THE NILE STEAM-BOAT--A DECK DINNER--BOULAC--THE ESBEKIER--THE “GRAND
EASTERN HOTEL”--MR. RAVEN’S OFFICE--THE TRANSIT-BUSINESS--LOADING OF
THE CAMELS--DEPARTURE OF THE CARAVAN--THE DESERT--THE STATIONS--WATER.
The water in the Mahmoudieh Canal being at this season of the year
very low, and the steep muddy banks extremely slippery, it was no easy
matter to disembark all the heavy luggage belonging to our passengers.
The Arabs, however, are excellent porters, and will carry enormous
loads; so much so, that I was surprised at the apparent facility with
which the shifting of so great a quantity of material was accomplished.
One of Mr. Waghorn’s agents, who is located at Atféh, sends off a lot
of camels to the landing place, which transport the heavier baggage
to the river side, where it is immediately stored on board the Nile
steamer. This agent, who is an intelligent Italian, must lead a weary
life in Atféh, for of all places it has been my lot to visit, I never
saw one so truly forbidding. It is a town of considerable trade, and
the quays are covered with timber and bales of merchandize. Pigs by
the thousand run about in all directions, whilst the path from the
canal-boat to the steamer is through a perfect Slough of Despond.
With the exception of the Pasha’s corn-store, there is but one
decent-looking building in the place: this is, of course, the hotel,
where, on extraordinary occasions they can make up three or four
beds, though woe befall the unhappy wight who trusts himself to the
tender mercies of its host. On the ground-floor is a sort of wine and
spirit-store, where the traveller can be accommodated with all the
various growths of the Levant, and this is perhaps the only redeeming
quality in the character of the “Grand Hotel de France.”
In the course of two hours, we had everything removed on board a little
steamer, which lay fizzing at the quay side, capable of carrying, at a
pinch, fifty passengers with their effects. On this occasion, we did
not muster much more than half that number, and therefore found ample
accommodation. As for myself, I was so tired with my unusual exertions
of the last few hours, that I had no sooner reached the deck of the
“Cairo,” than I spread out my mat, and was soon in a sound sleep, from
which I was ere long aroused by a great clatter of knives and plates
at the hour of dinner. A long table on the after-part of the deck, was
lined on either side with my voracious countrymen, and although Antonio
tried hard to obtain me a corner seat, his efforts were unavailing,
and instead of being greeted, as I had fondly anticipated, with an
invitation to do as the rest, a long-whiskered officer with his mouth
full of chicken, ordered me to change his plate, very naturally
mistaking me for one of the Arab attendants. I obeyed the order at
once, but fearing that if I staid at the table, I might be subjected
to a renewal of these unceremonious commands, and thus establish a bad
precedent, I beat a retreat towards the caboose, and made friends with
the head engineer, who was in the act of sitting down to a steaming
mess of savoury stew, laid out upon the head of a cask, with a garnish
of sparkling pale ale. On the paddle-box above us, sat the old Reis
or pilot, gazing at us with extreme complacency, whilst waiting for
his turn at the dish. This individual is the most important in the
ship, as, without his knowledge of the river, we should be continually
running aground on one or other of the numerous shoals, which at “low
Nile” render the navigation somewhat intricate and dangerous. There he
sits by day and by night, always at his post, and ever wakeful, giving
an occasional sign to the Arab at the helm.[3]
We had now progressed a long way up the river, and as yet ungratified
by anything like a prospect, the high muddy banks shutting out from
us all view of the adjacent country. Occasionally we passed within
hail of a Fellah town, and could hear the joyous shouts of the little
children, as they proclaimed the approach of the “_Meerkib-al-nar_,”
or Fireship, as their own language expresses it. As night came on, our
little deck was gradually deserted, very few of the passengers choosing
to encounter a wetting from the dew which was now descending almost as
heavily as rain. I gave one look below to see if there was a chance
of making my bed on or under some table or other, but every available
place was occupied, and I was forced to throw myself upon the deck,
rolled up in a thick Bernous cloak, which defended me from both dew
and mosquitoes, and had it not been for one of the boatmen, who very
unceremoniously walked on my leg, I should have slept undisturbed until
daybreak.
About ten o’clock on the day following, we were just able to see the
Pyramids of Ghizeh, pointing faintly upwards in the distance, and at
noon reached Boulac,[4] the port of Cairo, where we disembarked, and
rode a mile-and-a-half into the city, some on donkeys, and others in
a sort of donkey chair. Consigning the mail boxes to the care of an
agent, who was in waiting to receive them, I cantered on into Cairo,
under the guidance of the lad, who ran behind me; and passing through
the outer gate of the city, found myself on the Esbikier, or “great
square,” a vast area of dry, cracked mud, surrounded by deep canals,
devoid of water, and bordered by a double row of dusty-looking trees.
