Chapter XIII: Part 13

The game of the jereed is almost too familiar to the reading world to
require description. It is a mimic fight, representing a combat with
the spear or javelin. The jereed is sometimes made of reeds or canes,
but more frequently of palm-sticks cut in the form of a javelin, with
a blunted point. It varies much in weight; and a heavy jereed thrown
by a vigorous arm is capable of giving a very severe, sometimes a
dangerous, bruise; for this reason, aiming at the face or head is
strictly prohibited in this game, though it necessarily happens in so
wild a sport, carried on with reckless riders and horses at full
speed, that the head and face often receive a serious hurt.

Footnote 54:

The rosary here alluded to (called in Arabic _tashbih_) is a string of
beads, generally one hundred in number, carried by the greater part of
Moslems of the upper and middling classes: they are used as “omens,”
“counter-charms,” &c.

Footnote 55:

_Kadaif_, a favourite Turkish dish, made of flour, honey, and other
ingredients.

Footnote 56:

The Crimean campaign has now made the name of these Bashi-Bazouks, or
irregular cavalry, familiar to all Europe. In Egypt, at the date of
our tale, they were mostly Albanians, and a more lawless set of
ruffians than they were could not be found on earth. On some occasions
their savage violence could not be controlled even by the iron hand of
Mohammed Ali. They would neither obey nor leave the country, and he
was compelled to bribe them to adopt the latter course, and also to
have them escorted by regular troops beyond the frontier.

Footnote 57:

The Mosque El-Azhar is one of the largest, wealthiest, and most
celebrated in Cairo. Although devoid of all pretensions to
architectural beauty, within its precincts is a college for the
instruction of youth; but little is taught beyond reading the Koran
and the commentators thereon, writing, and the first rudiments of
arithmetic. To the children of the poorer classes the instruction is
gratuitous, and even food and lodging are provided from the funds of
the endowment. Its revenues were much curtailed by Mohammed Ali.

Footnote 58:

It has before been mentioned that at this game it is forbidden to aim
at the head; but, moreover, in order to explain the expressions of
Delì Pasha, it must be mentioned that, according to the rules of the
game, every “bout” consists of two charges, in which each alternately
advances and retreats. It is then considered over, and cannot be
continued unless a regular challenge be given for another “bout.”

Footnote 59:

“A cup of coffee” is a very common phrase in Egypt for expressing the
word “poison,” for which a cup of coffee is a frequent medium.

Footnote 60:

This peculiarity in Mohammed Ali’s character is historically true. He
was hasty and severe, often unjust, in his punishments; but there was
a fund of generosity in his heart, a reaction followed, and he
frequently elevated to the highest posts those whom he had previously
degraded.

Footnote 61:

An Eastern image proverbial among lovers.

Footnote 62:

It may not be amiss to mention that “Amina” is not only a genuine
Arabic woman’s name, signifying “trusty,” “faithful,” &c., &c., but is
also in high estimation, having been the name of the mother of
Mohammed. The root of the word _amin_ (true) is one of the original
primitives of the Arabic and Hebrew languages: it was the “verily,
verily” so often employed by our Saviour in His threats and warnings,
and is still familiar to all in the “amen” (“so be it,” or “may it be
true”) which terminates the greater portion of the prayers offered up
in Christendom.

Footnote 63:

Kaf, a lofty and inaccessible mountain, celebrated in Eastern romance
and mythology.

Footnote 64:

The last two lines are from a well-known Arabic love-song.

Footnote 65:

_I.e._, “treasurer of a very small treasure.”

Footnote 66:

These and other verses occasionally scattered through this tale are
translations from Arabic scraps of poetry and love-songs popular in
Egypt. The reader must not suppose that the interview related between
the father and daughter is intended to represent the ordinary
relations of domestic life in Egypt; on the contrary, it is an
exceptional picture, exhibiting the fondness of an eccentric and
warm-hearted father for an only child. It is scarcely necessary to say
that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, marriages in the East are
arranged by the parents and relatives without the slightest reference
to the inclinations of the bride.

