we stir out, or quit our hut, from noon till four hours after it. When
we are summoned by the Pascha,—and to appear before him, one must at any
hour be ready,—we cover up our heads, in addition to the taghie (takie,
under-cap) and tarbush, by a hood or cloth, as we have been warned by
sad experience to take every precaution. On our journey up, my brother
received a stroke of the sun in spite of his straw hat, and had for two
days to struggle with death; and I only saved him by the desperate
remedy of constantly blistering his stomach and the soles of his feet.
In spite, of this fearful heat, we still wear our usual woollen
clothing; and even over this, a warm silken scarf (hessàhn), which, as
it produces perspiration, is much to be preferred to thinner stuffs. The
principal care we Germans require is, shading the head; on the march, we
keep this rolled up, and so covered, that we often cannot see out of our
eyes; we must cut queer figures. But even the Bedouins themselves, in
warm sunshine, carefully cover their heads with their woollen barakan
(batanie), although almost all the rest of the body is left exposed or
naked; and, for the same reason, the Turks wear two tarbushes. As far as
the present inhabitants of Dongola and the Island are concerned, the sun
does not seem to exercise any very hurtful power on their brain-pans.
Both races, however, are well protected from his rays, by their well-
greased and plaited hair, which, like the woolly hair of the negroes,
forms a good sheltering roof, or thatch: but even among them are to be
found old bald-headed men, who seem to care as little for the sun’s rays
as the others. It is very remarkable, that persons with perfectly
smooth-shaved heads, and the rest of their body all bare, save some old
rag about the loins, will expose themselves all day to the most glowing
sun, and not complain of headache, or any thing of the kind. What would
we poor Europeans do in such a case? In less than five minutes we would
be raving mad. Our youngest attendant, Sale, from Mahass, sits the whole
day in the sun, his head uncovered, save by his short-cut hair. Out of
pity we gave him an under cap, to somewhat protect him; and as it was a
new possession he wore it delightedly till noon, when I again saw him,
though then the heat was strongest, sitting bareheaded by the fire; and
even the smallest children, such as are with us yet carried in arms, one
sees lying for hours long under the glowing sun; and surely those with
their tender bones should not be better able to bear its rays, than we
with our fully developed bodily powers. How comes it that these delicate
creatures do not sicken under it? Of their being accustomed to it, there
can be no talk here; and how would infants of our race bear it? However,
custom does something; as at first we could not venture out here in the
sun without having, in a few minutes, blisters and painful scalds on our
naked hands; the skin of our faces was scorched, and, regularly every
week, peeled off in great blotches; but without our gaining by it a more
juvenile appearance, although we often jested over and amused ourselves
with such hopes. Being burnt almost as brown as Arabs, we can now
venture to expose our hands without gloves: but still we dare not allow
any part of our body usually covered, to be exposed naked to the sun,
even for a short while, without we choose to pay for it by a painful
redness, almost to be considered a kind of erysipelas. Besides, the
covered parts of the body have, in spite of the fiery heat, preserved
their original colour. What a fearful state it would be in this country
should a man not perspire! The whole body is burning hot; one is
tortured by a not to be assuaged inward thirst, and racking
restlessness; the hair of the head stands on end; and, although one is
inside the house, and sheltered from the sun, it is of a burning heat;
every separate hair seems to act as a conductor of the sun’s rays to the
brain; one knows not where to fly from such a torturing state, which,
besides, is generally accompanied by weakness and despondency, and is
usually, though not always, the forerunner of fever. Liver and gastric
illnesses are not very common; and acute tropical liver disease we have
only seen one instance of. Gastritis chronica and rheumatism are
commoner. Ferendit (muscular hair-worm, vena medinensis) has not been
seen during our whole expedition; it seems as if this locality was free
of it. In Chartum, many of the black soldiers suffered from it; but,
probably, brought it from their own countries with them. From many
instances, we are led to suspect they communicated it to each other by
the touch. The chief spots for ferendit are Dinka, Frantiet, from whence
it got its name; Atisch, Katareff, and most parts of the lands of the
blacks and negroes. In Taka, the deadly fever swelling, or ague, is so
common, that one may safely say every third man suffers under it. The
females suffer less from it than the males. Usually it is of such a
size, that it extends even to the arcus cruralis, and almost the whole
front division of the belly is filled up by it; all over where it does
extend, only a few drops of blood can be drawn out, and that after much
pain and trouble, by cupping. A general wail is made over the Genna el
Wurda (Child of Fever), which gives rise to numbers of other illnesses.