Leaving the Esbikier, we entered a very narrow street, in the which,
about half way down, an overhanging board directs the traveller to
the “Grand Eastern Hotel,” and turning down a still narrower alley,
rendered almost dark by the extreme contiguity of the upper parts
of the houses, we passed under an arched gateway, and entered the
court-yard. A grim-looking Maltese waiter ushered me into the presence
of Mr. Raven, who was busy writing in his office, a little sort of
sanctum on the first-floor, which I shall describe at length hereafter.
This gentleman welcomed me very kindly, inquiring how many passengers I
had, and if they had all found conveyances to the city, &c., but before
he would permit me to answer him, he pointed to a _goolah_ of water
and brandy bottle which stood by, and would hear nothing until I had
taken a draught.
I then gave him a detailed account of our journey so far, and handed
him a parcel of letters and a passenger list, which I had brought with
me from Alexandria. I had made up my mind to something like a day’s
rest in Cairo, and was therefore somewhat surprised, though by no means
disappointed, when told that I had better accompany the caravan to
Suez, and make preparation for an immediate departure--“And,” added
Raven, “if you want anything to eat, find your way to the kitchen, and
lay hands on anything you most fancy, for if you wait till dinner-time
and sit down with the rest, ten to one but you are called away before
you can swallow a mouthful!” This advice was no sooner given than
acted upon; so, guided by my nose, I passed through sundry passages
and offices, and came upon a whole bevy of greasy Arab cooks, busy in
dishing-up all sorts of good things, and too much occupied to take
any notice of my invasion of their territory. Giving a hasty glance
around, I made choice of a tempting looking chicken, just fresh from
the spit, with which I made off, without apology, although I believe
very greatly to the astonishment of the cooks, who made _des grands
yeux_ at my impudence. An agreeable looking English girl, belonging to
the establishment, whom I encountered in my retreat, introduced me to a
plate and roll of bread, and sitting down I made a capital dinner.
On my return to Mr. Raven’s office, I found him busy with a list of
the passengers, arranging their various places in the carriages which
were to convey us to Suez. On a divan, under the window, was seated a
portly looking gentleman,[5] in a Turkish dress, very intently conning
over the last batch of Galignani, and smoking a Manilla, whilst one
or two of the passengers who had escaped from the dinner-table, were
changing English money into nine-piastre pieces, and asking innumerable
questions. Motioning me to a seat at a desk alongside him, and at
the same time introducing me to the gentleman upon the sofa, Raven
supplied me with a cheroot and a bottle of pale ale, and handed me a
rough list of the transit accounts to be put into proper form, before
collecting the monies. “When,” said he, “you have receipted all these,
and returned them to me, you may get away as soon as you like.” I found
each little bill to consist of a printed form; so much for transit from
Cairo to Suez, so much for camel-hire for baggage, and a third item
for hotel expenses, the whole very simple and easily comprehended.
The taking of the money was not so readily accomplished, as I had
some little difficulty in making people understand how the charge for
luggage was regulated. The hire of a camel to cross the desert is about
twelve shillings, and his load seldom or never more than two packages;
one on each side. A lady, therefore, with a heavy portmanteau and two
large paper bandboxes, might be called upon to pay a camel and a half,
whilst her husband, with two enormous and weighty bullock trunks,
would probably pay but for one camel. A hat-box and writing-desk have
been assessed at half a camel, for the Bedouins have but little idea
of properly balancing a load; and I have frequently seen a heavy
iron-bound trunk, counterpoised by a huge, but light, paper bonnet-box,
or a colossal carpet-bag and a bird-cage, in ludicrous contraposition.
The loading takes place in a spacious court-yard at the back of the
hotel, the camels kneeling to receive their burdens, which are secured
in rude net-work bags, and the noise and confusion at such times is
almost distracting. The animals are very touchy, and manifest their
displeasure by a child-like groan, which it is almost distressing to
hear. The motion of their heads too requires constant watching, as
they turn round to bite and snap at the slightest provocation, and seem
to have a peculiar dislike to the Frank dress, which attracts them more
than the blue smocks of the Bedouin. The distribution of the loads is
superintended by different servants of the company from every quarter
of the globe; and as each tries to make himself heard amid the general
din, there is a perfect Babel of tongues.
