III.

LUXOR ON THE NILE, March 20, 1895.

I will commence my sixth letter at this place. Have been one week with the prow of our boat pointing toward the source of this great river. Another week, and we shall begin to think of right about face, and follow the current down to Cairo from whence we started. We are enjoying the water, and the eleven thousand miles of water travel we shall have before we reach Springfield ought to make us pretty good sailors. Coming up the river, we have, with other things, been watching the methods of irrigation. The more ancient and crude way is a flaring vessel that will hold one or two pailfuls, with two ropes some eight feet long fastened one on each side. Two men, one at the end of each rope, will swing the vessel into the river in a way that it fills, then, throwing it upon the bank striking bottom side up, emptying the water into the sluice-ways, where it runs off into their gardens and fields. The rapidity with which these men will throw this vessel and the quantity of water that will run from one of them are surprising. This works where the bank is only some five feet high or less. Another arrangement is an old-fashioned well-sweep. This will take the water up high embankments, as the first man draws it, say eight feet, and pours it into a shallow well dug in the bank. From this the next man takes it, and so on to the top, where it is carried in trenches as before. The third and better way is two wheels, one horizontal, the other perpendicular. The latter has an endless chain running over it, long enough to go down into the water. On this chain are hanging buckets that are coming up full of water, emptying at the top into a trough, and going on down empty. The other wheel that carries this has an ox or horse or some animal attached to it, and goes round like the horse grinding mortar in a brick-yard. These machines carry up a large quantity of water, making quite a brook running away from them, which in many instances runs long distances.

[Illustration: DRAWING WATER ON THE NILE.]

I should like to have you rise early with me some morning, and see the natives on our boat wash the deck floor. First, they throw water over it. Then each man has a whisk or brush broom, laying flatwise, fastened to the under side of his right foot; and by a back and forward motion, sliding the right foot on the floor, the scrubbing is done with a vengeance. While doing this, they all sing and keep perfect time. It may not be as graceful as the dancing of our young people, but it is quite as effective. When they sing, it is, “Zallah, zallah,” etc., which means in English, My God, help me.

Yesterday we called at Neneh, a place of sixteen thousand people. It is the capital of the province, and has large manufactories of pottery, supplying nearly all Egypt with gallahs and filterers. We went into the works, and saw them make their wares. A man sits with his feet in a pit. In that pit is a horizontal wheel, two feet in diameter, with a shaft running up just out of the pit. This wheel he turns with his feet. On the top of the shaft he places the clay, and spins it up with his hand, forming any shape desired. It is spun very much like plated ware, only the men in those works have tools to form the metal and run it with greater speed.

On our return we came through their bazaar. These institutions in Egypt are a curiosity.

We also visited the temple of Denderah. This is without doubt the grandest relic or ruin in all Egypt. In its day the temple must have been grand. Many of its designs are supposed to have been taken from Solomon’s Temple. It is supposed to have been destroyed by the Mohammedans. The beautiful carving and sculpturing with coloring had most of them been hampered, pounded, and defaced as much as possible. We all decided that its glory in its day could not have been described with pen. The eye must have beheld it to realize its beauty and grandeur.

Luxor, or its ancient and Bible name Thebes or No, is spoken of in Ezekiel xxx. 14-16. It is a place full of historical interest, and we do not give it merely a passing notice, but are to remain here three days, taking excursions out to the old temples, tombs, etc. It was a great city before the days of Abraham. It became the seat of empire under the eleventh and twelfth dynasties of kings. It was a walled city, said to have contained at one time five million of people.

The alluvial plains on the banks of the Nile here seem to extend her borders right and left. Standing on our boat, looking west, our eye views a beautiful plain for miles; and in the background in a crescent form rise the mountains of sandstone, which is the commencement of the Libyan desert. Then you will get a similar picture, looking east.

Thebes flourished many years. Kings became builders of heathen temples, but the day of vengeance came at last. Ptolemy Lathyrus razed it to the ground about one hundred years B.C.; and on these great plains, where once stood the great city of the world, are now scattered only ruins.

Here in Luxor is an American mission; and many of the boys and girls are studying the English language, and read quite well. We went into a grist mill to-day, said to be one of the best. They grind the wheat with a granite stone, some three and one-half feet in diameter and about four inches thick,--that is, the upper stone,--which rests on a spindle with a small gear at the bottom. Into this is connected a large gear. The shaft of the large gear has a sweep, and to that is attached a donkey which goes round in a circle, giving the mill-stone quite a speed, and will grind nearly a bushel an hour. The owner takes the flour and sifts it by hand, and makes it into bread for sale. The wheat is plump and fine, quality of bread very good.

The obelisk that was recently set up in New York City was taken from Alexandria, where we landed on our way from Brindisi. The one erected in Paris was taken from this place. It was one of a pair. We have been looking over the remaining one and the base of the one taken away, but the one that excels them all is about two miles east of the village of Luxor. It is one piece of solid granite, one hundred and six feet high, nine feet square at the base, finely carved. Some thirty feet of the top was covered with gold, and shows the result of it to-day. This wonderful piece of work was erected by Queen Hatasu. Thus you will see that woman has outdone all the kings of the earth, and a work accomplished by her is the wonder of the world. The work on this obelisk was done in seven months and seven days.

We have been travelling over these plains about Luxor, covered with interesting relics, for the last three days; and it is wonderful what the ancient Pharaohs did, and from appearance it was for self-aggrandizement. Two miles east of Luxor stand the ruins of an immense temple. In one portion are one hundred and thirty-four pillars some fifty feet high. From this temple run several avenues, the longest extending to the river, a distance of two miles. These avenues were lined with sphinxes on each side, hundreds of them, bearing the emblem of the power of the king. Standing back of these were rows of palms and other Oriental trees.

Pharaoh had his three thousand chariots with him when he rode in state. But to-day in this region no one rides in carriages. Camels and donkeys are the modes of conveyance, excepting the sedan chair.

Farming here sticks to the fathers. They thresh the grain the old way. It is trodden out with oxen; and, to keep the old injunction good, they are not muzzled. We do not see here farm-houses as we have in New England. The people all live in villages, and go miles to do their work. You will see the Rebeccas, with their water-jars on their heads, going long distances for water. Whether these things are ever to be modernized is a hard question to answer.