Mehemet Ali declared a religious war, which was highly approved of by
the Porte. The latter hoped to see that by this the ever-increasing
powers of the Pascha, would be much weakened (a favourite plan of the
Porte as regards such powerful vassals); but the old wily Pascha gladly
used this approval of the sultan to increase his army greatly, and
organise it in European style and to European tactics. Nor did he fail
to inflame the Moslem with zeal for the holy war, and so win again to
his side those bigots who had been much estranged from him by his many
innovations and new institutions, and lead them to publicly proclaim
that it was the duty of every Mussulman to advance to the aid and
protection of the country of the Holy Prophet, especially to that of
Mecca and Medina, the former of which, along with the great chaaba,
contains within its walls also the Well and Baths of Purification.
Never, for a moment either, did his calculating mind lose sight of the
ports of the Red Sea and their trade with India (Hind), the influence of
the large caravans, which brought from all parts of the world where
Islam existed crowds of pilgrims to the holy shrines and purifying
springs, or the quantity of gold these pilgrims or future Hadji expended
(a highly honourable title among both Greeks and Turks, and gained by
such pilgrimages), and by their means opening up an intercourse with the
land of Yemen, and its rich and important trading city of Mocca, where
coffee already yields such great gains. It may here be remarked, in
passing, that the richer inhabitants of Yemen, as also those of Hedjas,
do not use the beans of the coffee in preparing that liquid, but the
inner shell or skin that contains these, which they hold to be much
higher and better flavoured; they also mix in their coffee cloves,
cinnamon, aromatic spices and gums, so that this beverage with them is
very similar to a perfumed cordial. Nor do they drink it in such small
portions as are usual in Egypt and Turkey, but the attending slave holds
ready a large vessel, from which he fills the cups as often as they are
emptied, while his masters sit and smoke their well-loved long
dschihschi[13] pipes, with long tubes passed through water, that the
smoke may come cold to the mouth, and which, when a few inveterate
smokers meet together, keep up a boiling and bubbling noise, not unlike
a distant corps of drummers in full performance.
The battle with the races of Arabia now began, but never had any of
Mehemet Ali’s former wars devoured so many bleeding victims as this with
the races of Hedjas and Yemen. Their lands proved a bottomless gulph
that nothing could satisfy; and only by the greatest exertions, did he
in the end manage to overrun, and in a measure conquer, these tribes.
For although, after long-continued marches of twenty-four or twenty-six
hours, without the smallest rest, among rocky hills, burning plains,
without water, every where harassed by Arabs and tormented by fearful
heat, the Egyptian army held out stoutly, and behaved bravely, still the
mountain district of land called Assir, between Hedjas and Yemen, proved
a refuge not to be forced, and one he never could win, as the _élite_ of
the population, composed of a body of not more than five hundred
warriors, holding themselves distinct from the others, have, by their
wild courage and fiery love of fatherland, ever been victorious, and
triumphantly beaten off all attacks.[14]
But to the conscienceless Pascha, this destructive and murderous war was
most welcome, as it afforded the best and surest vent for getting rid of
those restless fellows who stood in the way of his plans. To it were
sent all whose deaths were desired; to it were insubordinate regiments
despatched, and to it were thousands on thousands of Arnauts hurried
off. By these most assuredly had Mehemet Ali been raised to power. By
their love of blood he had swept his foes from his path and made firm
his rule, but now no longer did the master want his tools; their claims
and demands were too great, their excesses and cruelties were the dread
of the land, and so the cunning Pascha gladly availed himself of this
excellent opportunity of sending them to destruction, causing them to be
most anxious to go, by dazzling their eyes with visions of rich booty
and unrestrained plunder and bloodshed. Nay! so far did old Ali carry
his shameless inhumanity, as to give secret orders to his trusted
officers to “expend” the Arnauts in every way; and so, during the march
to Arabia, many of these latter were ordered on distant expeditions into
the deserts, with certain promise that camels should be sent after them
with food and water: but no supplies were ever sent, and those
unfortunate men were allowed to perish miserably in the wastes from
thirst and starvation. If Mehemet Ali sought a defence for such
barbarity, one well suited to him might be found in this, that his own
safety and the maintenance of his power demanded the extirpation of
these Arnauts; and certainly from his refusal to admit their claims, and
the evil way in which he rewarded their former services, as well as
their ever being at the call of him who paid best, they were,
undoubtedly, most ready and able to attach themselves to any other
aspirant to power, and well fitted to ably assist in overturning the
wily old Pascha, already most hateful from his many innovations, and
increasing rapacity,—a ruin all the easier effected, as there was always
in the country a strong party hostile to him, and this was supported
both by the Porte and by the remains of the Mamalukes, who still
existed, though in secret. These Arnauts had also, ere now, threatened
his life in Cairo, on his refusing to yield to their violent demands.
