Chapter I: Havana, 1 (5)

On the 14th I left Smyrna for this city, making the passage in less than two days, passing the ruins of ancient Troy by daylight, the island of Tenedos, stopping at Chesme, where the Turkish fleet was burned in the harbor. On entering the Dardanelles we had a magnificent view of the old forts and villages scattered along the coast. I should think the width of the Hellespont about equal to the Hudson river at Poughkeepsie. Our steamer received and discharged some Turkish passengers at Gallipoli, a city of considerable importance, just before we left the Sea of Marmora, which was the last point touched until our arrival at Constantinople. We arrived about mid-day, having an opportunity of seeing, under favorable circumstances, the most beautiful port in the world. Nothing can exceed the magnificent view that is before you on entering the Golden Horn, the eye resting upon scenery one half in Europe and the other half in Asia, the painted and gilded minarets of the mosques, the swelling cupolas, and immense cypress trees towering above the houses--the forest of masts, the thousands of caiques which cover the waters, all combined, render it perhaps the most remarkable sight of the kind in the world.

On entering the city one finds the scene much changed, although there is a vast deal of magnificence still; the streets are narrow and dirty, thronged by immense crowds of people, and it is impossible to form an idea of the extremes of grandeur and wretchedness that are exhibited. Nothing can be more striking than the contrast in the character and customs of the Turks and the other nations of Europe, and I hardly know where to commence a description.

We procured a dragoman to accompany us, and speak the language, and started to see the sights of the city. After visiting some of the mosques and viewing the exterior--no one except “the faithful” being permitted to enter until a firman is obtained from the Sultan--we strolled along, and I was struck with the sight of an immense cemetery, almost in the middle of the city, the tombstones being in the shape of a turban on the top, with gilded letters, and tastefully decorated; the grounds were filled with stately cypresses, as it is the custom to plant one of these trees at the birth and burial of each person. Singular as it may appear, the cemetery is the grand promenade, and here the Turk sips his coffee and smokes his pipe under the shade of trees when the weather is warm. On passing you observe the coffee-houses, occupied also with groups squatted round the room on a counter, which is raised from the floor and carpeted, and it is amusing to see the attendants glide about through the long pipes and the winding smokes of nargilhès supplying their customers with coffee, without deranging the peculiar apparatuses for smoking.

The next day after our arrival was Friday, the Turkish Sabbath, and it was announced that the Sultan would visit the mosque near the arsenal. We were there in good time, and at mid-day precisely we heard the thundering of cannon from the vessels of the port. Soon after we discovered approaching four gorgeous state barges about fifty feet in length, propelled by twenty-four oarsmen, the canopies glittering with gold. An immense array of officers and military to escort him were in attendance from the barges to the mosque. He walked on a carpet which was laid for the occasion. I observed many prisoners carrying baskets of gravel, and on inquiry learned that it was scattered for the Sultan to walk on after he came from the mosque.

We next went to the place of worship of the Whirling Dervishes. We entered with slippers, according to their custom, and found many Turks squatted on the floor, in their usual position. In the centre was a ring about thirty feet in diameter, where were thirteen priests, dressed in cloth frocks, with a white cloth cap, almost of a conical form, without rim, passing round the circle, and going through many strange evolutions. At length, to the music of the fife and drum, they commenced whirling slowly, and then more rapidly, until the motion was like a top; continuing this and other strange exercises for about an hour, finishing by a tremendous howl, which is intended to make the Christians, or the infidels, as they call them, tremble. The Turks consider all Christians as dogs, of which animals they have thousands upon thousands in Constantinople. They subsist in the streets, without masters, and seem to despise Christians and Turks alike. The people, however, are very kind to animals, that being a part of their religion. Their litters are never destroyed, and they are the only scavengers of the city. They feed upon the offal of the butchers’ shops and private houses, and carcasses of animals. They are never domesticated within private dwellings. The mosques are guarded to prevent their polluting them, as they are very susceptible of the plague. One not unfrequently hears the cry of “_Giaour_” from the lips of the Turks, in passing, and the growling and barking of hundreds of dogs testify their hatred.

