We commenced our operations, by laying down the poles, and digging a couple of deep holes to plant them in, but on attaching the roofs of the tent thereto, and raising them into perpendicular position, our edifice bore the appearance of two gigantic green umbrellas, and the sides, when rigged up, failed to approach the ground by seven or eight feet. We had therefore to shorten the poles, and erect a sort of scaffolding, in which latter operation, we were assisted by the crew of the “Little Nile,” but all our efforts to produce anything like a tent were unavailing. Our sailors too, soon discovered that pitching tents was very dry work, and struck for a supply of beer, which we were but too glad to furnish; so availing ourselves of the agreeable shelter afforded by the thick tarpaulin, we converted our marquee into a beer-shop, very much to the astonishment of Mehemet Ali, who, calling upon us as he took his usual afternoon airing, found half-a-dozen jolly tars smoking their clay pipes, and discussing bottled beer in the quondam shrine of the Queen of Beauty.[12]
We could not induce the Pasha to cross the threshold and inspect our handiwork, although some of his suite had the curiosity to take a peep at the interior. His Highness seemed fully satisfied with this one visit, as he never again honoured us with a call, and the tent was soon after taken down, and reconsigned with its fellows to the custom-house, where I think it not unlikely that they still remain.
A few days after this, I was invited with Furner and our Greek friend L——, to an entertainment at the house of a Mahomedan acquaintance, who wished us to partake of a dinner served in the Eastern way. On reaching his dwelling, situated in the most agreeable portion of the Arab quarter, or old town, we were ushered up some outside stairs, into a long room on the first floor, which was tastefully carpeted and fitted with low divans. As we entered at one door, there was a great rustling of silks and shuffling of feet through another at the far extremity, which we attributed to the rapid escape of a portion of our friend’s hareem, who had been taking a sly peep at us from a window above, as we stood talking in the court-yard. Placed on the carpet were half-a-dozen little octagonal tables of coloured reeds, about eighteen inches high, and upon these, as soon as we had squatted ourselves down, were deposited as many dishes of pewter, of enormous size, filled with a great variety of meats and poultry, baked, stewed, and roasted, from among which a whole kid and a gigantic turkey, greeted us conspicuously. Our host apologized to us for having the whole of the first course placed upon the table at once, as such is not customary, but he felt more satisfied that we should “see our dinner,” and thus partake of what pleased us best. It was impossible for us to make any objection to so excellent an arrangement, so, having carefully cleansed, or rather moistened our finger-ends with rose-water, we fell to without ceremony. In deference, however, to our European habits, knives and forks were placed within our reach, and I soon succeeded in making a hole in the kid, which was elaborately stuffed with raisins and pistachio nuts. It would be useless for me to attempt an enumeration of all the dishes, of which indeed I have but an imperfect recollection: I had already dined, when another course was brought in, consisting of sweets and vegetables, and a large rice-pudding, in a red sea of damson-juice; love-apples and pumpkins, elegantly farçies, and fruits both stewed and dried, completed our repast; and as it is said, that good eating requires good drinking, there was no lack of excellent wine. Pipes and coffee followed as a matter of course, and we were afterwards favoured with an instrumental performance by the Pasha’s private band, from which infliction, we made as speedy an escape as possible, although our host would not allow us to depart, until the whole five were put completely “hors de combat,” by Furner’s timely administration of brandy-and-water, alluded to in a former chapter.
Quitting our friend’s house, and gaining the more frequented portion of the city, we were astonished by the unusual appearance of an enormous crowd of persons of both sexes, and the still more uncommon sound of military music. Upon inquiry, we learned that the hubbub was caused by a long bridal procession, in celebration of the “noces” of a Jew and a Levantine girl, and being anxious to see all we could, Furner and I joined in with the rest. The band, composed of amateurs, led the way, followed by the bride and her attendants, with a “posse comitatus” from all quarters. We walked I suppose, about half-a-mile, accompanied by ambulating pots of fire, halting at every fifth or sixth house to perform a “serenata.” At length we reached the dwelling of the bridegroom, where the bride and her immediate suite were forthwith admitted, and I, having in vain looked round for my friend, was making an effort to cross the threshold with the rest, when the door was unceremoniously slammed in my face.
The old “bawaub,” however, was not proof against a nine-piastre piece, which is an infallible open-sesame, and having ascended the flight of stone-steps, which led to the upper story, I found myself in a large room, in presence of some fifty or more persons of all ages, and, to judge by their costume, from every part of the Mediterranean. I soon discovered that I was the only Englishman in the company, and with one or two exceptions, the only individual in a Frank dress, and my casual glance round the room failing to reveal one single face that was known to me, I began to feel in rather an awkward situation. It was too late to retreat, as I had been already noticed, and concluding that I should best avoid an appearance of singularity, by doing as the rest, I made a profound salutation to the husband, who escorted me to a divan at the upper end of the apartment, and in a manner the most obsequious, motioned me to a seat, and remained near me until I was served with sherbet and a pipe. I was at a loss to assign a cause for so much courtesy towards a pork-eating unbeliever, though the reason was shortly afterwards, rendered sufficiently obvious.
At midnight there was a great commotion at the other end of the room: the bride was introduced, and placed on a chair in the middle of the floor, covered with a very thin veil of pink gauze, and resplendent with jewels. All her attendants were more or less shrouded in veils, most of them weighed down with rows of gold twenty-piastre pieces, by way of fringe. The bride appeared, as well as I was able to judge, very beautiful, and was in a charming state of confusion, every now and then glancing stealthily at her husband, whom she now saw, in all probability, for the first time. No sooner were the company gathered round the trembling girl, than two of the attendants held up the corners of her apron, to receive the contributions of such as were inclined to make her a wedding present, and now my mind was enlightened as to the unlooked for politeness of the Jew bridegroom. I turned round, and encountered his gaze full upon me, but I felt myself a match for him. Keeping close to the side of a jolly old Alexandrian, who was fumbling in his girdle, and seizing the moment when he ostentatiously let fall a shower of gold coin, I suddenly put forth my hand and dropped my modest donation, in such a way as entirely to conceal its amount from the eyes of the wily Hebrew. Judging from the quantity of money collected, I should say that the newly-married couple made a very good thing of it, as every one contributed, and nothing but gold was offered. This ceremony over, the bride, half-fainting with fatigue and terror, was led away to her apartments; and not wishing to encroach farther on the hospitality of the Jew, I quitted the fantasia, and returned home.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] Our invoice led us to infer, that the tent in question, was that which had been appropriated to Lady Seymour at the Eglintoun festival, but from the style of its furniture, we were compelled to judge differently, believing rather, that those purchased by Mr. Waghorn, though very substantial and costly, could never have occupied a very prominent place at the tournament.
CHAPTER XI.
DWARKANAUTH TAGORE—STORM IN THE MAHMOUDIEH—A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS—THE HALF-DROWNED CADET—ARAB KNAVERY—EFFECTS OF THE MURRAIN—DONKEY-CHAIRS—A MIDNIGHT GALLOP—ALTERATION IN PROSPECT—MY VAN AND ITS OCCUPANTS—AN ENRAGED PORTUGUESE—DISAGREEABLE SITUATION—CHRISTMAS-EVE—MIDNIGHT INTERRUPTION—GOOSE AND CHAMPAGNE.