Sand and Canvas: Narrative of adventures in Egypt with a sojourn among the artists in Rome

by Samuel Bevan

The tombs wherein the mummied ibis is found, lie about half-a-mile north-east of the Pyramids, and are curious, and easily explored. “Potstausend!” was our involuntary and pardonable exclamation, as the light of our torches fell upon, and illumined the countless thousands of earthen vessels containing the sacred bird. The pots stand on end, layer upon layer, and on bringing some into daylight, we found each to contain an ibis, (“in medio tutissimus,” of course,) carefully enveloped in cloth, the long bill turned down upon the breast, and the whole crumbling to dust on exposure to the air. The pottery is very brittle, the mummy having probably been encased in its mould of damp clay, and then rolled into shape, and deposited in the pit. Bringing away one or two as mementos, we turned our backs upon Sakhara, and as the sun was low when we quitted the caves, had barely time to reach Cairo before nightfall, by a road close to the bank of the Nile, rather more circuitous than that by the Pyramids of Ghizeh.

On returning to my house, I found billetted upon me, a gentleman from Calcutta, who was on his way to Italy, intending to take a long tour by way of recreation. We soon became intimate, and I found P——n a most agreeable companion, though I was not destined very long to enjoy his society. Hearing Bell and myself discussing a proposal which had been made to us some time before, to undertake a journey through Abyssinia and the Galla country, with a view, if possible, to throw some farther light on the rise and course of the White Nile, P——n could not rest until he had been received into the expedition as a volunteer, and being a fine well-built man, capable of great fatigue, and a good horseman withal, he promised to be an acquisition to the party. The perils of the journey, and the chances of ever returning from so comparatively unexplored a region, having been duly weighed, it was at length finally resolved upon, and as a great many presents would be necessary to ingratiate ourselves with the ruling powers of such states as lay on the line of our intended route, we paid a visit to Alexandria. Here we laid in a stock of guns, sword-blades, red cloth, powder, caps, &c., and other commodities of various kinds, sufficient to load four mules. It happened, however, at the very last moment, as it were, that I was prevented from taking my part in the enterprise, by the receipt of letters, which threatened to call me immediately to England. To say that I was disappointed, would but ill express my feelings on the arrival of these (then) unwelcome letters, although I have since been induced to regard the interruption of my plans in the light rather of a providential interference, for, worn-out as I was with the tortures of incessant rheumatism, I could scarcely suppose myself to be in train for an undertaking of such a nature.

All that I could do, therefore, was to assist the departure of my friends, by seeing them safely across the desert, for which purpose Mr. Raven lent us a van, the baggage going as usual upon camels. P——n rode a noble horse, which he had purchased in Cairo, and was now about to abandon, being unable to take it with him, and not liking to dispose of it. In this dilemma it was confided to the care of Dr. A——, whose property it had originally been. We journeyed easily along, going all the way with the same horses, and stopping at each Station, making excursions among the hills in quest of gazelles, which were sufficiently abundant, though extremely shy and wary.

On arriving at Suez, we put up at the house of a Jew merchant, until we could hear of some boat going down the Red Sea, possessing suitable accommodation for the party, and we had not been forty-eight hours in the place, before a messenger brought us news of a good boat about to sail for Jeddah, and this opportunity was at once embraced by the travellers, who were anxious to be on their way. Our last evening together was occupied in adjusting instruments, and regulating watches and time-pieces. The various presents and ammunition were all repacked in suitable forms, and in the smallest possible compass, whilst a great store of eatables had to be laid in for the sea-voyage; P——n resolutely refusing various things in the form of delicacies, which the well-intentioned Mrs. —— of the hotel pressed upon his acceptance, declaring that he would burthen himself with nothing which he could possibly do without, a maxim which many travellers would do well to profit by.

I shall pass over our leave-taking, which was more triste than such occasions commonly are, from the extreme uncertainty of our ever meeting again. I saw them on board of the Red Sea boat, where they spread their mats under the shelter of the raised deck, among many other travellers bound to the southward, some of whom sat calmly smoking, buried up to the neck, and almost concealed by their bales of merchandise and provender, while others less accustomed to the perils of the deep, were now prostrating themselves on their prayer-carpets, invoking Allah to send them propitious winds. Having paid to my friends a last and parting greeting, I returned to the hotel lonely and disspirited. Sounds of merriment which reached me as I approached the divan-room, seemed so very uncongenial to my feelings, that I turned to the square to select a dromedary for my luggage, consisting of one solitary carpet-bag, and having saddled P——n’s horse, which he had requested me to leave with Dr. A., I turned my back upon Suez.

