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A Thousand Miles Up the Nile
In 1873, Amelia B. Edwards, a Victorian gentlewoman, spent the winter visiting the then largely unspoiled splendors of ancient Egypt. An accurate and sympathetic observer, she brings nineteenth-century Egypt to life. A Thousand Miles up the Nile was an instant hit in 1876, and is received with equal enthusiasm by modern readers.
Fans of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody Emerson mystery series will see similarities between the two Amelias. More importantly, A Thousand Miles up the Nile provides a wealth of background information and detail that will increase your understanding and enjoyment of Peters' novels.
Fans of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody Emerson mystery series will see similarities between the two Amelias. More importantly, A Thousand Miles up the Nile provides a wealth of background information and detail that will increase your understanding and enjoyment of Peters' novels.
530 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1877
274 people are currently reading
1402 people want to read
About the author
Amelia B. Edwards
307 books68 followersAmelia Ann Blandford Edwards (1831-1892) was an English novelist, journalist, lady traveller and Egyptologist, born to an Irish mother and a father who had been a British Army officer before becoming a banker. Edwards was educated at home by her mother, showing considerable promise as a writer at a young age. She published her first poem at the age of 7, her first story at age 12. Edwards thereafter proceeded to publish a variety of poetry, stories and articles in a large number of magazines.
Edwards' first full-length novel was My Brother's Wife (1855). Her early novels were well received, but it was Barbara's History (1864), a novel of bigamy, that solidly established her reputation as a novelist. She spent considerable time and effort on their settings and backgrounds, estimating that it took her about two years to complete the researching and writing of each. This painstaking work paid off, her last novel, Lord Brackenbury (1880), emerged as a run-away success which went to 15 editions.
In the winter of 1873–1874, accompanied by several friends, Edwards toured Egypt, discovering a fascination with the land and its cultures, both ancient and modern. Journeying southwards from Cairo in a hired dahabiyeh (manned houseboat), the companions visited Philae and ultimately reached Abu Simbel where they remained for six weeks. During this last period, a member of Edwards' party, the English painter Andrew McCallum, discovered a previously-unknown sanctuary which bore her name for some time afterwards. Having once returned to the UK, Edwards proceeded to write a vivid description of her Nile voyage, publishing the resulting book in 1876 under the title of A Thousand Miles up the Nile. Enhanced with her own hand-drawn illustrations, the travelogue became an immediate bestseller.
Edwards' travels in Egypt had made her aware of the increasing threat directed towards the ancient monuments by tourism and modern development. Determined to stem these threats by the force of public awareness and scientific endeavour, Edwards became a tireless public advocate for the research and preservation of the ancient monuments and, in 1882, co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Egypt Exploration Society) with Reginald Stuart Poole, curator of the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. Edwards was to serve as joint Honorary Secretary of the Fund until her death some 14 years later.
With the aims of advancing the Fund's work, Edwards largely abandoned her other literary work to concentrate solely on Egyptology. In this field she contributed to the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, to the American supplement of that work, and to the Standard Dictionary. As part of her efforts Edwards embarked on an ambitious lecture tour of the United States in the period 1889–1890. The content of these lectures was later published under the title Pharaohs, Fellahs, and Explorer (1891).
Amelia Edwards died at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on the 15 April 1892, bequeathing her collection of Egyptian antiquities and her library to University College London, together with a sum of £2,500 to found an Edwards Chair of Egyptology. She was buried in St Mary's Church Henbury, Bristol,
Wikipedia: Amelia B. Edwards
Edwards' first full-length novel was My Brother's Wife (1855). Her early novels were well received, but it was Barbara's History (1864), a novel of bigamy, that solidly established her reputation as a novelist. She spent considerable time and effort on their settings and backgrounds, estimating that it took her about two years to complete the researching and writing of each. This painstaking work paid off, her last novel, Lord Brackenbury (1880), emerged as a run-away success which went to 15 editions.
In the winter of 1873–1874, accompanied by several friends, Edwards toured Egypt, discovering a fascination with the land and its cultures, both ancient and modern. Journeying southwards from Cairo in a hired dahabiyeh (manned houseboat), the companions visited Philae and ultimately reached Abu Simbel where they remained for six weeks. During this last period, a member of Edwards' party, the English painter Andrew McCallum, discovered a previously-unknown sanctuary which bore her name for some time afterwards. Having once returned to the UK, Edwards proceeded to write a vivid description of her Nile voyage, publishing the resulting book in 1876 under the title of A Thousand Miles up the Nile. Enhanced with her own hand-drawn illustrations, the travelogue became an immediate bestseller.
Edwards' travels in Egypt had made her aware of the increasing threat directed towards the ancient monuments by tourism and modern development. Determined to stem these threats by the force of public awareness and scientific endeavour, Edwards became a tireless public advocate for the research and preservation of the ancient monuments and, in 1882, co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Egypt Exploration Society) with Reginald Stuart Poole, curator of the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. Edwards was to serve as joint Honorary Secretary of the Fund until her death some 14 years later.
