Search for the ancient city of Berenice.--The boats of the
Ababde fishermen described.--Discovers the remains of the
Berenice mentioned by a former traveller.--Returns towards
Esne.--Meets with two shepherd girls tending their sheep on
the mountains.--Sufferings of travellers in crossing the
Deserts.--The caravan reaches the banks of the Nile.--Belzoni
returns to Gournou.
MRS. A.--Our travellers continued their journey, for hope gave them
patience, and ascended something like an ancient road, or rather path.
On the summit of the mountain above they observed a large wall, so
situated that it appeared to look over the path and both sides of the
mountain.
When they reached the top of the road their camels were quite
exhausted: some of them had fallen on the way, and were unloaded to
enable them to ascend; and the strongest camels had to return to fetch
the loads of the others. A steep craggy road over a mountain is no more
adapted to a camel than the deep sand of the Desert to a horse.
When they reached the summit, they began to look for the desired
Berenice; but, alas! in vain. Their hopes had been so raised by
Monsieur Calliaud, that Belzoni’s active imagination had already
pictured the remains of some majestic dome, or lofty column, or noble
edifice, by which he expected to distinguish the town, and which was
to serve as a guide to the spot, whither he intended to hasten the
moment he beheld it. His companion was not less anxious than himself,
and his ideas were equally excited. They had made arrangements how to
proceed when they arrived there. As their provision was scanty, they
could stop but a few days, and had already distributed their time
accordingly. He was to take drawings of all the beautiful buildings,
monuments, figures, paintings, sculptures, statues, and columns.
Belzoni was to survey all the vast ruins as fast as he could; to
observe where any thing was to be found or discovered: to take measures
of all the monuments and place of every stone in that great city.
Such pleasing ideas had the fertile fancy of our antiquaries excited.
Now to the fact.
From the summit upon which they were, they expected to have a view
not only of the sea, but of a wide plain also; as it was natural to
suppose, that a town like Pompeii could not have been entirely built
among those wild mountains. Not perceiving any, they expected to be
agreeably surprised, on turning some of the rocks, by beholding one.
The old man told them that, previous to reaching the town, they would
see some grottoes in the mountains, which their vivid imaginations
made them conclude were the tombs of the inhabitants of Berenice. They
advanced insensibly, continually keeping their eyes fixed on the points
of some rocks which stood before them, with the hope that, on turning
the next angle, the glorious sight would present itself; and, indeed,
the scattered and ruined walls of some ancient enclosures announced to
them that they would soon see some habitation.
They observed a square hole in the rock, which had evidently been cut
by some of the miners in form of a chapel.
Belzoni now began to congratulate himself that they had nearly
arrived, and, whilst employed with these thoughts, the old man who
was at the head, serving as a guide, made a sign to halt. The drivers
gave a signal to the camels, and the camels, who were already weak
and exhausted by passing over the mountains, did not wait for its
repetition, but with all the luggage, were crouched in a moment on the
ground, before Belzoni was able to account for it. He told the drivers
that he did not intend to stop there, but wished to advance farther
into the town, where the houses might be seen; when, to his no small
astonishment, he was told by the old man that this was the very spot
where the Christian had been before.
EMILY.--What an odd, mysterious old man he was, mother! I do not admire
him at all. By the other Christian, he meant Monsieur Calliaud, I
suppose. But it is quite impossible that _he_ could have called this
place Berenice: and where were the eight hundred houses?
MRS. A.--Belzoni himself could hardly suppose that the account he had
received would be so exaggerated, as to lead him to suppose he should
find another Pompeii instead of the place at which he had just arrived;
and he reproached the old man for stopping there, and not advancing
to the town, which, according to his own account, could not be far
off. He again protested that this was the spot, and that there was no
other with houses in any part of the deserts or mountains. Belzoni was
incredulous; and resolving not to submit to what he believed to be the
imposition of the old man, as it now wanted four hours to sunset, he
mounted his camel again.
His friend, Mr. Beechey went with him, consequently all the caravan
followed at a distance. They entered a long valley, and, filled with
the hope of seeing the ancient city, our travellers proceeded for four
hours without perceiving a single habitation.
You may fancy, how desolate it was, and how much disappointed they must
have felt. The sun was just setting, you know, therefore it was getting
dark; and no house was near.
At length they reached a valley called Wady el Gomal, which was almost
covered with a beautiful tree called the egley; and having lost all
hopes of finding Berenice that evening, they halted to rest on a clean
bed of sand, which I believe was as comfortable as the sugar-cane bed,
Bernard, though Belzoni would certainly rather have slept among the
magnificent temples of the great city. But the poor camels, instead of
reposing, were obliged to fetch water, both for themselves and their
masters, from a well not less than fifteen miles distant.