On this occasion, assembling in great bodies, they marched through the
city with shouts and riotings, threatening to lay it all in ashes,
committing every kind of crime, and at last surrounded the citadel of
Jussuff or Sal-ed-din, the beautiful acropolis of Cairo, and began
formally to besiege it, purposing to capture it, and with it the Pascha,
and murder him. But the old fox probably foreseeing these plans, or
having had some hint of the intended mutiny, had, during the preceding
night, stolen out of the citadel to the palace of his son-in-law on the
Esbekieh, and at once seeing that his power was endangered, failed not
to avert the evil. His confidential messengers were immediately with the
most influential leaders of the revolters, and weighty purses changed
hands and altered murderous intentions; inactivity and quarrels filled
the camp, and suddenly a proposal was heard, probably started by the
cunning Pascha’s emissaries, that it would be better fun to plunder the
city, than remain idle before the fortress. This idea, so well adapted
to the character of these troops, was hardly hinted at, when a small
body being left to watch the citadel, all set off and broke into the
richest bazaars of the city, there robbed, spoiled, and plundered,
cutting down and murdering all who offered the smallest hindrance to
their savage fury and bloody greed. There, too, was slain, the youngest
and fairest daughter of the Prussian consul, Bokhti, who was shot by an
Albanian whose path she unfortunately crossed. The richest spoils were
sold for a song, and the coin thus got was lavished in excesses of all
kinds, and in these the drunken Arnauts forgot all about siege or
Pascha. But by the latter every use was made of the time gained: in all
haste the nearest quartered regiments of the line were sent for, and, on
arriving, distributed partly in the citadel, partly posted at the most
important points and commanding situations of the city; so the Arnauts,
on awaking from their debauch, found themselves outwitted, and on
Mehemet Ali promising them speedy payment of their arrears, they marched
quietly back to their former quarters. The pay, wondrous to say, they
did receive, but as surely were all, under one or other excuse,
despatched into countries from which for them there was no return. The
merchants ruined by the Pascha’s stratagem received some millions of
piastres as indemnification, but, as may be easily supposed, this sum
nothing like covered their losses.