With the aims of advancing the Fund's work, Edwards largely abandoned her other literary work to concentrate solely on Egyptology. In this field she contributed to the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, to the American supplement of that work, and to the Standard Dictionary. As part of her efforts Edwards embarked on an ambitious lecture tour of the United States in the period 1889–1890. The content of these lectures was later published under the title Pharaohs, Fellahs, and Explorer (1891).
Amelia Edwards died at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on the 15 April 1892, bequeathing her collection of Egyptian antiquities and her library to University College London, together with a sum of £2,500 to found an Edwards Chair of Egyptology. She was buried in St Mary's Church Henbury, Bristol,
Wikipedia: Amelia B. Edwards
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May 17, 2013
ما اجمل ان تبحر فى النيل وترى اثار مصر القديمة
سحر و روعة النيل وجمال الصحراء
اميليا
واحدة من سيدات العصر الفيكتورى الجريئات
معلوماتها الاثرية غزيرة
تقرر ان تقوم برحلة استكشافية
على خطى شامبليون وبلزونى وبوخارت
اسلوب السرد ادبى بديع وشيق
على عكس المعتاد فى كتب التاريخ والمراجع الاثرية
الجافة
ومضات روحانية فى وصف للطبيعة تجعل الكتاب قريبا للنفس و
تثرىه
لمسة الطبيعة الخلابة
تجعلك
تبحر فى زمن اخر وبعد اخر
"
عندما يسيقظ الانسان عند شروق الشمس ليرى تلك النخلات ذات اللون الاخضر المائل للرمادى خارج النافذة وهى تحنى هامتها المثمرة فى رزانة بعضها نحو بعض فى مواجهة الفجر الملون بلون الورد
كان صباحا هادئا ودافئا وطارت الغربان ذات اللونين الرمادى والاسمر من شجرة الى اخرى او جثمت فى تامل عميق فوق الافرع العالية تنعق على مهل
"
تملا كتابها بالحياة
انت امام كتاب مختلق بكل المقاييس
فى هذا المقطع ترى نفسك امام نسيج حى لانماط البشر
قد يكون مشهد افتتاحى لرواية او قصة او مسرحية
تتامل الشخصيات بعمق وكانك مسحور
"
رايت سيدة محجبة تتمشى على سطح الشرفة وسط سحابة من الحمائم ولا يوجد شىء ابسط من ذلك المنظر وملحقلته وفى نفس الوقت اكثر تعبيرا عن الروح الشرقية والغرابة والخيال
ان كل واجهة محل وكل زاوية وكل شارع وكل فريق من الناس الذين يرتدون العمامة يمثل صورة حية ان التركى العجوز الذى يقيم كسك الفطائر الخاص به فى تجويف مدخل منحوت والولد الذى يقود حماره ذا السرج المزركش فى انتظار الزبائن والشحاذ النائم على سلالم المسجد والمراة التى تملا جرتها من السبيل العمومى انهم يبدون كما لو كانوا قد استعدوا لكى يقوم رسام برسم صور لهم
"
"
ان الزحام لايتوقف عن حركة المد والجزر فى شكل موج صاخب ومتغير ومضطرب ومتعدد الالوان نصفه من الاوربيين ونصفه الاخر من الشرقيين مشاه على الاقدام او متطيين ظهور الخيل او فى الحناطير وتجد هنا التراجمة السوريين فى سواريلهم الفضفاضة وصدرياتهم المزينة بالقصب والفلاخين المصريين حفاة الاقدام مرتدين جلاليب رثة زرقاء و طواقى من اللباد واليونانيين الذين يرتدون نقبا بيضاء مشدودة والايرانيين فى طواقيو العالية مثل تاج الاسقف والمنسوجة من القماش الداكن والبدو ذوى البشرة السمراء فلا عبائتهم الفضفاضة ونعالهم ذات الشرائط البنية اللون والشيلان التى من نفس القماش والانجليز فى قبعات من خوصوبناطيلهم القصيرة نساء وطنيات يرتدين البرقع والعباءات الطويلة ذات اللون الازرق الداكن الاحباش ذوى اللون الاسود الداكن القساوسة الارمن الذين يشبهون الاطباء فى عبائتهم السوداء الطويلة وقباعتهم المربعة المرتفعة والشخصيات المهيبة للعرب الجزائريين وهم يرتدون الملابس البيضاء وعساكر الانكشارية الذين يركبون الخيول بسيوفهم ذات الصليل وبذلاتهم المزركشة بالذهب والتجار والشحاذين والجنود والبحارة والعمال فى جميع نشكيلات الازياء
ويمر السقا منجنيا تحت خمل قربته المصنوعة من جلد الماعز
ويمر وجيه مصرى متفرنج يرتدى الملابس الاوربية والطربوش التركى فى مركبة يجرها حصانان ويقودها سائس انجليزى
يمر شيخ ريفى وقور قى ملابس سوداء راكبا خصانا عربيا وجيها
يمر بائع الليمونادة حاملا جرته المعدنية باحدى يديه ودورقه واكوابه النحاسية باليد الاخرى
يمر بائع شباشب متجول حاملا حزمة من النعال المغربية الخمراء والصفراء وهى تتارجح من طرف عمود طويل
وهنا نشاهد لاول وهلة وزيرا يرتدى قفطانا بديعا من الساتان الابيض والعنبرى
"
تسير مع الكاتبة قى منعطف ضيق فتجد نفسك فى مستعمرة السروجية وتسير فى حارةة محاطا بواجهات الدكاكين
المعلق حولها الطرابيش دكاكين لبيع الاقمشة الحريرية المشغولة بخيوط الذهب والفضة نوعيات قديمة من الاسلحة اشغال الابرة سجاجيد الصلاة
الواردة من تونس الرمادى والازرق الغامق ذات اللون الرمادى او الجزائرية دات اللون الاحمر والاخضر او الواردة من ازمير
او الفارسية تجد دواليب مصنوعة من خشب الابنوس ومطعمة بالؤلؤ وبعد دورة او اثنتين تجد نفسك فى سوق النعال صنادل صغيرة قرمزية او نعال قطيفة مشغولة بخيوط الذهب والخرز وحبات اللؤلؤ
وهناك اسواق خاصة مثل سوق الحلويات وسوق الدخان واسواق النحاس وسوق المصنوعات الاندلسية حيث تباع البرانس ومصنوعات البربر
مسجد السلطان حسن و جاذبيته الشامخة التى لا يمكن وصفها
تاثرها بمشاهدة المسلمين اثناء الصلاة استغراقهم العميق وغير المتكلف
وصف المحمل ووصف تفصيلى لموكب القافلة من ابدع الاوصاف
غظمة الكسوة وشخصيات الموكب وازيائهم والمتفرجين مشاة عسكريين مصريين الحجاج والدراويش فرقة الفرسان والضباط الاتراك الفرقة الموسيقية العسكرية وفرحة الجماهير
ثم يتبع ذلك زيارة الكاتبة لمقر الدراويش وتشاهد الاحتفال
ثم زيارة لحدائق الخديوى ووصف لجميع الازهار والاشجار ونافورة ايطالية من طراز الركوكو
وصف للذهبية الت استقلتها الكاتبة برفقة اصدقائها
ووصف لجميع افراد الطاقم القبطان والبحارة الترجمان والطباخين والجرسونات
"ان صخور الصحراء الغربية تشبه الذهب الضارب الى الحمرة والالوان الشاحبة للمنحدرا ت الرملية والصفرة الدافئة للاهرام القريبة
الجو العام رقيق مع الامتداد الالنهائى لهذه السماء تتجه بلونها الازرق المشتعل نحو الذروة والظلال البراقة ذات اللونين الازرق الشاحب والبنفسجى واللون الرمادى الذلى يميل ال الخضرة
كل ذلك جميل بصورة لا يمكن وصفها
السهل الذى يشبه البحيرة مغ غابات النخيل وحقول القمح"
لا يشعر الانسان بالتعب اثناء تجواله فى هذه الحارات
اما بخصوص التجار فان ادبهم وصبرهم ليس له حدود
الجزء الاكبر من الكتاب مخصص للحديث عن اثار مصر القديمة
يكتشف احد افراد جماعتها فى ابى سنمبل مقبرة غير معروفة تمكنت من اقناع احد افراد طاقم مركبها بتنظيف احد تماثيل رمسيس الثانى
بيئة وحياة الفلاح المصرى تتطابق وحياة ذلك العامل المصرى القديم الذى نعرفه من خلال الجداريات فى المقابر الفرعونية
كانت الكوسة المحشوة باللحم المفروم هى الطبق المفضل فى عصر العظماء
مازال الاطفال الصغار فى النوبة يلبسون الطاقية المقفلة الجانب التى تزين راس رمسيس فى شبابه ويمكن مشاهدة الفتيات الصغيرات فى ثياب تشبه تماما الذى كانت ترتديه الاميرات الصغيرات فلى عصر تحتمس الاول ومازال الشيخ يمشى حاملا عكازا طويلا كما ان المراة النوبية مازالت تجدل خصلات شعرها فى شكل جدائل
بعيدا عن جمال الطبيعة واجواء مصر فى القرن التاسع عشر
الكتاب محزن فيما يسوقه من تاريخ
عمليات نهب و تدمير و سرقه الاثار
حتى بشهادة الكاتبة نفسها
"تعلمنا ان ننقب بين المقابر المتربة دون احساس بتانيب الضمير اكثر من احساس عصابة مدربة من محترفى سرقة الجثث"
"
على الرغم من التصريح بانه اسلوب وحشى ولكن غالبية المسافرون لا يتمنون حظا افضل من ان يكتشفوا مقبرة و يصادرونها لانفسهم"
" لقد اشتريا المومياء والبردية معا بمبلغ ضخم ولكنهما لم يستطيعا احتمال الرائحة المنبعثة من المومياء المصرية فاغرقاها عند نهاية الاسبوع
!!!!