OWEN.--I cannot imagine, mother, what could induce the old man not to
show them the place described by Monsieur Calliaud. Perhaps the miners
at Zubara had told him to keep it secret, for fear Belzoni should
discover any emerald mines in or near Berenice.
MRS. A.--Indeed, they did not know what to think. Their provisions
began to make them cautious: they had biscuit for twenty days, but
their sheep was lost, you remember. Still they were easily satisfied,
so that they did but reach the desired emporium of the commerce
formerly carried on by the nations of Europe, with India.
Early on the following morning they perceived a high hill four or five
miles from the valley, and as they had to wait for the return of the
camels, they thought they might ascend the mountain to have a view
of the country, or of the remains of the celebrated Berenice. They
set off, and observed on their way several flocks of wild antelopes
skipping about on the craggy rocks on each side of the beautiful
valley, which, being ornamented with suvaroe and debbo trees in
addition to the egley, formed a delightful contrast to the wide sandy
desert. No one had probably been in this spot for many centuries, and
very likely no one will pass through it for many more to come. When
they reached the summit of the mountain they took a view around: they
had a small telescope with them, and the peak on which they stood
commanded a prospect many miles in extent.
Alas! the much-sought-for town had vanished, or rather never appeared.
No remnants of it were to be discerned, and Belzoni might have
exclaimed in the words of Shakspeare:
The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherits, shall dissolve,
And, like the baseless fabric of a vision,
Leave not a wreck behind.--
Indeed there was ocular demonstration in the truth of this assertion,
with respect to its towers, temples and palaces; for the once brilliant
and flourishing city had disappeared, and they now began to be
persuaded that Monsieur Calliaud had seen the town, with its eight
hundred houses, and so much like Pompeii, in his own imagination only.
Belzoni observed some high mountains on the south-east, which the old
man, who had followed them all the way, said were near the sea. They
determined to pursue that course, and to try whether they could reach
the spot described by a former traveller as being the situation of
the Berenice Trogloditica. Hope seemed always to cheer our traveller;
nothing compelled him to relinquish his projects.
They descended the mountain, and returned to the beautiful valley in
which they had passed the preceding night.
They waited there, for the return of the camels with a fresh supply
of water, which they were much in want of, for there only remained a
single zemzabie or leather bag, containing about three quarts. Their
thirst was great, and they felt in some degree, the calamity of living
without water. Hunger is painful to endure, but thirst is far more
intolerable. At last, however, to their great joy, the camels appeared
in sight. The poor drivers were exceedingly fatigued, and almost unable
to proceed. The caravan travelled on for some hours, and arrived in
another valley, the rocks of which were nearly perpendicular. After
this the hills became small, and the sandy banks rising one behind
another made them expect to see the sea very shortly. They went on till
a late hour, and at length halted at a spot where they thought the sand
might again prove a comfortable bed. Fortunately for Belzoni it was
so: for his camel was so weary, that no sooner did he reach it than he
threw him off his back, and leaving him there, saddle and all, set off
without delay to feed among the thorns.
Early the next day they resumed their journey; but the hills of sand,
instead of diminishing, increased in size, which made them fearful that
they were yet far from the sea. However, about noon the valley opened
all at once, and at the distance of five miles they saw the Arabian
Gulf.
You may judge how much joy the sight of the open horizon must have
given them, after having been so long shut up in that narrow valley.
They perceived, on arriving at the shore, that it was composed as far
as they could see of a mass of petrifications of various kinds.
The Red Sea is particularly noted for its seaweeds, corals, shells,
and similar productions, and the bottom of it is literally a forest
of submarine plants. And these are formed into a solid mass like a
rock, which extends from the bank of sand that forms the boundary of
the tide, and runs into the sea for a great length. They resolved to
take the road along the coast until they should reach the spot which
was pointed out as Berenice, according to the account of the traveller
whom I named before. It is not marked on our modern maps. But I believe
it is just by that point of land projecting into the sea, called Cape
Lepte, a little beyond the 24th degree of latitude.
They acquainted the drivers with their intention, who, poor creatures,
were too much fatigued willingly to acquiesce in it. They indeed went
so far as absolutely to refuse proceeding, but at last found it in vain
to resist. It was concluded that two of the camels should go first to
the nearest well for water, and that the caravan should wait their
return. During this interval, Belzoni and his friends made a little
excursion along the coast; the plain which extended from the mountains
to the sea was covered in many places with woods of sycamore trees,
and at the foot of these mountains they saw several mines of sulphur,
which they wished Mahomed Ali could have viewed also. They made a good
repast out of some shell-fish, which abound along the coast, and they
were probably as great a feast to our wearied and hungry friends,
Emily, as the train oil was to your little Greenlanders.
On their return to the caravan they found that the guide had met with
an acquaintance of his who lived by catching fish, not far from where
they were. His only habitation consisted of a tent four feet high and
five feet wide; and his wife, her son and daughter, formed the family.
