thin as the back of a knife,—a lovely mouth, and a charming figure; but
their eyes do not possess that fire and soul which is usually ascribed
to them.[26] In Egypt they are to be found in all respectable harems, in
which they are almost the only whites. The chief men of the land,
themselves Circassians, gladly buy them, and they, therefore, are sent
in plenty to Egypt, as in the harems of Constantinople they are not much
admired. Men complain of their love of quarrelling and power, and their
constant discontent. They live in open warfare with the other female
slaves and women, and are, like all oriental women, without love or
attachment to their lords. Their love of revenge is great, and more than
one example shows that they know the use of poisons. Dress and intrigue
are their only delights, and their pride is insufferable. Our friend
Soliman Effendi, of Chartum, complained most bitterly of his Circassian
wife, and styled her, the devil of his house. However, it is no more
than natural that these poor women should feel themselves unhappy in the
harem, and give vent in all ways to their bad humour. What pleasures,
save the twice-a-day toilette, the bath, and the table, have these
eternally imprisoned females? From their youth, too, the beauties,
abundance, and happiness of a harem, have been impressed on them by
their parents and female friends, and their expectations have been
raised to the highest. But the truth is, indeed, most prosaic. Only to
the lot of few does it fall, to see some of their ideas realised in a
really rich harem, to be able to shine in splendid garments, and revel
in luxury. The most are bought by persons of inferior rank, so all the
poor creatures’ hopes and fancies vanish; they feel themselves lost and
unhappy. More than likely, too, the lord of the harem is old and ugly,
has other female slaves he loves, and they, the younger, are subject to
these, and must serve them; thus arise in them those humours that make
them the torment of the other women, and cause themselves to bitterly
feel their misery. Then many, with cold calculation and determination,
proceed so far with their plans of making themselves hateful, that their
owner is at last compelled to sell them again. This is what they labour
for, as they hope to find, in another harem, a happier life and richer
lot.
The first favorites in the Turkish harems are the women from Georgia and
Mongolia. Their faces are not so beautiful, nor their features so
delicate, as those of the Circassian women: but, on the other hand,
their cast of countenance is more gentle, and their forms more rounded;
they also retain their beauty much longer. Their mood is mild and
forbearing; with submissive gentleness, they bear all kinds of
treatment. They are also better taught, and gladly employ themselves on
small pieces of female work, such as pocket books, dikha[27], and
embroider these in silks, silver, and gold. These women are much sought
after, bear a high value, and, according to their beauty, their
accomplishments, and talents, especially in music (tambourine, lute,
&c.), singing, and dancing, their price varies from thirty to one
hundred purses, and even more. One can, at any time, visit the bazaar,
where the unhappy coloured slaves, male and female, are stowed, and
arranged like goods for show, and gaze on this sight, so revolting to
Europeans. In general, those from Habesch, who have before served in
other harems, are placed, in particular rooms, or the better places.
Their eyes are dark, prominent, and somewhat round; at times, with
stupid expression, but oftener lively and brilliant. These unfortunates
(now and then wrapped in coloured gauze or muslins), follow, with their
uneasy eyes, every visitor, and seem beggingly to say—“Oh! if you have a
human heart, release me from this condition, where I am examined and
handled by every man, as if I were a beast!” The house of the white
slaves is not thus open to all. Franks are only admitted on paying five
Spanish dollars, but well known and wealthy Turks are admitted gratis,
such being likely to become purchasers. When we visited one of these
places, there were many pretty girls there, but not one splendid beauty;
all were very young, but this is in accordance with the Turkish taste.
If anything arrives new and beyond the common, the rich men, and those
of high rank, are at once informed of it, they generally purchasing such
rarities before others can get a peep at them. On account of the higher
price that men are willing to pay for Georgian females, the slave
dealers have a way of their own to cheat the buyers, who would only ask
for and purchase women of that province. They purchase newly arrived
Circassians, or those who have been sold out of a harem, and place them
in another where only Georgian women are. Here they, ere long, pick up
the Georgian language, and then the slave merchant takes them as
Georgian women to the bazaar, where he soon disposes of them. In
Constantinople they dare not venture on such tricks, as there the
distinctive differences are too well known.