"
ان السياح الذين يستخدمون نهر النيل لديهم رغبة متزايدة فى حيازة المومياوات
"
وهذا هو قدر كل اثر مصرى
تستمر اعمال التخريب على قدم وساق ولا يعمل احد على وقف هذا النزيف او عدم التشجيع على المضى فيه
لا يخلو الكتاب من كثر من التعبيرات العنصرية
فى الحديث عن ذووى البشرة السوداء بانهم كالقرود
وعدم احترامها للبؤس الانسانى
"طفل قبيح الشكل ملتهب العينين-المواطنون فى حقيقة الامر مجرد متوحشين بدائيين-سحنات متوحشة- ومتخلفين والحديث هنا عن الصعيد عامة
اهالى النوبة بصفة خاصة هم من لم تنصفهم اطلاقا
قصة اوردتها الكاتب تعيد للزذهن حادثة مثل دنشواى
"
قد سعدنا بهذا الصوت وقلنا فى انفسنا ان كل طلقة نسمعها تعنى احد طيور السمان وتهيا لنا ان احدى الطلقات اصابت طفل
"
تلقى الرجل الانجليزى ضربة خجر فى ظهره ردا على اصابة الطفل المصرى
فماذا حدث
رد فعل الكاتبة
دعونا اهالى القرية الى تقديم بيان بحالة العدوان الجبان
قدمت له احدى ثمار التين فاخذ ياكلها مثل قرد
الطلقة فقط لامست كتفه فى اربع او خمس مواضع
اقتيد خمسة عشر قرويا الى السجن
الحاكم:ما الذى تريده سيادتك فى عمله بالنسبة لهم
الانجليزى:كيف يتم الاتفاق على منطوق الحكم قبل المحاكمة
الحاكم:هذه هى المحاكمة
تقرر مجازاة الاربعة عشرة رجلا الابرياء بشهر سجن لكل منهم
اما الجانى ملقى الحجر فيسجن شهرين ويجلد مائة وخمسين جلدة
القالقى به على ظهره وبدا الشرطيان فى تنفيذ الحكم وهو يصرخ يحيا الحاكم يحيا الخواجة
تبادل الخاكم والانجليزى التمنيات الحارة وذكر الحاكم ان رغبته الوحيدة ان يكون مقبولا لدى الانجليز وانه سيقوم بجلد القرية كلها لو رغب سعادته
وصف لعشاء داخل القنصلية
بدعوة من مصطفى اغا
"
ان ذلك العشاء كان احسن عشاء تناولته خارج اوربا كانت جميع الاصناف ساخنة واخذ السفرجية يقدمزنها بسرعة وهم يرتدون ملابس تثير الاعجاب
الاصناف
شوربة توركية بيضاء-سمك مقلى-حمام مسلوق-سبانخ وارز-ضلمة مشوية-كباب من لحم الضان- كبة من كلاوى الضان-ارز بالطماطم-كفتة-ديك رومى بصلصة الخيار-ارز مفلفل بالزبدة- وقدمت الحلوى فكانت مشمس محفوظ وكنافة وارز بلبن وجيلى باللوز
حفلة موسيقية واستعراضات راقصة
وعازف الربابة الذى ليس هناك مثيل لعزفه
يشطح الخيال بالكاتبة كثيرا سواء فى الاستنتاجات العلمية
او فى تحليل ظواهر طبيعية غير مفهومة
معلومة اوردها المترجم مصححا للكاتبة
اللغة القبطية
هى اللغة المصرية القديمة
وهى مكتوبة بالحروف اليونانية بدلا من الهيروغليفية
فى عصر القديس كليمنت السكندرى بطل استخدام الكتابة الهيروغليفية ولم يضع سر قراءة الهيروغليقىة
الابجدية القبطية هى الابجدية اليونانية
تمت استعارة ثمانية حروف من اللغة الديموطيقية لنقل جميع اصوات اللسان المصرى وذلك لاستكمال النقص
لا استطيع ان اجمل كل ما ورد فى هذا الكتاب
ولكنى ارشحه لمحبى علم المصريات
برغم من ماخذى عليه
هو كتاب هام وملهم
لكل
من يريد ان يغوص فى تاريخ مصر فى القرن التاسع عشر
تسجيل لكل ما راته اميليا من المقابر والحفريات
كثير من الاساطير والمعابد والالهة المصرية
ممرات سرية وسراديب وخراطيش تلال عظيمة تنتظر من يكتشفها
اثار محطمة ومندثرة
ويبقى هذا الكتاب اثر انها وجدت ذا�� يوم
February 1, 2023
Amelia fue una mujer victoriana culta, curiosa, avanzada a su época y que gracias a la fascinación que sintió por Egipto y tras el éxito de este libro que escribió sobre su viaje llegó a fundar la Egypt Exploration Society y creó la primera cátedra de egiptología en el University Collage de Londres.
Con una gran sensibilidad, un sentido del humor muy victoriano, una mirada crítica, un ojo exhaustivo, un gran talento para el dibujo y una admiración sin límites Amelia nos va a ir describiendo su viaje por el Nilo en cuanto a los monumentos que visita, las ciudades, la tripulación que les acompaña y las gentes y costumbres de cada lugar que visitan.
Para leerlo poco a poco y tomarselo con calma, porque es tan completo en descripciones que puede hacerse pesado. Tiene muchísimas ilustraciones preciosas de la autora que enriquecen muchísimo la narración. Además cuenta con notas de la traductora Rosa Pujol actualizando datos o informaciones. Si encima complementas las lectura con fotos, vídeos, documentales o visitas online a los monumentos nombrados ya es un viaje de diez.
(4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ¡me ha encantado viajar con estas señoras victorianas a Egipto!
Con una gran sensibilidad, un sentido del humor muy victoriano, una mirada crítica, un ojo exhaustivo, un gran talento para el dibujo y una admiración sin límites Amelia nos va a ir describiendo su viaje por el Nilo en cuanto a los monumentos que visita, las ciudades, la tripulación que les acompaña y las gentes y costumbres de cada lugar que visitan.
Para leerlo poco a poco y tomarselo con calma, porque es tan completo en descripciones que puede hacerse pesado. Tiene muchísimas ilustraciones preciosas de la autora que enriquecen muchísimo la narración. Además cuenta con notas de la traductora Rosa Pujol actualizando datos o informaciones. Si encima complementas las lectura con fotos, vídeos, documentales o visitas online a los monumentos nombrados ya es un viaje de diez.
(4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ¡me ha encantado viajar con estas señoras victorianas a Egipto!
September 22, 2023
This is a book that I have encountered in quotations and excerpts over the years and always intended to read; now I have. Edwards was an influential figure in nineteenth-century British Egyptology and A Thousand Miles Up the Nile is probably the best known British travel book on Egypt. She wrote less than fifty years after Champollion, a decade before Gordon died at Khartoum; she was acquainted with most of the Egyptologists of her time and was a friend of Flinders Petrie.
Some GR reviewers have been offended by things in the book. Edwards was a woman of her time, a Victorian and a daughter of empire. A Thousand Miles Up the Nile reflects that; if you can't deal with it, this book is not for you.
The book has two great strengths. The first is that it describes, often in detail, the archaeological remains as they were in 1873-74; many have been subsequently damaged, destroyed, or relocated (e.g. Philae and Abu Simbel in 1968 because of the Aswan Dam). While written descriptions can become tedious, most of Edwards' are quite vivid. Even when she fails (on the hall of Seti I at Karnak), she is eloquent:
"To describe it, in the sense of building up a recognizable image by means of words, is impossible. The scale is too vast; the effect too tremendous; the sense of one's own dumbness, and littleness, and incapacity, too complete and crushing. It is a place that strikes you into silence; that empties you, as it were, not only of words but ideas."
The book's second strength is Edwards' lively narrative of life on the Nile. There is much everyday life as well as Egyptian history.
On riding a camel:
"His paces, however, are more complicated than his joints and more trying than his temper. He has four: a short walk, like the rolling of a small boat in a chopping sea; a long walk, which dislocates every bone in your body; a trot that reduces you to imbecility; and a gallop that is sudden death. One tries in vain to imagine a crime for which the peine forte et dure of sixteen hours on camelback would not be a full and sufficient expiation. It is a punishment to which one would not willingly be the means of condemning any human being--not even a reviewer."
