He presumably received every civility during his stay with them, ‘particularly from the superior of St. Macarius; and I have reason to believe that the other Monasteries are equally hospitable. The room allotted to a stranger at Dayr Suriani is large and well lighted; but I recommend him to remove the mats before he takes up his abode there, otherwise he is not likely to pass a comfortable night, under the assaults of some hundreds of bugs; and he will run a risk of carrying away many score in his baggage, which may continue to torment him’ — though I suppose the conscience did not torment those who carried away such loot in their baggage, a not so novel way in those days of financing one’s expeditions.
Wallis Budge relates that the Revd Tattam sold his manuscripts to the Trustees of the British Museum in 1838, who the same year sent him back to Egypt, ‘to obtain the manuscripts which were still there, and of these he was so fortunate as to secure about 314, which arrived at the British Museum in 1843. In 1845 M. A. Pacho went and lived with the monks for six weeks, and in the end succeeded in obtaining the remainder of the manuscripts, about 190 in number; 172 of these came to the British Museum in 1847, 10 were sold to the Trustees in 1851, and M. Pacho kept back and sold several to the Imperial Public Library in St. Petersburg in 1852. At the present time there are no manuscripts of importance in the Natron Valley, and only those who are interested in archeology are recommended to visit it.’
Setting off down the Nile in his well-appointed boat, our traveller will be captivated by the town of Benisooef, which presents ‘the ordinary scenes common to all large towns on the Nile; among which are numerous boats tied to the shore — buffaloes standing or lying in the water — women at their usual morning and evening occupation of filling water-jars and washing clothes — dogs lying in holes they have scratched in the cool earth — and beggars importuning each newly-arrived European stranger with the odious word “bakshish.” This is followed by the equally odious “Ya Hawagee,” by which the Franks are rather contemptuously dismissed; and the absurd notion of superiority over the Christians affected by the Moslems is strikingly displayed in these as in many other instances. The “Faithful” beggar, baredly covered with scanty rags, and unclean with filth, thinks himself polluted by the contact of a Christian, whose charity he will not condescend to ask in the same terms as from a true believer.’
The people of the Nile do not have the same prejudices against dogs as those of Lower Egypt, though. ‘Some of the fancies of the Moslems respecting what is clean and unclean are amusingly ridiculous, and not the least those respecting dogs. Three of the sects consider its contact defiles; the other fears only to touch its nose, or its hair if wet; and tales about the testimony of dogs and cats against man in a future state are related with a gravity proportionate to their absurdity.’
Beyond Keneh, the author encounters the crocodile, a rather timid animal, ‘flying on the approach of man, and, generally speaking, only venturing to attack its prey on a sudden; for which reason we seldom or never hear of persons having been devoured by it, unless incautiously standing at the brink of a river, where its approach is concealed by the water, and where, by the immense power of its tail, it is enabled to throw down and overcome the strongest man; who, being carried immediately to the bottom of the river, has neither the time nor the means to resist.’
While one village abominates the crocodile, the next place may venerate it, which ‘was the cause of serious disputes with the inhabitants of Ombos, where it was particularly worshipped; and the unpardonable affront of killing and eating the god-like animal was resented by the Ombites with all the rage of a sectarian feud. No religious war was ever urged with more energetic zeal; and the conflict terminated in the disgraceful ceremony of a cannibal feast, to which (if we can believe the rather doubtful authority of Juvenal) the body of one who was killed in the affray was doomed by his triumphant adversaries.’
Thus we come to the great Gem of Thebes (or Gems, for the traveller is informed that he may spend weeks in this area with profit) and, on arriving, ‘horses and asses are readily obtained for visiting the ruins with guides, some of whom are intelligent, and well acquainted with all that travellers care most to see. Though many guides are deserving of recommendation, I am, from my own experience during many visits to Thebes, bound to speak well of the civility, honesty, and other good qualities of one of them called A’wad.’
In 1886 Luxor was still a rundown village, ‘unlit at night, and not in a prosperous condition’, according to Budge. Thomas Cook, in December of that year, inaugurated his line of steamers from Cairo, and from then on large numbers of tourists transformed the place, until it became ‘a town suitable for travellers to live in’. Cook’s improved the waterfront, encouraged local business ventures, and rebuilt die old Luxor Hotel. Trade increased, the streets and alleys were cleaned up, and ‘the natives began to build better houses for themselves, and European wares began to fill the bazaars’. A few years later, ‘Mr. Cook founded a hospital, and hundreds of sick and suffering gladly and promptly availed themselves of the medical assistance which be provided gratis.’
A minor industry grew up in the manufacture of spurious antiquities, and the traveller is warned against buying them, although ‘those who understand them and know how to make a judicious choice, not giving a high price for the bad, but paying well for objects of real value, may occasionally obtain some interesting objects. The dealers soon discover whether the purchaser understands their value; and if he is ignorant they will sell the worst to him for a high price, and false ones, rather than the best they have. Indeed a great portion of those sold by dealers are forgeries; and some are so cleverly imitated that it requires a practised eye to detect them.’
Before describing the wonders of the area Murray protests against ‘the manner in which some travellers visit its monuments, particularly the tombs of the kings, which are frequently lighted by torches. No one should be mean enough to spare a few wax candles for this purpose; and it is mere selfishness to obtain a great light by torches, with the certainty of blackening the sculptures by their smoke. A man should have some consideration for those who come after him.’
During his peregrinations the traveller is recommended to have with him ‘a small supply of eatables, and, above all, of water in goollehs. Each of these porous water-bottles may be slung with string (as on board-a-ship), to prevent the boat-men, or whoever may carry them, from holding them by the neck with their dirty hands; and moreover, they should not be allowed to touch the water, and should be made to bring their own supply if they want it.’
Perhaps the strictures against flaring torches that blot out sculptures and paintings acquires some importance when we read the account of the Great Temple at Medeenet Haboo: ‘The sculptures on the walls of these private apartments are the more interesting, as they are a singular instance of the internal decorations of an Egyptian palace. Here the king is attended by his harem, some of whom present him with flowers, or wave before him fans and flabella; and a favourite is caressed, or invited to divert his leisure hours with a game of draughts; but they are all obliged to stand in his presence, and the king alone is seated on an elegant fauteuil amidst his female attendants — a custom still prevalent in the East.’
This scene is described somewhat differently by Wallis Budge. ‘The walls of the rooms are decorated with scenes in which the king is seen surrounded by naked women, who play tambourines, and bring him fruit and flowers, and play draughts with him.’