We arrived at Cairo on the 28th of February, having had fine winds and a rapid current in descending the Nile, for several days. My great anxiety to visit the Holy Land had been increasing upon me, although it was attended with great fatigue and risk, but my travelling companion, a Prussian nobleman, whom I met in Greece, concluded to accompany me. I took our dragoman, called upon the sheik of the Bedouin tribe, who could furnish us with camels, and with whom I made a contract before the Consul, in Arabic, to cross the desert to Jerusalem in fifteen days, he attending us. No danger was to be apprehended from the tribe, but some alarming events have already taken place, which I will recount in my next letter.
On leaving Cairo our caravan presented quite a formidable appearance, consisting of three dromedaries for ourselves and dragoman, four camels for our tent, water, luggage, and two servants, with five Arabs to drive the camels. For the greater security I had forwarded the most valuable part of my luggage to Alexandria, and myself and companion had an ample supply of fire-arms, and we were also disguised in the Turkish costume, which does not attract so much attention as a European dress. On the second day after leaving Cairo we encamped at Tanta, on the borders of the Delta and the Desert, where we understood Mehemet Ali had retired to his country-seat, and having made the acquaintance of Artim Bey, the first dragoman to his Highness, we were promised a presentation in the evening, our letters of introduction being satisfactory. On arriving at the gate of the wall which surrounds the country palace we were escorted by a number of the body guards, a corps which comprises a select body of one hundred men, to the portico, where were several sentinels with presented arms. Artim Bey here presented himself and invited us in, when we were delighted in seeing the extraordinary man who has figured so largely in Egypt for the past forty or forty-five years. On entering the saloon we discovered Mehemet Ali seated upon a divan which extended around three sides of the apartment. He was dressed in full Turkish costume, with his feet drawn up under him. He saluted us, and beckoned us to be seated, when our conversation commenced on different topics, and continued for half an hour. The subject of agriculture upon the Nile, the necessity of great exertion and labor to prevent the encroachment of the sands of the desert, the introduction of foreign trees and plants into Egypt, in which he has effected much, seemed particularly to interest him. He has yet the appearance of vivacity, is a man of strong constitution, short in stature, with a venerable long beard as white as snow. His age is now seventy-five. His leaning couch or pillow was of crimson, richly embroidered with gold, with long tassels suspended. In front of us on the floor stood two large chandeliers, elegantly wrought; his nephew sat upon the opposite divan, while the interpreter stood at his side, and some fifteen or twenty beys and officers, forming a separate group in a semicircle, following the laws of etiquette, remained standing during our visit.
In all private houses in Turkey and Egypt the pipe and coffee are almost immediately presented on being seated, but at the palace of the Pasha the pipe is dispensed with, and coffee only is presented in small gold and silver cups.
We are now in the solitude of the desert, and feel somewhat relieved from our apprehensions of robbers, with whom we have had an adventure, the particulars of which I must defer till my next. Our little hut in which I now write is about ten feet in diameter, sufficiently large for my companion and myself to spread our mattresses, arrange our private luggage and table, while outside of the tent the camels lie crouched upon all fours, forming a semicircle around a small charcoal fire, around which lie the Arabs stretched upon the sand. Our servants, having furnished us our evening’s repast, and satisfied their own appetites after a hard day’s ride upon the camels, have stretched their mats upon the sand by the side of the interpreter, and all is quiet except an occasional groan from a camel, or the half conscious song of an Arab. Really this travelling in the desert is of the most novel and extraordinary character, and, although attended with great fatigue, one is somewhat compensated by the peculiarity of the voyage, independent of the strong desire to see Palestine.
XXXIII.
Quarantine, Gaza, March 18, 1842.
My last was written in the desert, since which time we have been en route, and were quarantined yesterday on entering this place, it being represented that the plague existed in Egypt. On this voyage by the desert we have had adventure after adventure, and I must here relate the incidents alluded to in my last. The fourth day of our departure from Cairo we had travelled most of the time through a desert country, occasionally striking in the palm groves. At four o’clock P.M. we found ourselves near an Arab village, and our camels were discharged and tent struck, while the Count and myself started in pursuit of some wild ducks, but were followed by one of our Arabs, who, by signs and gestures, insisted that we should not pass by the village. We, however, persisted, and on returning I made the remark that I would not trust myself there without arms. In the evening one of our servants, an Armenian, to our surprise told us not to hang any clothes or loose luggage on the side of the tent opposite to where the camels and their drivers were stationed, saying there were many robbers who would steal our things in the night. We rather ridiculed the idea, not believing they dared approach the tent, knowing us to be armed. Our camel drivers pretended to watch through the night, and at one o’clock in the morning we were awaked with the report of a musket and the whizzing of a ball alongside of our tent, and the cries of our men to sally forth with our arms. In an instant with muskets and pistols we were outside the tent, while the bustle and excitement showed the brigands that we were ready for them if they came. It was the most fearful night I ever passed. The idea of being shot like a dog under cover of night, was not only exciting but provoking. In a state of anxiety we watched until four o’clock in the morning, during which time we had two pistol shots, but none taking effect. At this hour the men rose; we heard the cry of the Musselmans for the morning prayer in the village, and considered ourselves exceedingly fortunate in escaping unhurt.
At an early hour we left this place which was so full of danger, and which gave rather fearful apprehensions for the future. Our guns and pistols were kept charged and ready for use, and this evening we encamped some distance in the desert, away from the trees which form a cover for the robbers. In the evening one of our servants entered the tent, and I observed he drew a heavy sigh, and on demanding the cause he said nothing, but pressing him still further for an explanation, he said he had great anxiety for our safety; that in the village they were all Musselmans, and did not like the Christian pilgrims who go to Jerusalem, and would kill us—which was not very agreeable information, but this part of his story we could not credit. That evening after I had extinguished the candle and laid myself upon my mattress for a half hour, I heard the report of a gun not far distant. It was really extremely exciting after the events of the past night. Our men were watching, and we had resolved, if we were compelled to sell our lives, it should be at a dear rate. We passed the night under great apprehension, and in the morning passed through the village and found the walls of many mud-houses destroyed and deserted, and the inhabitants who remained appeared fit subjects for robbery.
The next night, after a hot and fatiguing journey, we found ourselves upon the borders of the vast desert which we were about to enter for several days. Not having slept for two nights, and there still being danger, we presented ourselves before the sheik of this village, which was of some importance, and with the firman of Mehemet Ali demanded a guard of eight armed men for the night, who surrounded our tent while we enjoyed the repose which we so much needed.
Here we were obliged to fill our vessels with water, and buy fresh supplies for six or seven days in crossing the desert. After quitting this village and getting into the desert we felt ourselves more safe, and encamped with much less anxiety. Occasionally we would see some Bedouin Arabs with their swarthy features and long black beards, with a carbine swung over their shoulders and a brace of pistols in their belt, having every appearance of the bandit, but of them we had no fear, as our camel drivers belonged to the same tribe, and our contract was made with the sheik.