On a water-wheel in action:
"A creaking sakkieh is at work yonder, turned by a couple of red cows with mild Hathor-like faces. The old man who drives them sits in the middle cog of the wheel, and slowly goes around as if he was being roasted."
On tourists' acquisitiveness:
"There is, in fact, a growing passion for mummies among Nile travelers. Unfortunately, the price rises with demand; and although the mine is nearly inexhaustible, a mummy nowadays becomes not only a prohibited but a costly luxury."
These are only a few small examples. Edwards shows us a world long gone (and parts of it not missed) with inimitable style.
Some GR reviewers have been offended by things in the book. Edwards was a woman of her time, a Victorian and a daughter of empire. A Thousand Miles Up the Nile reflects that; if you can't deal with it, this book is not for you.
The book has two great strengths. The first is that it describes, often in detail, the archaeological remains as they were in 1873-74; many have been subsequently damaged, destroyed, or relocated (e.g. Philae and Abu Simbel in 1968 because of the Aswan Dam). While written descriptions can become tedious, most of Edwards' are quite vivid. Even when she fails (on the hall of Seti I at Karnak), she is eloquent:
"To describe it, in the sense of building up a recognizable image by means of words, is impossible. The scale is too vast; the effect too tremendous; the sense of one's own dumbness, and littleness, and incapacity, too complete and crushing. It is a place that strikes you into silence; that empties you, as it were, not only of words but ideas."
The book's second strength is Edwards' lively narrative of life on the Nile. There is much everyday life as well as Egyptian history.
On riding a camel:
"His paces, however, are more complicated than his joints and more trying than his temper. He has four: a short walk, like the rolling of a small boat in a chopping sea; a long walk, which dislocates every bone in your body; a trot that reduces you to imbecility; and a gallop that is sudden death. One tries in vain to imagine a crime for which the peine forte et dure of sixteen hours on camelback would not be a full and sufficient expiation. It is a punishment to which one would not willingly be the means of condemning any human being--not even a reviewer."
On a water-wheel in action:
"A creaking sakkieh is at work yonder, turned by a couple of red cows with mild Hathor-like faces. The old man who drives them sits in the middle cog of the wheel, and slowly goes around as if he was being roasted."
On tourists' acquisitiveness:
"There is, in fact, a growing passion for mummies among Nile travelers. Unfortunately, the price rises with demand; and although the mine is nearly inexhaustible, a mummy nowadays becomes not only a prohibited but a costly luxury."
These are only a few small examples. Edwards shows us a world long gone (and parts of it not missed) with inimitable style.
October 24, 2014
A Victorian travel classic. Modern author Elizabeth Peters based her intrepid character Amelia Peabody on this real-life Victorian explorer/Egyptologist.
January 7, 2022
This is the best book that i have read on travel exploring (Ancient Egypt). True life pleasure in its wonders and grandeur.
April 30, 2014
A really fun travel book; that is, fun to read while travelling, even if one is not sailing up the Nile. I find it harder to complain about modern travel, for one thing.
One commenter called the book "slow". What, exactly, would you expect? It's a travel journal, after all: no plot, character development, conflict, climax, final reveal, et cetera.
There is, however, writing like this:
Now, although the most delightful occupation in life is undoubtedly sketching, it must be admitted that the sketcher at Abu Simbel works under difficulties…
Lastly, there are the minor inconveniences of sun, sand, wind, and flies. The whole place radiates heat, and seems almost to radiate light. The glare from above and the glare from below are alike intolerable. Dazzled, blinded, unable to even look at his subject without the aid of smoke-coloured glasses, the sketcher whose tent is pitched upon the sand slope over against the great temple enjoys a foretaste of cremation.
When the wind blows from the north…, the heat is perhaps less distressing, but the sand is maddening. It fills your hair, your eyes, your water-bottles; silts up your colour-box; dries into your skies; and reduces your Chinese white to a gritty paste the colour of salad-dressing. As for the flies, they have a morbid appetite for water-colours. They follow your wet brush along the paper, leave their legs in the yellow ocher, and plunge with avidity into every little pool of cobalt as it is mixed ready for use. Nothing disagrees with them; nothing poisons them — not even olive-green.
One commenter called the book "slow". What, exactly, would you expect? It's a travel journal, after all: no plot, character development, conflict, climax, final reveal, et cetera.
There is, however, writing like this:
Now, although the most delightful occupation in life is undoubtedly sketching, it must be admitted that the sketcher at Abu Simbel works under difficulties…
Lastly, there are the minor inconveniences of sun, sand, wind, and flies. The whole place radiates heat, and seems almost to radiate light. The glare from above and the glare from below are alike intolerable. Dazzled, blinded, unable to even look at his subject without the aid of smoke-coloured glasses, the sketcher whose tent is pitched upon the sand slope over against the great temple enjoys a foretaste of cremation.
When the wind blows from the north…, the heat is perhaps less distressing, but the sand is maddening. It fills your hair, your eyes, your water-bottles; silts up your colour-box; dries into your skies; and reduces your Chinese white to a gritty paste the colour of salad-dressing. As for the flies, they have a morbid appetite for water-colours. They follow your wet brush along the paper, leave their legs in the yellow ocher, and plunge with avidity into every little pool of cobalt as it is mixed ready for use. Nothing disagrees with them; nothing poisons them — not even olive-green.
April 29, 2018
One of the best ways to get a feel for not just the Victorian behavior abroad but also what Egypt was like during the 1870s and the style of writing during this time. A must read for writers of historical fiction.
January 29, 2015
Are these people sociopaths?
Seriously, the way these people behave toward the Arabs is just amazing...the bit where the baby is almost shot demonstrates just extraordinary lack of empathy.
A great book about Victorian tourists in Egypt. Their cluelessness is shocking.
Seriously, the way these people behave toward the Arabs is just amazing...the bit where the baby is almost shot demonstrates just extraordinary lack of empathy.
A great book about Victorian tourists in Egypt. Their cluelessness is shocking.
June 4, 2020
"Mil millas Nilo arriba" es un libro de viajes, de aventuras, de amor a Egipto. Con su lectura he viajado con la autora al país que algún día me gustaría visitar. Además, el hecho de que el viaje se realizara en 1873, le añade una pizca de romanticismo y a la vez de intriga al ir recorriendo el Nilo y conociendo gentes y aldeas que admiraban a su vez a los intrépidos viajeros. La autora nos va narrando el viaje y sus sensaciones, su fascinación por todo lo que está viendo, los lugares que visitan, las anécdotas con los marineros que les llevan en la embarcación en la que recorren el Nilo y con los habitantes de los pueblos que van encontrando en su recorrido. Casi un siglo y medio después de este viaje, se han descubierto en Egipto muchas cosas que nos han hecho sentir admiración, por lo menos a mí, que me encanta la historia del Egipto antiguo. Pero la lectura de este libro tiene un encanto especial por lo que supone de aventura de una mujer valiente y decidida, que nos ha dejado un recuerdo imborrable de este viaje maravilloso. El libro, además, está ilustrado con dibujos de la autora, que dedicaba las distintas visitas a plasmar las maravillas que veía. Me ha encantado su lectura.
December 17, 2020
Part of my reason for reading this book was as background for the Amelia Peabody series. It served that purpose very well and was a wonderful travel book on its own. I was amazed by how much freedom tourists were 'allowed' in the ruins. They conducted their own digs and once tried to restore lost color using coffee. No wonder Emerson hated them! Life on the dahabeeyah sounds just as wonder as Elizabeth Peters portrayed.
March 20, 2024
En 1873, la autora viajó a Egipto junto con una amiga, buscaban un clima más cálido que el que estaban padeciendo en su largo viaje por Europa. Amelia quedó fascinada por Egipto, su historia y su cultura y eso la llevó a fundar la Egypt Exploration Fund para patrocinar estudios y excavaciones en Egipto.