Footnote 67:

Treasurer.

Footnote 68:

Few of my countrymen who have not resided in the East are probably
aware that it is contrary to custom, and indeed to good breeding, to
return thanks for a present. The system of present-giving is
widespread over the whole East. If a great man makes a present to an
equal, the bearer is rewarded and a present of equal value is
returned. If a present is sent by a great man to an inferior, the
latter gives as much as he can afford to the bearer; but in no case is
it considered good manners on the part of either giver or receiver to
allude to a present in after-conversation.

Footnote 69:

It must be remembered that thirty years before our tale the path or
paths leading from Ghizeh to the Pyramids were not beaten and trodden
as they now are; and even now, so long as the waters of the Nile are
high, the direct road is intercepted by a number of deep sluices or
creeks which oblige the traveller to make a considerable circuit under
the guidance of natives acquainted with the country.

Footnote 70:

Although the Thorpes are imaginary personages, and therefore did not
witness this scene, it actually occurred some years later exactly as
narrated in the text. It may afford food for reflection for those
benevolent philanthropists who would encourage the introduction of
sudden reforms and the abolition of corporal punishment among a
population habituated to the stick and to slavery for a period of five
or six thousand years!

Footnote 71:

Before mentioned as an Arabic name for Cairo.

Footnote 72:

Nebleh, in Arabic, means “arrow.”

Footnote 73:

A _dabboos_ is a kind of war-club or mace much in use among the
Mamelukes, in whose military equipment it hung at the saddle-bow. It
resembles a pin in shape, being a smooth round handle, surmounted by a
head or ball of iron; from the latter sometimes there protruded a
sharp spike. I have seen some of these weapons beautifully inlaid with
gold and silver, and the handles covered with velvet. They are not now
in use, and are only sold as relics or curiosities.

Footnote 74:

Mussulmans, when speaking of those who have died in their own faith,
always use the expression in the text, and never speak of them as “the
dead,” which latter expression is used when speaking of Christians,
heathens, or animals.

Footnote 75:

Up to the age of ten or twelve boys are freely admitted into the
oriental harems. After that age no males are admitted, saving fathers,
husbands, and brothers of the inmates. The privilege is sometimes
extended to some other near relation, who is then termed “Mahrem,”
meaning “one who is admitted to the harem.” Neither is it to be
supposed that brothers, or even husbands, can intrude upon a lady’s
privacy at pleasure. If she be of high rank, her husband cannot enter
her boudoir without sending to ask permission. I speak now of Turkish
harems especially.

Footnote 76:

This is one of the many instances which our language affords of the
changes which words undergo in passing from the Arabic into European
tongues, especially when the words contain that impracticable _ayn_,
to which the reader’s notice has already been called. This word is
written in the original _ayn_, _t_, and _r_, and should therefore be
rendered _âtr_ or _ôtr_. Some English dictionaries correctly write it
“attar.”

Footnote 77:

The original word rendered “good” in the translation of this fine
proverb signifies more usually “free,” “noble,” “honourable”; in fact,
includes those qualities which ought to be comprised in the character
which we designate as a “gentleman.” After studying with some care the
proverbs of many European nations, I am bound to say that, in variety
of illustration, in terseness and felicity of diction, those found in
the Arabic language surpass every other.

Footnote 78:

Shubrah, a very pretty garden on the right bank of the Nile, about
three miles below Cairo, which was planted and laid out with some
taste by a Greek gardener under the instructions of Mohammed Ali. He
built a small country house at one extremity, and a very handsome
kiosk in the centre of it, containing a large basin of water. At the
four corners of the kiosk were richly furnished apartments, in one of
which was a billiard-table, at which the old warrior used sometimes to
recreate himself during his latter days with his officers or guests.
After his death the garden was neglected and almost destroyed.

Footnote 79:

Squinting is considered in the East an ill omen, and those affected by
it are generally avoided. “May you be blind,” or “May you squint,” is
not an unfrequent Arab curse. It is curious that the word for
“squinting” is identical in the French and Persian languages,
_louche_.

