A health officer from Jaffa visited the city on the 16th, and declared his intention to shut up the gates and prevent egress or ingress, until the plague abated. He gave us permission to leave, provided we would do it early the next day. Having no wish to be shut up even in Jerusalem, for a month or two, we made all possible haste to get ready to leave town the next morning. We found some difficulty in procuring animals, but at last succeeded, and bidding farewell to all our kind friends, and the missionary brethren resident there, we left the city and bent our course to Rumla. Our animals proved miserable creatures, and one of our muleteers gave us the slip and returned, leaving us to make our journey as best we could. We had been informed at Jerusalem that we would not be permitted to enter Rumla; but supposed that we should arrive in season to consult with the consular agent, and obtain lodging in the old tower, or some place in the vicinity. Our mules were so intolerably bad, however, that it was dark when we approached Rumla. To our frequent inquiries of the muleteer, as to where he was taking us, we received the reply, "to the water," and supposing that we would halt at some watering place near the town, we allowed him to proceed. Finding from the length of the way that we must be taking the road to Jaffa, we insisted on coming to an understanding of the matter. He had no idea of stopping, but intended to land us safe at Jaffa that night; after a great deal of noise on both sides we prevailed on him to halt. He took us under an olive-tree near by, saying, what he supposed was true, that if he took us to the town they would cut his head off. Angelo set off immediately, to see if he could gain admittance within the town. The children, worn out with the fatigue of the journey, had lost all patience, and were crying for their suppers. I seated them on the ground and began to search about in the dark for the remains of our luncheon, which there was much reason to fear the muleteer and his boy had eaten. Presently Mrs. P. began to shake with an ague fit, and called out to me that she should die with the cold if relief was not soon obtained. I had procured some wine at Jerusalem, which I was taking home as a sample of the wines of Palestine; and thinking this was a time, if ever, when its use would be justifiable, I succeeded in disengaging a bottle from our baggage and administered a quantity of it to those "who were ready to perish." Drawing a small carpet from the saddle of the mule on which I rode, I covered up my little family, and with no enviable feelings waited the result. It was not long before the well-known voice of Angelo hallooing in the distance broke upon my ear. He came with one of the consul's sons, who welcomed us to his father's house, assuring us there was no obstacle in the way of our admittance. Thus our difficulties were removed, and we were most hospitably lodged for the night. The next day we arrived at the country-seat of our very kind consul at this place, who has furnished us with a room, and is assiduous in his attentions to promote our comfort and happiness.
[LETTER XXI.]
Alexandria, June 21st, 1838.
We left Jaffa on May the 24th for this place. It was not without trouble and delay that we were able to obtain a passage. On our arrival at Jaffa, in April, we found many vessels there. They were, we were told, waiting for pilgrims, who were at that time returning from Jerusalem, where many attend during the great feasts. They were at that time coming down in crowds, and going off to the vessels: but before our return from Jerusalem, in May, they were gone, and hardly a vessel remained at Jaffa. Possibly the fear of the plague, which prevailed at Jaffa, had driven some away, and at the same time prevented others from coming. Our wish was to take passage to Damietta, and ascend the Damietta branch of the Nile to Grand Cairo, and come down the Rosetta branch to Alexandria. We found a vessel that was willing to take us to Damietta, but before we had completed our bargain, the Russian consul, whose family had lost many members by the plague, made, in his great eagerness to get away, so large an offer, as induced the captain to change his course, and immediately sail with the consul for Smyrna. As we passed Damietta, about a week afterwards, we spoke the same vessel, and learned that, soon after sailing, the consul took the plague and died, and the vessel put in at Damietta. The consul fled from Jaffa, but not from the plague or death—both met him on the way—how little do we foresee what a day may bring forth! After some delay a vessel came from Beyroot, which offered to take us to this place, but asked about four times the usual price—there was no help—no other suitable vessel offered—and the captain said, which was true, that he would have to perform a long quarantine. A letter came to the consul, from several other travellers, to engage them a vessel, as they would be at Jaffa in a few days; and it was agreed that I should pay one-half of the required sum, and those travellers the other, and the engagement was closed.