Este libro es un diario de este viaje en el que la autora plasma, de forma amena, su gran aventura por Egipto.
Un libro de viajes que se lee como una novela llena de magia y aventuras.
Prosa ágil y fluida, incluso divertida en muchos momentos, no porque la autora lo pretenda, pero su manera de ver a los habitantes del país y a sus propios compatriotas hace sonreír en muchas ocasiones.
Muy crítica con todo lo que vio, con el trato dado a esas joyas arquitectónicas y plasma su preocupación por el futuro de la cultura egipcia.
Detallista en las descripciones, la arqueología y la historia son puntos esenciales para la autora.
Trasmite a la perfección sus sensaciones y más que leer, viajas con ella. Se va apreciando como poco a poco aumenta su fascinación por la cultura egipcia.
Una edición de muy buena calidad y plagada de reproducciones de los dibujos originales que la autora fue haciendo durante su viaje.
Me ha resultado curioso que Amelia, preserva la identidad de casi todos los compatriotas o otros viajeros extranjeros con los que se va cruzando, incluso a la amiga que viaja con ella la nombra como L.
Una joya literaria para todos los que amamos la cultura del Antiguo Egipto, me ha encantado.
Este libro es un diario de este viaje en el que la autora plasma, de forma amena, su gran aventura por Egipto.
Un libro de viajes que se lee como una novela llena de magia y aventuras.
Prosa ágil y fluida, incluso divertida en muchos momentos, no porque la autora lo pretenda, pero su manera de ver a los habitantes del país y a sus propios compatriotas hace sonreír en muchas ocasiones.
Muy crítica con todo lo que vio, con el trato dado a esas joyas arquitectónicas y plasma su preocupación por el futuro de la cultura egipcia.
Detallista en las descripciones, la arqueología y la historia son puntos esenciales para la autora.
Trasmite a la perfección sus sensaciones y más que leer, viajas con ella. Se va apreciando como poco a poco aumenta su fascinación por la cultura egipcia.
Una edición de muy buena calidad y plagada de reproducciones de los dibujos originales que la autora fue haciendo durante su viaje.
Me ha resultado curioso que Amelia, preserva la identidad de casi todos los compatriotas o otros viajeros extranjeros con los que se va cruzando, incluso a la amiga que viaja con ella la nombra como L.
Una joya literaria para todos los que amamos la cultura del Antiguo Egipto, me ha encantado.
October 18, 2023
I have encountered another tome - 732 pages. My last was about Vidkun Quisling, Norway's traitor of WWII - 931 pages. I must make some early comments before I forget. This book was first published in 1877 and is now reprinted by the Cambridge University Press. Amelia Edwards and a female companion whom she never names leave a tour of Europe because of bad weather and by chance go to Egypt. There is nothing in Ms. Edwards's background that would lead her to be an expert on Egypt, though the country made a profound impression upon her and she later became an "Egyptologist". I believe she is a keen observer because of her art, but there was a 3-year delay between the trip in 1873-74 and publication. I believe she was continuing her studies to accurately portray the wonders she had seen. I must constantly keep in mind that this is literally the Victorian era and Britain is the world's largest colonial power. With that in mind, though the language is exquisite, it is also very racist. The white travelers with money stay at Shepheard's Hotel. Just some of her comments: All the black-skinned people look alike.... Jew bankers in unexceptionable phaetons... the sailors on the dahabiya are as simple and trusting as children... they lay about the lower deck like dogs... fancy a bare-legged Arab making cigarettes... the whole building seems to have been put together in a barbarous way, and would appear to owe its present state of dilapidation more to bad workmanship than time, the colouring, however is purely decorative and being laid on in single tints, with no attempt at gradation or shading, conceals rather than enhances the beauty of the sculptures, ( Ms. Edwards was looking at statues that were thousands of years old - it was amazing that any vivid colors remained at all!! ), Ms. Edwards encounters children who are blind in at least one eye - her response: "Not being a particularly well-favoured race, this defect added the last touch of repulsiveness to faces already sullen, ignorant, and unfriendly. A more unprepossessing population I would never wish to see - the men half stealth, half insolent; the women bold and fierce; the children filthy, sickly, stunted, and stolid. Nothing in provincial Egypt is so painful to witness as the neglected condition of very young children.... Yet so it is; and the time when these people can be brought to comprehend the most elementary principles of sanitary reform is yet far distant. For my own part, I had not been many weeks on the Nile before I began systematically to avoid going about the native towns whenever it was practicable to do so. " (I do not have words to address this ignorance of these observers are wealthy enough to hire a boat to travel the Nile for months ), in Asyoot "its inhabitants, who, instead of being sullen, thievish, and unfriendly, are too familiar to be pleasant, and the most unappeasable beggars out of Ireland." ( At least she is a multi-cultural racist, she hates the Irish as well...., Egypt must have water. It is a duty that cannot be performed without the willing or "unwilling" co-operation of several thousand workmen." Slavery is OK. I believe the Captain of the dahabeah got a little revenge as the boat approached Luxor and the travelers were clamoring for a glimpse of the city. " Luxor - haroof - all right!!" Haroof means sheep in English, so the author speaks of the sheep they will see. I don't think the sheep in discussion had 4 legs, but were instead the ignorant tourists on board his ship. .... Not exactly the open-minded approach of an objective Egyptologist... We shall see how the visit passes...... After reading more I found that Ms. Edwards references at least 4 books written by preeminent Egyptologists. She had these books with her and referred to them constantly. Unfortunately, at least one of these experts is French and the citations are also thus. I read this book because of its reference in "Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson. This was a 5 star book for me and I cannot recommend it more highly. I have not felt so ignorant in decades, but it was such a pleasure to learn and learn on each successive page. Christiane Desroches - Noblecourt working with UNESCO and world governments managed to save many great monuments that were about to be permanently under water due to the construction of the second Aswan Dam. One of the reasons that Dr. Desroches - Noblecourt was so successful as an Egyptologist was that she treated all the Egyptians and other nationals with whom she worked with great respect - a fact that was still uncommon almost 100 years after the tour of Ms. Edwards. One event struck me profoundly by its occurrence for both authors. Both women speak of looking at the faces of Abu Simbel at sunrise and seeing a "flash" where the visages seem to be animated. Christianne saved Abu Simbel!!! Despite the racist comments, the writing of Ms. Edward is exquisite!!!!! Alas 21st century writing has lost much beauty of language. Because she is literally drawing the monuments she sees ( there are almost 100 full page lithographs and maps plus many small drawings ) Ms. Edwards does not simply observe, but sees the beauty of Egyptian antiquity. Sadly she draws our attention to the looting, damage, and graffiti - personal names - written upon structures by tourists. ( Some random personal experiences and comments from the book. ) In many cases monuments are almost buried in sand; this was a very different experience for Dr. Desroches - Noblecourt. King Tut's tomb was not discovered until 1922 and the Valleys of the Kings and Queens had not been as fully explored as they are currently. Ms. Edwards repeatedly draws our attention to all the great antiquities which had been "stolen" largely by European countries. This remains an issue to this day. Ms. Edwards reports that "only recently" has the Egyptian government restricted the export of historic artifacts. The effectiveness of this law was questionable to say the least. Speaking of Memphis she states: That Menes six or seven thousand years ago should have turned the course of the Nile to create a site for his new city. Amazing. When the wind is unfavorable, the sailors on the dahabeah had to tow the boat from the shore. Ms. Edwards' comment: it looked like slaves' work, and shocked our English notions disagreeably. ( Poor babies!! They could have waited until the wind returned and the slave labor was no longer needed to continue the journey. The English tourists had hired and paid for the transportation. ) Guards are supplied by local towns to protect the travelers from thieves. Interactions with Copts were very interesting - descendants of ancient Egyptians who had exchanged their gods for Christianity. The mail from Luxor to Cairo (450 miles) has 268 miles done in a modified "pony express" except it is done by boys on foot. Each runner is expected to do his 4 miles in one half hour so that the mail can reach its destination in 6 days. The skill required by the captain and crew to navigate the great cataract is amazing. Nubia - Philae and Abu Simbel. The travelers find an unopened chamber. They immediately telegraph the London Times. Interesting efforts to link Joseph, Moses and the Israelites' time in Egypt to inscriptions. On the return trip the mighty hunter accidentally shoots and wounds a child. A bystander throws a rock and hits him in the head. What is their concern, the welfare of the child and possible compensation for pain and suffering. No the Englishman files a complaint with the local governor because he was struck by the rock. The administrator intends to beat and imprison dozens of local men. The outcome is interesting............. So why read this book??? I cannot begin to detail the antiquities seen by Ms. Edwards or the history that is included in this book. If you were to choose between 1,000 Miles and The Empress of the Nile, hands down the choice should be Empress. If, however, you would enjoy the perspective of travelers along the Nile over 160 years ago and love Egyptian history, this book is an amazing trip. Kristi & Abby Tabby
July 1, 2015
Wat een verrukkelijk boek is dit. Toen reizen nog een avontuur was, toen Egyptische oudheden nog half onder het zand lagen, toen je zelf onderweg nog eens een tombe kon openen, of een waterpijpje roken met een lokale sjeik.
