egypt-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃We　are　quite　near；〃　the　pilot　had　told　me　before　departing　to　make

his　evening　prayer；　〃in　an　hour；　to…morrow；　we　shall　be　there。〃



And　the　gentle　night　descended　upon　us　in　this　spot　which　did　not　seem

to　differ　at　all　from　so　any　others　where；　for　a　month　past　now；　we

had　moored　our　boat　at　hazard　to　await　the　daybreak。　On　the　banks　were

dark　confused　masses　of　foliage；　above　which　here　and　there　a　high

date…palm　outlined　its　black　plumes。　The　air　was　filled　with　the

multitudinous　chirpings　of　the　crickets　of　Upper　Egypt；　which　make

their　music　here　almost　throughout　the　year　in　the　odorous　warmth　of

the　grass。　And；　presently；　in　the　midst　of　the　silence；　rose　the　cries

of　the　night　birds；　like　the　mournful　mewings　of　cats。　And　that　was

allsave　for　the　infinite　calm　of　the　desert　that　is　always　present；

dominating　everything；　although　scarcely　noticed　and；　as　it　were；

latent。



*****



And　this　morning；　at　the　rising　of　the　sun；　is　pure　and　splendid　as

all　other　mornings。　A　tint　of　rosy　coral　comes　gradually　to　life　on

the　summit　of　the　Libyan　mountains；　standing　out　from　the　gridelin

shadows　which；　in　the　heavens；　were　the　rearguard　of　the　night。



But　my　eyes；　grown　accustomed　during　the　last　few　weeks　to　this

glorious　spectacle　of　the　dawn；　turn　themselves；　as　if　by　force　of

some　attraction；　towards　a　strange　and　quite　unusual　thing；　which；

less　than　a　mile　away　along　the　river；　on　the　Arabian　bank；　rises

upright　in　the　midst　of　the　mournful　plains。　At　first　it　looks　like　a

mass　of　towering　rocks；　which　in　this　hour　of　twilight　magic　have

taken　on　a　pale　violet　colour；　and　seem　almost　transparent。　And　the

sun；　scarcely　emerged　from　the　desert；　lights　them　in　a　curious

gradation；　and　orders　their　contours　with　a　fringe　of　fresh　rose…

colour。　And　they　are　not　rocks；　in　fact；　for　as　we　look　more　closely；

they　show　us　lines　symmetrical　and　straight。　Not　rocks；　but

architectural　masses；　tremendous　and　superhuman；　placed　there　in

attitudes　of　quasi…eternal　stability。　And　out　of　them　rise　the　points

of　two　obelisks；　sharp　as　the　blade　of　a　lance。　And　then；　at　once；　I

understandThebes！



Thebes！　Last　evening　it　was　hidden　in　the　shadow　and　I　did　not　know　it

was　so　near。　But　Thebes　assuredly　it　is；　for　nothing　else　in　the　world

could　produce　such　an　apparition。　And　I　salute　with　a　kind　of　shudder

of　respect　this　unique　and　sovereign　ruin；　which　had　haunted　me　for

many　years；　but　which　until　now　life　had　not　left　me　time　to　visit。



And　now　for　Luxor；　which　in　the　epoch　of　the　Pharaohs　was　a　suburb　of

the　royal　town；　and　is　still　its　port。　It　is　there；　it　seems；　where　we

must　stop　our　dahabiya　in　order　to　proceed　to　the　fabulous　palace

which　the　rising　sun　has　just　disclosed　to　us。



And　while　my　equipage　of　bronzeintoning　that　song；　as　old　as　Egypt

and　everlastingly　the　same；　which　seems　to　help　the　men　in　their

arduous　workis　busy　unfastening　the　chain　which　binds　us　to　the

bank；　I　continue　to　watch　the　distant　apparition。　It　emerges　gradually

from　the　light　morning　mists　which；　perhaps；　made　it　seem　even　larger

than　it　is。　The　clear　light　of　the　ascending　sun　shows　it　now　in

detail；　and　reveals　it　as　all　battered；　broken　and　ruinous　in　the

midst　of　a　silent　plain；　on　the　yellow　carpet　of　the　desert。　And　how

this　sun；　rising　in　its　clear　splendour；　seems　to　crush　it　with　its

youth　and　stupendous　duration。　This　same　sun　had　attained　to　its

present　round　form；　had　acquired　the　clear　precision　of　its　disc；　and

begun　its　daily　promenade　over　the　country　of　the　sands；　countless

centuries　of　centuries；　before　it　saw；　as　it　might　be　yesterday；　this

town　of　Thebes　arise；　an　attempt　at　magnificence　which　seemed　to

promise　for　the　human　pygmies　a　sufficiently　interesting　future；　but

which；　in　the　event；　we　have　not　been　able　even　to　equal。　And　it

proved；　too；　a　thing　quite　puny　and　derisory；　since　here　it　is　laid