It is unsafe for a stranger to appear in the streets after dark, and never practicable to do so without a lantern. It is a strange sight, on a clear, starlight night, to see perhaps one hundred lanterns at once, flitting about the streets, which are so narrow and dark that all who move about in them are compelled to carry lights. No strangers are permitted to reside in Constantinople; the gates are closed at an early hour, and all foreigners live at Pera, on the opposite side of the harbor.

On visiting the slave-market, we found perhaps one hundred and fifty slaves, all females, the largest proportion black. The blacks are sold for servants, the whites for wives. The latter are mostly Circassians or Georgians, belonging to good families in those provinces, who entrust their daughters to the commissioner, who is responsible for any insult or affront, while the female has the right of refusal to be sold to any whom she may dislike. The female blacks are bought to be the slaves of the mistress, not of the master. He is bound to support them through life. The male slaves rise with the condition of the master.

The population of Constantinople is variously estimated from five hundred thousand to seven hundred thousand, with the environs of Scutari on the Asiatic shore, and Pera and Galata on the opposite side of the Golden Horn, which is an arm of the Bosphorus running up and forming the harbor. The city is well supplied with baths and fountains, and nothing can exceed the luxury of the Turkish bath. It is amusing for a stranger merely to enter one of these establishments. The rooms, of which there are a number, of a circular form and lighted from the top, have different gradations of heat, the last or warmest of which is excessive. The first room entered, which is about sixty feet in diameter, with a dome, is supplied with galleries, upon which are seen, lying on different couches, the bathers reposing after their ablutions, each with a pipe from four to six feet in length in his hand, the servants supplying coffee and other refreshments.

Beautiful fountains are found near the mosques, as well as in other parts of the city. You may see the Turks at all hours of the day, bathing their faces, hands, and feet at the fountains attached to the mosques, ablution being compulsory, under the Mahometan religion, before entering the mosques. We enter a place of worship with our heads uncovered; they shave their heads, upon which they wear a turban, at all times, and enter their mosques with their feet uncovered. Some of their fountains are of a quadrangular form, the roofs of which bend out like a pagoda whose corners are cut off. On all sides are gold inscriptions and Arabic characters.

The covered bazaars have more the appearance of a row of booths, than a street of shops. Here may be found the jewelers, occupying one quarter, the silk merchants another; one alley glitters for hundreds of yards with yellow and red morocco boots and shoes, which are worn by Turkish and Armenian ladies, all classes being distinguished by their costume. The arrangement of the different trades, and the exposure of their gaudy and rich articles, surprise even those who are acquainted with London and Paris.

On Sunday last I found the little Episcopal church which is supported here, and tolerably well attended. The service was all in English, and the scene and associations presented by such a worship, so far from England, were of the most pleasant and interesting character. Generally the Americans attend this church, there being no other Christian church here.

To-morrow we make an excursion upon the Bosphorus as far as the mouth of the Black Sea, and the next day are to visit the seraglio of the Sultan, the mosques, the tombs of the late Sultans, the Mint, and other objects of interest, from which all strangers are excluded, except by the special firman of the Sultan. The Austrian admiral, who is now here, has obtained a firman, and my travelling companion, a young Prussian, and myself, are invited to join the party.

XXVII.

SMYRNA, _December 30, 1841_.

