occasion to go to the wells, saw a crowd of them approaching, either
with intent to fill up those by no means deep springs, which they ought
already to have done, and which even now they could yet so easily have
done, as, in spite of their high importance to the camp, their distance
from it, and my urgent representations, that as usual were vain, these
wells had been left all night without a guard,—or to attack the weaker
side of the camp, make themselves masters of our supply of powder, or
blow it and us into the air. That our whole store of powder was only
guarded by a weak picquet of one sergeant and ten men, was doubtless
well known to them, as well as the other arrangements of our camp, for
they had many spies among the attendants of the Sheiks who accompanied
us, and every day many Arabs were admitted to the camp, who brought for
sale butter and honey, here very white and excellent. On this night
alarm, a part of the infantry, without waiting for orders, had advanced
to the wells, but the incompetency of their leaders had here again done
wrong, as the Pascha immediately sent them back again. The guard over
the powder store had also quitted their post to take part in the dearly
loved firing, and what was yet worse, a Bimbaschi had posted himself and
party close beside this powder, and set his men firing right over it
towards the wells, though on that side it was totally without any
protecting covering, even such as a few branches or sods of turf might
have given it, and by his doings threatened death and destruction to
all. Fortunately, the Pascha soon observed both these stupid tricks, and
instantly replaced the guard over the powder, forbidding all firing near
it; if he went a little farther, and made a small example of the
offenders, we cannot say but it would certainly have been well. I now
see every day more clearly, that if I would gain any point with the
Pascha, I must not give him direct advice; and that by doing so, I also
expose myself to be used as intercessor with him by his officers, when
they wish any of their own numerous wants, or those of their men,
attended to.
The Arabs had instantly retreated after the first firing, though not
without loss, as some dead men were found near and about the wells; so
it was boldly asserted, that their loss was not less than the round sum
of sixty men, and certainly there were many more bloody traces running
into the bush than yesterday. That during the skirmish some of our own
men were killed and wounded by their comrades, we cannot state as fact,
but it is highly probable it was so, as our people shot in any direction
they fancied, and so, during future night attacks, we being more alarmed
for our friends’ fire than our foe’s lances, resolved to remain quietly
in our tents, and this we did even after my brother was perfectly
recovered.
The blacks do not seem at all to admire the business, for with them
desertion is the daily order of things, and they are in the right; the
soldiers are miserably off for food, they get nothing but belila (durra
boiled in water, without aught else), and the water must be allowed to
stand and filter for twelve hours ere it can be drunk, so dirty is it.
But the most dreadful plague is the intolerable heat, and this is doubly
torturing from a hot wind, like a simoon, which suddenly fills the air
with a fine sand that produces itching eruptions on the skin.
CHAP. IV.
A Turkish Camp. — Mohammed Din. — Negroes. — Egyptian Apothecaries. —
Tribute. — Nile Expedition. — Monsieur Thibaut. — Diseases. — Natives’
Self-Admiration. — An Adventurer. — Madame Vigoureux.
_11th April._—At last we are again in motion, having started at mid-day,
a comfortable hour truly for both man and beast; my brother so weak he
could hardly sit on his camel. In the bush we again saw the marks of
burning, but the effect was here trifling. After half an hour we reached
open ground, where the Pascha, as was his custom, lay down under some
trees, and concerned himself not as to what might happen to the rest.
There he remained upwards of an hour, awaiting the enemy, as it was
said, but none appeared, though Mohammed Din had threatened something of
the kind, asserting he was resolved to die, as the Pascha would give him
no aman (pardon or quarter). At three o’clock the army were allowed to
form their camp, while the Pascha rode out right and left reconnoitring,
advancing on till he came to an endless durra field, yet green, but no
water was hit on. The Schaigies had to accompany him, and, alas! we
also, though half dead from the dust and wind.