The conduct of the Arnauts from Rumelia, Albania, and elsewhere, during
their time of power, is almost incredible. Not one night passed in
Cairo, that a number of men were not murdered by them in the most public
streets and places. Ever drunk, they wandered about the town, and more
than one Frank was shot down merely because he was a Frank: but not
alone did Franks suffer; as they spared neither country, sex, or age;
every inhabitant trembled at their approach, and at the sight of their
yatachans[15], with which they most dexterously sliced off men’s heads,
as well as before the ever-loaded pistols stuck in their girdles, and
never laid aside day or night, asleep or waking. They spread fear and
horror around them on all sides, and were, in one word, the pest of
Egypt. Never did I gaze on countenances that more strongly testified to
savage passions, and eager love of blood, than those of these Arnauts;
such vile and savage faces never did I see, not even among the
infuriated and wild Greeks, during their war of freedom, when, in the
pomegranate groves of Ti Myli (Lerna, near Argos), they roasted alive
their Turkish captives. Their characters are in true keeping with their
debauched and brutally savage features. Their dress and equipments
perfect the horrors of their appearance; they wear dirty ragged
tarbushes dragged down low over the eyes, or carelessly hanging on one
side of the head, the bull-like neck and brown breast ever bared, a
jacket, always at first of a yellow colour, but now from age, holes, and
dirt, colourless, and under it a gay vest of many hues; the once white
Albanian or Grecian shirt[16] with large wide sleeves, but now black or
brown, as washing it never knew. This shirt falls like a tunic over
their short breeches; their leggings generally fastened with innumerable
buttons, are of a different colour from the jacket, usually bright red
or green, and the naked foot is thrust into old slippers. Over an old
torn scarf or shawl is worn a leathern girdle, in which are carried
their ornaments, all valuables, and deadly weapons of every kind; at the
back hang two small leathern pouches for powder and ball, along with a
small flask holding oil for their arms; during war they carry a long
musket, and with it, in spite of its short and awkward stock, they take
sure and deadly aim. When I last met with them, they had formed a camp
near Cairo, and my brother, as medicine major of the chief hospital,
Kasr-el-ain, received orders to visit their sick. Arm in arm we held our
way boldly down the centre of the street, till near the gates we fell in
with two bodies of them, singing, shouting, and half drunk, who seemed
inclined to block up the way. My brother cried out “dropp” (out of
that); what charm lay in the word I know not, but the line opened and we
passed through uninsulted, though in European garb. Ere long we met the
second body, and passed them in like way, but in doing so, I greeted one
or two of them in Greek, on which many of them rushed up to me, and
hailing me as a brother and compatriot, embraced me, insisting on
escorting us into the camp. These Arnauts are merely irregular troops,
acting as tiralleurs, and generally as it pleases themselves; their
officers are always fellow-countrymen. Brave and death defying they are,
but only on those occasions when they look for spoil; indifferent and
even cowardly where honour alone is the prize, at it they laugh, as at
the sufferings of their prisoners, whom they often murder with cruellest
tortures. Better they know not; living in their own land without almost
any agriculture, industry, or trade, they support themselves by war,
plunder, and murder, till at length, forced by starvation to quit it,
they seek richer and more favoured lands, in which to pursue their
horrid trade. At the present day few Arnauts are to be found in Egypt,
the late arrivals having been rapidly forwarded to where they were soon
expended. During our residence at Cairo, there arrived in the Arnaut
camp before the city, a regiment of them from Syria; as usual these were
to be seen drunk, quarrelling, and committing all kinds of excesses in
the city and its environs. Thus, one of them, without the least scruple,
murdered a poor girl, who from her yellow slippers was easily known as a
Turkish female, because she would not yield to his brutal wishes.
Our favourite Bellad-Sudan has also consumed a number of Arnauts, who
had been attracted thither by the tempting promises of Ismail Pascha,
and of the monster Mohammed Bey Defterdar[17], and son-in-law of Mehemet
Ali. They were the principal agents in the horrible and unequalled
cruelties of the Defterdar, and this tiger had even three or four
hundred of these fellows as his body guard, and paid out of his own
pocket. These were the _élite_ of and pattern for the rest, and their
master was the most inhuman miscreant of all. Even yet there may be
found here and there in Bellad-Sudan, some one or two of these
executioners, but old, worn out, and, by sufferings of many kinds,
humbled and tamed down. Sulky and disinclined to talk, they are only to
be stirred up by awakening their recollections of past times; by these
can their quenched fire be again momentarily revived; at such tales
again do their eyes gleam, and sparkle as the old lust for blood is
aroused, and the trembling hand grasps the well-blooded weapon. The
Defterdar is still their idol, and many other soldiers show their
admiration of him; Mograbin and Schaigie have over and over again
assured us that his like is no where now to be found. In truth, these
are men who know nothing of regular work or orderly occupation, who lead
a wild unrestrained life, and support themselves by robbery and murder.
