_Alexandria, June 21st, 1838._
We left Jaffa on May the 24th for this place. It was not without
trouble and delay that we were able to obtain a passage. On our
arrival at Jaffa, in April, we found many vessels there. They were,
we were told, waiting for pilgrims, who were at that time returning
from Jerusalem, where many attend during the great feasts. They were
at that time coming down in crowds, and going off to the vessels:
but before our return from Jerusalem, in May, they were gone, and
hardly a vessel remained at Jaffa. Possibly the fear of the plague,
which prevailed at Jaffa, had driven some away, and at the same
time prevented others from coming. Our wish was to take passage to
Damietta, and ascend the Damietta branch of the Nile to Grand Cairo,
and come down the Rosetta branch to Alexandria. We found a vessel
that was willing to take us to Damietta, but before we had completed
our bargain, the Russian consul, whose family had lost many members
by the plague, made, in his great eagerness to get away, so large an
offer, as induced the captain to change his course, and immediately
sail with the consul for Smyrna. As we passed Damietta, about a week
afterwards, we spoke the same vessel, and learned that, soon after
sailing, the consul took the plague and died, and the vessel put in
at Damietta. The consul fled from Jaffa, but not from the plague
or death--both met him on the way--how little do we foresee what a
day may bring forth! After some delay a vessel came from Beyroot,
which offered to take us to this place, but asked about four times
the usual price--there was no help--no other suitable vessel
offered--and the captain said, which was true, that he would have to
perform a long quarantine. A letter came to the consul, from several
other travellers, to engage them a vessel, as they would be at Jaffa
in a few days; and it was agreed that I should pay one-half of the
required sum, and those travellers the other, and the engagement was
closed.
Through the kind attention of our consul, who spared no pains to
promote our comfort, our arrangements were made, our baggage put on
board, and our provisions and stores laid in. The plague added much
to the trouble of doing this. On going on board we found it was a
Turkish vessel, and a Turkish crew. The captain seemed to be much
of a gentleman for a Turk. He was polite, silent, and would sit
all day smoking his pipe, and watching the working of his vessel.
The crew also were sober, silent, and appeared to move about as if
they had no care but to mind their own business. We had stipulated
to have the sole use of the cabin, provided we should prefer it.
On examining the premises, however, we decided on taking up our
quarters on the deck, as plainly the cleanest and most comfortable
place. The captain readily yielded to our wishes, and fitted up the
long boat, which was on the deck, spreading a sail over it, and
making quite a tent--in this we took up our abode.
When the travellers referred to came on board, we recognised them
as a party we had met a few miles this side of Jerusalem. They had
come from Egypt to Palestine through the wilderness, and were on
their way to Jerusalem as we left it. Their cavalcade had attracted
our attention, being all mounted on camels; and what looked rather
oddly, two were on the same camel, in what are called baskets,
sitting back to back--one facing to the right and the other to the
left. The party consisted of two German officers, who belonged to
King Otho's army in Greece--a Frenchman and a Swiss. The fact that
we had no common language prevented our having as much intercourse
with them as we should otherwise have had. They also took up their
quarters on deck, the captain having put up an awning. As there
was no danger of rain, the deck was decidedly the most comfortable
place. While we could not fully understand the subject of their
discourse, we were not a little amused during our voyage with the
long and almost continual debates of our fellow-voyagers. It was
all in great good-humour, but a set of more everlasting talkers and
disputants I have seldom met with.
