TRAVELS OF THOMAS LEGH raft sufficiently large to convey forty men across the river in less than two days, the natives became insolent, and told the French general that he might come alone to Philae if he would pay 100 piastres. When, however, they saw the larger island of Bigga covered with soldiers, terror seized them, and men, women, and children all threw themselves into the river to escape by swimming ; and mothers were seen drowning their children whom they could not carry away with them, and mutilating the girls to save them from the violence of the victors. " Quand," says Denon, "j'entrai le lendemain dans I'ile, je trouvai une " petite fille de 7 a 8 ans, a laquelle une couture faite avec autant " de brutalite que de cruaute avoit ote tous les moyens de satisfaire " au plus pressant besoin, et lui causoit des convulsions horribles ; " ce ne fut qu'avec une contre-operation et un bain que je sauvai la " vie a cette malheureuse petite creature qui toit tout a fait iolie."

The stern measures adopted by the French in dealing with the natives of Philae had a most salutary effect upon them, for they lost possession of their island, and all the stores which they had plundered from the Mamluks fell into the hands of their conquerors, and they were in a far worse plight than their neighbours, whom they had despised as cowards.

When Mr. Legh arrived at Aswan, the Shekh of the town encouraged him to proceed southwards, and promised that his son should accompany him, and undertook to procure a smaller boat for him in which to make the journey, for the boat in which he had travelled from Philae was too large to pass the rapids between Aswan and Philae. The reason for the Shekh's civility was not far to seek, for he was allowed to dispose of a large quantity of salt with which Mr. Legh had loaded his boat, both for use as merchandise and ballast. The Shekh kept his word, and in due course Mr. Legh proceeded to Sayala, where he stopped to visit the local governor, and to present the letter to him which he had brought from Aswan. The governor received him kindly and gave him milk, flour, and butter, in return for which he received a present of coffee and tobacco, commodities which were, and still are, highly prized in Nubia. A little to the south of Dendur he stopped again, and he reports that the natives were peaceably ' Denon, Voyages, torn, ii., p. 8g.

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