_12th April._—Yesterday’s ride has told. I have almost all night long
had violent fever, with nervous convulsions; my brother escaped no
better, and we passed all night in delirious dreaming, unable to aid
each other. It was a mad conversation. When I had an easier moment, and
somewhat recovered my senses, I heard Joseph talking away in all
languages, but not to me; when he had a lucid minute, then his case was
mine, mine his. To-day we mutually joked each other, but a sorry jest it
was, nor could we hide from each other our mutual fears for each other’s
life. Two nights before I had been slightly delirious. What can courage
or heart do without health or intellect? In the morning the Pascha sent
the cavalry on to some wells that the Schaigies, with keen scent, had
smelt out, not far off, behind the durra fields. Ere long, he, leaving
camp and baggage without any covering force, set forward himself to have
these wells opened, as they had been filled up. Again at mid-day, in the
most fearful heat, came the order for the camp to follow him; but no one
troubled their heads as to any regular order, or protective measures
during its advance. My brother gazed in alarm on me, as, besides other
bad symptoms, my tongue had become brown; we wound our long white shawls
turbanlike round our heads, and placed our hoods over them, as some
protection against the sun’s scorching rays. We rode almost an hour in a
track running through immense fields of exceedingly high durra, here and
there intersected by rows of trees; the soil all along seemed
exceedingly good, and everywhere the Arabs had most neatly led runs for
irrigation. On arriving in camp, we found some dozen wells had been
cleared out, and for each so cleared, the soldiers won fifty paras; but
now all were in full work, forming with trees and thorns an inclosure
round the camp. Mohammed Ladjam sent us a curious scorpion,—pity it was
so much injured; it was almost two fingers in length, black-brown in
colour, tail and feet covered with thorn-like hairs, and nippers as
large as those of a small crab. The Pascha stated that he had seen one
in Hedschas, though somewhat less, with a double sting.
Axes were issued out to the troops, but such axes!—one finger’s length
long, and two broad! It is certainly a most amusing scene to watch a
Turkish camp being pitched. All run against and through each other, men,
camels, horses, asses, all mixed and mingling, each chooses out the spot
that suits him best, there plants himself and beast, without the
slightest heed being paid to forming divisions or leaving passages. We
threw ourselves down under a green tree near a cotton plantation, while
our servants unloaded our camels, pitched our tent, &c., and from under
our carpets, over my legs and my brother’s face, out hurried and made
off, a snake some six feet long. Astonished we indeed were, but too
wearied to move, and remained calmly reposing, though ere long the very
same snake, having been killed by the attendants of the Sheik Defalla,
was brought back to us. After a time one becomes careless as to
scorpions and other such reptiles. The Pascha had also hit on a shady
tree, but had not allowed his tent to be set up, which led me to fancy
he expected an attack, when his tent would have pointed out his
whereabouts to the foe. About evening we struck our own, and for the
same wise reasons as had prevented the Pascha’s being erected. But the
tent of the Kaimakan Sorop Effendi had to remain up, to pass, in the
enemy’s eye, for the Pascha’s, although it was not fifty paces from the
tree under which the latter had settled himself.
_13th April._—The country where we now are, is called El Gash, from the
Gohr of like name; the nearest village is one named Aronga. All over our
camping ground are now built bower-like huts, of branches and fresh
green durra straw; these, called Recubas, are far cooler and pleasanter
than tents. From the hut of our herculean neighbour, Mohammed Defalla,
crept about mid-day, a snake like that of yesterday: it was, too, soon
killed, and measured six feet two inches; they called it an assala
(Python Sebæ); about the same hour came into camp, with six hundred
dromedaries and seventy horses, Abu Sin, the great Sheik of the
Schukurie. The Pascha had gone out to meet him, with all the cavalry and
regimental bands. Abu Sin is a handsome large man, with noble
countenance, and his character is described by all as vigorous, able,
and generous.
_14th April._—It is certainly, as usual, excessively warm, but the air
here seems better and purer than at any of our former camping places;
the same may also be said of the water, which, though drank in large
quantities, has no ill effect. Serpents are brought us daily, but
generally so much injured as not to be fit for stuffing. After much
negotiation, there arrived to-day the much talked of and feared great
Sheik, Mohammed Din, with a pretty numerous train, and dismounted at the
hut of our neighbour, Sheik Defalla, who had ridden out to meet him on
his great war horse. Greatly was our curiosity aroused to behold this so
famed man, the defeater of the Turks under Churschid Pascha; but far
greater was that of the soldiery, who, with unblushing boldness, pressed
into the tents, although most assuredly, ere now, many of them had
trembled before him. All were satisfied, and went away from gazing at
him gladdened and rejoicing. Mohammed Din is of middle size, black-brown
like all his race; at first sight his face says little, but more closely
examined, one sees in it much cunning; his head, bald on the crown, is
uncovered, his dress Arab, but his trowsers of fine red cloth. The
Pascha well sees the importance of the moment, and excuses himself from
receiving him under plea of illness, but appoints this morning for an
audience. The train of Mohammed Din most truly consists of a parcel of
most unmitigated looking rascals, and it really does seem as if nature
had stamped on the faces of these Haddenda the faithless character
ascribed by all to the race. All are above the middle size, and armed
with shields and lance or sword.