Evening was setting in as I passed the well, and I had a long and weary jog in the moonlight, to No. 6 Station, where I was refreshed by turning into bed. Having no cause for undue haste, and not fearing the excessive heat, to which I was now accustomed, I did not leave the Station until ten the following morning, having previously instructed my Bedouin to come on after me to No. 5, where I would wait for him. The day was beautiful in the extreme; not a single cloud obscured the vast expanse of blue above and around, whilst a light breeze from the westward gently stirred the air. Deep in thought, I trotted leisurely onwards, paying but little attention to the course taken by my steed, a want of precaution which I soon had reason to regret. I was recalled to myself by the unwonted sight of a quantity of herbage, somewhat dry and sunburnt, it is true, but still sufficiently green to excite wonder in the desert, where vegetation is but scarce. This extended far and wide around me; a tuft here and there, with an interval of sand between. I had strayed from the track, and had lost myself, whilst my horse also seemed to be aware that something was wrong, as he all at once came to a full stop, and began to stare about him. Then he disturbed the silence by a loud and prolonged neighing, which was so sudden and unexpected that it frightened me considerably. In vain I gazed round for some landmark which might serve me as a guide in regaining the beaten track. Nothing was to be seen but an interminable expanse of sand. I was now really alarmed, and my imagination busied itself in conjuring up long-forgotten stories of travellers half-roasted by the sun, or dying of thirst, and although I had made a capital breakfast two hours before, I was now assailed with an irresistible longing for water. Thinking that the natural instinct of my horse might be of service in this predicament, I gave him the rein, and let him go where he listed; but after a few minutes trotting about, he stopped short with a neigh, that almost jerked me out of my saddle, and I found myself as much as ever at a loss.

It now occurred to me that if I had not strayed very wide of the route, a telegraph ought to be within sight, and I therefore made for the highest of the sand hills near me. Nor was I disappointed, saving that it proved a good two miles distant. Having reached it, I ascended, and looked in all directions for the Station, (No. 5,) which it was difficult to distinguish, from its close resemblance in colour to the surrounding sand. Being now relieved from the apprehension of having lost myself, I gazed round the horizon, in the hope of discovering the Bedouin who had charge of my carpet-bag, which was rendered doubly valuable, from the fact of its containing a tolerably large sum of money in gold, and some important documents entrusted to me by P——n. It was a long while past the hour when he should have reached No. 5, and I felt somewhat uneasy, as I reflected that the man was totally unknown to me, and that were he inclined to rob me, I possessed no clue which might aid me in recovering my property. Tired and parched with thirst, I gained the Station, and rousing the old Bawaub, or door-keeper, sent him off to the Telegraph, to reconnoitre, in the hope that his more practised eyesight might discover the truant Arab. When he was gone, I drew the strong wooden bolt across the door, and sharing with my horse a welcome meal of beans and water, lay down upon the straw to sleep.

I had not been many minutes in a state of forgetfulness, ere I was roused by the clattering of many hoofs, and the neighing of horses. Cautiously opening the door, I was surprised by the appearance of a dozen or more armed Bedouins, who seemed equally astonished at the presence of a Frank, and as it struck me as more than probable that they had meditated recruiting their horses at the expense of Messrs. Hill and Co., I saluted them profoundly, and accepting the proffered pipe of friendship, sat down with them at the threshold, closing the door after me, and resolved to await the return of the Bawaub from the Telegraph. I had no sooner explained the cause of his absence to my new friends, and the great trouble I was in at the loss of my camel, than one of them asked me to describe the colour of the animal, and the dress and turban of its rider. Having done so, he informed me that he had seen a party answering to my description, in the track on the other side the hills, and that he was proceeding in the direction of No. 4. Finding his statement confirmed by the rest, I waited to reward the old door-keeper for his weary walk, and mounting my horse, reached the centre Station as the sun was setting, and was not a little gratified to observe my truant camel quietly chewing the cud in the court-yard. It appeared that the Arab also had gone wide of the route, and missing the appointed place of rendezvous, had made the best of his way to No. 4.

A large party of travellers by the “Hindostan” steamer arrived in the course of the night, from Suez, amongst whom was Lord E——e, who had passed rapidly onwards towards Alexandria: I rode in company with the remainder to No. 2, where we stayed the night. The Hotel at Cairo was crowded with travellers, who had flocked in from all parts. Among those from Upper Egypt, I was glad to welcome my friend M—— P——, who seemed surprised to find me still in Cairo, and that I had abandoned the Abyssinian journey. He had made arrangements to start off after the others, so as to overtake them at Missouah, and had ordered from England an enormous box of valuables to carry with him, which, after much search, we succeeded in rescuing from a store, where it had been deposited on its arrival. Some of his instruments were unfortunately much injured, and from the impossibility of getting them repaired, rendered altogether useless.

I found that Mr. Raven had gone down to Alexandria in one of his small steamers, and not wishing to await the chance of another opportunity, I joined my friend D—— of the Peninsular Company, and two gentlemen who were returning to England, in chartering a Nile boat for our own use. Packing up my few valuables, and bidding a final adieu to my Cairo friends, I rode down to Boulac, where I found my companions all ready for a start. With a fair wind, we dropped silently down the river, and the long evening was beguiled by a recital of some of the adventures of M—— M——, who was fresh from Upper Egypt, and boiling over with the latest news from Thebes and the cataracts. It would have been better for us had we thus continued to amuse ourselves during the entire night, for on retiring to our sleeping-places, we found them swarming with rats and cockroaches, not to speak of the myriads of fleas which hopped over us in all directions, nor the perpetual sting of the not less troublesome musquitoe. It was in vain that I smoked pipe after pipe of tobacco, the combined nuisance continued unabated, and had I even succeeded in chasing away my tormentors, the tortures of rheumatism would have effectually banished sleep.