Romance of Oriental life — Summary justice and Latiffe Pasha — His
despotism — Hatred of Europeans — A box on the ear — Visit to the hareem
of Ali Bey Hassib — Juvenile costume — Marabouts.
My mother and sister paid a visit to the hareem of Ali Bey Hassib, to
the door of which we accompanied them, after passing through a yard
tenanted by a giraffe and an ostrich, and defended by two brass cannon
and fifteen very inferior looking soldiers—they, however, constitute the
_force armée_ of Berber, capital of the province of that name; the rest
being employed in the war.
This town much resembles all other towns in the East; it is, however,
the largest in Nubia, and the inhabitants may number about eight
thousand. It is very difficult to speak with any degree of accuracy
about the population of these countries; as the people have an
insurmountable objection to having their names down in the government
lists, founded on an impression that only those whose names are so
inscribed, will figure in more important documents—the taxation or the
conscription lists.
The population, always on the decrease in these towns, continues to pay
the same taxation as in the time of Mehemet Ali, though numbers have
absconded into the desert, and absolutism is communist in one point, in
making those who will pay for those who do not; thus, if your neighbour
is a bankrupt, you pay his taxes, as the Sheik of the village must
forward the same amount annually to the Governor of the province.
The oppression under which the poor natives labour, proceeds chiefly
from the head man of their village. The power these petty governors
exercise is immense; for if they bear a particular dislike to any person
under their rule, to put down his eldest son as a conscript, is a never-
failing way of humbling him to the dust, and is often made the means of
great extortion.
The Central Government is gradually dismissing the sheiks governing the
villages in Upper Egypt, and has nearly all the government of Lower
Egypt already in its hands: a step, the policy of which cannot be too
much applauded. We believe that it proceeds from more enlightened minds
than those of the followers of Mahomet.
Traversing mounds of earth, which form the principal streets, you soon
find yourself in the midst of the Nubian capital, and surrounded by all
the interesting objects of a city in the East; children running here and
there, or making the little mud pies, which form a staple amusement to
the youth of all nations; or trotting under the weight of some little
brother or sister, as yet unable to toddle along on its own account, and
soothing it when some heap of dust occasions a rough fall; men loitering
about pipe in hand, and graceful women carrying the large jars of water,
the supply for the day; donkeys trotting gaily by under the weight of
the richer Arabs, and camels with their wild-looking owners seated on
the top of the high leathern saddle, preparing for a long journey across
the desert, or arriving at their houses after a weary march.
The bazaars, if such a street of open booths may be called so, are
crowded with natives, selling or buying grain, cotton, or camel
furniture, or productions of more northern latitudes. The dogs were, as
usual, very numerous and very noisy, running between every one’s legs,
and confident in the superstition which prevents their extirpation, make
themselves as disagreeable as possible.
The houses are mostly built of mud and sun-dried bricks, though here and
there a burnt brick house appeared, the mansion of some native grandee.
We noticed with pleasure some Nubians walking with their unveiled
wives—an unusual sight in Egypt—and even caressing their funny little
children, carrying them in the peculiar Eastern fashion; which I can
fancy must be more healthy to the children than that adopted by us. The
infant, even at a very early age, learns to cling to his parent, sitting
as it were astride on her hips, while one arm is placed round the
child’s waist, by the careful mother, to prevent it from falling.
It is a most striking feature to observe the utter indifference of
Egyptian mothers, and even of many fathers, to their young children; it
was many weeks before I noticed any mark of tenderness passing between a
parent and child; but probably this indifference is assumed in public.
While at the Governor’s divan we heard some extraordinary stories of our
obliging friend, Latiffe Pasha; proving that Madame Scandal in this
remote quarter is as busy as she often is in the most favoured spots of
our own dear land. One of these being particularly illustrative of the
romance of Oriental life, as a faithful chronicler of the manners and
customs of these people, I think I ought not to omit it.
When his Excellency left Cairo, he took with him a young Greek lady of
respectable parents, who had been his wife’s intimate friend and
companion, and was neither a slave, nor in any way related to him. He
was also accompanied by a young man whom he had adopted, and who went by
the name of Ibreem Latiffe. While passing through Berber, he took a
fancy to one of Ali Bey Hassib’s wives, whom he asked for, and, as that
gentleman had at the time a larger stock than he wanted, he at once
offered to spare one for his friend. He carried her off to Khartoum,
where he had been only a few weeks, when he married his adopted son to
the fair Greek, with more than usual ceremony: and all parties, as is
the custom of the country, lived very comfortably in the same hareem.