In these respects the Defterdar was the very man to satisfy them; he
kept them in constant employment, knew well how to reward them, for he
was liberal and generous to his own men as he was harsh and cruel to a
conquering or conquered foe. No sooner did he sit down before a town,
than forth went the order to burn, murder, and plunder,—for the dread
his name inspired, and his successes in his many and bold enterprises,
checked all attempts at resistance. The plunder he shared with his
soldiers, as well as their cruelties and excesses.
CHAP. VII.
Position of Mohammed Din. — Camels stolen. — Ant Hills. — Chameleons. —
Animal Fraternity. — Uses of Tobacco. — Rosaries — Beads — Amulets. —
Blacks — Appearance and Opinions.
Our Pascha seems to have gained nothing by holding as prisoners Mohammed
Din, Mussa, and the two Sheiks of Mitkenab, as now no tribute of any
sort comes in from their tribes, and not an Arab is to be seen at our
lately-established market. That he will, by these means, succeed with
Mohammed Din and his people seems to us far from probable, or rather, we
feel certain that he will not, and Mohammed Din is repeatedly demanding
why he is kept a prisoner, and not at once put to death; he says he
fears not death, and would rather meet it than undergo such treatment,
that leads to nothing. And we believe him, and, if so, the Pascha will
never receive aught from his tribe, who seemingly are guided in all by
Mohammed Din’s orders. If he dies, in his people’s eyes, he will have
fallen a sacrifice to his country’s weal, and will be honoured by them
as a martyr (Schahied, as we have already heard him styled), his grave
will become a holy spot, and he himself be numbered among their saints.
Who can tell whether or not Mohammed Din has taken all this into
consideration, and may not have made up his mind to sacrifice himself,
even though in so doing he may have been less influenced by patriotic
feelings than by the honour and fame such a death would bestow on his
name, and so gloriously wind up a career like his own,—a life of the
utmost reverence from, and influence with, his countrymen, thus closing
with a death bringing everlasting honour and renown? Most of the leading
men among the blacks of our army have expressed to us their
dissatisfaction with the Pascha’s conduct towards Mohammed Din; all
accuse him of breach of his word; he having given the Sheik the “Amahn,”
and it is possible they may at heart be alarmed for a like fate for
themselves. Further it is plainly to be seen that the Pascha himself is
by no means sure he had done right in taking this course, although he
has doubtless well considered and long intended it; on our waiting on
him after the decisive step was taken, his first question was, as he
looked inquiringly at us, “Chabare?” (What’s the news? What’s going on?)
On our giving no direct answer, he broached the subject and said, on our
remarking that we were not sufficiently acquainted with the state of
matters to judge fairly of them, that he certainly had the strongest
grounds for so acting; nay, that this course was absolutely the only
one. Of one thing, however, he may rest certain, that his meditated
mighty plans of improving these countries are, if not for ever, at least
for a long, long period, all crushed and baffled, as he will never now
make aught of their inhabitants, who will, after this, much rather
desert and quit for ever these lands, than allow _him_ to introduce
alterations and improvements among them. With Mohammed Din’s
incarceration, all faith of the Arabs in the Pascha has vanished; kind
and friendly as he has acted, and may in future act toward them, all
confidence is gone, and their hatred to the Turks, strong enough
already, from the reports of their cruelties related by fugitives from
Schendy and Damer, as well as by the former visits of the Defterdar, yet
too well remembered, will be by his conduct inflamed and strengthened.
Life in our camp has little to recommend it. At night Arabs swarm round
us on all sides, whose peculiar cries and howlings portend nothing
pleasant. The war-cry of the Arabs, a high shrill “Rara ra la lah,”
similar to that of the Maniotes, has something hideous and unnatural
about it, especially during the night, and leads one to suppose the
utterers to be far more numerous than they really are. Measures of great
precaution have been taken on our side, in case of any sudden attack.