My last was from Constantinople, in which I mentioned my intention of making an excursion along the Bosphorus to the mouth of the Black Sea. Having procured a Kislangist, or swallow boat, with twenty-six oarsmen, we started--our party, with the dragoman, consisting of four in number. These boats are built of light beech wood, neatly finished and elaborately furnished. They go over the water with amazing rapidity. They are so extremely light that great caution is necessary in getting into them, as from their nature they are easily upset; but once in, all seated themselves in the cradle of the caique, upon carpets, like the Turks, there being no seats. It is difficult to convey any idea of the beauties of the scenery along the banks of the Bosphorus. The eye is constantly attracted by new and beautiful objects, both on the European and Asiatic shores; rapidly passing palaces, summer villas, fortifications, villages, &c., as the boat glides along from bay to bay, of which the Bosphorus forms itself into seven. The currents at the narrowest points in some places are extremely rapid. At one point, called the Dents current, which is the narrowest, the boatmen were obliged to give up the oars and seize a rope which was thrown them to draw the boat up stream. It was a beautiful sight to see the fleet of vessels coming from the Black Sea, availing themselves of the north wind and the rapid current, and going with great velocity. After visiting Stenia, Therapia, and other places along the coast, each being celebrated for some particular event, we visited the Giant’s Mountain, the highest point on the Asiatic side, which affords a magnificent view of the windings of the Bosphorus and the coast of the Black Sea. Here in this great height we found two of the Dervish priests, who remain there to guard the grave of the giant. It is called the Mountain and Grave of Joshua by the Turks, who say that Joshua, during the battle of the Israelites, stood upon a mountain to pray that the sun might stand still and victory attend his arms. The grave is about twenty feet long and five feet wide, and is inclosed with a framework of stone, and planted with flowers and bushes. Here are also pieces of cloths and votive offerings hung up on the bushes, against fevers and other diseases, their owners believing that if they hang a remnant there the disease will leave their persons. On descending we visited the valley of the Heavenly Water, one of the most delightful scenes in the East.

But I must try to give an idea of the Seraglio of the Sultan, though I cannot speak of the beauty of his forty or fifty wives, who were screened from the gaze of all our party. This splendid work is inclosed with walls for nearly three miles in circuit, the longest side situated upon the coast and harbor. It is filled up with palaces, houses, and gardens. Some of the rooms are very rich in gilding and ornaments, but I have seen other palaces in Europe far surpassing it in splendor. I must except the magnitude of the inclosure, and the magnificence of the baths and spouting fountains of marble, which, according to oriental custom, are placed over the first floor. Nothing can be more luxurious for the women of the harem than those marble basins and bath rooms, magnificently furnished, and always of the proper temperature. The principal entrance to the Seraglio is an immense guarded gate, which looks more like a guard-house than the entrance to a palace of one of the most remarkable princes in the world. Fifty porters, it is said, keep this gate. After entering the first court may be found the slaves of the Bashas, who await their masters and attend their horses. Passing through another guarded gate you discover many eunuchs, both white and black, performing the different services of the palace. After visiting the interior of the palace, the gardens, the stable of Arabian horses, the exhibition of ancient armory, all of which is so extensive that it is really fatiguing, we proceeded to the mosque of St. Sophia, which has undergone so many changes for the last fifteen hundred years, and now stands in such magnificent grandeur. The interior is extremely rich in marble and mosaics. Three of its sides are surrounded by vaulted colonnades covered with cupolas. The length of the interior is one hundred and forty-three feet, the breadth two hundred and sixty-nine feet. The centre of the great dome is one hundred and eighty feet above ground, and is so flatly vaulted that its height is only a sixth of its diameter, which is one hundred and fifteen feet. Here are eight porphyry columns from the Roman Temple of the Sun, and four of green granite from the temple of Diana at Ephesus. It would occupy too much time and space to describe this magnificent structure. The floors are well paved with large flag-stones, covered with matting, and then carpeted, and here may be seen groups of Turks, both men and women, the latter veiled in long caftans, all squatted on the floor, with feet bare or in slippers, paying their devotions. Overhead are suspended in every direction, immense rows of lamps, with ostrich eggs and artificial flowers, which, when lighted, must produce a magical effect. Among other objects of curiosity here is the sweating column, visited by pilgrims as miraculous. The dampness which it emits is considered a marvellous cure. There are holes worn into the column by the constant touching of fingers. The tops of the minarets of some of the mosques glitter with highly gilded crescents, the ancient arms of Byzantium; the one on the top of St. Sophia is of immense size, the gilding alone costing fifty thousand ducats. It is said to be visible fifty miles at sea, glittering in the sunshine.

