On the 18th of the month, the “Great Liverpool” arrived at Alexandria, bringing the expected Marquis of ——, and about forty other passengers. We got away about three in the afternoon, reaching Atféh at midnight, but the quantity of luggage was so enormous, that it took us upwards of three hours to shift it on board the “Cairo” steamer, and two hours more would very likely have been occupied, but for the assistance of a French gentleman named Cler, connected in some way with the Company, who had accompanied us thus far. We did at last turn our backs upon Atféh, and after a brief stoppage at Cairo, arrived at Suez just in time to catch the “Berenice” steamer, although some of our party, who stuck fast in the sand, between Nos. 2 and 3 Station, had a hard push for it: these were the Governor of Goa and his suite, four gentlemen in one carriage, who were compelled to vary the monotony of their journey by a ride of sixteen miles on the bare backs of the horses, which brought them on to No. 4 in a deplorable condition. It was some consolation to them to find a good meal in readiness, for having seen their mishap, I had ridden quickly forward, in order to dispatch an empty carriage to bring them on, a procedure, now rendered useless by their appearance. So anxious were they about catching the steamer, that I could with difficulty persuade them to sit down while they swallowed their hot stew.
On reaching Suez, I went on board the “Berenice,” with Mr. Hill, who, having personally driven the Marquis of —— across the desert, obtained a flattering testimonial as to care and attention during the journey, which had in fact been made in little more than twelve hours, by those in the first three carriages. At the hotel, I met with a Captain J——, an officer on sick leave, from India, who bore me company on my return to Cairo; and as time was no particular object to either of us, we spent two days and nights on the way, changing horses only once. Our “Seis,” or running footman, kept up with us the whole weary eighty-four miles, relieving himself only by occasionally hanging on behind, and refusing our offer of a seat inside with stoical indifference. He, poor fellow, like the rest of his class, was a mere skeleton, his flesh being wasted away by undue perspirations, and a lack of such food as is essential to keep up the stamina during such continued exercise. Each set of horses, or team, has its attendant “Seis,” who, whilst the animals are resting, snatches a brief sleep, and swallows his unpretending meal of bread and water, with perhaps a relish in the shape of an onion, or a pull at the nargileh of the old bawaub, or door-keeper. As it sometimes happens that the same team of horses has to perform two or three stages, the poor “Seis” comes in for a double duty, which is, nevertheless, unhesitatingly accomplished, and even entered upon with joyful alacrity, should the prospect be seasoned with the promise of a trifle of bucksheesh on the part of any of the travellers. I have known them to convey a letter or message from Cairo to Suez with incredible speed, running all the way, and carrying with them in the bosom of their blue cotton shirt, just as much bread as would serve to sustain them on the journey.
CHAPTER X.
CAIRO—THE TURKISH BAZAAR—TEST OF A SWORD-BLADE—THE “LITTLE NILE”—RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PLAGUE—THE EGLINTOUN TENTS—PROCEEDINGS IN THE “GREAT SQUARE”—ASTONISHMENT OF THE PASHA—A MAHOMEDAN DINNER-PARTY—NOVEL DISHES—A JEWISH WEDDING—IMPERTINENT CURIOSITY—THE BRIDE’S DOWER—A CUNNING HEBREW.
On arriving at Cairo, I refreshed myself with a bath, and accompanied Captain J—— to see my friend Bell, who was still located at the house of Dr. A. We found him dressed in a loose silken garment, squatted cross-legged on a low divan, whilst he alternately puffed at a large sheesheh of the doctor’s, and sipped his morning cup of coffee. Having finished his toilet, which the addition of a pair of slippers rendered complete, we took a long stroll through the Turkish Bazaar, which is one of the chief attractions of Cairo, where jewels and gems of all kinds, with golden stuffs and embroideries, and the varied productions of Eastern ingenuity are displayed before the wondering gaze of the stranger. The more precious goods are enclosed in glass cases on either side of the narrow file of shops, and behind these is seated the smiling merchant, who invites attention to his costly wares, or, should you be personally known to him, points to a vacant cushion, and replenishes your pipe with gebelee. We had a long chat in the sanctum of one of these gentlemen, with whom Bell appeared on terms of intimacy, and very civil and agreeable he was, explaining to us, through the medium of our friend, the uses of various little objects of luxury connected with the hareem and the domestic habits of the Mooslim, which we might otherwise have had difficulty in ascertaining.
