"From Mahatta, a little village at the head of the falls, we returned by the bank of the river to Assouan. Our ascent of the Nile is ended, and we will now turn our faces to the northward."
FROM ASSOUAN TO ALEXANDRIA.--FAREWELL TO EGYPT.
A part of the next day was passed on the island of Elephantine, opposite Assouan. By reference to the books in their possession, Frank and Fred learned that Elephantine was a place of considerable importance two or three thousand years ago, and a large town once stood there. Its ruins are now covered by a modern village, whose inhabitants are all Nubians; in fact, there are no Arabs living on the island, and it is said that Elephantine has been the home of none but Nubians from time immemorial. Frank asked for the elephants, but could not learn that any had ever been seen there; he concluded that the island received its name from the entire absence of the largest of animals, or even of any fossil remains of him.
There were two temples, or rather their ruins, on the island at the beginning of the present century--but they were destroyed in order that the stone could be utilized for building the houses of Assouan. A gate-way of one of them is yet standing, and there are some walls built by the Romans, who are said to have made Elephantine a military post.
The Nubians offered Roman coins, polished stones, and other curiosities for sale; the coins were supposed to have been dug up on the island, but there was an appearance of newness about them which revealed their falsity. The quantity of false coins increases year by year, and in many instances the Arabs do not take the trouble to submit them to the action of acids, in order to give them an antiquated look. The manufacturers of antiquities in Cairo and Luxor generally manage to make their goods have an appearance of genuineness; but sometimes the demand is unexpectedly great, and they rush off their fabrications in a hurry. On several occasions Roman coins were offered to our friends that did not appear to have been out of the mint more than a day or two. One of them bought a copper denarius of the time of the Emperor Hadrian that was bright and fresh as though stamped an hour before; it was so new that the oil used for facilitating its passage through the mint had not been worn off, and was easily perceptible to the fingers.