As in our sad loneliness and dull uniform life, we are glad to find
amusement in any diversion, however small, with much satisfaction we got
hold of some numbers of the Charivari, the Journal des Debâts, and
Marseilles Semaphore, the apothecary had by him. They contain, at least,
some political news from Europe, though more than a year old; but in
Bellad-Sudan, where one is totally cut off from all European news, this
matters little. The Semaphore seems to be the organ of Egypt, and it is
ludicrous to see how the merest trifle is pushed forward as an instance
of its so called advancing civilisation, and with what zeal and pathos
these paid gentlemen sing Mehemet Ali’s praises, and also try to render
General Clot-Bey immortal.
The appearance of the old Moluk (sing. Melek or Melik, also Mek and
Mak), the native-born and hereditary kings or rulers, in their regal
hoods that they still wear as a mark of sovereignty, although the Turks
have reduced their power to a nullity, is exceedingly peculiar.
The hoods are a kind of close fitting coloured cap, with flaps hanging
down on the neck (probably the lining of the neck armour), though these
are generally turned up, and thus their pointed ends take, on each side
of the head, the shape of horns, the ancient sign of supreme power, and
are on this account called Takie betal gorn. The rest of the dress of
one of these royal rulers used to be a long coloured caftan (similar to
a dressing gown), with a broad girdle, and handsome pointed sandals. It
is well known who are entitled to wear these horned head-dresses, and
among these are the Ruler of Faszogl, the Sheik of Beni-Amer, Sheik
Edris Wood Agib of Halfaia, and Sheik Nimr, whose Takië was of fur. This
Sheik, Edris Wood Agib, whose father, before the Turks broke in, ruled
almost all the island, and, in addition, all the land between the Blue
River and the Atbara (Land Halfaia or Wood Agib; wood for wollet,
uollet, son, or boy), and to whom the tribes of Gos Rajab, Taka, Beni-
Amer, and to the Abyssinian mountains and the Red Sea, were tributary,
now sits in Halfaia, mourning his past greatness, and existing on the
miserable pension of 500 piastres a month, which is hardly enough to
find food and clothing for himself and his very small retinue. But, in
spite of his poverty and insignificance, he is highly respected and
reverenced by the present holders of rank and power, and waited on by
all. He claims his descent from the family of Fungh, a branch of the
former ruling family of Sennaar, and can name his ancestors and trace
his pedigree a long way back. To us, whom he daily visited, he used to
open his heart about the Turks’ conduct to him. He always wore the royal
hood, and when the blockhead of an apothecary, Dumont, one day mockingly
asked him why he wore such a fool’s cap of a takië, when he now had no
country to rule, he answered him in proud tone: “di shoggie betai ou ma
betack,” (that is my business, and none of yours). Fearful, will one
day, I believe, be the revenge of these races on their oppressors! The
reverence the natives and Arabs of this land have for their old sheiks
is much greater than that they feel for the Pascha himself. If one of
them passes through the camp, not one of the Arabs will continue seated,
but will rise and remain respectfully standing,—a thing that never
occurs when the Pascha makes his tour of the camp. This high respect is
either founded on the antiquity of the sheik’s families, and has been
carried down from member to member, or, perhaps, is somehow connected
with their religion; for among these free tribes, that everywhere find a
home, and of which one may indeed say, every individual is independent,
the sheik has, as far as I know, no compulsory powers in his hands, or
means to maintain his tribe’s obedience. The Schaigies every morning
wait on the old Sheik Melek Saat, and kiss his hand. They never steal or
make a prize of anything, without preserving the best of it for him, and
in all ways provide for and attend to him, as if he was still in
possession of his old rank and dignities, and could still reward or
punish them. Such attachment and reverence is all the more to be admired
among this people, as they are too much used to regulate the degree of
obedience they yield, by what they hope to make by it, nay, more, among
them a certain degree of equality ever prevails, and all look upon
themselves as of the same rank and equal in dignity and value.