Notwithstanding the Turks differ so widely in their manners and religion, still they possess many good traits of character. They are more honest than some other nations, and not so much addicted to lying. The Greeks say sometimes that the Mahometans dare not lie or steal, as their religion forbids it. They are exceedingly devotional, and generally hospitable to the stranger in distress, which is a part of their duty as laid down by the false prophet, but they still hold infidels in detestation. On visiting the house of a Turk the other day we found the proprietor, with his legs crossed, smoking his pipe, seated upon a sofa which extended round three sides of the room; the sofa was about four feet wide, and was raised a foot and a half from the floor, with deep fringe hanging down to the floor. There was not a chair in the room. After being introduced and seated, pipes were ordered, and as many servants as there were visitors appeared, with pipes five or six feet in length, placing the bowl on the floor, and with a great deal of accuracy presenting the mouth-piece of amber to each guest within an inch or two of the mouth. They then knelt down and put a brass plate under the bowl of the pipe; after which coffee was presented in small cups with small silver holders, the servants retiring to the bottom of the room with hands crossed, each watching the cup he has presented and has to carry away.

At Scutari, on the Asiatic side, we visited the largest and most beautiful cemetery in the Ottoman dominions. The extensive groves of dark cypress, through which one may ride for miles, interspersed with white turbaned stones of marble, are remarkable. As no grave is opened a second time, and as it is the custom to plant trees at a birth or funeral, these graveyards have become forests, extending for miles and miles. The aromatic odor of the trees is supposed to destroy all pestilential exhalations. It is said the Turks suppose the soul to be in torment from the time of death until the burial of the body, therefore the funeral succeeds death as soon as possible. The only occasion on which a Turk is seen to walk with a quick step is when conveying a body to the cemetery, as the Koran declares that he who carries a body forty paces procures for himself the expiation of a great sin.

1842.

XXVIII.

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, _January 10, 1842_.

A few days since, at an early hour in the morning, all hands were on deck looking anxiously for the land of Egypt. At length we discovered in the distance the minarets of the mosques, Pompey’s Pillar and other objects, and soon found ourselves in the harbor of Alexandria. Our steamer was immediately surrounded by about sixty boats, filled with half naked Arabs and Egyptians, of all colors and complexions, whose yells and cries for luggage would surpass those of savages. Having heard that the plague still existed, none were permitted to board us, but our fears in getting ashore were soon dispelled on learning that few cases existed. After procuring camels to carry our luggage, we were beset by another swarm in the shape of donkeys and drivers, and in self-defence our party all mounted, and soon found ourselves going at a fearful gallop through crowded streets, amongst loaded camels and yelping dogs, with our half-naked, sore-eyed Arabs chasing alongside and applying the stick in a lively manner. The Egyptian donkey is peculiar to this country, and superior in point of speed to any I have found in Europe. They are the omnibuses of the city, and it is surprising to see how rapidly and easily they pass through crowded streets.

I must first give you a better idea of Alexandria as it now is under Mehemet Ali, and not as it once was under Alexander the Great, when it only yielded to imperial Rome in wealth and magnificence. Formerly it was fifteen miles in circumference, with a population of three hundred thousand citizens and as many slaves, with four thousand palaces, four thousand baths, and four hundred theatres and public edifices. In different directions may be seen the ruins of ancient days. The Frank quarter of Alexandria reminded me more of a new American city than anything that I have seen since I left Trieste. The Pasha is doing everything in his power to resuscitate the city and increase its commercial importance, at the expense of Damietta, Rosetta, and Cairo. The population, notwithstanding the fearful ravages of the plague, is said to be fifty or sixty thousand. I must here mention that the interior of the town is, in most places, a succession of narrow, dirty, unpaved lanes, filled with camels, asses, lizards, and dogs, and I only wonder the plague does not exist all the year.