Footnote 80:

Every _beled_ or village in Egypt has its sheik or headman, who is
responsible for the payment of the taxes, rents, and dues, as well as
for the military recruits leviable on its population. Generally
speaking, these sheiks are the greatest rascals and tyrants in the
country, though they themselves are frequently oppressed and beaten by
their Turkish masters.

Footnote 81:

The Defterdar at the period of our tale was a relative of Mohammed
Ali, and was an officer possessed of vast power and influence. It may
be added that his cruelty was commensurate with his power. The
re-mensuration of the cultivable lands had been intrusted entirely to
him, and he was responsible for the revenues of the enormous extent of
land which the mistaken policy of Mohammed Ali had led him to take
into his own hands. Despite the energetic vigour of the Viceroy and
the severity of the Defterdar, these lands never produced one-half of
the amount which they would have returned had they been farmed to a
number of tenants, or to the villagers themselves.

Footnote 82:

One hundred _ardebs_ are equivalent to sixty-three imperial quarters.

Footnote 83:

The reader is doubtless aware that in oriental houses there exist
neither tables, chairs, cupboards, nor shelves. The last are replaced
by niches and recesses of various forms and sizes made in the walls of
the room, and in well-furnished houses these niches exhibit goodly
rows of china, glass, scent-bottles, &c.

Footnote 84:

Most of the finely-tempered oriental blades, especially those of
ancient manufacture, have stamped upon them, near the hilt, “There is
no God but Allah,” or some short sentence from the Koran.

Footnote 85:

Among the Orientals, Youssuf—_i.e._, Joseph—was and still remains the
proverbial type of manly beauty in the prime of youth. In the Eastern
legends the frail helpmate of Potiphar has been changed into a lovely
and high-born maiden, called Zuleika. The loves of this couple are
referred to in one of the most eloquent chapters of the Koran, and
have since been celebrated by Arab and Persian poets innumerable.

Footnote 86:

A dark powder used in the East.

Footnote 87:

I suppose it is well known that on entering a carpeted apartment in
the East it is customary to leave the slippers near the door, or at
all events on the stone or marble floor at the outer edge of the
carpet.

Footnote 88:

The sketch given of this Egyptian Messalina is not imaginary, neither
will it be difficult of recognition to any of the older residents in
Cairo. The author, while passing in a boat before that window which
has been made the scene of Hassan’s leap, has often been told by the
Nile boatmen, “That is the window from which the bodies of her hapless
lovers were thrown when she was tired of them.” The tale may be
exaggerated, or perhaps invented; but at all events it shows the
reputation enjoyed by the lady in question. Her crimes were not
unknown to Mohammed Ali, for the author was once informed by a near
relative of the old Viceroy that, on the occasion of some flagrant
outrage similar to that described in the text, he was himself ordered
by the indignant Prince to put her to death; and it was only by dint
of urgent entreaties that he succeeded in procuring a commutation of
the bloody sentence to a stern threat of summary punishment in case
the offence should be repeated.

Footnote 89:

It must not be inferred from this that Mohammed Ali could not read:
though not a good scholar, he could decipher a plainly written letter;
but he rarely did so, and disuse made it daily a more troublesome and
difficult task.

Footnote 90:

The walks in the Shoobra garden were then fancifully paved with
parti-coloured pebbles. These walks have all been destroyed, and
carriage-roads made through the garden.

Footnote 91:

It has before been noted that the Egyptians, when speaking of the
Viceroy, always use the word Effendina or Effendiniz—the former being
the Arabic form, the latter the Turkish, for “Our lord.” The English
word Viceroy has been generally used in this tale as being shorter and
better known.