With all this, just under the open window of the little room in which
we were sitting, I found my labour in the way of accounts to progress
but slowly; and it was no little relief to me, when the hubbub was
exchanged for a state of comparative quiet, produced by the departure
of the camels with the baggage, which generally precedes the rest of
the caravan.
By five in the afternoon, everything was reported in readiness for a
start, but as I had occasion to wait for some papers entrusted to me by
Raven, I was almost the last who reached the place of departure. In a
wide part of an adjacent street, I found five or six covered carts with
two wheels, and four stout horses attached to each; these are capable
of holding four persons comfortably, and as they are well balanced,
and run on enormously large wheels, their motion is both easy and
agreeable. Each passenger has his particular seat assigned him before
starting, so that there is no confusion or scrambling for places, care
being also taken not to separate the members of one family more than
can be avoided; children and ladies are generally confided to the
care of the most experienced English drivers, while the gentlemen are
handed over to the tender mercies of some Maltese, or native knight of
the whip, if the caravan be so large as to put all the carriages in
requisition.
On looking over the list, I found myself booked with two missionaries
and a reverend divine; a fact which manifested a kindly interest in
my welfare on the part of Mr. Raven, who pushed in after me a couple
of black bottles, and gave the order to go forward. Whisking round
the Esbikier, we passed the outer gate and suburbs, and then after
a jolting drive of near a mile through narrow lanes, bordered by
hedge-rows of prickly pear and luxuriant aloes, emerged on to the
smooth sand of the desert; half a mile on, are two curious looking
erections of brick, called the Tombs of the Sheiks, and these once
out of sight, there is nought to greet the eye but a vast expanse of
sand, enclosed at the horizon on either side within a low range of
sand hills, which extend almost without interruption the entire way to
Suez. The route of the caravan is more direct than that taken by the
Israelites formerly, (which is more to the southward, almost without
wells, and hilly,) and with one exception, where it crosses a ridge of
rock, runs due East and West in a straight line.
[Illustration]
For the convenience of passengers to and from India, places of refuge
or Stations, have been erected at uniform distances, where man and
beast may find refreshment, and shelter from the scorching sun. Those
travelling through the agency of Messrs. Waghorn,[6] are entitled to
avail themselves to any extent of the accommodation afforded, saving
as to wines, &c., which are charged extra; but should a party making
the journey, independent altogether of such agency, neglect to provide
himself with a ticket of admission to these Stations, he will find
himself condemned to abstinence from food and water for the entire
eighty-four miles, unless he carry with him a sufficient supply. Wells
there are none, saving one of dirty brackish water near Suez, and
this is more often dry than not. At the Stations, however, there is
always an abundant supply of good water, kept cool under ground in
iron tanks, and brought from the Nile in skins at a great expense; and
should this by any untoward chance be wanting, the traveller may slake
his thirst with the best of ale or beer at a shilling the bottle. If
too fastidious to descend to vulgar malt, he will find a modest looking
“_carte des vins_” in the dining-rooms of three out of seven of the
Stations, from which he may make his selection, without risk of being
compelled to complain either of quality or price.
I am aware that there are many who have found fault with the apparently
high charge made for the transit between Cairo and Suez; but these
may not have sufficiently considered the great trouble and expense
necessarily incurred in providing due accommodation. They have scarcely
any idea of the number of skins of water required to fill one tank,
nor, perhaps, do they reflect, while filling out or polishing their
own skins, and using as much of the precious fluid as they can desire,
that the poor camel or donkey which brought it forty weary miles
from the Nile, returns all the way back again, without having wetted
its lips more than once, if even so much as that. Then again, should
a goat-skin spring a leak, or burst while on the road, which not
unfrequently happens, what is to recompense the poor Bedouin, who has
tramped the whole way on foot, and whose donkey, on which he solely
relies for a livelihood, is the bearer of but one skin of water at a
time.[7]
FOOTNOTES:
[3] Our little vessel when originally sent out to Egypt by the Oriental
Company, was fitted with a rudder-wheel, but as the native boatmen
could never be induced to work it, a long tiller was substituted in its
stead.
[4] The distance from Atféh to Boulac, by the Nile, is about 120
English miles.
[5] Dr. A., an eminent physician, long resident in Cairo, well known by
most who have visited that city.
[6] 1842-3.
[7] A young officer, on his way _out_ to India, having upon one
occasion, ordered Champagne, really was, or appeared to be, extremely
annoyed that it was sent up _un_-iced! I never found any one
_returning_, make any unreasonable objections of this kind.