There were several others on board, who came in without paying
their part of the expense. This is almost always the case when
a Frank charters a vessel. I have heard of a captain, who had
especially engaged not to take any one on board except the Franks
who had chartered his vessel, stowing away privately in the hold
nearly a dozen who were never to be seen on deck. The captain of
course gets a fee from such--it is so much clear gain. He first
asks and gets a full price for his whole vessel, and then stows
away as many persons and things as he can, on such terms as may
be offered. We had a Greek sea captain as a passenger--he was one
of the most silent Greeks I recollect to have met with, for, as a
general thing, they are a talking, noisy people. He hardly ever
spoke a word, and had little intercourse with any one except a
Greek servant. There was another, "old Dominico," as we called him,
who, oddly enough, passed himself off as one of my party, and not
only went rent free, but ate of my bread. On reaching our consul's
from Jerusalem, we saw there a middle-aged man, who had much the
appearance of a domestic, but in a Frank dress. He seemed to turn
his hand to anything--at times he was in the garden directing the
water to the trees and plants--then again he was going with a mule
or donkey and bringing home loads of grass for the animals--at one
time called here and another there. On first seeing him, it struck
me he might be a Scotchman--but he knew no English--I then thought
he must be an Italian--he proved to be a Genoese. He had been at
Jerusalem, and was living on the consul until he could get a passage
from Jaffa--and the consul, very properly, to keep him from rusting
through mere idleness, was employing him in all sorts of ways, as
occasions offered. When on the point of starting, the consul, who
was probably willing to get clear of him, requested that Dominico
might so far be considered, as belonging to my party as to secure
him a free passage; and, according to his own rule for managing such
cases, advised that I should keep the old man in employ as far as I
had anything that he could do. Of course I assented. After getting
all on board, and under sail, and the time for eating had come,
Angelo reported old Dominico as minus all sorts of provisions for
the voyage. I was fairly in for it. He belonged to my party, and
must not be allowed to suffer. This however was an appendix to the
matter that I had not looked for; and in laying in stores, for each
party found themselves, (old Dominico excepted,) I had not counted
him--and no small eater was he. Angelo was directed to give the old
man his rations from my stores, and advised that he should give him
something to do--make him cut the wood, kindle the fire, watch the
coffee--do anything that would keep his hand in: for I hold that
perfect idleness is not good for man or beast. And finding that the
old man had a pretty good knack for pleasing children, many an hour
were they permitted to while away with him, to his own as well as
their amusement.
The Moslems are in their way a religious people. They are regular
in saying their prayers at the prescribed times. They usually pray,
wherever they may happen to be, when the proper time arrives.
They do not retire to a secret place, but spread a small mat, and
kneel and prostrate themselves on it--touch the ground with their
forehead, facing towards Mecca, and repeating at the same time, in
a low and almost unintelligible voice, their forms of prayer. The
fore-part of the deck was the place at which they performed their
devotions.
Our winds being light, we did not lose sight of Palestine for nearly
twenty-four hours after we embarked. We had a pretty good view of
the south part of the plain of Sharon and of the hill country that
rose behind it. Several villages were seen, surrounded with their
olive-trees, vineyards, and gardens. The land at last disappeared,
and nothing but water was seen on all sides. Our course brought us
within sight of Egypt, east of Damietta. The coast was low, and
seemed to be a bed of sand. To the south-east we saw some large
buildings that appeared to rise out of the water. We learned that
they were forts at the mouth of some inlet. As we passed to the
west, our course brought us nearer the shore, and gave us a better
view of it. The water had a greenish colour, and such a current set
to the east, that during a calm that took place we had to cast out
an anchor to prevent our being swept far to the east.
In passing Damietta, we saw several vessels lying off. The shallows
and bars at the mouth of the river are such as to prevent vessels
from entering, and cause much trouble and delay in loading and
unloading at that place. Large lighters are used in passing produce
and merchandise to and from the shore. We could not see much of
the town. It lies a little back, and the sand hills near the coast
tended to prevent a good view of it. From all I could learn, it is
a small place, and much on the decline. There are some strong forts
at the mouth of the river, and so placed as to command the entrance.
The implements of war are everywhere to be met with in the dominions
of Mohammed Ali.
Groves of date-trees began to be seen on the coast. This is the
tree of Egypt, and is everywhere in Egypt to be met with in greater
numbers than any other tree. It has a singular appearance, and
not unlike a spread umbrella. The stem is long, and of the same
thickness, and has no branches until you reach the top,--then a
large cluster of branches, which bend out and hang down their tops,
so as to look much like the top of an open umbrella. They often
are found together in groves or orchards, and make a very fine
appearance.
Along the coast, and near the water, are many sand-hills. They
almost line the coast--are of various shapes and sizes. Most of
them are composed of white, fine sand, and are utterly destitute
of vegetation. In a few places I could see some small bushes about
the base of some of them; and through the openings between the
sand-hills we could see groves of palms in the interior. In a few
places we saw villages; for the most part they appeared small. Some
of them had minarets, which indicated Moslem places of worship; and
in several places we saw the top of minarets where we could see
neither the village nor the mosque to which they belonged.