About two months ago, two of the attendants of the hareem came to him
with a long story about his Greek daughter-in-law and a purveyor in the
army, whom they had seen together in the garden of the hareem. The
instant he heard it, Latiffe Pasha ordered in six of his Janissaries and
the male delinquent. The latter he charged with the offence, and without
listening to his assertions of innocence, condemned him to be shot. At
first the Janissaries refused to sacrifice the officer, but the Pasha,
mad with rage, insisted on his immediate execution, and one of the men
shot him in the neck. He fell wounded, and was then thrown into the
Nile. Latiffe, accompanied by this Janissary, now hurried into the
garden of the hareem, and sent for the Greek lady, who was actually at
that moment with her husband. The instant she came, she was shot, and
her body cast into the river.
After this summary justice, his Excellency appeared satisfied, but
evidently was not quite at his ease. His appetite fell off, and he could
not sleep. He now thought, for the first time, of making some inquiries
respecting the affair, and consulted a Turk at Khartoum, who was eminent
for his sagacity. On hearing the whole of the case, the Turk assured him
that he not only had been too hasty in forming his judgment, from the
only testimony of the guilt of the parties that had been submitted to
him, but that the lady, being neither his wife nor his slave, he had no
right to take her life.
The Pasha became extremely dissatisfied with himself, particularly when
further inquiry assured him of the untrustworthiness of the accusers of
his unfortunate victims. He recompensed the five Janissaries who had
refused to execute his sanguinary commands: the other suddenly
disappeared, and was never more heard of. But the husband—the reader
will naturally ask—what became of the poor young man? how could he ever
get over such a blow to his happiness as this atrocious murder of his
lovely bride? It is supposed that he got over it with the usual
indifference to emotion of a Turk, for very shortly afterwards he
received another wife, and not a word was said about the poor Greek. The
fact was officially notified to Ali Bey Hassib, so there seems no reason
for doubting the story.
No statement could more clearly show the absolute despotism that
prevails here, the contempt of human life, and the small respect in
which females are held: thrilling features also are the want of feeling
in the husband, the hesitation in the Janissaries, (never remarkable for
over-scrupulousness), the laxity of the government that passes over so
atrocious a proceeding, and the curious state of the postal arrangements
in a country, in which such an act can be perpetrated without exciting
the slightest observation.
Notwithstanding Latiffe Pasha’s cordiality to us, we heard that his
hatred to Europeans is intense. This arose out of the following
circumstances: While employed in the navy, he contrived to strand a
vessel of one hundred and twenty guns on the Alexandrian sands, by
attempting to enter the port without a pilot, in direct defiance of the
rules of the service. For this he was condemned to death by a court-
martial, of which a Frenchman was President; but Mehemet Ali thought
proper to cancel the sentence, and made Latiffe Governor of the
Alexandrian Arsenal. While there, a Maltese, who filled a high post in
the service, came to him for some arrears of pay. Latiffe directed him
to bring a receipt, and when it was brought the Pasha tore it and abused
him in a way his half-English blood could not brook. The Maltese took
his departure without a word; but when Latiffe went out, he found the
man waiting for him at the door. He immediately demanded the reason of
his having been so insulted, and astonished the Pasha extremely by
giving him a box on the ear; immediately after which he decamped to
Malta, where he was under the protection of her Majesty’s Consul.
When he arrived at Khartoum, Latiffe Pasha found himself in the midst of
a circle of enterprising Europeans, every one assuming the authority of
a consul, and talking in a style as if he commanded a prodigious force
composed of horse-guards, _chasseurs à cheval_, jägers, or Austrian
hussars. This still further increased his distaste for the species,
which he shows on every occasion.
In the midst of these characteristic anecdotes, one of the attendants of
the hareem put his head into the very comfortable divan in which we were
being entertained, and announced the return of the ladies. We left our
pipes and joined them, and were speedily put in possession of the result
of their observations.
It appeared that they were not so very well pleased with their visit.
The ladies of the hareem—Abyssinian slaves—were gaudily dressed, and not
lady-like in person, while the room in which the strangers had been
received had much the aspect of an untidy nursery. There were two very
nice children there—Master and Miss Ali Bey Hassib. The boy was dressed
in red cloth breeches, red coat, and black cloth cloak, which had a
curious effect, as he was only two feet ten inches high. The young lady
was pretty, and of a genteel appearance. The seniors of the party were
not so interesting—certainly inferior to Madame Latiffe. As their
visitors had no interpreter, they were obliged to carry on an imperfect
correspondence by means of signs. This, however, did not prevent the
ladies of the hareem from kissing and examining their new acquaintances
with immense zeal. Coffee and lemonade were served in the usual way, and
then came the adieux.
On our return to the boats, we beheld a great number of marabouts
stalking through the corn-fields, apparently as tame as chickens. This
aggravated us into sending for our guns; but our first attempt at a
nearer approach, decided the matter. They never allowed us to get near
enough to have a shot, and we were obliged to abandon our purpose. Their
feathers are extremely beautiful, and more valuable than those of the
ostrich.