Part 3

I passed on till I entered Cairo. When I reached the Franks’ quarter, both gates were shut; but through the small door I observed a Frank, engaged like myself in the act of peeping, and who proved to be Mr. Bocty, the Swedish consul-general, who was surprised to see me. I could not imagine what all this meant. At first I concluded, that a violent plague had broken out, and that every one kept his house: but the Mahommedans do not seclude themselves on such occasions; so I was at a loss what inference to draw. Mr. Bocty anxiously inquired of me how I happened to be there, whence I came, and what I had seen on the road; and he was not a little surprised, when I told him, that I came from Boolak, and did not see any thing particular on the way. I had not been at the door long, before we heard a great noise in some of the streets, and a volley of musketry discharged. I was then hurried into the Franks’ quarter, and the gates were closely shut. I was soon informed, that a revolution had broken out among the soldiers against the Bashaw, and that some of the troops were in pursuit of him to the citadel, whither he had retired for safety. Strange as it may appear, it proved, that by our not communicating with any body in Boolak, we knew nothing of what passed in the morning at Cairo; and it so happened, that at the very place where the revolution had begun, which was the seraglio, in the Esbakie, no one was visible when I passed; for after the Bashaw had retired into the citadel, all the soldiers ran after him; and as to the rest of the people, no one came out of their houses. All the Franks in their quarter were alarmed, and prepared for defence, in case the gates should be attacked. I went to the house of Mr. Baghos, in the same quarter, as I had business with him, and he was not a little surprised to see me, knowing where I lived.

I was much concerned for Mrs. Belzoni, whom I had left at home with only James and an Arab; and though Mr. Baghos endeavoured to persuade me to stop with him all night, I insisted on returning almost immediately. I went off unperceived by any one in the house; but at the gates of the quarter I found great difficulty in having the door opened; and no sooner was I out, than it was instantly closed after me. I took the same road that I came, and had not gone far, when I met a body of armed soldiers running towards the centre of the town. Advancing further, I heard several muskets discharged in a street near, and many others at some distance; indeed there was a continual firing kept up. On my approaching the Esbakie, I saw several soldiers running towards the seraglio, and others hastening towards me. When they came up, one seized the bridle of my donkey, while another took me by the collar, and the rest were busied in rifling my pockets. I had but a few dollars in my possession; and my pocket-book contained only letters and passports, of which I know not how they have disposed: but what principally drew their attention was a white topaz brooch, which I had in the frill of my shirt, and which they took for a brilliant. I kept in good humour with them; and when I perceived their attention to the topaz, I began to move in order to depart. I do not know whether I had reason to fear they would call after me, suspecting that I marked them so as to recognise them again: but I proceeded, and nothing further happened to me on the road.

For several days we kept ourselves close in the house, as we were advised by a friendly Turk, our neighbour, not to be seen. During this time, the soldiers plundered the shops in Cairo, and the Bashaw sent the Syrian horse against them, now known under the appellation of Tartoor. These were the only troops faithful to him; but being mounted, they could not follow the Albanians, who were posted in ploughed fields between Cairo and Boolak. One day the cavalry advanced and the Albanians retired towards Boolak. Our house was so situated, that from the upper part of it we could see the firing of the troops on one side, and on the other the confusion of the people, who had taken to the boats, which were soon crowded with them, and in the hurry many of them went adrift. It was expected, that the troops would plunder the place, if they entered it: in such case, I depended on the appearance and ruined state of our habitation, which I had reason to think, would rather deter the soldiers from entering it, lest it should fall on their heads, than invite them to plunder. Besides, we had no treasure with us, unless they had taken our kitchen furniture of earthen pots, &c. There was a universal cry among the people, and the troops advanced to the very entrance of the town; but, fortunately, they were prevented from coming in by the cavalry, who, by making a circuit, had taken post on the road. The confusion continued in this manner for several days: at last, after having plundered and ravaged Cairo at their pleasure, the troops retired to their camps, and in a few days more matters were arranged again. I have reason to think, that the Bashaw knew who the chief instigators of this insurrection were, for we found that several persons shortly after died of sudden deaths; and, indeed, many of the Chiefs and Beys disappeared. The discontented troops were all sent to encampments in various stations at a distance from Cairo, and part towards Mecca; but the European exercise, which was said to have been the cause of the revolt of the troops, was wholly abandoned, and consigned to oblivion. Turks are averse to control of any sort, and particularly to what is not the result of Mahommedan customs. I was never more amused, than when I saw our military evolutions attempted by men, whose large trowsers are peculiarly unsuited to our light motions.