The right of primogeniture holds full force among them; the younger
brothers attend like servants on the elder, never venturing to seat
themselves in his presence, unless requested or ordered to do so. The
eldest, too, in general, eats alone. My brother was highly admired by
them, because, when we paid visits he (for the sake of jest) yielded me
the first place, and for this very reason they styled me Sheik. No son
will so far commit himself as to take place on the angareb where his
father sits; he humbly seats himself on the ground, some distance off,
and only speaks when he is spoken to. I have often seen the relatives of
a great sheik, though perhaps older than himself, rise at his entrance
from their angarebs, and seat themselves on the ground. On solemn
occasions, Nasra, the royally descended wife of the Sheik Mahomed Wood
Defalla in Soriba, sits on a kind of divan, while the latter, who is
only the son of the former Grand Vizier, as well as their younger
brother, Edris Wood Adlan, after Aburow the most powerful ruler in the
peninsula, must sit on the ground till it pleases the large and fat
Nasra to assign them better places.
There is much ceremony, too, about seats and sitting. No captain ever
sits before the Pascha, and he even lets most respectable Coptish
writers, who hold high civil posts, remain standing in his presence. In
the room of any one of higher rank, seats are not taken at pleasure, nor
when sitting, is any posture to be assumed at will; the inferior sits in
a most uncomfortable and wearying posture, his legs turned back below
him till he receives permission to assume a more agreeable posture. No
captain dare sit down before his major, till he has been expressly asked
to do so by him, and then he must select a mat or carpet on the ground.
A sign of salutation is only, in general, made after the superior has
set the example, and no one speaks, not even the higher officers, till
they have been addressed by the great man. The Turkish language is the
prevailing one, and Turks speak only Turkish, even to Franks, although
these may only understand Arabic. Thus Turkish is the fashionable
language. Old Mehemet Ali, who well understands Arabic, from having been
so long in those lands, acts as if he knew not a word of it; all must be
translated by an interpreter, nay, it is said, he has forbidden his
children to learn it. But it is inconceivable why the educated part of
Egypt’s people, Copts and others, do not understand Turkish, since, for
centuries, they have been in close intercourse with the Turks. Among
many thousands of the country people, hardly one understands Turkish. It
were, indeed, a most easy matter for the Coptish writers to learn
Turkish; but their laziness and indifference to all that concerns their
race, and their ignorance of all they are not compelled to know, easily
explain their not picking up that language. However, there may also be
many, especially among the Copts, who knowing it would not venture to
speak it before the Turks, from fear, that they not being Turks, would
pay dear for having learnt the ruler’s language, and as the Turks would
probably imagine that by knowing it they had learnt and would betray
their secrets.
From the preponderance of Turkish influence in all things, many evils
arise, especially among the military. The higher officers, and even the
captains (Juss-baschi) and first lieutenants (Milasim auel) are all
Turks, and most difficult it is for any Arab to reach a first
lieutenancy. In any other nation, or in a more civilised one, such
disrespect and degradation would bring with it the worst consequences,
but these Arabs seem to care very little about it, as I have convinced
myself, by often talking with them about the matter. “What can we do?
The Turks would beat us to death if we made any fuss about it. Why
should we attack them, we are too weak, and the Great Pascha (el Pascha
el Kebir) wills it so.” This is all I could ever get from them, and in
most indifferently careless tones. From such feelings, and also because,
from most remote times, the Egyptians or Arab races have lived under
oppression and slavery, and thus become used to be ruled and not to rule
themselves, the Turks may, perhaps, in spite of their ignorance, in
spite of their seldom being capable of understanding or executing
military movements, be necessary to the Egyptians as officers, and
perchance without them the whole army would fall into utter confusion
and lose all traces of discipline. Moreover, as all the Arabs, high and
low, have submitted to their lot, a kind of equality and brotherhood has
sprung up among them: they walk about, officers and privates, arm in
arm, and enter one another’s dwellings as if they were indeed brothers,
as they style each other; and this self-equalising has had its effects
on all military matters and arrangements. In this way, the Arab private
has no respect for his lieutenant, he is his brother; the lieutenant has
none for his captain, and so on: even though he were the bravest and
most skilful officer. But for the Turkish officer, worthless as he may
be in every way, the Arab feels terror, and obeys him without any
hesitation, for he is no achu[28], speaks another language, and belongs
to the race of his rulers. Besides, the Arab officers do not themselves
feel their own dignity, and are the less able to support their own
authority, from being so disregarded and despised by the Turkish
officers. Then, too, differences of language separate them; the Arab
officer feels himself neglected in the company of his Turkish comrades,
and, therefore, seeks that of those who treat him with confidence and
speak his language. Moreover, the Arab cannot exist without society; he
must, and will, chatter the whole day, and hold long talks upon most
trifling subjects. Give him this, his pipe, and coffee, the Arab is
happy and contented. One sees these people sitting for hours, nay for
the whole day, in a circle, and discussing matters eagerly, as if it
were some important state affair, but if one inquires the subject
discussed, perchance one had bought, for twenty paras, what another paid
twenty-one for. Any place does, too, for chattering in; even in the mud,
in the middle of the unpaved streets, they will gladly stand talking.
