Khartoum, and the Blue and White Niles, Vol. 2 (of 2)

On a nearer approach, you are struck with the apparent desolation of the village. It is large and well-built throughout, of red bricks, with fantastic balconies and curiously-wrought gable-ends. In all my perambulations that night and the next morning, I did not meet seventy people. The houses are almost all without tenants, and a capital unfurnished dwelling, three stories high, may be purchased for £1 6s. The fact is, that Alexandria has destroyed the place, which before the canal was cleared out was in a most flourishing condition—all the strangers, all the exports, and most of the imports of Egypt passing through it.

I thought myself extremely well off in the way of introductions, as I had a letter to a European gentleman, another to a convent, and a third to some engineers. They did me very little service, for I found the gentleman had left home, the convent was deserted, and the engineers had been discharged, leaving not the slightest trace of their whereabouts.

Having ridden a journey of forty miles in a broiling sun, I was not in the best possible plight to take such a disappointment patiently. I retired to a coffee-shop, and with a pipe endeavoured to forget that I was half-starved, and thoroughly exhausted. My dragoman, whom I had sent out to forage, returned in about two hours, with the welcome intelligence of having found a house and procured ample materials for a feast, in the shape of a couple of fowls, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a couple of pounds of rice.

The house was a somewhat singular affair, with an imposing exterior, having a gateway, composed of two granite pillars apparently of the highly respectable antiquity of Rameses. The apartments were wonderfully old and dilapidated. It was impossible to walk a step, as the ground was so full of holes as greatly to resemble the stage of a metropolitan theatre, with all the trap-doors open.

The state of the house made me a little anxious about the dinner; but, on inquiring of my host, who possessed an aspect of antiquity corresponding with his habitation, I was assured that I might set my mind perfectly at rest upon that point, as his wife was an Englishwoman. For this announcement, I must own, I was not quite prepared; the existence of a countrywoman in so remote a place, and under such circumstances, appeared so startling, that I could not refrain from making a few inquiries. These elicited the following facts.

According to his statement, my host, while travelling in England, had accidently gone to the Divan of our female Sultan, in the town of Cherretoo. Here he had fallen in love with the private tire-woman of Her Most Gracious Majesty, and had married her at once. She was represented as highly accomplished, and could speak Greek, Turkish, Italian; in short, was a help-mate to be proud of.

I waited dinner with as much confidence as a good deal of experience in Oriental exaggeration would permit. In due time it was served. It was evident at a glance, that in spite of her connection with the great, Madame Ibrahim expected her guest to eat with his fingers; the fowls, however, proved so ancient, that it would have spoiled the best blade to have carved them; I turned to the rice—it floated in rancid butter. My opinion of my countrywoman fell to a very low ebb; but when I found that she spoke badly only a few words of English, I readily surrendered the honour of being her compatriot.

Thoroughly satisfied with the slightest possible portion of her cookery, I requested to be shown to my sleeping-room, that I might lose all sense of my chagrin in the repose I needed. I was ushered into a den, where five sacks of rice, covered with a rug, pointed out to me the accommodations of my dormitory.

I started from the place, and took refuge in a coffee-shop, where I tried to amuse myself by playing at dominoes with four Turks, who cheated me in the most bare-faced manner, and whenever I won a game did me the honour to insinuate that I could not have played honestly. Having had enough of this, I resumed my narghileh, and shortly afterwards retired to my sacks.

I had scarcely been there long enough fully to appreciate my luxurious couch, when a wild dog, who had, easily no doubt, obtained an entrance to the house, thrust his nose under my door, and howled after a fashion peculiar only to such performers. It was loud, shrill, piercing, melancholy, horrible, and diabolical: it thrilled one’s nerves, set one’s teeth on edge, made one’s arteries throb, and was eminently inducive to a fit of raging madness.

For some time I indulged in a little resignation, and a liberal allowance of imprecations. The cur howled louder than ever. I thought if I took no notice of him, he must soon get tired of his exertions and would then quietly walk himself off. He soon proved that he had merely been trifling with his strength. Maddened by the increasing din, I shouted at him, in my most menacing voice, to take himself “out of that,” with the greatest possible dispatch. It seemed then as if he had suddenly become a Cerberus, and had three throats to howl with instead of one. I should have got up before, to have stopped his serenade, had I not known the state of the flooring and the probability if I moved in the dark, of my disappearing into the rooms beneath at my first step.