In 1874 reisde Amelia Edwards met de boot de Nijl af, met een klein reisgezelschap en een grote bemanning die roeide, trok, eten verzorgde en met lokale overheden onderhandelde. De eerste ontdekkingen in Egypte waren gedaan, Champollion had de hiëroglyfen ontcijferd, het eerste museum van oudheden was ingericht in Caïro (maar veel waren al naar het buitenland verscheept).
Rijke buitenlanders maakten Nijlreizen, op eigen gelegenheid of met de stoomboot van Thomas Cook.
Edwards is ontzaglijk belezen en bereisd, en ze maakt prachtige tekeningen bij haar minutieuze en sfeervolle verslagen. Smakelijk vertelt ze over de reisavonturen, gedegen doet ze verslag van alle bezienswaardigheden.
De Abu Simbel tempel (later, na de bouw van de Aswan dam naar een plek hogerop verplaatst) lag nog vlak aan de Nijl, half door zand overstroomd. De tempel van Esneh lag tot aan de kapitelen onder het zand.
Natuurlijk is Edwards een dame van haar tijd. Bij de armoede van de bevolking of de bemanning staat ze niet erg stil. Wel lijkt de positie van de iets beter gesitueerde vrouwen haar afschuwelijk, die zitten alleen maar binnen en vervelen zich dood, terwijl Edwards zelf al die schatten ziet, en onverschrokken stikdonkere graftombes betreedt, of de piramides beklimt (dat mocht toen nog gewoon).
Een leven en een reis om jaloers op te zijn. Heerlijk om zo'n levendig verslag te mogen lezen.
recensie met afbeeldingen staat hier: http://heldenreis.nl/2015/07/leunstoe...
In 1874 reisde Amelia Edwards met de boot de Nijl af, met een klein reisgezelschap en een grote bemanning die roeide, trok, eten verzorgde en met lokale overheden onderhandelde. De eerste ontdekkingen in Egypte waren gedaan, Champollion had de hiëroglyfen ontcijferd, het eerste museum van oudheden was ingericht in Caïro (maar veel waren al naar het buitenland verscheept).
Rijke buitenlanders maakten Nijlreizen, op eigen gelegenheid of met de stoomboot van Thomas Cook.
Edwards is ontzaglijk belezen en bereisd, en ze maakt prachtige tekeningen bij haar minutieuze en sfeervolle verslagen. Smakelijk vertelt ze over de reisavonturen, gedegen doet ze verslag van alle bezienswaardigheden.
De Abu Simbel tempel (later, na de bouw van de Aswan dam naar een plek hogerop verplaatst) lag nog vlak aan de Nijl, half door zand overstroomd. De tempel van Esneh lag tot aan de kapitelen onder het zand.
Natuurlijk is Edwards een dame van haar tijd. Bij de armoede van de bevolking of de bemanning staat ze niet erg stil. Wel lijkt de positie van de iets beter gesitueerde vrouwen haar afschuwelijk, die zitten alleen maar binnen en vervelen zich dood, terwijl Edwards zelf al die schatten ziet, en onverschrokken stikdonkere graftombes betreedt, of de piramides beklimt (dat mocht toen nog gewoon).
Een leven en een reis om jaloers op te zijn. Heerlijk om zo'n levendig verslag te mogen lezen.
recensie met afbeeldingen staat hier: http://heldenreis.nl/2015/07/leunstoe...
Currently reading
July 7, 2010Attempting to get my hands on a copy of this book from the public library, however I don't think it's been published since the 1890's...
In the meantime I'll be reading from here: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/wome...
Thank goodness for public domain. :)
In the meantime I'll be reading from here: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/wome...
Thank goodness for public domain. :)
September 29, 2016
Marvelous.
November 7, 2018
The reading was good and there was some interesting info about the geography of Egypt. But so much racism...
October 17, 2023
Being on vacation gives one the time to read a book that has been on my shelves for some time, but had never seemed to have the time to finish.
A Thousand Miles up the Nile, by Amelia B. Edwards, is a travel log of her excursion through Egypt and Lower Nubia by dahabeeyah in 1873-1874. This should be mandatory reading for any Egyptology student, not only for its ample descriptions of the temples along her route, but to understand the history of ‘archaeology’ in Egypt from that period. The book is written with a supremely colonial attitude and is quite racist, but is perhaps an accurate picture of how many British viewed all their colonies at the time.
As a founder of the EES it is quite shocking to hear the Writer intone, “We soon became quite hardened to such sights (finding human bones), and learned to rummage among dusty sepulchres with no more compunction than would have befitted a gang of professional body-snatchers.” (p. 51) The idea that everything in Egypt belonged to them and they had every right to take whatever they chose is prevalent throughout the text.
As an environmentalist I was also immensely disturbed by the following description – and the complete disregard for the wanton exploitation of African fauna for the pleasure of ownership by wealthy foreigners.
“I shall not soon forget an Abyssinian caravan which we met one day just coming out from Mahatta. It consisted of seventy camels laden with elephant tusks…There must have been about eight hundred and forty tusks in all…Following these, on the back of a gigantic camel, came a hunting leopard in a wooden cage, and a wild cat in a basket…Anything more picturesque that this procession, with the dust driving before it in clouds, and the children following it out of the village, it would be difficult to conceive. One longed for Gerôme to paint it on the spot.” (p. 204-205)
Despite the bad taste left in my mouth throughout various passages, I feel that the importance of the work comes from the many beautiful and exacting descriptions of the sites and the many illustrations. I highly recommend this work to all who have a passion for understanding the history of Egypt.
A Thousand Miles up the Nile, by Amelia B. Edwards, is a travel log of her excursion through Egypt and Lower Nubia by dahabeeyah in 1873-1874. This should be mandatory reading for any Egyptology student, not only for its ample descriptions of the temples along her route, but to understand the history of ‘archaeology’ in Egypt from that period. The book is written with a supremely colonial attitude and is quite racist, but is perhaps an accurate picture of how many British viewed all their colonies at the time.
As a founder of the EES it is quite shocking to hear the Writer intone, “We soon became quite hardened to such sights (finding human bones), and learned to rummage among dusty sepulchres with no more compunction than would have befitted a gang of professional body-snatchers.” (p. 51) The idea that everything in Egypt belonged to them and they had every right to take whatever they chose is prevalent throughout the text.