Money presented an attraction to the old fisherman, and persuaded him
to try what he could do towards procuring them some fish, as they were
so hungry. Their mode of fishing is somewhat strange; and the boat they
use for the purpose is one in which I own I should not much like to
see my little Bernard. They throw in the water, part of the trunk of a
tree, at one end of which a small pole is stuck upright, to serve as a
mast, and on the top of it a piece of wood is horizontally fastened. A
woollen shawl being thrown over it, forms a kind of sail; two fishermen
place themselves astride on the large trunk, and by means of a cord
fastened to the middle of the sail, they take the wind more or less as
is required.
[Illustration]
When the fishermen were thus equipped, and at some distance from the
shore, Belzoni could scarcely tell how they seized their prey, but he
fancied that they darted their long spears at the fish, and procured
them by this means. The old man brought one to Belzoni: he could not
tell its name, but he had seen a very good representation of it among
the hieroglyphics in the tomb of Psammuthis.
The camels returned in the course of a day or two, with a load of fresh
water, and the caravan now divided into two parties. The Greek servant
and some of the camels were sent to a spring in the adjacent mountains,
there to wait the return of the rest, who set off in the forenoon
along the coast. On their road they passed the abodes of several other
fishermen: but when they saw our travellers at a distance, they left
their tents and marched off towards the mountains. All the signs that
were made to stop them were of no avail. They were like the people of
Mainarty, who left their huts in a similar manner, and hid themselves
in that great hole under the ruins of an old castle, and would not come
out when Belzoni went to visit them.
When our friends arrived at the tents, they found some excellent fish
just roasted, which the inhabitants had no doubt intended for their own
supper. They however partook of their meal, and having left some money
in payment on the top of a water jar, continued their journey. Towards
evening they left the shore, and began to feel the short allowance
of water, as they knew that, without great care, it would soon be
entirely gone. A few hours after, they crossed a very extensive
plain, and arrived again at the sea. Not expecting to discover the
remains of Berenice that night, it was an agreeable surprise to find
themselves all at once on one of those heaps of ruins which point out
the situation of ancient towns so often seen in Egypt. They entered,
and at once beheld the regular situations of the houses, the principal
streets, and in the centre a small Egyptian temple, nearly covered with
sand, as well as the insides of the houses; their wonder increased on
examining the materials with which the houses were built: they could
see nothing but coral, roots, madrepores, and several petrifications of
various seaweeds.
EMILY.--These were singular buildings, however, mother! We have heard
of the little huts in Peru, which are made of bamboo canes; and of
the wigwams of North America, formed of stakes, and leaves, and turf;
and of the dwellings of the little Laplanders, composed of bark and
reindeer skins; and we have seen the cottages of poor people in England
built of mud; but we have never heard of coral and seaweed houses
before!
MRS. A.--The situation of this town was delightful. Our travellers
concluded it to be the Berenice laid down by D’Anville, as it nearly
agreed with the situation marked on his map. They determined to examine
it most minutely. They measured the town, and took the plan of the
temple, which was built of soft calcareous earth, in the Egyptian
style. Their grand difficulty was about the water; it was become so
scarce that they had reason to dread remaining there the whole of the
next day. The nearest well was a day’s journey distant. Notwithstanding
their excessive thirst, they were determined to endure it, rather than
give up their project; and being moonlight, they devoted the hour of
rest to an examination of the place.
Though they had only taken some biscuit and water for a long time,
except the fish which they found in the tents of the fishermen, they
contented themselves very well with respect to food; but their thirst
was continually increasing; and their zemzabie, which some days before
contained only three quarts, was nearly empty. However, that they might
be perfectly sure of having actually reached Berenice, they persuaded
the Scheik to go farther with them, just to take a survey of the
country, and to leave the rest of the people where they were in the
mean time. Before they departed, little Mussa one of the boys who had
joined the caravan at Gournou, to attend to the camels, was set to dig
in the temple; he had no spade, poor fellow! but as it was only soft
sand, a shell or caquille supplied the place of one.
Proceeding onwards, they saw nothing but an extensive plain to the foot
of the mountain that formed the cape on the south; they had telescopes,
but could see no sort of elevation, or any thing else that could lead
them to imagine there were any remains of habitations. They therefore
returned to the town, and found that the boy had excavated about four
feet of sand, near one corner of the temple, and to their surprise
discovered that it was Egyptian. They had imagined that it was erected
by the Greeks. The walls were adorned with sculpture and hieroglyphics,
and they carried a small marble slab away as a memento. The little
Mussa had worked very well, considered he had only a shell in the place
of a spade.