The row continuing with, if anything, increased fury, I thought conciliation might serve me better than force. I therefore cautiously made my way to the door, on my hands and knees, and invited the noisy brute to share my accommodations. This brought peace. He at once took possession of my bed, with the confidence of one who knows his own rights, and I was left to my own reflections, till daylight and Daireh made their appearance.

I left Rosetta without much sorrow, and rode rapidly back to Alexandria, admiring as I rode along the numerous wild flowers that beautified my path. I counted fifteen varieties, among which were marigolds, poppies, daisies, geraniums and orchises; they were so abundant that the air was full of their fragrance.

The Indian Mail had at last arrived from Suez, and with many warm shakes of the hand to our European friends, whose sympathy and kindness had already given us a taste of home, we stepped on board the small harbour-boats, and were rowed towards our steamer. We found that the same vessel which had brought us to Africa was destined to carry us thence.

Our faithful servants were with us to the last moment, and as they respectfully, yet most affectionately, kissed our hands, let more than one tear fall upon them. Mahomet was so affected, that he could hardly be persuaded to present himself for the final leave-taking. At last they quitted us, and covering their faces as they descended into their boats, were rowed away.

Let me here recommend to all travellers in the East, these three most faithful domestics. Left alone with us in a position in which, perhaps, no dragoman was ever left before, they behaved in a way which has greatly raised the Arab character in our estimation, and left us a recollection of services never to be erased from our memory.

It may be useful to add, that they can always be heard of from Mr. Walne, Her Majesty’s Consul at Cairo, or from the master of the Hôtel de l’Europe.

A very picturesque scene the calm harbour of Alexandria presented on that last afternoon. The beautiful French mail-steamer was just loosing her cables and getting up her steam; the ‘Ripon’ from England was unloading her cargo of boxes into barges towed by government boats, manned by a dozen white clad sailors; a handsome French sloop-of-war lay close beside us: there were graceful vessels in every direction, and the most glorious of sunsets filled both sky and sea with splendour as far as the eye could penetrate.

Whilst Egypt was putting forth this brilliant aspect, we were forced to take our farewell. Presently we sailed out of the harbour; in time the glowing shore faded from our view, and then we again began to think of that home to which our thoughts had been so constantly directed during the whole of the latter portion of our tour.

Since the foregoing pages were printed, there has appeared in the Constitutionnel a long note bearing date, Constantinople, Sept. 4, 1851, addressed by the Sublime Porte to the Viceroy of Egypt, of which my readers have, no doubt, seen a translation in some of the English journals. The object of the document is to administer a sharp reproof to Abbas Pasha, for having presumed to enter into an arrangement with an English engineer to construct a railway in Egypt, without the authorization of the Imperial Government at Constantinople, and, in plain terms, to inform the Viceroy that he must not only have that authorization before such an undertaking can be permitted, but before he can obtain this, that he must prove to the satisfaction of the Imperial Government, that the revenues of the country show a sufficient surplus to meet the necessary expenses for the construction of the railway, and, moreover, enter into a formal guarantee that no new taxes shall be levied on the inhabitants to meet such a contingency—that the present taxes shall not be increased for the same purpose—that the people should not be compelled to labour gratuitously in the works, and that no loan for it shall be contracted, or assistance obtained from foreign companies.

In other words, and in a style indicating that this communication proceeded from the most paternal government in the world, it attempts to throw so many obstacles in the way of this grand enterprise as to amount to a prohibition. Knowing how much real interest the Sultan has shown for the prosperity of the Egyptian people, and with what unceasing jealousy he has watched the exertions of their rulers for their advancement in wealth and intelligence, it is not difficult to appreciate his present interposition.

In some instances a reference to the charity that begins at home has an immense significance, and this possibly may be one of them; but surely the indifference of the Government of Constantinople to the designs of Mehemet Ali, that were carried on with a total disregard to all human interests but his own, ought to have been considered sufficient authority to his successor for carrying out the boldest and wisest undertaking that has ever been heard of in Egypt. The construction of the railway from Alexandria to Cairo is absolutely bringing one of the least civilized of Eastern nations to a participation in some of the greatest advantages enjoyed by the more advanced of the Western nations. Its importance to England it is scarcely possible to exaggerate. And here lies the true reason and cause of the document to which I have been referring.

