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

168 THE FIRST CATARACT.
were demolished for the sake of their materials,
ill order to construct barracks for the black regi-
ments which jNlohammed Ali organized under
the direction of Suleiman Pasha (Colonel Seve),
after the expedition of Ishmael Pasha into
Nubia and Senaar.
We were quickly beset by a crowd of naked
Nubian children, with little fragments of an-
tiquities, Egyptian agates (for which Elephantina
is famous), necklaces such as are worn by the
women here, and those pretty baskets manufac-
tured by them out of palm leaves, for sale ; and we
made them very happy by purchasing almost all
their stock in trade.
Well !
going
In the First Cataract, Nov. 21.
up the Cataracts is no easy
business, I assure you ; indeed I wonder that it
is effected so often, and that accidents so seldom
occur ; and I can now perfectly understand why
the proprietors of Dahabiehs at Cairo stipulate
that Es-souan is to be the utmost limit to which
their boats are to proceed. We, however, were
privileged by Mr. Walne to pass the First Cata-
ract in the Swift, of course paying all the extra
expenses entailed by that operation ; and I have
already told you that Moliammed had lost no
time in settling all preliminaries with the Reis