Through the kind attention of our consul, who spared no pains to promote our comfort, our arrangements were made, our baggage put on board, and our provisions and stores laid in. The plague added much to the trouble of doing this. On going on board we found it was a Turkish vessel, and a Turkish crew. The captain seemed to be much of a gentleman for a Turk. He was polite, silent, and would sit all day smoking his pipe, and watching the working of his vessel. The crew also were sober, silent, and appeared to move about as if they had no care but to mind their own business. We had stipulated to have the sole use of the cabin, provided we should prefer it. On examining the premises, however, we decided on taking up our quarters on the deck, as plainly the cleanest and most comfortable place. The captain readily yielded to our wishes, and fitted up the long boat, which was on the deck, spreading a sail over it, and making quite a tent—in this we took up our abode.
When the travellers referred to came on board, we recognised them as a party we had met a few miles this side of Jerusalem. They had come from Egypt to Palestine through the wilderness, and were on their way to Jerusalem as we left it. Their cavalcade had attracted our attention, being all mounted on camels; and what looked rather oddly, two were on the same camel, in what are called baskets, sitting back to back—one facing to the right and the other to the left. The party consisted of two German officers, who belonged to King Otho's army in Greece—a Frenchman and a Swiss. The fact that we had no common language prevented our having as much intercourse with them as we should otherwise have had. They also took up their quarters on deck, the captain having put up an awning. As there was no danger of rain, the deck was decidedly the most comfortable place. While we could not fully understand the subject of their discourse, we were not a little amused during our voyage with the long and almost continual debates of our fellow-voyagers. It was all in great good-humour, but a set of more everlasting talkers and disputants I have seldom met with.
There were several others on board, who came in without paying their part of the expense. This is almost always the case when a Frank charters a vessel. I have heard of a captain, who had especially engaged not to take any one on board except the Franks who had chartered his vessel, stowing away privately in the hold nearly a dozen who were never to be seen on deck. The captain of course gets a fee from such—it is so much clear gain. He first asks and gets a full price for his whole vessel, and then stows away as many persons and things as he can, on such terms as may be offered. We had a Greek sea captain as a passenger—he was one of the most silent Greeks I recollect to have met with, for, as a general thing, they are a talking, noisy people. He hardly ever spoke a word, and had little intercourse with any one except a Greek servant. There was another, "old Dominico," as we called him, who, oddly enough, passed himself off as one of my party, and not only went rent free, but ate of my bread. On reaching our consul's from Jerusalem, we saw there a middle-aged man, who had much the appearance of a domestic, but in a Frank dress. He seemed to turn his hand to anything—at times he was in the garden directing the water to the trees and plants—then again he was going with a mule or donkey and bringing home loads of grass for the animals—at one time called here and another there. On first seeing him, it struck me he might be a Scotchman—but he knew no English—I then thought he must be an Italian—he proved to be a Genoese. He had been at Jerusalem, and was living on the consul until he could get a passage from Jaffa—and the consul, very properly, to keep him from rusting through mere idleness, was employing him in all sorts of ways, as occasions offered. When on the point of starting, the consul, who was probably willing to get clear of him, requested that Dominico might so far be considered, as belonging to my party as to secure him a free passage; and, according to his own rule for managing such cases, advised that I should keep the old man in employ as far as I had anything that he could do. Of course I assented. After getting all on board, and under sail, and the time for eating had come, Angelo reported old Dominico as minus all sorts of provisions for the voyage. I was fairly in for it. He belonged to my party, and must not be allowed to suffer. This however was an appendix to the matter that I had not looked for; and in laying in stores, for each party found themselves, (old Dominico excepted,) I had not counted him—and no small eater was he. Angelo was directed to give the old man his rations from my stores, and advised that he should give him something to do—make him cut the wood, kindle the fire, watch the coffee—do anything that would keep his hand in: for I hold that perfect idleness is not good for man or beast. And finding that the old man had a pretty good knack for pleasing children, many an hour were they permitted to while away with him, to his own as well as their amusement.
The Moslems are in their way a religious people. They are regular in saying their prayers at the prescribed times. They usually pray, wherever they may happen to be, when the proper time arrives. They do not retire to a secret place, but spread a small mat, and kneel and prostrate themselves on it—touch the ground with their forehead, facing towards Mecca, and repeating at the same time, in a low and almost unintelligible voice, their forms of prayer. The fore-part of the deck was the place at which they performed their devotions.