As yet, there have only been two dropsical cases, and both these were
consequences of disorganisation. Phthisis, especially in women, is
oftener seen; and also here and there are cases of hæmorrhoides, but not
in any great numbers.
Operating is here an easy matter for the surgeon, as seldom does a sound
tell of pain, nor are men necessary to hold the patient while operated
on. There is, indeed, much to surprise one in this great self-command or
insensibility of the blacks during the most painful operations. For
instance, a black in the hospital had caries of all his toes: Joseph
amputated the foot à la Chopart, without the patient being held or
bound, and without his emitting one cry of pain. The operation
completed, it was discovered that the head of the tibula and the joint
of the ancles were very carious, although this could not be perceived
from the exterior; and so it was necessary to at once take off the leg
under the knee. My brother told the patient this: he replied, if it was
so, and it must be done, that he had better not lay aside his knife, but
proceed at once, as he (the patient) would remain quiet as before; and
he did so: the second operation being over, he then, but not till then,
begged for some merissa. Although the wound healed well, this man
afterwards died, from caries again breaking out in the knee and hip
joint; a real dispositio cariosa. The blacks’ cure for the frantiet
(farendit), viz. fire, is certainly the best and surest.[21] They run a
red-hot nail, or other pointed iron, many times into the swelling, and
by this the spot where the worm generally lies, with part of his body
rolled up in a knot, is laid open; they think no more of this than a
European would do of taking out a thorn; and with all coolness perform
on themselves this small but most painful operation.[22] In Chartum,
Joseph applied the actual cautery to two soldiers; one in the first, and
the other in the second stage of coralgie, with good success. The firing
streaks were not small, and the fat, insensible skin hissed much under
the hot iron; but neither would allow himself to be held, nor was it
required, as only a slight convulsive motion of the muscles of the face
showed the pain suffered. Nay, one of them during the firing said, “Ana
badenn uachet kabab,” (after this, I may pass as a kabab—roasted bit of
meat). During circumcision, these black soldiers will stand upright, and
even laugh, while it is going on; the presence of many spectators may
contribute much to this stoicism, and by it they would also show their
zeal and ardent wish to quit heathenism. The slaves that come from the
neighbourhood of Faszogl, the hills of Kordofan, the countries of
Schilluk and Dinka, are never circumcised; and it is said, that, with
the latter, the pulling out of the four under cutting-teeth has the same
significance as circumcision; and this is done to both men and women.
Burning sores with caustic seems to inflict no pain whatever on the
blacks.
This indifference towards pain exhibited by the blacks generally seems
to be highly valued among the better educated and wealthier of them;
these, the first among their tribes, would hold themselves degraded, and
look on it as a deep disgrace to themselves, to appear weak in the
presence of those who are sure to attend in crowds even during the
smallest operations. With the common people it may, indeed, be actual
insensibility to pain. A sick man is constantly visited by his friends
and relatives, and generally the small hut is so full, that many must
remain outside. The sick man may be ever so ill, may be in the greatest
pain, every day becoming worse, and yet, to his friends’ questions of
“Taibin? sciak ente?” (How goes it? How do you feel?) is only the one
answer, “El hamdull Allah, taib” (Well, praise be to God!) No complaint
is ever heard during such visits. This custom, or this pride, is not
confined to the blacks, but is common to both Arabs and Turks. The
natives of Egypt and Syria alone cry out and behave like children under
the smallest pain, all running off as soon as they see the knife; though
they behave tolerably well under any operation performed by fire,
perhaps because they are used to such from their youth.