The plain that surrounds this town is very extensive, and partly
covered with small plants of sunt and suvaroes; which last is a small
tree, with leaves resembling those of the laurel; it grows close to the
salt water, and generally out of the rocks. Belzoni carefully examined
the town, and counted the houses (of which there were two thousand,)
that he might not take a wrong report, and be mistaken for another
Calliaud. This place being on the coast, was once a port of commerce
with India. Having spent as much time there as they prudently could,
they recommenced their journey towards the north-west, firmly intending
at some future time to inspect the whole of the ruins.
OWEN.--To the north-west: then they are returning to Esne, I suppose?
I hope they will fall in with some well, for they must be extremely
thirsty by this time.
MRS. A.--They left the spot on the evening of the same day, and after
travelling some hours by moonlight, fortunately arrived at the well of
Aharatret, a mountainous place, where the water was good to drink.
Their biscuits were nearly gone by this time, they were, therefore,
agreeably surprised to find a few sheep around the well, as they hoped
to be able to purchase one. They approached, intending to do so, when
the guardian of the flock beat a forced march into the mountain, and
drove the intended repast away from them. But they were not inclined
to be deprived of what they could purchase; and they sent some of the
drivers to follow the flock, which they willingly did, being as hungry
as themselves. The fugitives were pursued and stopped. They reached the
flock, and found that its guardians were two shepherd girls. The tawny
coloured nymphs were surprised at the fountain by their pursuers, and
took refuge on the mountains; but, unlike the fishermen on the coast
of the Red Sea, or the people of Mainarty, they were easily persuaded
to return, and allowed the hungry group to take one of their lambs.
The caravan arrived at Sakiet Minor again in a few days, and thence
proceeded to the valley of Wady el Gomal; after which it crossed a very
wide sandy plain, and reached the entrance of the chain of mountains
that leads to the Nile. Their camels were by this time so much
exhausted as to be scarcely able to go on; they had already lost three
on the road. It is difficult for those who have never seen a desert
to form a correct idea of one; it appears like an endless plain of
sand and stones, without roads or shelter, without any sort of produce
for food. The scattered trees and shrubs of thorns, that only appear
when the rainy season leaves some moisture, barely serve to feed wild
animals and a few birds. Every thing is left to nature. The springs
of water are generally at the distance of four, six, or eight days’
journey. One of these may perhaps happen to be dry, and then if the
same dreadful calamity happen at the next well, which is so anxiously
sought for by the wearied travellers, the misery of their situation
cannot well be described.
They have the camels with them, it is true, and although their only
dependence is placed on these useful creatures, yet they themselves are
sometimes so thirsty as to be unable to proceed. Their condition must
be distressing, for it admits of no resource. Many perish, the victims
of insatiable thirst. It is in such a state that the value of a cup of
cold water is really felt.
In these cases there is no distinction of persons; if the master has
none, the servant will not give it him; for very few are the instances
in which a man will voluntarily lose his life to save that of another,
particularly in a caravan in a desert, where the people are strangers
to each other. What a situation for a man to be placed in! riches will
avail nothing; he may perhaps be the owner of the caravan, and yet
die on the desert for want of a cup of cold water! no one gives it to
him; he offers all he possesses; no one hears him; they are all dying,
though by walking a few miles farther they might be saved; the camels
are lying down and will not attempt to rise; no one has strength to
walk; only he who has so much as a glass of that liquid, which he
would not part with for all the emeralds of Zubara, has any chance of
living: and if he is enabled to crawl a mile farther, perhaps he dies
too.
It is indeed a dreadful situation to be placed in, exposed to the
burning sun, without water and without shelter, in the midst of a
burning desert. I believe the sufferings of those who have experienced
what it is, are the greatest a human being can sustain. The eyes
grow inflamed; the tongue and lips swell; a hollow sound is heard in
the ears; a faintness or languor takes away the power to move; some
wandering tears escape from the eyes; the poor sufferer drops on the
earth and becomes insensible; all these feelings arise from the want of
a little water.
And now we will return to Belzoni. We left him just entering the chain
of mountains that leads to the Nile.
The caravan proceeded very much as before until it arrived on the banks
of that river, and the freshness of its water made them sensible of its
superiority over that of almost any other.
They went onboard their little boat the same night, and set off for
Esne.
You know when they went up the Nile, almost all the land around was
under water, and the poor people were standing about on the little
islands, holding out their hands and imploring assistance. Now,
although the water had only retired fifteen days, yet all the lands
that were before overflowed were not only dried up but actually
planted; the muddy villages carried off by the current were all
rebuilt; the fences opened; the Fellahs at work in the fields; the
aspect was quite changed, and all presented a scene of industry and
happiness.
They arrived at Esne in a day or two, and visited the Bey, who received
them very politely, inquired about the mines, and was anxious to learn
the result of their journey. They then set off again, and reached our
well known Gournou after an absence of forty days.