The officer so completely associates with his inferiors, as to smoke out
of the same pipe, and drink coffee with them, eats with them, when they
have anything to eat, and plays with them at their games. From such
constant and close intimacy, the soldier forgets, when in the ranks,
that the officer is his superior, often does not obey him at all, and
when he does, with much ill-will. A long time will, therefore, be
required, to bring Arab to proper subordination to Arab. The state, too,
does not seem to see the necessity, that the under-officers should, by
their dress, be in some degree distinguished from the privates; these
often go about worse and more raggedly dressed than the latter; and this
has a very bad effect with the Arabs, who, like other mobs, only judge
of persons by their exterior. The Arab greatly loves finery, but it
matters little to him if some holes also ornament it, or if dust and
dirt have made the original colours hardly recognisable. He sits and
lies down carelessly, even when in his best, and cares little how dirty
his seat is. The women act with little more sagacity, and in their best
silken dresses will run about as though in their worst. Cleanliness,
especially in their linen, they know as little of as the Turkish women,
and under their picturesque and handsome outer garment, the silken shirt
will often be found dirty and ragged,—an edifying sight for a European!
Then, the conduct of the higher officers towards their subordinates, is,
by no means, such as to gain their respect. They treat them, when in the
presence of the soldiers, as domestics, and apply the most vulgar terms
to them; as, marras, besewink, kelb, chomar, gansier (scoundrel, rascal,
dog, ass, hog), &c. They dare not sit down in their houses, or in their
presence; no coffee is ever offered them,—nay, they often have to serve
it to the superiors, fill their pipes, and perform many such unbecoming
and degrading offices.
As far as mind and abilities are concerned, we have from experience
fully convinced ourselves that the Egyptian or Arab, in general, far
exceeds the Turk; and he is the one to be employed in all labour, mental
or bodily, provided the stick is at hand,—this _remedium omnipotens_ for
all these races. He more readily comprehends everything, and knows how
to execute it; _i.e._, if he is under the eye of another whom he fears.
To execute and labour, or work by and of himself, he has not the power,
as, if not watched, he falls back into his laziness and _far niente_,
and lets matters go as they will: “Allah kerim” (God is merciful)
answers for all. This is visible in all Mehemet Ali’s new institutions
and arrangements, that cost him so much money. The manufactories while
under the charge of Franks brought some profit, and the valuable
machinery was, then at least, kept in order, and in some cases even
improved on. But now, when the direction is left to Arabs, the gains
have become much less, and every day the machinery is becoming more
broken and useless; for they seldom know how, and when they do never
think it necessary, to perform any repairs on it, till at last all goes
to wreck and ruin, and restoration or repair is impossible. It is the
hereditary fault of Turk and Arab to put off every thing till the last
instant, and often the slightest effort of activity is refused when it
would avert some serious mischance; and so it is with government—only
when the accident has occurred, come orders for the future, and these
are no sooner given than they are again forgotten. The greatest injury,
however, to all the factories arises from the dust, which is so fine and
penetrating, that it finds its way into the most delicate parts of all
machinery, even into pocket watches, and ruins everything. Up to the
present time, though a high reward has been offered, no one has
succeeded in remedying or preventing this mighty evil, and the best
fitting double windows have proved as useless, as all other defences
attempted against the subtle enemy.