When all was quiet again, I recommenced my hydraulic preparations. The place, where I was to erect my machine, was in Soubra, at the garden of the Bashaw, on the Nile, three miles from Cairo. We went to reside there, in a small house within the walls of the governor’s palace, which was closed at night by large gates, something like the Occales in Alexandria. I had many provoking difficulties to encounter, before I became acquainted with the people of the place, as they supposed, that the introduction of such machines into the country would throw many of them out of work; consequently I was not welcome among them; and the very persons who were to furnish me with what was necessary in wood, iron, carpentry, &c. would be the first to suffer by it, if the machine succeeded. It may, therefore, easily be imagined that I had to contend with many obstacles, besides the prejudice against all strangers, or innovations in the customs of the natives. As a proof of this may be cited the iron hydraulic machine already in Soubra, sent as a present from England to the Bashaw of Egypt, which is said to have cost ten thousand pounds. It was neatly put up, though the engineer, who was in charge of it, met with many difficulties before he effected it. At last it was set to work; but as it was imagined that an English machine would inundate the whole country in an hour, the quantity of water raised was not adequate to their expectation, and it has been left useless ever since. For my own part, I have no doubt, that the machine might have been made to draw up more water, if the person who constructed it could have seen the place and situation in which it was to act. The failure in this instance had given me an early surmise of what might be my own fate; and I was not mistaken.

During my stay at Soubra I became acquainted with many Turks, and in particular with the governor of the palace, as we had our house within his walls. The garden of the Bashaw was under his care, and a guard was kept at the gates. The seraglio is so situated, that the front looks over the Nile: at the back of it is the garden, which is under the care of Greeks, who in a few years have brought it to great perfection. There are beautiful alcoves, made in form of cupolas, entirely covered with plants; and the water machines, which are constantly at work, keep up a perpetual verdure. There is a fountain in the European style, and a great quantity of fruit, particularly grapes and peaches; but they never grow to any size like ours, for many get rotten and fall before they are ripe; in consequence, the Turks eat them green.

The Bashaw is in continual motion, being sometimes at his citadel, and sometimes at his seraglio in the Esbakie; but Soubra is his principal residence. His chief amusement is in the evening a little before sunset, when he quits his seraglio, and seats himself on the bank of the Nile, to fire at an earthen pot, with his guards. If any of them hit it, he makes him a present, occasionally of forty or fifty rubies. He is himself an excellent marksman; for I saw him fire at and hit a pot only fifteen inches high, set on the ground on the opposite side of the Nile, though the river at Soubra is considerably wider than the Thames at Westminster Bridge. As soon as it is dark, he retires into the garden, and reposes either in an alcove, or by the margin of a fountain, on an European chair, with all his attendants round him. Here his numerous buffoons keep him in continual high spirits and good humour. By moonlight the scene was beautiful. I was admitted into the garden whenever I wished, by which means I had an opportunity of observing the domestic life of a man, who from nothing rose to be viceroy of Egypt, and conqueror of the most powerful tribes of Arabia.

From the number of lights I frequently saw through the windows of the seraglio, I supposed the ladies were at such times amusing themselves in some way or other. Dancing women are often brought to divert them, and sometimes the famous Catalani of Egypt was introduced. One of the buffoons of the Bashaw took it into his head one day, for a frolic, to shave his beard; which is no trifle among the Turks; for some of them, I really believe, would sooner have their head cut off than their beard: he borrowed some Franks’ clothes of the Bashaw’s apothecary, who was from Europe, and, after dressing himself in our costume, presented himself to the Bashaw as an European, who could not speak a single word either of Turkish or Arabic, which is often the case. Being in the dark, the Bashaw took him for what he represented himself to be, and sent immediately for the interpreter, who put some questions to him in Italian, which he did not answer: he was then questioned in French, but no reply; and next in the German and Spanish languages, and still he was silent; at last, when he saw that they were all deceived, the Bashaw not excepted, he burst out in plain Turkish, the only language he was acquainted with, and his well known voice told them who he was; for such was the change of his person, particularly by the cutting off his beard, that otherwise they could scarcely have recognised him. The Bashaw was delighted with the fellow; and, to keep up the frolic, gave him an order on the treasury for an enormous sum of money, and sent him to the Kaciabay, to present himself as a Frank, to receive it. The Kaciabay started at the immensity of the sum, as it was nearly all that the treasury could furnish: but upon questioning this new European, it was soon perceived who he was. In this attire he went home to his women, who actually thrust him out of the door; and such was the disgrace of cutting off his beard, that even his fellow buffoons would not eat with him till it was grown again.