Footnote 92:

It would be unwarrantable to introduce, even in a work of fiction,
such a charge against the memory of a man who, with all his faults,
was certainly a great and sagacious Prince, had it not some foundation
in truth. But it was stated to the author by Abbas Pasha himself that
he fully believed that his father had been poisoned by Mohammed Ali’s
order. The author asked him whether there was any circumstantial
evidence to corroborate this suspicion. “Yes,” he replied. “The news
of his death was conveyed from Lower Egypt to Mohammed Ali’s
confidential household officer by a swift courier. The officer,
ignorant of his master’s views, and afraid of the effect which might
be produced on him by the sudden announcement of his son’s death,
proceeded to break the intelligence to him with caution, saying, ‘My
lord, news is arrived of Toussoun Pasha.’ ‘When—how did he die?’ was
the answer. How,” continued Abbas Pasha, “could he have known or
guessed that a man in the prime of life had suddenly died unless he
had himself decreed it?” There was certainly force in the argument;
but as all substantial evidence is wanting, we must be satisfied with
the universal Arabic conclusion on such matters—“Allah knows.” Another
reflection naturally arises from this tragedy—namely, that when we
remember the energy and severity of Mohammed Ali’s character, it seems
incredible that if a favourite son, and one of the bravest commanders
in his army, had been suddenly carried off by poison in the prime of
life without any order or connivance of his own, no open and diligent
examination of the officers of the Prince’s household should have been
made, and no medical inquiry as to the causes of death have been
instituted. Such domestic tragedies are so common in the East that
they create but little sensation on the spot. The fate of the son
resembled that of the father. There is little doubt but that Abbas
Pasha, the late Viceroy, was strangled in his bed by two Mamelukes who
had lately entered his service, highly recommended by certain persons
in Constantinople. They had stolen money from his harem, and he had
threatened them with punishment. They were the only two on duty close
to his bedroom on the night of his sudden death. They disappeared
immediately after it, yet no real search was made for them; no public
or satisfactory medical examination of the body was allowed; it was
buried in unseemly haste, and with nothing of viceregal pomp. Crowds
of sycophants flocked to the divan of the successor, and a very short
time afterwards the author was informed that one of the supposed
murderers had become an officer in the Egyptian army!

Footnote 93:

One of the ninety-nine names of God among the Arabs.

Footnote 94:

On account of the strong currents and numerous shoals and mudbanks
that occur in the Nile, it is usual to fasten the boats to the banks
at sunset and pursue the navigation at daybreak. During the night a
certain number of guards or watchmen are hired from the nearest
village, and while they watch (or sleep, as it may be) on the banks
near the dahabiah, its owners and their property are usually secure
from robbery.

Footnote 95:

This phrase is rather Persian than Turkish, and arises not only from
the fine sense of hearing supposed to be conferred by the long ears of
the hare, but also from a popular belief that even when asleep pussy
has one eye open.

Footnote 96:

In the Nile, as in most alluvial rivers, the strongest currents are
always under the high and precipitous bank; and it often happens that
for several miles successively the strongest swimmer could not land on
that side.

Footnote 97:

Hassan’s object being to frighten away any crocodiles which might be
near.

Footnote 98:

In Hassan’s mouth the word Arab signified Bedouins; for he would not
apply that honourable name to fellahs or the dwellers in villages.

Footnote 99:

The wit-wat is the Arabic name for a kind of curlew very common in
Egypt.

Footnote 100:

One of the Eastern names for the nightingale.

Footnote 101:

The word literally translated in the text “wild ox” is the
_bakr-el-wachsh_, a very large and powerful species of antelope found
in the deserts bordering on Egypt.

Footnote 102:

It is probably known to most readers that nine out of ten Arabic
proper names have reference to the Deity or the religion of Islam. The
name Abd-hoo, literally “His servant,” means “the servant of God.” The
pronoun “He,” when standing apart from any person referred to in a
sentence, always has reference to Allah.

Footnote 103:

Wrestling-matches (called _musàara_ in Arabic and _kushty_ in Persian)
are a very favourite exercise among the populations of both countries,
and at them, as at the games of cricket in England and curling in
Scotland, the higher and lower classes contend on a footing of
equality. A highly respected and talented British Minister at the
Court of Tehran used frequently to “try a fall” with some of his own
servants at a gymnasium near the mission residence. We insert this
note in order to prevent our readers from supposing that our hero had
degraded himself by accepting the unexpected challenge of the
Darfouri.

