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

ESNEH. 151
our compact with the sailors, of giving them a day
in order to bake their provision of bread for the
remainder of the voyage ; for it is strange, but
true, that between this place and the second
Cataract, no bread whatever is to be procured.
This morning we found our Dahabieh tied
to the bank, the wretched mud town of Esneh
overtopping us, a melancholy prospect for a
delay of four-and-twenty hours, had we not
known that the temple of Esneh was in the
background, and would afford us interesting
employment for part of the day. Although I
have applied the term wretched to Esneh, it
nevertheless enjoys the reputation of being a
place of some consideration, for the Viceroy
has a palace here which he occasionally visits,
in order to enjoy the salubrious climate ; and
there is a considerable cotton-manufactory, un-
der the direction of a Copt, which gives employ-
ment to a great number of people, and imparts
something like an air of prosperity to the town.
The bazaar also looks as if something was doing
in it, and the market is very well- stocked,
particularly with such fruit and vegetables as
the season affords ; I never saw such melons,
both water and sweet melons, as at Esneh.
But now for the temple. Do you remember