My first excursion was to Pompey’s Pillar. My friend and myself mounted on donkeys, and away we galloped through the suburbs of the city, passing occasionally groups of Egyptian women with their heads and faces covered with a sort of blue cotton cloth, concealing all except their eyes, the lids of which are singularly colored with India ink. They are particularly fond of ornaments, which are suspended from the ears and from the forehead over the veil. On passing several groves of palm, date, and banana trees, and feeling the powerful rays of the sun at mid-day, I was reminded of the West India climate, from which this does not materially differ. After passing through a long line of Arab huts we came to this magnificent column, erected by Pompeius, governor of Lower Egypt, in honor of the Emperor Diocletian. Standing on a gentle elevation it rises nearly one hundred feet in height. The shaft is of red granite, ten feet in diameter, with a clumsy Corinthian capital on the top to crown the summit. Notwithstanding it is more than two thousand years old, it still remains almost perfect.

We next directed our attention to the beautiful Obelisks, one of which is commonly called Cleopatra’s Needle, and still stands erect in all its grandeur and beauty, covered with hieroglyphics on every side. It is sixty-four feet high and eighty-eight feet square, and was brought from the city of Memphis to adorn the palace of the Ptolemies. The hieroglyphics are as clear on one side as if but recently sculptured, but the sirocco blowing from the desert two thousand years has effaced the marks on one side considerably, and worn away the solid granite. The other obelisk, which lies beside it, is said to have been taken down by the English many years ago; but Mehemet Ali prevented them from taking it away, and there it lies half covered with sand, a magnificent piece of work.

On entering the harbor of Alexandria I was surprised at the extent of the Egyptian fleet, and had a strong desire to visit some of the naval vessels, the arsenal, &c. On visiting the latter we were accompanied through every department by the commandant, a French gentleman, who was exceedingly polite; and here we found about four thousand persons, which is only a portion of those employed during the war. I was also surprised at finding shipbuilding, casting furnaces, ropemaking, in a word all that is necessary for fitting out a navy. Among the number of officers there were some young Arabs who had been sent to England to acquire knowledge in the arts. I observed among the workmen that many had lost an eye, and others had the two first fingers of the right hand cut off. I concluded that the cause of the first was ophthalmia, which is very general in Egypt, being caused by the burning rays of the sun upon the desert, but found on inquiry that during the war, when conscriptions were made for soldiers in the army, hundreds and thousands, to prevent being liable to military service, preferred destroying the pupil of the right eye with a small rod of hot iron, or by cutting off the forefingers of the right hand, thus preventing the use of it in pulling the trigger; but the Pasha was not to be thwarted in his designs, and actually formed left-handed regiments, and also employed those conscripts in the public service.

The next day, after visiting the public works, our party visited the palace of the Pasha, which is extensive and fitted up with taste, in the oriental style, with high ceilings and divans extending on three sides of the grand saloons; also the great luxury of the East, splendid marble bathing rooms. The palace is beautifully situated, with a view of the harbor in front, and picturesque and rich gardens in the rear.

On leaving the palace on the water side by arrangement with the Swedish consul, under whose patronage we were, we found the captain of an Egyptian cutter, with fourteen oarsmen, in attendance to convey us on board of one of the one hundred gun frigates, which carries seven hundred men. After having satisfied our curiosity in the examination of a beautiful frigate in fine order, we repaired to the cabin and accepted the universal civilities of the East, a pipe six feet in length, well charged with Egyptian tobacco, and a small cup of coffee, all of which must be submitted to, or you give offence.

My two travelling Companions and myself, who purpose visiting Upper Egypt in going to the cataract of the Nile, taking Grand Cairo, the Pyramids, Memphis, and the ruins of Thebes in the route, are now busily employed in procuring a suitable boat, with supplies of all provisions necessary for six weeks or two months.

We intend leaving to-morrow if our servants succeed in getting beds, furniture, provisions, and all the paraphernalia of housekeeping which are necessary for such a voyage. Therefore you may expect to hear from me next at Grand Cairo.

XXIX.

GRAND CAIRO, EGYPT, _Jan. 20, 1842_.