The minaret, I may here remark, is to the mosques what a steeple is
to the church. Instead of a bell to call to worship, the moolah
(the Mohammedan priest) mounts the minaret, proclaims the hour,
and calls his people to prayer. The minaret rises higher above
the mosque than the steeple usually does above the church. It is
always white, and has a stairway up in the inside, by which the
moolah ascends to the place from which he proclaims the hour and
its accompanying duty. Near the top is a door through which he
comes out. A little platform runs all round the minaret, fenced in
with a low railing. There is a cover over the top, which protects
them in time of rain. If I may compare a small thing with a great,
I would say that a minaret is much like a tall candlestick, with a
long spermaceti candle in it, and an extinguisher on the top of the
candle. They have a very pretty and tasteful appearance.
The whole coast from east of Damietta to the west of Rosetta, bends
like a bow, the convex part being next the Mediterranean. It is
caused, no doubt, in part at least, by the immense deposits which
the Nile makes of the mud, with which its waters are loaded. There
are, however, some very deep bays on the coast, as the bay of
Aboukir.
The coast about Rosetta did not differ much from that about
Damietta. The mouth of the river is obstructed with bars, which is
much in the way of its commerce. The town lies back, so that we had
not a good view of it, at the distance at which we passed. There
were once, I am told, many good houses here; the trade was much
concentrated here; but since the canal has been made from Atpi to
Alexandria, the trade has taken that direction, and Alexandria has
been built up at the expense of Rosetta. All along this coast the
current seemed to set eastward.
We reached Alexandria on the first of June. It stands on a point of
land that projects considerably into the sea, and has a part that
turns west like the upper part of a capital T. On this west point
stands a palace of the pasha, to which he resorts in summer. There
are two harbours, one on the east and the other on the west side of
the town; and in each harbour is a Lazaret.
We had hoped, that as we had kept quarantine at Jaffa--as our vessel
had little intercourse with the shore, having come from Beyroot,
and as the health-officer promised he would state this on our
papers, that we would have but little, if any, assigned us here.
But we found that all availed not. We had twenty-one days assigned
us, and all our entreaties availed not to lessen the number. The
Turks, for the most part, take things patiently, and in few things
is it more wise to imitate them than in this. We had our place
assigned us in the Lazaret of the eastern harbour, and early the
next morning the captain had us and all our baggage conveyed there.
Our fellow-passengers were all assigned to the same place, while
the captain and his crew were allowed to perform their quarantine
on board their vessel--one soldier being put with them to see that
none left the vessel, and none entered it; while another soldier was
assigned to us to have a similar watch over all our doings.
On reaching the Lazaret, we were a good deal disconcerted at finding
that all men, women, and children, masters and servants, were to be
put in one and the same room. Who ever heard the like! I protested
against it, but of what use to protest! We were told the rooms were
scarce, and that this was their mode, to put all who had come in the
same vessel in the same room. The room was large--about sixty by
twenty. Several years' experience had satisfied me that there was
more trouble than profit in trying to get Turks and Arabs to think
and reason as we do. I therefore set myself to make the best of the
case, and set off to examine the premises. At and about the door of
the room--for we were not in the open court before it--I met several
of our voyagers, who, with much earnestness, urged me not to go in.
Angelo, who had just come out, earnestly advised me not to enter,
and let me know that the place was literally overrun with fleas. I
found them there in great numbers truly. But after having it swept
again and again, and using other means to destroy them, we took
possession. I had a strong cord stretched across, so as to cut off
about one-third, and made a room about twenty feet square. On this
cord we hung sheets, and blankets, and bed-spreads, and thus made a
private and comfortable chamber. We procured a frame-work of palm
wood that was a very good substitute for bedsteads--and some other
articles of the first necessity, and did very well; for our room, as
we found it, had not an article in it.
Our fellow-voyagers took possession of the other part of the room,
and renewed their discussions and debates, which for a little had
been suspended.
The Lazaret has a set of large rooms, formed into squares, and
surrounded with high walls. Attached to each room is a court, rather
larger than the room, and open to the heavens. There is a tank of
water in this court, and at one side, what is called a parletorio--a
place with a kind of wood grating, through which they may see and
converse with friends who call on them. Those in quarantine have,
during the day, free use of the court attached to their rooms, but
at night they are locked up in their rooms, their guardian with
them, and the key taken to the room of the head of the quarantine.