As an environmentalist I was also immensely disturbed by the following description – and the complete disregard for the wanton exploitation of African fauna for the pleasure of ownership by wealthy foreigners.
“I shall not soon forget an Abyssinian caravan which we met one day just coming out from Mahatta. It consisted of seventy camels laden with elephant tusks…There must have been about eight hundred and forty tusks in all…Following these, on the back of a gigantic camel, came a hunting leopard in a wooden cage, and a wild cat in a basket…Anything more picturesque that this procession, with the dust driving before it in clouds, and the children following it out of the village, it would be difficult to conceive. One longed for Gerôme to paint it on the spot.” (p. 204-205)
Despite the bad taste left in my mouth throughout various passages, I feel that the importance of the work comes from the many beautiful and exacting descriptions of the sites and the many illustrations. I highly recommend this work to all who have a passion for understanding the history of Egypt.
February 12, 2023
This book is a classic travelogue written by Amelia B. Edwards, a British writer and Egyptologist. The book is a record of Edwards' journey along the Nile River in Egypt and the Sudan. It provides a vivid and detailed account of the people, places, and cultures she encountered along the way.
One of the key features of the book is Edwards' insightful and often humorous observations about the various aspects of life along the Nile, from the customs and beliefs of the local people to the landscape and architecture of the ancient ruins she visited. The author also provides a wealth of information on the history and archaeology of ancient Egypt, and her descriptions of the monuments and artifacts she encountered are both informative and engaging.
Another significant highlight of the book is Edwards' writing style, which is both vivid and accessible. She has a unique talent for bringing the people and places she encounters to life, and her descriptions of the landscape and culture of the Nile are both beautiful and insightful.
It is a classic travelogue that provides a fascinating and enlightening look at the history and culture of ancient Egypt and the Sudan.
The most interesting part of this book to me was when she arrived at Aswan. Edwards described the old city harbor and old Souq meticulously, and she could simply draw in the readers' minds how the people were wearing and dealing with tourists in that time. Also, the decorative depiction of the second oldest hotel in Aswan, the Grand Hotel.
Whether you're an Egyptologist, a traveler, or simply someone interested in the history of the region, this book is a must-read that offers a rich and captivating account of one of the world's most fascinating and mysterious cultures.
One of the key features of the book is Edwards' insightful and often humorous observations about the various aspects of life along the Nile, from the customs and beliefs of the local people to the landscape and architecture of the ancient ruins she visited. The author also provides a wealth of information on the history and archaeology of ancient Egypt, and her descriptions of the monuments and artifacts she encountered are both informative and engaging.
Another significant highlight of the book is Edwards' writing style, which is both vivid and accessible. She has a unique talent for bringing the people and places she encounters to life, and her descriptions of the landscape and culture of the Nile are both beautiful and insightful.
It is a classic travelogue that provides a fascinating and enlightening look at the history and culture of ancient Egypt and the Sudan.
The most interesting part of this book to me was when she arrived at Aswan. Edwards described the old city harbor and old Souq meticulously, and she could simply draw in the readers' minds how the people were wearing and dealing with tourists in that time. Also, the decorative depiction of the second oldest hotel in Aswan, the Grand Hotel.
Whether you're an Egyptologist, a traveler, or simply someone interested in the history of the region, this book is a must-read that offers a rich and captivating account of one of the world's most fascinating and mysterious cultures.
June 13, 2021
It was a real thrill for me to read this book. It's a must-read if you have any interest in Egyptian history. If you don't, this isn't the book for you. If you have a passing interest, this is a good book to skim, and maybe skip over the parts where the author gets pretty detailed.
Originally written in 1877, the version of the book I got was published in 1888. I am grateful to my local library for getting me a copy from a local university, which was willing to lend me this somewhat fragile book. Sometimes there is nothing like an old book.
The author was a bit different for her time, so her take on traveling in Egypt is fascinating. At times she is forward-thinking and other times buys into the thinking of her class at the time. I laughed out loud at a passage where she embraces the then-recent deciphering of hieroglyphics. She compares people who still think they can't be translated to people who think the earth is flat. Go with science is her thought. Brilliant. Would love to know what she would make of modern-day flat-earthers. Much harder to get past was her whole assertion that the British take things for their museums for study and preservation, that the French take things for their museums only for glory, and Arabs just steal things for profit. There's an idea that hasn't aged well.
A marvelous and detailed first-hand account of traveling in Egypt in 1877.
Originally written in 1877, the version of the book I got was published in 1888. I am grateful to my local library for getting me a copy from a local university, which was willing to lend me this somewhat fragile book. Sometimes there is nothing like an old book.
The author was a bit different for her time, so her take on traveling in Egypt is fascinating. At times she is forward-thinking and other times buys into the thinking of her class at the time. I laughed out loud at a passage where she embraces the then-recent deciphering of hieroglyphics. She compares people who still think they can't be translated to people who think the earth is flat. Go with science is her thought. Brilliant. Would love to know what she would make of modern-day flat-earthers. Much harder to get past was her whole assertion that the British take things for their museums for study and preservation, that the French take things for their museums only for glory, and Arabs just steal things for profit. There's an idea that hasn't aged well.
A marvelous and detailed first-hand account of traveling in Egypt in 1877.
February 2, 2023
Amelia narra en sus memorias su primer y único viaje a Egipto en 1877.
Su travesía por el río Nilo a bordo de la dahabiya Philae y las ciudades, lugares y centros de interés de carácter egiptológico por los que pasa.
Desde las famosas pirámides de Giza y Saqqara, Abu Simbel o Kom Ombo hasta el conocido Templo de Debod en Madrid o el Templo de Dendur en Nueva York, que la autora conoció en sus emplazamientos originales en Egipto.
Una lectura extensa cargada de descripciones exhaustivas, que puede llegar a resultar pesado, e ilustraciones hechas por la propia autora.
Hay citas muy bellas:
- "En Egipto se llama Fantasía a cualquier espectáculo animado con música, baile o fuegos artificiales"
- "Aparecieron los cuatro colosos, fantasmagóricos, vagos y sombríos en el mágico claro de luna. Incluso al mirarlos, parecían crecer como si vinieran desde la distancia plateada"
- "Quien atraviesa esa puerta cruza el umbral del pasado, y deja dos mil años tras él."
A la vuelta de este viaje, Amelia fundará la hoy conocida Egypt Exploration Society.
No estaba nada convencida al principio con el libro, me costó mucho conseguirlo, de hecho, me compré una edición antigua que encontré tras buscar mucho y me generó serias dudas pero tengo que decir que la edición es muy bella y el libro en su conjunto me ha gustado.
Su travesía por el río Nilo a bordo de la dahabiya Philae y las ciudades, lugares y centros de interés de carácter egiptológico por los que pasa.
Desde las famosas pirámides de Giza y Saqqara, Abu Simbel o Kom Ombo hasta el conocido Templo de Debod en Madrid o el Templo de Dendur en Nueva York, que la autora conoció en sus emplazamientos originales en Egipto.
Una lectura extensa cargada de descripciones exhaustivas, que puede llegar a resultar pesado, e ilustraciones hechas por la propia autora.
Hay citas muy bellas:
- "En Egipto se llama Fantasía a cualquier espectáculo animado con música, baile o fuegos artificiales"
- "Aparecieron los cuatro colosos, fantasmagóricos, vagos y sombríos en el mágico claro de luna. Incluso al mirarlos, parecían crecer como si vinieran desde la distancia plateada"
- "Quien atraviesa esa puerta cruza el umbral del pasado, y deja dos mil años tras él."
A la vuelta de este viaje, Amelia fundará la hoy conocida Egypt Exploration Society.