low；　after　having　subsisted　barely　four　negligible　thousands　of　years。



*****



An　hour　later　we　arrive　at　Luxor；　and　what　a　surprise　awaits　us　there！



The　thing　which　dominates　the　whole　town；　and　may　be　seen　five　or　six

miles　away；　is　the　Winter　Palace；　a　hasty　modern　production　which　has

grown　on　the　border　of　the　Nile　during　the　past　year：　a　colossal

hotel；　obviously　sham；　made　of　plaster　and　mud；　on　a　framework　of

iron。　Twice　or　three　times　as　high　as　the　admirable　Pharaonic　Temple；

its　impudent　facade　rises　there；　painted　a　dirty　yellow。　One　such

thing；　it　will　readily　be　understood；　is　sufficient　to　disfigure

pitiably　the　whole　of　the　surroundings。　The　old　Arab　town；　with　its

little　white　houses；　its　minarets　and　its　palm…trees；　might　as　well

not　exist。　The　famous　temple　and　the　forest　of　heavy　Osiridean　columns

admire　themselves　in　vain　in　the　waters　of　the　river。　It　is　the　end　of

Luxor。



And　what　a　crowd　of　people　is　here！　While；　on　the　contrary；　the

opposite　bank　seems　so　absolutely　desertlike；　with　its　stretches　of

golden　sand　and；　on　the　horizon；　its　mountains　of　the　colour　of

glowing　embers；　which；　as　we　know；　are　full　of　mummies。



Poor　Luxor！　Along　the　banks　is　a　row　of　tourist　boats；　a　sort　of　two

or　three　storeyed　barracks；　which　nowadays　infest　the　Nile　from　Cairo

to　the　Cataracts。　Their　whistlings　and　the　vibration　of　their　dynamos

make　an　intolerable　noise。　How　shall　I　find　a　quiet　place　for　my

dahabiya；　where　the　functionaries　of　Messrs。　Cook　will　not　come　to

disturb　me？



We　can　now　see　nothing　of　the　palaces　of　Thebes；　whither　I　am　to

repair　in　the　evening。　We　are　farther　from　them　than　we　were　last

night。　The　apparition　during　our　morning's　journey　had　slowly　receded

in　the　plains　flooded　by　sunlight。　And　then　the　Winter　Palace　and　the

new　boats　shut　out　the　view。



But　this　modern　quay　of　Luxor；　where　I　disembark　at　ten　o'clock　in　the

morning　in　clear　and　radiant　sunshine；　is　not　without　its　amusing

side。



In　a　line　with　the　Winter　Palace　a　number　of　stalls　follow　one

another。　All　those　things　with　which　our　tourists　are　wont　to　array

themselves　are　on　sale　there：　fans；　fly　flaps；　helmets　and　blue

spectacles。　And；　in　thousands；　photographs　of　the　ruins。　And　there　too

are　the　toys；　the　souvenirs　of　the　Soudan：　old　negro　knives；　panther…

skins　and　gazelle　horns。　Numbers　of　Indians　even　are　come　to　this

improvised　fair；　bringing　their　stuffs　from　Rajputana　and　Cashmere。

And；　above　all；　there　are　dealers　in　mummies；　offering　for　sale

mysteriously　shaped　coffins；　mummy…cloths；　dead　hands；　gods；　scarabaei

and　the　thousand　and　one　things　that　this　old　soil　has　yielded　for

centuries　like　an　inexhaustible　mine。



Along　the　stalls；　keeping　in　the　shade　of　the　houses　and　the　scattered

palms；　pass　representatives　of　the　plutocracy　of　the　world。　Dressed　by

the　same　costumiers；　bedecked　in　the　same　plumes；　and　with　faces

reddened　by　the　same　sun；　the　millionaire　daughters　of　Chicago

merchants　elbow　their　sisters　of　the　old　nobility。　Pressing　amongst

them　impudent　young　Bedouins　pester　the　fair　travellers　to　mount　their

saddled　donkeys。　And　as　if　they　were　charged　to　add　to　this　babel　a

note　of　beauty；　the　battalions　of　Mr。　Cook；　of　both　sexes；　and　always

in　a　hurry；　pass　by　with　long　strides。



Beyond　the　shops；　following　the　line　of　the　quay；　there　are　other

hotels。　Less　aggressive；　all　of　them；　than　the　Winter　Palace；　they

have　had　the　discretion　not　to　raise　themselves　too　high；　and　to　cover

their　fronts　with　white　chalk　in　the　Arab　fashion；　even　to　conceal

themselves　in　clusters　of　palm…trees。



And　finally　there　is　the　colossal　temple　of　Luxor；　looking　as　out　of

place　now　as　the　poor　obelisk　which　Egypt　gave　us　as　a　present；　and

which　stands　to…day　in　the　Place　de　la　Concorde。



Bordering　the　Nile；　it　is　a　colossal　grove　of　stone；　about　three

hundred　yards　in　length。　In　epochs　of　a　magnificence　that　is　now

scarcely　conceivable　this　forest　of　columns　grew　high　and　thick；

rising　impetuously　at　the　bidding　of　Am