The Bashaw seems to be well aware of the benefits that may be derived from his encouraging the arts of Europe in his country, and had already reaped some of the fruits of it. The fabrication of gunpowder, the refining of sugar, the making of fine indigo, and the silk manufacture, are introduced, much to his advantage: he is constantly inquiring after something new, and is delighted with any thing strange to his imagination. Having heard of electricity, he sent to England for two electric machines, one with a plate, the other with a cylinder. The former was broken by the way; the latter was dismounted. The physician of the Bashaw, an Arminian, did not know, though it was so easy a matter, how to set it up. Happening to be at the garden one evening, when they were attempting it, and could not succeed, I was requested to put the several pieces together; and, having done so, I made one of the soldiers mount on the insulating stool, charged the machine, and gave the Turk a good shock; who, expecting no such thing, uttered a loud cry, and jumped off, as much terrified as if he had seen the devil. The Bashaw laughed at the man’s jumping off, supposing his fright to be a trick, and not the effect of the machine; and when told, that it was actually occasioned by the machine, he affirmed positively that it could not be, for the soldier was at such a distance, that it was impossible the small chain he held in his hand could have such power. I then desired the interpreter to inform his Highness, that if he would mount the stool himself, he would be convinced of the fact. He hesitated for a while whether to believe me or not; however he mounted the stool. I charged well, put the chain into his hand, and gave him a pretty smart shock. He jumped off, like the soldier, on feeling the effect of the electricity; but immediately threw himself on the sofa in a fit of laughter, not being able to conceive how the machine could have such power on the human body.

The governor of Soubra, Zulfur Carcaja, was a Mamelouk of about sixty-five years of age, and an instance of the promotion of one of that body of men, who for so many centuries ruled Egypt. His political conduct towards the Bashaw procured him the place of governor of a village, which contained the residence of the Bashaw himself, and a vast tract of land, the cultivation of which was entirely under his direction. He was a learned man among the Turks, and had a considerable portion of knowledge in agriculture, which I suppose to be the cause of his continuing to enjoy the Bashaw’s favour. He had travelled a great deal in the Ottoman dominions, and had acquired much information; which is uncommon for a Turk: but the prejudices of his nation, and the superstitions of his religion, notwithstanding all this, did not quit him an instant. At night I used to go to his divan, or _conversazione_, to chat, drink coffee, and smoke a pipe. We agreed in many points; but on that of the hydraulic machine I could make no impression upon him, as it was against his interest to be convinced. He was one day taken very ill; and as there was no physician nearer than Cairo, he sent to know whether we could do something for him. As it was only a violent cold, Mrs. Belzoni sent him a negus, which he liked so well, that he continued the medicine for several days.

Some time after this, Mrs. Belzoni had a pain in her side. One evening, I went to his divan; and as he always inquired after the health of his physician, I informed him of the circumstance: upon which he assured me, that it was nothing but what he would find a remedy for immediately; and he rose and went into an inner room, from which with all imaginable pomp and devotion he brought out a book. The Sheik of the mosque was present; and, after turning over and over again the leaves of this book, they concluded on what was to be done. Three pieces of paper were cut in a triangular form, the size of a playing card, and the Sheik wrote on them several words in Arabic. Of these pieces of paper, he told me, that Mrs. Belzoni must fasten one to her forehead by a string, and one to each ear. He then fetched a piece of the skin of a lamb, that had been sacrificed during the feast of Bairam. The Sheik wrote on this also, and it was to be applied to the part affected. I thanked him very much for his kindness, and brought away the amulets, which we keep to this day, as a memorial of the Turkish method of curing pains. It happened, that Mrs. Belzoni was somewhat better a day or two after, and the old Turk exulted in having repaid the obligation he had incurred, when cured by her of his cold.

The Arabs of Soubra exhibit as much festivity, when a marriage of consequence takes place, as those of any of the villages in Egypt. Fortunately, one happened while we were there; and as the window of our house overlooked the very spot where the festival was to be celebrated, we had an opportunity of seeing the whole ceremony. Early in the morning of the grand holiday, a high pole was planted in the centre of the place, with a banner belonging to the village. A large assembly of people gathered under it, and preparations were made for an illumination with glass lamps, &c. The Arabs from other villages came to the feast in procession, beating their tambourines, and waving their flags. At some distance from the pole they halted, and did not advance till a deputation was sent to invite them to the feast. The elders of the village seated themselves around and under the pole, and the strangers at a little distance. One of those standing near the pole, who had an uncommonly good windpipe, began to sing; while the rest divided themselves into two parties, forming two circles, one within the other, round the pole and facing each other. By each man putting his arms over his neighbours’ shoulders, each circle formed a continuous chain. The outer circle stood still, while the people of the inner circle kept dancing and bowing in an orderly manner to those in the outer. Thus they continued three hours, and those who were not in the circles made separate rings by themselves. Some of the Hadgees, who were desirous of exhibiting their powers in ceremonial devotion, went on positively for two hours, and some minutes, bending their bodies nearly to the ground, and raising them up again with such quickness, that it would be impossible for any one, who was not accustomed to it, to undergo such exertion a quarter of an hour. All the women were at a distance by themselves, and among them was the bride. When the dancing and singing ended, they all sat down in large circles; and a great quantity of boiled rice was brought to them in large wooden bowls, beside a number of dishes of melokie and bamies[1], and three or four large sheep roasted, which were immediately torn to pieces and devoured. For the drinking department they had a number of boys, who were fully employed in fetching water in large bardacks from the Nile; but some of the party I knew had a sly corner, to which to retire for a drop of horaky; for it is in this private way they drink it. At night, the pole and all the place around it was illuminated. The people seated themselves in an orderly manner, in the form of an amphitheatre, the women forming a part of the circle, separate from the men. A band of tambourines and pipes was continually playing; and the entertainment began with dancing, by two well-known and distinguished performers.

