached Thebes, or rather Luxor, which is
opposite to it on the eastern bank of the Nile, in
the night ; and as before going to bed the wind
had sunk to a very gentle breeze, we gave orders
to anchor there. Somehow or other, notwith-
standing our determination not to make an un-