No estaba nada convencida al principio con el libro, me costó mucho conseguirlo, de hecho, me compré una edición antigua que encontré tras buscar mucho y me generó serias dudas pero tengo que decir que la edición es muy bella y el libro en su conjunto me ha gustado.
August 31, 2021
2.5 stars
I know it's a travelogue, but god, this was slow. There are moments that are quite fun, but on the whole, I wish Edwards had done a lot of editing, or had a better sense of who exactly she was writing this for - an audience that was planning an Egypt trip of their own? An audience that never would get a chance to see it for themselves? Her friends? Herself? As it was, it was a little bit of everything, and it dragged along for too long.
Also, of course, it comes with the territory that Edwards had a very anthropological (read: colonial) approach to the different peoples she encountered along the way. It's not unexpected, but still not delightful to read.
I have to say, I /was/ tempted to bump this up half a star after discovering on Wikipedia that Edwards was a lesbian, and that her travel companion was most likely her girlfriend. Unfortunately, I found that out AFTER I finished the book. Knowing that might have made reading it a smidgeon more interesting?
I know it's a travelogue, but god, this was slow. There are moments that are quite fun, but on the whole, I wish Edwards had done a lot of editing, or had a better sense of who exactly she was writing this for - an audience that was planning an Egypt trip of their own? An audience that never would get a chance to see it for themselves? Her friends? Herself? As it was, it was a little bit of everything, and it dragged along for too long.
Also, of course, it comes with the territory that Edwards had a very anthropological (read: colonial) approach to the different peoples she encountered along the way. It's not unexpected, but still not delightful to read.
I have to say, I /was/ tempted to bump this up half a star after discovering on Wikipedia that Edwards was a lesbian, and that her travel companion was most likely her girlfriend. Unfortunately, I found that out AFTER I finished the book. Knowing that might have made reading it a smidgeon more interesting?
April 27, 2023
Along with Lady Duff-Gordon's published letters, A Thousand Miles Up the Nile has been my go-to source for setting details (and shocking imperialist attitudes) when researching for my historical novel, which takes place two years before this book was published. My copy is dogeared, marked up, highlighted, and tagged with stickies. And when I traveled the Nile myself in 2021, Edwards' descriptions kept whirling through my head: in the rural parts of Egypt, much remains the same, and it was a trip back in time. To see the same things she described in the 1870s was breathtaking. I can't imagine what I would have done without this priceless firsthand account.
Even if I hadn't needed the book for research, Edwards' prose is magnetic, her insights both timeless and marked by her era, a fascinating read.
Even if I hadn't needed the book for research, Edwards' prose is magnetic, her insights both timeless and marked by her era, a fascinating read.
February 3, 2021
First of all, I'm not that interested in ancient Egyptian history, but I can see how this document could be useful to show the situation in 1877 regarding the condition of certain temples/ruins, and the unabashed plunder of Egypt's antiquities. I was more interested in the 1877 events.
Because it is a travelogue without characters (we don't even know most of their names and no one seems to grow or change during the trip), it was hard for me to care about any of the people, including the writer herself. She occasionally sees through her (expected) racism, Islamophobia, classism, and Eurocentrism to show us the dignity and humanity of these people in this place.
It was a book I had to force myself to finish.
Because it is a travelogue without characters (we don't even know most of their names and no one seems to grow or change during the trip), it was hard for me to care about any of the people, including the writer herself. She occasionally sees through her (expected) racism, Islamophobia, classism, and Eurocentrism to show us the dignity and humanity of these people in this place.
It was a book I had to force myself to finish.
August 22, 2021
Amelia B. Edwards wrote this historical, egyptological, and cultural study in 1877, and it became an immediate best-seller, reprinted in 1888 at home in England and abroad. She traveled throughout Egypt at a time when most women didn't leave home. She was a privileged woman of the Victorian era, but she was not without an understanding of and compassion for Egypt and the Egyptian people. "It is all so picturesque, indeed, so biblical, so poetical, that one is almost in danger of forgetting that the places are something more than beautiful backgrounds and that the people are not merely appropriate figures placed there for the delight of sketchers but are made of living flesh and blood, and moved by hopes, and fears, and sorrows, like our own."
March 23, 2025
On the eve of my trip to Egypt I finished this Victorian travelogue by a very proper lady and her “companion” as they travel up the Nile and back. It is often very funny, though not on purpose, oblivious to many wrongs, but never frivolous and quite knowledgeable for that time. Clearly well-read and familiar with all the current literature and Egyptian history. While it was written 135 years ago and a much more thorough visit than mine will be, I look forward to seeing things she saw but through 21st century eyes. It’s a wonderful read even if you can’t go, straightforward and sometimes even a bit poetic, always enthusiastic, writing that’s enjoyable to spend time with. Recommended for those who do or dream of traveling the world.
October 28, 2020
A fascinating account of a trip up the Nile 140 year ago by the author, a group of friends and an Egyptian crew. Edwards took two years to write this account after she returned from her trip. The book must be read taking into account the time period it was written. Although, the author shows great care for Egypt, its history and the Nile, the prejudices about other people come through at times, through the Eurocentric view of the world. The minute detail about the trip, the landscape, and the monuments were at times excruciating. This is a very interesting read, but the reader must be interested on the subject matter.
March 31, 2023
A leitura é difícil, pelo texto ser de 1877, mas a atenção aos detalhes faz com que o leitor se sinta no Egito na época em que o livro foi escrito. É fácil se perder na narrativa, imaginando como seria visitar o país das pirâmides numa epoca em que a Carter ainda não havia descoberto a tumba de Tutankhamun.
Por vezes, tive vontade de "corrigir" detalhes, até lembrar que para a época, as informações estavam de fato corretas.
Levei mais tempo que o previsto para ler, a leitura foi muito interrompida pelas extensas notas de rodapé, e pelas belíssimas ilustrações, mas valeu cada segundo!
Cada vez mais o Egito se torna meu tópico do coração
Por vezes, tive vontade de "corrigir" detalhes, até lembrar que para a época, as informações estavam de fato corretas.
Levei mais tempo que o previsto para ler, a leitura foi muito interrompida pelas extensas notas de rodapé, e pelas belíssimas ilustrações, mas valeu cada segundo!
Cada vez mais o Egito se torna meu tópico do coração
July 14, 2022
This book is so interesting and should be required reading for anyone interested in Egyptology. Reading about ruins along the Nile before they were massively excavated was fascinating. I regularly Googled pictures showing modern versions of the ruins Edwards witnessed. She spoke of colors and skin fragments that, to my knowledge, are now quite difficult to find.
Also, I was unfamiliar with the geography of the Nile. Learning about dahabeeyas and their methods for traversing the river was quite interesting as well as the social distinction between the European and native peoples.
Also, I was unfamiliar with the geography of the Nile. Learning about dahabeeyas and their methods for traversing the river was quite interesting as well as the social distinction between the European and native peoples.
January 5, 2024
Delightful! The Writer ( as she refers to herself) depicts a fascinating adventure up the Nile in 1873. Full of interesting details, Egyptian history, funny descriptions and charm. What a trip it was then, before tour buses that drop you at the foot of the pyramids! How interesting to hear of newly discovered ruins, partially excavated, local customs, the tourist and "anteekh" trade in a time when what you found was free to claim. Hunting Crocs, riding camels - an amazing trip and great to read as we embark on our own adventures of the like.
August 6, 2024
A book to dip into rather than binge-read, as we join Amelia on her thousand mile 500+ page journey. It is an excellent resource for writers like me interested in the early days of Egyptology and offers an insight into the vanished world of pre-industrial Egypt still under colonial administration. This new edition edited by Carl Graves of the Egypt Exploration Society puts Amelia and her sometimes uncomfortable Victorian attitudes into context. These themselves are informative. The book is also extensively illustrated and a pleasure to read.
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