Footnote 1:

Plants eaten in common by the Arabs as greens.

This particular mode of dancing, I believe, has never been described, and all who see it properly must be excused from giving a faithful picture of it. When the dancing was at an end, a sort of play was performed, the intent of which was to exhibit life and manners, as we do in our theatres. The subject represented an Hadgee, who wants to go to Mecca, and applies to a camel-driver, to procure a camel for him. The driver imposes on him, by not letting him see the seller of the camel, and putting a higher price on it than is really asked, giving so much less to the seller than he received from the purchaser. A camel is produced at last, made up by two men covered with a cloth, as if ready to depart for Mecca. The Hadgee mounts on the camel, but finds it so bad, that he refuses to take it, and demands his money back again. A scuffle takes place, between the purchaser and the driver, when, by chance, the seller of the camel appears, and finds that the camel in question is not that which he sold to the driver for the Hadgee. Thus it turns out, that the driver was not satisfied with imposing both on the buyer and seller in the price, but had also kept the good camel for himself, and produced a bad one to the Hadgee. In consequence he receives a good drubbing, and runs off.—Simple as this story appears, yet it was so interesting to the audience, that it seemed as if nothing could please them better, as it taught them to be on their guard against dealers in camels, &c.—This was the play; and the afterpiece represented an European traveller, who served as a sort of clown. He is in the dress of a Frank; and, on his travels, comes to the house of an Arab, who, though poor, wishes to have the appearance of being rich. Accordingly he gives orders to his wife, to kill a sheep immediately. She pretends to obey; but returns in a few minutes, saying, that the flock has strayed away, and it would be the loss of too much time to fetch one. The host then orders four fowls to be killed; but these cannot be caught. A third time, he sends his wife for pigeons; but the pigeons are all out of their holes; and at last the traveller is treated only with sour milk and dhourra bread[2], the only provision in the house. This finishes the play.

Footnote 2:

Dhourra is the common grain of Egypt.

During my stay in Soubra, a circumstance took place, which I shall remember as long as I live, and which showed me plainly the country I was in, and the people I had to deal with. Some particular business calling me to Cairo, I was on my ass in one of the narrow streets, where I met a loaded camel. The space that remained between the camel and the wall was so little, that I could scarcely pass; and at that moment I was met by a Binbashi, a subaltern officer, at the head of his men. For the instant I was the only obstacle that prevented his proceeding on the road; and I could neither retreat nor turn round, to give him room to pass. Seeing it was a Frank who stopped his way, he gave me a violent blow on my stomach. Not being accustomed to put up with such salutations, I returned the compliment with my whip across his naked shoulders. Instantly he took his pistol out of his belt; I jumped off my ass; he retired about two yards, pulled the trigger, fired at my head, singed the hair near my right ear, and killed one of his own soldiers, who, by this time, had come behind me. Finding that he had missed his aim, he took out a second pistol; but his own soldiers assailed and disarmed him.

A great noise arose in the street, and, as it happened to be close to the seraglio in the Esbakie, some of the guards ran up; and on seeing what the matter was, they interfered and stopped the Binbashi. I thought my company was not wanted, so I mounted my charger, and rode off. I went to Mr. Baghos, and told him what had happened. We repaired immediately to the citadel, saw the Bashaw, and related the circumstance to him. He was much concerned, and wished to know where the soldier was, but observed, that it was too late that evening to have him taken up. However, he was apprehended the next day, and I never heard or knew any thing more about him. Such a lesson on the subject was not lost upon me; and I took good care, in future, not to give the least opportunity of the kind to men of that description, who can murder an European with as much indifference as they would kill an insect.