There is a kind of market in the Lazaret, or rather a shop is kept
there, at which most of the common necessaries may be had, and at
about a fair price. I engaged a man to send us bread and milk daily,
and was well supplied. Angelo as usual cooked for us and had the
general management of our table, and continued to have it nearly as
well furnished as when we were at Beyroot, and at about the same
expense.
We were a few times allowed to walk out as far as the sea-side,
but not without our guard. Nor were we allowed to go more than a
few rods from the walls. We much wished to take some walks in the
vicinity, but this was not allowed. There was, however, nothing rude
in their mode of denial.
The Lazaret is a new building, and not yet finished, and the work
is still in progress. It is made of a soft limestone, which is
brought in vessels and landed near the building. I observed that
females were almost wholly employed in unloading the stone from
these vessels, and the attendance on the workmen was chiefly, if
not wholly, done by females. There were small companies of girls,
from twelve to sixteen years of age, who carried stones and mortar.
They usually went together, and sung and kept a kind of time. Their
singing was in a kind of response to each other, and was evidently,
in part at least, extempore; as they often alluded to what they saw,
and to what was taking place about them. It reminded me of what is
called the corn-song, as sung by the slaves in the southern States.
They seemed cheerful, and are said to receive some wages for their
service.
Soon after we were in the Lazaret, Mr. Gliddon, U. S. consul, called
on us, and kindly tendered his aid in any way that might add to our
comfort while thus shut up in the Lazaret. To be twenty-one days
shut up in a room was tiresome, but not so much so to us as might
be expected. We had books--we read and wrote, and through the
kindness of our consul and others we received files of papers, which
let us know what was going on in that much-loved land, from which we
had been so long absent, and to think now we were about to return.
Alexandria stands on the site of the old town of that name. The
point of land which I have before mentioned, is pretty much covered
with houses. The houses of the older part of the town are very
inferior, but many of the buildings lately put up are in European
style, and very good, and some splendid buildings. These stand, at
least most of them, near the eastern harbour, and on a long street
that runs south-east across the town. Many of these new and elegant
houses are occupied by Europeans, of whom there are a considerable
number in Alexandria. There are many Frank shops, and stores, and
artists; and almost all kinds of European articles and goods may
here be obtained.
A little to the east of the Frank quarter, as it may be called,
stands Cleopatra's Needle. It is a granite obelisk--near it lies
another on the ground. There is a large space on the south-east
side of the city, that is not built on. It is a bed of ruins. In
many places excavations have been made, and curious antiques found.
The city is surrounded by a high and strong wall, with a deep
fosse on the outside. The gates are always guarded with soldiers.
The Navy-yard and Custom-house are on the western harbour; and in
that harbour ride some noble vessels, and others are being built.
The pasha and the sultan seem running a race in ship-building, and
certainly each has done a good deal within a few years past. A
little south of the town, and on a small elevation, stands Pompey's
Pillar. It has so often been described that I may well pass it
over, with the remark, that it is a large and beautiful shaft of
solid rock.
Alexandria has been much revived of late, and is now the chief
seaport of Egypt. Having selected it as the place for his navy-yard,
and through the canal of Mahmudieh opened a direct communication
between Alexandria and the Nile at Atpi, the trade has almost all
centred at Alexandria, to the ruin of Rosetta. The population of
Alexandria may be from 30 to 40,000.
The district about Alexandria has, with few exceptions, a dry and
burnt-up appearance. In a few places the date and the acacia trees
are seen, but a large part of the surface has almost nothing on it.
The pasha has shown a commendable degree of zeal for introducing
the arts and improvements of Europe into his dominions. He has
manufactories, and artists, and schools, at Alexandria and other
places. His leading object in the whole seems to be, to promote and
confirm his own power over the people that he now governs. He has
intelligence enough to see that arts and improvements have given
a decided advantage to those who possess them, and for the sake
of those advantages he desires to be possessed of them. This has
led him to employ many European artists and masters--has induced
him to send a number of youth to Europe to be educated there, and
instructed in the various departments of useful knowledge.