_15th April._—This morning we beheld the Effendina sitting on the throne
of his angareb, while on both sides of it stood on the ground, in solemn
silence, many Sheiks, and among them the great Mohammed Din, who seemed
in deep thought, and gazed as if much humbled on the earth before him.
Much cause he has indeed to muse, to reflect on his venturous step, for
he has walked into the net, a lion in the toils, and our friend the
Pascha seemed resolved to let him feel it was so; only after a time did
he present him with the dress of honour, a red shawl and tarboosch as
turban, an under dress, and purple mantle with gold buttons and tassels,
but the sabre that generally accompanies the dress was not given, and
this is held as a bad sign. Mohammed Din promised to send presents of
cows and sheep to the camp, and next day rode away with his followers. A
number of snakes were this day slain, many soldiers having been bitten
by such reptiles. In spite of the friendship entered into with Mohammed
Din, the Haddenda still hover round the camp stealing the camels.
_17th April._—Mohammed Din has arrived with a present of two hundred
cattle and two hundred sheep. All pots and pans are sought out with
smiling faces, although the great men have appropriated the lion’s share
of the prey to themselves. Mussa, the twelve year old son of Mohammed
Din, paid us a visit in our recuba; he has a negro cast of features,
wore heavy gold rings in his ears, and coloured silk trowsers. He showed
no curiosity, nor did his mental faculties seem to have been cultivated;
he could not talk Arabic, only his own Aggem. A great stretch of the
woods is on fire, how or why no one knows, such things are matters of
indifference to the Turks.
_19th April._—To-night it has rained, a curious occurrence here at this
season of the year; from this the air is somewhat cooler, the breeze for
the first time refreshing. Mohammed Din has again departed to bring in a
part of the tribute laid on his tribe; he wore the same dress as at
first, with the white handkerchief the Pascha had given him as sign of
pardon, tied round his neck. Poor man! what will this sign of peace
avail you? Melek Mammud accompanies him with his Schaigies. He took a
mysterious farewell of us, inviting us to visit him, and become
acquainted with yonder country. This daring leader of Schaigies seems to
have received some secret instructions as regards Mohammed Din, but how
far his men may follow them seems doubtful, as they are all for war and
nothing else.
_22nd April._—Mohammed Din has again returned, but tulba, (tribute) he
has brought none; so to-day all the Sheiks have been warned, that only
one month’s time will be allowed for them to bring in their
contributions, and in that time it must unfailingly be done. We,
brothers, are in the meantime laid daily under contributions by these
Arabs, for their much loved aragi (properly araki, from _arak_, sweet, a
kind of brandy made from lees of wine or from rice). Not a little were
we at first astonished at their coolness, nay, barefaced impudence, in
their asking and begging for all that pleased them, while it never
occurs to any one of them to make the slightest return on their side,
and any little courtesy these men do deign to display, is only when they
hope to gain a special advantage by it. My brother has long ere now
attended professionally on many of the Sheiks, furnishing them with
medicines from our own store, and now, in their own land, it is almost
impossible to procure milk, honey, or even a fat sheep, though all of
these they have in abundance. To-day we have had the pleasure of making
the acquaintance of the great Sheik (Sheik Kebir), of the tribe of Beni-
Amer, between Habesch, the Red Sea, and the country of the Haddenda; but
he must pardon us if we style him Pecus campi, and express our surprise
how he can be held in any respect or estimation whatever, even by his
own race. He is great, powerful, rich in camels, horses, cattle; in
constant barter-trading with Habesch, and therefore has to pay a heavy
tribute. The uncle of the Scheik, a very aged man, is of true herculean
figure, but rather stout. My brother cured him of a disease in the leg,
and, as his fee, had also to give him some bottles of aragi. He is
still, though very old, with white hair and limping, a wild fellow, and
an old lance is never out of his hand. If by chance he has drunk too
much aragi or merissa, no very rare occurrence and sees a handsome horse
or camel (in his own land), he at once asks for it, and if the Arab
owner does not immediately comply, away goes the old lance through him.