Not long ago my brother had to set a broken thigh-bone, and where, too,
there was serious dislocation of the broken parts; but the black
sufferer, though he allowed it gave him some pain, still declared he was
no woman, but a man (achu el bennaht, brother or defender of the weak—a
truly splendid name for the brave, and a title of which all are proud),
and had slain many enemies ere he gained his freedom.
The Schaigie Melek Saat, whose father yet rules the old Dongola (Dongola
agùhs), had received, a month before the present chasua, some hundred
blows of the stick at the orders of the Pascha. One side where he had
been punished healed quickly, but under the skin on the other shoulder
formed a collection of matter of large extent. In spite of all this, he
made on horseback the march from Chartum to Aronga, of more than a
month’s duration, with the army, in a state when another man would have
been lying in bed with violent fever. In Aronga, at last, he called in
Joseph; but now, from neglect, a hard, ulcerous sore had formed:—Joseph
informed him it would be necessary to cut it out. “Oh,” he said, “cut
away, when and where you will; I can stand it:” and he kept his word.
A Mograbin from the great Oasis (Oa) had got his hand shattered by the
bursting of his gun. This happened five hours’ journey from the camp;
and he came to us the next day, sitting erect and stately on his horse,
having stopped the bleeding by powder and sand. With all possible
coolness, he looked on during the painful operation performing on him,
supporting his injured arm in his sound right hand.
But, manly and brave as the Mograbins may show themselves, still, from
their falseness and dishonesty, they are little liked by the other
Arabs, or by the Turks. They are said to be men of two faces (Magrab
endu wuschu etenien), _i.e._ they can speak kind words, while they are
false at heart; and we must, as far as we know them, add our
confirmation of this character. They are generally tall and stout, have
long-shaped faces, strong black beards, long high noses, and very
expressive but rather cunning countenances. With us they could pass as
Jews. Their gait and demeanour are haughty, but to superiors they are
submissive and obsequious, with constant smiles on their faces; and if,
as it is said, they are proud of their descent, holding themselves
superior to all other Arabs, nay, even to the Turks themselves, they
know well how to conceal this pride in the presence of the latter.
However little conscientious about other things, they are strict in
observing their religious ceremonies, though strongly given to luxury,
spending much care and coin on their dress. This consists, when it can
be had, of a tarbush, a long, narrow, white under shirt, and a great,
very wide upper shirt of the same colour, which must reach the ground;
its sleeves being also so wide as to almost touch the earth. Shoes must
never be wanting, however old or bad. Thus they dress and ornament
themselves for themselves alone, as they have little intercourse with
the other Arabs, and keep altogether to their own tribe. The greater
part of them have come, some thirty years before, from Tripoli, with the
family Ladjam, who had there long carried on quarrels and hostilities
with the Pascha Jussuff, but had at last to yield. Many are also to be
found here from all parts of Barbary, who had quitted their native lands
in hopes of finding rich prizes and spoil here. They boast highly of
their own virtues, and of the great riches and high dignities they held
at home; but all this is false; one knows only too well the state of
things among the Bedouins there, and to this race most of these belong.
However, they show themselves good soldiers and horsemen; although the
horses they are supplied with by government are bad enough. Their weapon
is a long musket, which they well know how to use. Many have a brace of
pistols in addition, but the sabre is only worn by their leaders. They
themselves look on it as a useless weapon; and, in their opinion, war is
only to be carried on by firing. They rush on and fire, and as rapidly
retire back again. They have to find their own horses and arms, and
maintain them; receive seventy-five piastres monthly, and thirty rupp of
durra for their horse, and six for themselves. If the horse dies, or is
killed in action, then must they from their own means furnish another,
and if they have not the means, as is generally the case, then the divan
or their leaders supply one, and always at a high price; so it is too
often the case that the soldier remains two or three years in debt,
during which time he receives no pay. Besides, their leaders, in the
most unlawful way, take the highest interest from their men’s pay, which
is the same in peace and war; or they buy necessary articles in the
mass, and issue them to the soldier who has no money at two prices.