Footnote 104:

_Latif_ signifies courteous, polite, amiable, &c.

Footnote 105:

Lest the reader should suppose that this scene has been exaggerated or
represents a state of superstition no longer existing at Cairo, it may
be as well to mention that it was witnessed by the author exactly as
here described in the summer of 1852.

Footnote 106:

This incident actually occurred at Cairo in 1849-50.

Footnote 107:

This incident also actually took place, though somewhat later than the
period of our tale.

Footnote 108:

Loose trousers, generally made of cotton.

Footnote 109:

_Moharrabin_ are deserters from the Egyptian army, who sometimes
infest the provinces in considerable numbers; and as many have with
them their arms and accoutrements, and are always joined by thieves
and runaways from justice, they are marauders very formidable to
travellers and caravans.

Footnote 110:

_Sant_, the Arabic name for the _Acacia nilotica_. It is a
thorn-bearing variety, its wood very hard, and its yellow flower
extremely fragrant.

Footnote 111:

Thebes, in Upper Egypt, is vulgarly called “Luxor,” a corruption of
its proper Arabic name “El-Uksor.” The name Thebes is completely
unknown to the natives.

Footnote 112:

Dervish Bey had never heard of the “gallant Ormond”; but the feelings
and instincts of parental love are in all ages and climes alike.

Footnote 113:

The Fat’hah is the opening chapter of the Koran. It is recited at
least once on all solemn occasions among the Moslems, and, being very
short, is known by heart by many among them, who, like Mohammed Ali,
know little more of the contents of their sacred book.

Footnote 114:

A slang term for arrack.

Footnote 115:

Alluding to a popular tale, in which four or five women, wives of a
_bakkal_ or grocer, came before the _câdi_ to make a complaint against
their husband. They stormed and scolded all at once, and made such a
din in the court that not a word could be heard or understood. When at
length they stopped for want of breath, the _câdi_ dismissed the case,
saying, “There is no crime of which the man can have been guilty that
is not sufficiently punished by his having those women for wives.”

Footnote 116:

_Yuzbashi_, literally centurion, or captain over one hundred—a rank in
the Egyptian army corresponding to that of lieutenant.

Footnote 117:

The “Ezn-el-âshah” is the muezzin’s call to prayer about two hours
after sunset.

Footnote 118:

A very common phrase in Turkish for a “mad-cap.” It means literally
“mad-blood.”

Footnote 119:

The episode of the conspiracy described above is founded on fact but
it took place some years before the date assigned to our tale. One day
when I was sitting _tête-à-tête_ with Mohammed Ali, he spoke very
disparagingly of Ibrahim Pasha. I observed, “Yet on the occasion of
that dangerous conspiracy against your Highness’s life Ibrahim behaved
well, and gave no encouragement to it.” “He dared not,” replied the
Old Lion; “but it was only fear that withheld him.” I shall never
forget the fire that flashed from his eyes as he uttered these words.

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Transcriber’s Note

Italicized phrases are presented by surrounding the text with _underscores_. Spaced out phrases are presented by surrounding the text with =equal signs=.

Minor changes in presentation have been made from the layout of the original paper publication.

Footnotes have been renumbered and relocated at the end of the book.

Punctuation has been normalized. Variations in hyphenation have been retained as they were in the original publication. The following assumed printer's errors were corrected:

In Footnote #3, the word Ĥharâm as represented by an H capped by a circumflex was represented in this edition by an H capped by a tilde or possibly a pokrytie in the original edition, the fonts for which are not as commonly available.

every —> Every {Page 8}

mothor —> mother {Page 12}

arrear —> arrears {Page 46}

choloric —> choleric {Page 120}

untamable —> untameable {Page 132}

Skeik-el-Beled —> Sheik-el-Beled {Page 230}

know —> Know {Page 241}

Acacia hilotica —> Acacia nilotica {Page 364}

Deli —> Delì {Footnote 27}

and are alway —> and are always {Footnote 109}