The whole cavalry encamp at night outside the seriba, and one-third of
the infantry is always under arms, being relieved at intervals of two
hours by the other divisions. The fatigues of these duties, added to the
bad food, have brought sicknesses of all kinds on the soldiery. Why
should not one division remain on duty all night, and thus give the
infantry two full nights’ rest out of every three?
To the tedium and ennui of our camp-life had now been added other
annoyances. Our camel-keeper, Mahomet, must have his siesta during the
day, and so allow to be stolen from under his guard the two dromedaries
given us by the Pascha, that were celebrated for their power, speed, and
endurance, as also a young naga (female camel of highest breed), that
the Sheik Soliman had sold us as a great favour. She had not in all the
camp her equal in endurance, was gentle in her paces, not too tall, and
got over the ground quickly and smoothly. When a dromedary does not step
out strong and boldly, the Arabs say he has a cold back (Dach’r bärt).
Along with these went also three of our pack-camels,—a heavy loss for
us. The keeper too, from fear of punishment for his neglect, has also
absconded; but on our sending out our other servants, they soon hit upon
the track of our stolen beasts, leading in the direction of Soggilab,
and this showed plainly they had been carried off by the thieving
Haddenda. The Pascha certainly at once wrote to the Sheik of Soggilab,
to have our animals sought for, but they have never appeared again, and
the Pascha has omitted to compel this rascally tribe to supply their
place by others. Our equipment for this expedition had, ere we left
Chartum, already cost us 8000 piastres, and now we are again put to the
fresh expense of buying other dromedaries and pack-camels (as we have
only four left), to convey ourselves and goods, the daily rumour of the
camp being that we march in the morning. It is too well known,
unfortunately, to all, that we must buy, which will compel us to pay
double price. The sums of money lost on these chasuas are great, and men
like ourselves, engaging in one for the first time, have to pay a
premium for experience. But the greatest annoyance, as well as
additional expense, is the servants’ waste, extravagance, and insolence.
We have as few of these pests as possible, but still have five for
loading, feeding, and attending to our camels; one as cook; one as
attendant on ourselves, and to bring in coffee when we have visitors.
The tricks, lies, idleness of these gentry is beyond my powers of
relating. One European servant would do more than any four of them;
indeed, were not the karbatsch kept ever in hand, one would neither get
work out of them, nor be able to get on with them.[18]
The only remarkable quality these fellows possess is a curious power of
distinguishing, and this enabled our servants to track our lost camels
to Soggilab, following their footmarks among those of hundreds of other
animals. It is incredible how the natives here can distinguish and
follow up a lost beast’s foot-tracks, and even the footmarks of a man.
Have they merely once or twice glanced at the footmark of man, camel,
horse, ass, &c., they can with certainty distinguish it from a thousand
others, follow the trail any distance, so long as the ground is
tolerably favourable, and wind or rain has not obliterated the marks.
When need requires it, a professional tracker is called on, shown the
foot-print of the lost man or beast, and then he, no further question
asked, follows up the track over paths and roads, through streets and
towns where daily thousands pass, and seldom fails to hunt out the game;
nor does he move on slowly, or bending down with eye examining the
ground, but moves on briskly, at a sharp run, along the quickly spied-
out track. We ourselves beheld, near the Armenian Karabet, how one of
these men, being shown the track of a runaway slave, followed it up,
and, after three days, overtaking the fugitive, returned again with him
a prisoner. On one occasion, my brother having, more than an hour
before, left the Pascha’s dwelling in Chartum, to visit some sick in a
distant part of the city, was again wanted by the great man; the
tschausch (orderly) was sent after him, and tracked his footsteps out,
amongst thousands of others, through street and lane, and found him.
When we remained behind the army, on the Atbara’s bank, the Schaigies
sent back to escort us discovered, among the tracks of the 700 or 800
asses of the army, the footmarks of one belonging to a friend, and the
event showed they were right.