Thus, between the cheating of the divan and their officers, the poor
soldier in the end gets no pay at all. Thus acts the commandant of
artillery, thus almost all other commanders; and the wretched soldiery,
who often for many years receive no coin, are then compelled to apply to
these Jews for the means of keeping life in themselves. These tricks can
be no secret to the Pascha; and it is well known that Abd-el-Kader, the
commandant of artillery, whose monthly pay is only 600 piastres, makes
in this way, by selling to the soldiers clothing, soap, &c. at the most
usurious prices, some ten purses monthly. To extract money is the only
thing these rascals of Turks, who stream into Egypt from all the
countries round—Circassia, Kurdistan, Rumelia, &c. &c.—think of or
attend to.
The lot of the Mograbins here is, therefore, not very much to be envied.
Moreover, often for a couple of years they do not see their wives or
children, so well does the Pascha keep them employed; and, ere long,
most of them will be swept away by the diseases of the unhealthy
climate. As a solitary instance among them of one man of really good
character whom we have known, must be mentioned Mohammed Agà, of the
family of Ladjam. He is a leader of some 400 men, and this dignity is
hereditary in his family. Of the guidance of money he is, indeed, no
great master; for, besides his monthly pay of five purses, and his other
revenues of nearly as much, he has already got rid of some 2000 purses,
although he is not yet twenty-seven years old. And in this expenditure
he has had little pleasure, for the Turks do not understand how to
expend money worthily. As usual, the brave but not too wise Ladjam has
been ably assisted by many friends in this labour. His mother, who lives
in Cairo, will now no longer send him money, and he therefore often
finds himself in the saddest dilemma, as he supports in his household
some 140 persons.[23] In his potations, Ladjam has now become very
moderate, since his brother drank himself to death by pouring daily down
six or eight bottles of brandy, and wine in proportion to allay the
thirst the brandy caused. In earlier days, in Cairo, Mohammed Agà could
hold his own with him. He does not stand high with the Pascha, as he is
neither flatterer nor soldier, and he some two years ago caused some
hundred blows to be given Ladjam. The case was this: Ladjam had fallen
desperately in love with a beautiful lady of Cairo, and sent a
confidential servant to bring the fair dame to Bellad-Sudan; but while
on their journey the couple spent and wasted some seventy or eighty
purses. On his arrival Ladjam threw the cheating servant into prison,
“karakohl,” and had him well bastinadoed. He complained to the Pascha,
who, having no very kind feelings towards Ladjam, and perhaps angered by
the whole story, sentenced the latter to corporal punishment. That the
dignity and authority of the higher officers must be much impaired by
their being subject to such punishments, follows as a matter of course.
Now, the poor Ladjam goes in fear and trembling to wait on the Pascha,
and one never hears a word from him while there, unless in answer to a
direct question. His major domo, his Mentor, in short, his right hand
man, is old Achmet Salaui (from Selva), who already had been long with
his father. He says, and what he says is true, that he really looks
after Ladjam’s interest; and that, were it not for him, the latter would
ere now have been beggared. Achmet is a tall, stately, and, spite of his
advanced age, a very handsome man. He is better acquainted with European
customs and uses, than any other Turk I ever met with, prides himself
not a little on his civilisation, and calls the others blockheads, who
have not seen the world, and, for all their stupid pride, know nothing
of life, especially of European life and pleasures. When he pays us a
visit, he gives vent to what he still retains of broken Spanish,
Italian, and French. He was once, in earlier times, as others have
assured us, a well-doing merchant of Tripoli, and worth some 25,000
Spanish dollars. In the course of business he visited many European
ports; life there pleased him only too well, so he gathered up his coin,
and set out on his travels; during which he visited Paris, Cadiz,
Madrid, Naples, Genoa, Venice, Vienna; and of this last he still
remembers the names Prater and Danube. This tour had played the mischief
with his treasure, and he at last found himself compelled to pass to
Egypt and turn soldier. How much his entertainment of fair dames and
kind friends also aided in the devouring of his capital, can easily be
imagined. He himself often says, “I have never repented I laid out my
money in that way; I have seen the world, and made myself acquainted
with it; I have had my enjoyments, such as no Turk knows, and such as I
never will have again. Even now, in my reduced state, where I merely
manage to live, I have memories left me which I would not sell for any
sum. Ah!” he cried out, “those putane belline, quest’ vino buono,
deloachti mafish!” (Now it’s all over). “It is much better that I should
have spent my money when young, than that after my death the divan
should have got it all.”