My own object in visiting the Bazaar, was to effect the purchase of a sword or scymitar, in order to complete my costume du pays, but as I found that those exposed for sale in the Turkish quarter were of a better quality than I needed, and of a price far beyond what I intended to give, we repaired to another portion of the Bazaar, where I could select from among some thousands of all kinds and qualities. As the weapon was to be used as an ornament only, and would have answered my purpose equally well, had the blade been firmly screwed to the scabbard, or altogether wanting, I selected an undeniable “Brummagem,” with a tastily ornamented horn handle, and goodly external appearance. For the silken cord and tassels which form the appendages, I had to walk to an entirely different quarter, where such articles are exclusively manufactured, and after a due proportion of bargaining, I succeeded in completing my purchase. On returning to the hotel, I submitted my weapon to the judgment of Raven and Dr. A——, who resolved to test its value by actual experiment. A sword-blade is considered to be of good quality, when it will sever a nail at one blow. Placing, therefore, a full-sized tenpenny on a wooden door-sill, Dr. A., who acted as Scharfrichter, took a deliberate aim, and let fly. The nail vanished, and I was about to pronounce my blade a genuine “Damascus,” when the doctor, lowering its point, coolly requested me to withdraw the nail, which was fairly notched therein, and was found unmarked by the blow. I then dared the doctor to a similar experiment with his own sword, which was unhesitatingly agreed to and tried, but with a very different result, the nail being severed; but as there is a knack in directing the blow, so as to fall at a particular angle, I doubt if he would have allowed me to perform his part in the ordeal.
As Captain J—— was anxious to be off to Alexandria, I ordered a cafass of provisions to be sent down to Boulac, and one of our best boats to be got in readiness. We set sail with a fair wind, and a tolerably high Nile, at seven in the evening, and were one day and two nights in reaching Atféh. I much regretted the loss of my travelling companion, whose society had proved most agreeable, although his health was so impaired, that he appeared to move with difficulty. I lost sight of him on reaching Alexandria, and imagine that he joined some one in an extended tour into Upper Egypt.
On making my appearance in the morning at the “Agency Office,” I was introduced by Furner to a Captain Proudfoot, who had just arrived in a small steam-vessel called the “Little Nile,” recently purchased by Mr. Waghorn, for the service between Cairo and Atféh. I was astonished, when I went on board, that so frail a cockle-shell could ever have lived in a rolling sea, like that of the Bay of Biscay. She is of iron, flat-bottomed, and used to ply on the Thames, above bridge, and it could scarcely have been any common inducement that tempted Captain Proudfoot and his little crew, to undertake so perilous a voyage. Off Cape Finisterre they encountered a severe storm, which lifted the very boilers from their fastenings, and drove her on shore almost a wreck, but they managed to repair her in such a way, that they reached Malta in safety, and there patched her up more effectually. Mr. Raven has now put her into the hands of one of the Pasha’s engineers, who is altering her to suit the nature of the Nile service, and when complete, she will be the fastest and most jaunty of the river steamers.
In the beginning of September, Mr. Raven paid us a visit, in order to see what progress had been made, and to carry out some ideas of his own, with respect to the interior arrangements of the new vessel. Finding that he intended to send back to England her binnacle and compasses, I remarked, that he might find them useful in the event of plague breaking out, as he could then make a run for one of the islands in the Archipelago, and so avoid a tedious imprisonment. The idea seemed to strike him as feasible, the more so, that he remembered being shut up for six months in a house at Cairo, without once being permitted to cross the threshold, the doors being sealed, and a watchman constantly on the look-out. Provisions were drawn up in baskets, and paid for by money let down in a bucket of water. These precautions were rendered necessary, by the critical state of one of the household, who was attacked with plague, but eventually recovered. Poor Raven aired himself on the house-top, and almost got by heart every book in the place, until the seals were knocked off, and he was suffered to escape; but, as may well be imagined, the remembrance of his captivity, and its horrors, is not easily to be effaced, and he will scarcely suffer himself to be entrapped a second time. The compasses were, therefore, safely deposited in our store, and I got Captain Proudfoot to explain to me the arrangement of the magnets, with which a sea-going iron boat is always furnished, so that I might be able to replace them, in the event of their being wanted.
Some person having mentioned to the Pasha, that some curious tents belonging to Mr. Waghorn, were lying in the custom-house, we have received intimation of a vice-royal wish to see some of them erected. It seems that the tents in question, formed part of those put up at Eglintoun Castle, on the occasion of the famed tournament, and that they were afterwards purchased by Mr. Waghorn, to serve as sheltering-places on the desert, between the Stations. Mr. Raven accordingly gave directions that the cases should be transported to the far end of the square, where a fit spot, near the Greek Consulate, was selected, Furner and I being deputed to unpack and overhaul them. We soon found this to be no easy task, as they appeared to have been huddled up together, without the slightest regard to arrangement; and although we possessed an invoice, which enabled us in a measure to identify them, we could only succeed in finding the component parts of one out of the whole half-dozen.