For his ferocity and strength all fear him; these, and his colossal
figure, such as is seldom seen in this land, have gained him the name of
Fill (Elephant).
It is singular, that with the strong bodies that both Negroes and Arabs
here possess, none have any calves to their legs—neither man, nor woman.
In the Negresses especially, as also in most of the women of Bellad-
Sudan, the posteriors and thighs are much developed, but the under part
of the legs are like sticks. None can boast of finer arms than these
races, the women’s full and round, with well-turned elbows, and small
delicate hands, the men’s strong and muscular, the breast high and
arched. Truly beautiful are the bosoms of the young maidens, and of the
women who have not yet borne children; small and most symmetrical in
form, hard as stone to the touch, the nipples generally pointing
outwards, and in such an erect state, that not rarely the firda is worn
through in front by them. But, alas! alas! for these beautiful bosoms
after a single child-birth! During child-bearing these are swollen,
often to double their former size, and after the child has been long
suckled, or at the end of that business, one sees on the youngest and
prettiest wives, long empty breasts hanging down to the belly, which,
from their smoothness, limpness, and many folds, resemble two long empty
tobacco pouches, or, if one likes it better, two pieces of skin laid
flat on each other. These repulsive looking bags they always leave bare
and exposed to view, without the slightest blush, and it seems that here
men’s ideas of beauty in a woman do not depend at all on this part of
the female form, but include all in her _facultates occultæ_. After the
first child-bearing, the abdomen, before so delicately arched, is
disfigured by knobs and wrinkles, to an extent that as far as my
brother’s medical experience went, he had never known common among white
women; and this appearance among the women of these races, plainly
declared, that they marry and bear children ere their bodies are fully
matured. Nothing arrives at such sound maturity in these warm climes,
where all develops itself so infinitely quicker than in cooler lands,
and this rapid development, especially during child-bearing,—an epoch of
evolution, which even with our matured women forces the body into all
fulness of bloom,—works doubly injuriously on these half-matured girl-
mothers. Nature and bodily power have both been overtasked; then comes
the long suckling, the exclusive conversion of the small supply of
nourishment to the use of the child, at the expense of the mother’s
body, which afterwards cannot recover its exhausted powers, or gather
sufficient strength to return to its former state. The extension of the
skin and enlargement of the vessels are too sudden and rapid for the
diminished powers of contraction to bring them back to a normal state;
and herein lies, aided by the ever bad food, the continued consumption
of vital power, which evidently, in every warm climate, produces that
rapid advent of old age and ugliness among the women, as is only too
plainly the case, even among the boasted beauties of Greece and
Circassia.
As an exception, and perhaps from a feeling of good neighbourhood, the
Sheik Defalla sent us to-day some sweet milk, but it had already been
drawn some two hours, was firm, and in this state tasted well here,
though it had neither the slight sourness, refreshing flavour, nor
slight coating of cream, like our fresh milk, but a much sweeter taste.
So rapidly and inexplicably does each change of health and body go on
here, that at noon to-day both myself and brother were well again, and
eat with excellent appetites; but after a short siesta which we took
(when our meal was over), I awoke with strong fever, without being able
in the most distant way to account for it. The great difference of
temperature between day and night has, however, brought catarrhs and
coughs on one-half the inmates of our camp, although it has hardly gone
so far as to reach ague or intermittent fevers in any; but, on the other
hand, syphilis prevails among the soldiers, as is most commonly the
case. The Pascha to-day told us that in a weak battalion at Wollet
Medine, 250 men suffered under this disease. Our cavalry, as well as the
Schaigies and artillery, are ill off when sickness attacks any of them,
as they have neither surgeon, medicine, nor hospital; and when my
brother cannot prevail upon himself to leave them totally without
medicine, he is compelled to prescribe it as if for some man of the
infantry. The medicines for such stranger Sheiks as fall ill, are
charged to the Pascha’s account. He has now at length finally settled
with these Sheiks their tulba or contributions, and they to-day all set
out, to proceed to their countries beyond the Beni Amer, to collect it.