As the learning and understanding of the Turks is far less than that of
the Egyptians, either because they want the natural power or from their
pride and laziness, the teacher of the school (mektab) has three times
as much trouble with them as with the Egyptians; but they are far better
soldiers. Many of the Franks who have made the campaigns in Hedjas and
Yemen with them have highly praised their courage, and the battle of
Konieh has also proved it. In the Morea and at Crete, under Ibrahim
Pascha, they were as brave as cruel. As a general rule, the courage of
the Egyptian population is nothing to boast of. Shouts, cries, and
gesticulations are their chief strength; but two or three good right and
left whip cuts will usually put to flight a whole crowd of these mouth-
fighters, and the coward curs are very careful how they resist the
Franks, the more so as their bodily powers are far less than those of
Europeans. But the Arab may yet gain more courage as a soldier, or the
fear of the nabut (stick) may force him, with an “Allah kerim,” to rush
into all dangers, not to mention that desperation as to his fate, may
also lead him to end his misery with his life. It is gradually beginning
to enter the heads of these Arab soldiers, who have made the campaign of
Hedjas and Syria against and with the Turks, that they are somebody, and
they begin to feel and observe that they have been the means by which
all Ali’s conquests and victories have been gained. They see, at least a
part of them, that by holding together they form a mass, which, at a
fitting time, may overpower the Turks, and that in future it may depend
on their being united, whether or not, they may not regain their native
country from the Turks; and this daily increasing feeling of self-
dependence may perchance become dangerous to the Turks in Egypt,
supposing no other power should interfere.
One regiment of Arab soldiers has already given a warning example; these
were in Hedjas, and had there made themselves a terror to the natives by
their fierce courage. Their leader, a stupid, self-conceited fellow, did
not treat his soldiery as they, proud of their proved bravery, deserved,
and withheld from them, perhaps to tame their pride in some measure, or
to be better able to restrain them, a sum of money granted them as a
reward, although most of them were much in want. Infuriated by this,
they murdered this Bey on the spot, and swore death to any one who
should bury him; chose a captain of the regiment as their commander,
paid him as such, after they had laid their hands upon the money they
found in the late Bey’s possession, and took from it their arrears of
pay, but no more. Afterwards, wearied by the long campaign in Hedjas,
they compelled the new chosen leader to conduct them back to Cairo; and
he knew so well how to perform the duties of his office, that he
prevailed on them to spare the town of Djedda, which they meditated
plundering. The regiment arrived at Cairo, and the old fox Mehemet Ali
sent messengers to meet it, and to order it to encamp outside the town;
made no fuss about the matter, but gave all the soldiers leave to return
for half a year to their homes, so that they might recover after their
exertions and battles. He knew right well that such a regiment in his
camp might do immense mischief. After the leave was expired, or shortly
after, he called all the men into service again; but parcelled them out
into many different regiments, and their lot since has certainly been
none of the best. The unfortunate new Bey was, however, beheaded at
Cairo, some time afterwards; not, for leading back the regiment, but
because he had, without Mehemet Ali’s permission, assumed a rank that he
alone could grant, and because he had also defrauded the state by
allowing the soldiery to pay him as Bey. The old Pascha thus vented on
him the rage he dared not vent on the soldiers, though, without doubt,
it was a piece of most striking injustice. After the murder of the
former Bey, the captain, the favourite of the whole regiment on account
of his bravery and humanity, had been, by unanimous voice, selected as
leader; he had been by force led into the tent of the Bey, and there put
in possession of it, along with his slaves and horses; but at the same
time made aware, that if he did not at once lead them back to Cairo,
where they could get some rest, they would take him with them, and in a
body go over to the enemy. Had this last occurred, not only had all been
lost for Egypt in Hedjas, but Mehemet Ali would have found another much-
to-be-feared foe there. The captain, though thus under their hands,
still managed by prayers and cunning, often at the risk of his own life
while restraining their excesses, to lead the regiment back in safety to
Cairo, and there got his reward.