Our estimable neighbours on the other side of the Channel do not regard our intimate relations with Egypt, and the facilities we there possess for expediting our communications with our Indian empire, with that amiability which distinguishes them on other occasions; it is presumed that they would very gladly put an end to them, and bring about a state of things as nearly as possible resembling what they have effected in Greece and Spain. This object was steadily held in view by the Marquis de Lavalette, while Consul-General of France in Egypt, for he there made himself conspicuous by his opposition to everything that the Egyptian Government contemplated, which he thought in any way conducive to the interests of Great Britain. For these patriotic exertions he has since been appointed Minister of France at Constantinople.

The Turkish Government, it is now evident, have not turned a deaf ear to his representations, insinuations, and suggestions—the usual ambassadorial artillery. The Sultan has been prevailed upon to declare his opposition to the railway, which must be of such vast consequence to the future prosperity of Egypt and—of England; and the declaration has been made in language that does honour to French diplomacy.

It now remains for our own Government to ascertain precisely the intentions of the ministers of the President of France, to whom they have so disinterestedly afforded their support; and I sincerely trust they will see the necessity of upholding the cause of Abbas Pasha, in a manner becoming the dignity of the British empire.

As these sheets have for the second time passed through the press, I take advantage of the opportunity this affords me, of bringing my hasty narrative of Egyptian affairs down to the present time.

The representations of M. de la Fayette exercised so much influence over the Turkish Government, which had for several years been jealously watchful of every proceeding of the Egyptian Viceroy, that it seemed disposed to exercise its superiority in a manner as offensive to him, as it could by any possibility be made. I believe that Sir Stratford Canning, our able Ambassador at Constantinople, made some efforts in behalf of Abbas Pasha; but either they were not sufficiently energetic to influence the Sultan, or the determination of his ministers to pursue a policy of the most stringent character, with their Sovereign’s powerful vassal, was too resolute to be easily shaken, and the Imperial Government appeared bent on its course, of making the Pasha a cypher in his own province.

The intention of the Sultan to stop the proposed railway in Egypt, created considerable excitement in England, particularly among the mercantile community. A public meeting was held in London on the 14th of October last, in which resolutions were passed expressive of its sympathy with Abbas Pasha. The extent to which the suppression of the railroad would affect English interests, and the propriety of this country interposing to prevent the enlightened ruler of Egypt being deprived, by the jealousy of the Turkish ministers, of those powers which his family had been permitted to exercise since they had held the government of the country, became so generally understood and widely canvassed, that the stir thus created, reached our minister at the Turkish capital, and his representations to the Sublime Porte grew more urgent. The result was, that the construction of the railroad was permitted under certain conditions, which, however, if strictly followed, would render its completion impossible. In consequence of this limited approval, English engineers of eminence have since been employed in deciding upon the best line, and in making arrangements for conquering the difficulties that lay in the way of its formation.

The most offensive feature in the restrictions which the Government of the Sultan seeks to lay upon the rule of the Pasha, took the shape of the Tanzimat—a law by which the Imperial Government would deprive the Pasha of his right of inflicting the punishment of death, in his own dominions. As such a law would deprive Abbas Pasha of all respect among Arabs, Nubians, and Egyptians, the Pasha has hitherto evaded every attempt to introduce it into Egypt.

If forced into a struggle with the Imperial Government on this point, he looks for assistance from this country: nor ought he to look for it in vain. It is almost impossible to over-estimate the importance of our upholding the cause of a ruler who has it in his power to advance the interests of this country to an incalculable extent. Public opinion has declared itself in his favour. Of this he has been made aware in a manner that evidently afforded him the highest satisfaction; for on the 27th of December last, a deputation from the public meeting, to which I just now referred, headed by Arthur Anderson, Esq., M.P., waited on the Pasha, by appointment, at his palace of Abbasia, to express the sentiments of that meeting, and the feeling of the English people generally. His Highness received the deputation with unusual distinction, and expressed his great satisfaction at the sympathy for his position, of which the communication he had just heard, assured him.

Not the smallest of the marvels of 1851, is the fact of some two or three gentlemen, proceeding from their quiet English homes to the coast of Africa, to express to the Sovereign of a scarcely civilized State, the compliment which had been paid to him in a meeting of London merchants. Abbas Pasha, however, is well worthy of such embassies: and we trust that the people of this country will prove in a still more demonstrative manner, when a proper occasion occurs, their appreciation of his services in the cause of civilization and commerce.

THE END.