A Turk is in the right when he thinks thus; for, if it is possible, the
divan manages one way or another to be heir to almost all. The widow of
the dead man gets nothing, or so little it hardly supports her; and if
she is still young, she is forced to marry some other man of humbler
rank. The younger children are placed in some establishment for
education, the elder into the regiments, and the state pockets the
property. Thus are high and low treated, if any gain can be made by it;
only the children of the former are usually appointed to some rank in
the army. But it is not always that the state has time to wait till
death: it knows other ways and means to get money. And this causes all,
Turks and rayahs (subjects), to conceal and hide in every possible way
from its prying eyes every symptom of riches or property. Every one
complains of being poor, suffers privations, goes meanly dressed, lets
the outside of his house fall into decay, has in his reception-chamber
his worst carpets and furniture, &c. &c., while in the interior of his
house, and especially in his harem (charim), all is luxury and
abundance; his wives shine in silken robes and costly jewels, and are
waited on by numerous slaves of every colour. Incense perfumes their
rooms, the most splendid Persian carpets of the richest, freshest, and
gayest colours, cover divans and floors,—and he, poor man, casts off his
dirty, shabby clothes, wipes from his face his assumed humility and
obsequiousness, and becomes a man. Rich robes cover the cooling silken
shirt, costly Cashmere shawls girdle his loins, and form the stately
Turk; yellow shoes or slippers adorn his feet; and, perfumed with
fragrant scents, he strides now with all gravity, as lord and master,
into his inner apartments, where all are at his orders. At the doors the
guards of his earthly paradise humbly await him, the wretched eunuchs
(Tauwasch), as slowly and stately he approaches the circle of his women,
haughtily returning the reverent salutations. His long pipe with
precious amber mouth-piece (Tarkib) is brought him, the loved Gebbeli
(best kind of Syrian tobacco) is kindled with aloe wood, and at once
spreads its aroma round, while the evening passes with music, dance, and
song. Thus do the rich enjoy in secret that wealth, which a barbarous
government prevents their otherwise expending; for should any one in the
smallest degree openly display such, a revision of his accounts would at
once take place, were he in office and, without doubt, errors and
deficiencies be made out, which would far exceed all his means. If he
were only a merchant (Chawàga), the state would compel him to make
advances that never would be repaid him; or he would be forced to
purchase, to the full amount of all he possessed, some produce of the
country at double the price the state had already bought it at, and so
his ruin made inevitable.
While we were at Cairo, a rich Armenian firm was thus ruined by old
Mehemet Ali. He compelled this Armenian, who was a rayah, to purchase
from himself, at a very exorbitant price, cotton to the full amount of
his means; and as soon as he had received coin in payment, he sold out
of his own magazines so much cotton, and at so low a price, that it was
only after a very long time, and at less than half price, the poor
Armenian could dispose of his. Such are the honest practices of this
conscientious ruler, as often and wherever he can; and by such acts of
tyrannical violence he has succeeded in so well clearing out his
subjects, that in the whole valley of the Nile, not one single wealthy
person is to be found. If here and there a man yet possesses wealth, he
dare not, under existing circumstances, let it one instant appear, or
enter into the smallest speculation with it; from this are now the
bazaars in Cairo and other former cities of trade empty in comparison
with former times, and from this arises the want of credit and small
repute the Egyptian merchants command in other lands.
As badly, if not worse, are the members of the military profession
situated. They never receive their discharge; and if they are Arabs, the
very thought of it would be high treason. Many of these soldiers,
especially the Turks, who have managed to get hold of high office, and
by cheatings and extortions from the soldiery as well as from the people
of their departments have succeeded in gathering up a tolerable sum, are
all most desirous to retire to their native land, or into some town
where they may pass the remainder of their lives in rest and quiet.
