Thesunisburning，thestarlitnightsclearandcold.Awitheringwind，whichblowsalmostwithoutceasingfromthenorth，makesyoushiverassoonasthetwilightfalls.
Onemaytravelforleagueafterleaguealongthisslimywaterandmakeheadfordaysandweeksagainstitscurrent——whichglideseverlastinglypastthedahabiya，inlittlehurryingwaves——withoutseeingthiswarm，fecundatingriver，comparedwithwhichourriversofFrancearemerenegligiblestreams，eitherdiminishorincreaseorhasten.Andontherightandleftofusaswepassareunfoldedindefinitelythetwoparallelchainsofbarrenlimestone，whichimprisonsonarrowlytheEgyptoftheharvests：onthewestthatoftheLibyandesert，whicheverymorningthefirstraysofthesuntintwitharosycoralthatnothingseemstodull;andintheeastthatofthedesertofArabia，whichneverfailsintheeveningtoretainthelightofthesettingsun，andlooksthenlikeamournfulgirdleofglowingembers.Sometimesthetwoparallelwallssheeroffandgivemoreroomtothegreenfields，tothewoodsofpalm—trees，andthelittleoases，separatedbystreaksofgoldensand.SometimestheyapproachsocloselytotheNilethathabitableEgyptisnowiderthansometwoorthreepoorfieldsofcorn，lyingrightonthewater’sedge，behindwhichthedeadstonesandthedeadsandscommenceatonce.Andsometimes，even，thedesertchainclosesinsoastooverhangtheriverwithitsreddish—whitecliffs，whichnorainevercomestofreshen，andinwhich，atdifferentheights，gapethesquareholesleadingtothehabitationsofthemummies.Thesemountains，whichinthedistancelooksobeautifulintheirrose—colour，andmake，asitwere，interminableback—clothstoallthathappensontheriverbanks，wereperforated，duringsome5000years，fortheintroductionofsarcophagiandnowtheyswarmwitholddeadbodies.
Andallthatpassesonthebanks，indeed，changesaslittleasthebackground.
Firstthereisthatgesture，suppleandsuperb，butalwaysthesame，ofthewomenintheirlongblackrobeswhocomewithoutceasingtofilltheirlong—neckedjarsandcarrythemawaybalancedontheirveiledheads.Thentheflockswhichshepherds，drapedinmourning，bringtotherivertodrink，goatsandsheepandassesallmixeduptogether.Andthenthebuffaloes，massiveandmud—coloured，whodescendcalmlytobathe.And，finally，thegreatlabourofthewatering：thetraditionalnoria，turnedbyalittlebullwithbandagedeyesand，aboveall，theshaduf，workedbymenwhosenakedbodiesstreamwiththecoldwater.
Theshadufsfollowoneanothersometimesasfarastheeyecansee.Itisstrangetowatchthemovement——confusedinthedistance——ofalltheselongrodswhichpumpthewaterwithoutceasing，andlookliketheswayingoflivingantennae.ThesamesightwastobeseenalongthisriverinthetimesoftheRamses.Butsuddenly，atsomebendoftheriver，theoldPharaonicriggingdisappears，togiveplacetoasuccessionofsteammachines，which，moreeventhanthemusclesofthefellahs，arebusyatthewater—drawing.BeforelongtheirblackishchimneyswillmakeacontinuousbordertothetamedNile.