486 JOURNEY" TO CENTRAL A.ERICA.

CHAPTER XXXVII THE ROCK TEMPLES OF ABOU-SIMBEL.

Wadi Haifa— A Boat for. Assouan — We Embark on the Nile Again — An Egyj tian Dream— The Temples of Abou-Simbel— The Smaller .Temple— The Colossi of Eemeses II. — Vulgarity of Travellers — Entering the Great Temple — My Impressions— Character of Abou-Simbel— The Smaller Chambers — The Races of Men — Remeses and the Captive Kings — Departure.

"Wadi Halfa is an ordinary Arab village, and noted only for being the bead of navigation on tbe Nubian Nile. There were sis or seven boats in port, some of them loaded with gum and ready to start for Assouan. They were all neJclcers, or trading boats, built of heavy wood, and not to be moved down stream against a strong head-wind. I therefore engaged the ferry-boat in which I had crossed — a light, open boat, manned by two Nubian boys. The rais made a frame of sticks near the stern, and covered it with palm-mats, to serve as a cabin.

The open hold was turned into a kitchen, and taken possession of by my two men. There was barely room enough for all of us and our baggage, and a fat sheep I bought, as provision for the voyage, but as I proposed being gloriously lazy, to make up for the foregone toils, I needed no more.