Well, they say so; and what happens? Their accounts, since they entered
the army, are revised, and it were a miracle were no deficiency
discovered, and such too as far exceeds all the goods and property of
the culprit; so that, were he to live to the most unusual age, he never
could make good the sum wanting. Thus are and remain all, even the most
dignified Paschas, slaves for life; and ever must they tremble either
for their wealth or their lives. If they die soon—it is well—the divan
are their heirs. If they are tenacious of life, or show any symptom of
attempting flight, means are found to introduce into their coffee or
food a certain specific for all life’s pains. The higher Turks, whose
wealth is known, are thus ever held in constant fear; and often present
large sums to the divan as antidotes to such specifics, or, during life,
declare the divan their heir, and this proper feeling is found to be in
general a good diverter of the evil: such doings as these are not solely
confined to Egypt, but are common enough in Turkey itself.
Turks, Arabs, and Negroes, all add greatly to these and other annoyances
by their superstitions. These prevail, indeed, more or less in all
countries among the ignorant and demi-savage races, but here it is not
confined to the low or uneducated; but the same ridiculous opinions are
held by the highest and best informed. On all of them are amulets,
_i.e._, texts or words from the Koran, written on tablets and inclosed
in leather cases, to be seen. Even the otherwise free-thinking and well-
informed Pascha is not free from these superstitions, as, although no
amulets are to be seen on himself, still his favourite dromedary bears
various such charms on his neck. Among the Haddenda at present each has
fresh amulets suspended to some old long worn one, and all for the same
object, viz., to make themselves ball and sabre proof against the daily
expected attack of the Turks.
Ali Aga, whose family-name is Sobi, leader of 300 Magrabins, told us,
with solemn face, that during a battle in Hedjas, against the Bedouins
there, he had three horses shot under him, and all his dress torn and
riddled by balls, but not one of them touched his body. We said, he was
in high luck; but he proudly drew from his breast a little old leathern
bag, and holding it up triumphantly, replied: “It was no luck, but this
treasure did it, which a saint in my own country gave me!” Although he
still wears this and many such charms, the sabres of the Abyssinians
seem to have no respect for such relics, as these have wofully slashed
him in an attack by the Turks on Makada. Never have we seen on any skull
such severe scars, or any attended with the loss of so much of the bone.
On the head he has four cuts, more than four inches long and one and a
half broad, in which one could easily conceal his thumb: only the inner
bone plate remains, and in one of these cuts there is such a loss of the
bony substance that the pulsation of the brain can be felt. We,
laughing, asked him, if, when he received these wounds, he wore his
amulets against sabre cuts: he replied, he had them not on, as, if he
had, no sabre would have harmed him. We also learned, from what he said,
that men hold the inhabitants of Abyssinia, who are Christians, to know
somewhat of the black art, believe them to have an understanding with
the devil, and that, to make this power innocuous, some special papers
or extracts are necessary. Sobi, who in spite of his fearful wounds was
sound again within four weeks, these being healed by application of
burnt coffee and brandy, the prescription of an Abyssinian doctor, is
descended from one of the principal families of Fez, and his most
cunning and shrewd face plainly declares his descent and country. He is
false and hypocritical, has a constant smile at his command, is, as
usual, outwardly a strict Mussulman, who punctually obeys all the
commandments, drinks no spirituous liquors, and lives or seems to live
very moderately and sparingly in all things, women alone excepted. Then,
too, he has proved himself a brave and able soldier; and, if he had his
own way, would extirpate all Franks and Christians.
Innate foes to both are indeed, more or less, all Mussulmen; the lower
orders really from religious hate, the higher from envy, caused by the
perfect freedom, the civilisation, and scientific acquirements of the
Franks. They feel only too well that the Franks in every way are
entitled to take a far higher position, and value themselves far higher;
but they are too feeble and lazy for rivalry, and see no other means of
avenging their inferiority than by silly pride and assumed contempt for
all Europeans and European improvements or institutions. However, the
time cannot be far off, when the pride of these Mussulmen will be
lowered, and they will be shown that the masters of the world, as
Mahomet called his followers, along with their system, have become
mouldy, worn out, and obsolete.