Some take small guards of twenty or thirty soldiers with them, thus to
give more weight in their own lands to their demands, as there hatred
against the Turks is united to Arab innate greed and avarice. Some few
single Arabs still prowl about our camp, and it is therefore dangerous
to send out the camels to feed, as they steal the beasts, or take them
by violence from their keepers, when the latter are asleep or alone.
There have already been many establishments set up for the sale of
merissa; the blacks seem totally unable to exist without this noble
drink, or perhaps they would, by copious libations of it, repay their
throats for swallowing the horrible mixtures which, during illness, the
field apothecaries force them to take under the name of medicines. It is
most scandalous to see how the Egyptian druggists, without exception,
cheat government. Not only do they embezzle all linen furnished for
hospital uses, to dress their own servants out with it, but they
themselves use all the sugar intended for the sick, sell the medicines
clandestinely, and have carried this so far with the here so all-
necessary quinine and spiritus wucher, as to have none left, and now do
not blush to manufacture false trash to issue in their stead. Ill it
must go with them if any change of rule in Egypt causes a sharper eye to
be kept on their doings; and among all of them in the Egyptian employ,
there are not three who could pass the slightest medical examination of
any European College of Surgeons. And where is the wonder it is so, as
they are mostly a kind of wholesale, sham production, from the
manufactory of Mr. Clot Bey, who, as _Chef du conseil général de santé_,
can, in three months under him in Cairo, form out of common artisans
skilful medical men, as was the case of the apothecary under my brother,
who had before been a working goldsmith in Cairo; and of another of
these _medicos_, whom I had known before as an honest knight of the
thimble. As a matter of course, such men as these were ever going wrong
and committing the most fearful blunders; but as for money-making, “_per
fas et nefas_,” they were more expert, and follow ably the example set
them by all the higher officials. Often did these gentry seek to make
money in an allowed but most degrading way, and among others Gaetani
Bey, the private surgeon of Mohammed Ali, who in Faszogl sold at
enormous prices, with his own Bey’s hands, false pearls, large and
small, to the negroes, and cheated them in the counting too. No one
would credit the roguery and cheating that went on in the _conseil
général de santé_ itself, who was not well acquainted with the state of
things in Egypt; but all formed themselves after the example of their
great master, and from him down to the lowest _employé_ of his
department, runs a firmly-linked chain of like-minded and like-acting
officials.
Already are the new branding-irons fabricated by Topschi Baschi, all in
readiness to mark the expected contributions of camels, horses, cattle,
cotton goods, &c.; and also two iron stars have been made—horrible
barbarity!—for branding the new-made slaves. Our greatest plague is
again the fearful heat, especially at noon and in the afternoon; one is
ever in a constant sweat, even when sitting perfectly quiet, and
everything is now wanting that could contribute to the commonest wants
or enjoyments. Our Arabs are equally great admirers of tobacco as of
onions, but in Taka there is as little of the one as the other, and not
a single date is to be got, as here no date trees are known. Myself and
brother would only too gladly advance farther into the country, and so
become more closely acquainted with it, and its inhabitants, their
manners, and way of life; but with one voice all counsel us, as we
regard our own heads, to await a more suitable time. No great friendship
does, in truth, seem to exist between the inmates of the camp and the
natives, as never are any of the tribe of the Haddenda seen inside our
fence, although these have retired no further into the Chaaba than some
two hours’ journey from hence; but well do the measures of precaution,
daily taken, show the light in which these people are viewed. Not only,
every night, do the Turkish cavalry, Schaigies, and Magrabins bivouack
outside the main camp and keep strict watch, but the infantry also place
strong guards at the thorn bulwark, one half of this force being under
arms before, the other after midnight. Most nights the Pascha himself
goes, with his rabut, patrolling, and this, wielded by no light hand,
plays all night, not on the soldiers’ backs alone, but on the officers
also, when anything is found out of order. Doubtless, all this is most
necessary, for leaders as well as soldiers are just the men to sleep all
night long, and leave it to “Allah kerim” whether the enemy are to
surprise them or not.