We started off all our boat furniture, supplies of cooking utensils, provisions, &c., on camels, ourselves and Arab servants on horses and donkeys, making quite a formidable party, bringing up the rear. On arriving at the Mahmoudie Canal, which connects Alexandria with the Nile, we took our boat for Atfe, a small town at the junction of the canal with the river. We soon commenced our journey, towed by four Arab boatmen, with ropes across their breasts; and when the wind favored, made use of sails. This canal is considered one of the greatest works of the age, being sixty miles in length, ninety feet in breadth, and eighteen in depth, through a perfectly flat country. It is certainly a remarkable work, and could only be made in a country like Egypt, where the will of Mehemet Ali is law. Every village was ordered to furnish a certain quota, in proportion to its population, and thus one hundred and fifty thousand workmen were secured at once; and in one year from its commencement, the whole excavation was completed. As a grand stride in public improvement it was a great work, and does honor to the energies of the Pacha; but the wanton disregard of human life that attended it was shocking to humanity, as it proved the grave of thirty thousand of the laborers.

On arriving at Atfe, we discharged our canal boat, and went in search of a suitable river boat for the Upper Nile. Having succeeded in finding one, of the class called “canziah,” and made our contract with the reis, or captain, we were prepared to depart; but as the north wind, which usually blows the same way for eight or nine months in the year, making it easy to ascend the Nile, was contrary, we employed our time in visiting an Arab village near by.

These villages are, in most instances, mere huts, built of mud, or unburnt bricks, and so low that the inmates cannot stand erect in them, but have a hole in front to crawl in. The Delta, stretching out from the banks of the river, and inundated annually by the Nile, is remarkably rich and productive. The town called Atfe, at the junction of the canal, concentrates all the products of the upper country, and presents a lively scene, of vessels unloading cotton and various kinds of grain, with hundreds of men and women employed in discharging them.

The Nile here is about a mile wide, and the current tolerably strong. After a stay of one day, the wind having changed, we started up the river. Our boat was about fifty feet in length, manned with ten stout Arabs, who were stretched upon the deck, or gathered around a pail of rice, proving conclusively that fingers were made before forks; whilst the two immense lateen sails, in the form of a triangle, were spread to the breeze, and we went with great velocity. As the wind slackened at night, where the banks permitted, the Arabs would twist the huge ropes around them, wade ashore, and commence pulling the vessel against the stream.

On the third day of our voyage to Cairo, the wind being strong against us, my two companions having taken their guns in hand, to go in pursuit of pigeons and other kinds of game, that are found in abundance, I strolled along the banks of this mighty and most extraordinary and interesting river, which rolls its waters more than a thousand miles through a sandy desert, fertilizing a narrow strip by its inundations, and could not be surprised that the Arabs loved, and the Egyptians worshipped, that which produced fertility in a soil where every species of fruit and grain grows almost spontaneously. I soon discovered an Arab village, to which I directed my steps, through beautiful fields of grain and groves of palm trees, which present a splendid view in the distance; but on entering them the illusion vanishes. On gazing at the men and women--many of whom were almost in a primitive state, with scarcely clothing enough to cover their nakedness--I could only wonder whether the effects of climate, or bad government, reduced them to their abject state, in such a fruitful country.

On the morning of the fourth day, we arrived at Boulac, a populous town by the river’s side, and in another half hour found ourselves within the walls of Cairo; and here, several novel scenes presented themselves. Many loaded dromedaries and camels; the dashing Arab steed, with the Turk and glittering sabre; the Jews and Armenians, in costume; the haughty Janizary, dashing through the crowd; the harem of some rich Turk, the women robed in black, riding on donkeys, with two or three black eunuchs for a guard; the swarthy Bedouin of the desert; in fact, all characters forming a perfect masquerade, or miniature representation of the oriental world.

Cairo has a population of two hundred thousand; its appearance from a distance is pleasant, with its minarets, domes, and cupolas, and it has a much cleaner and more comfortable interior than other Mahomedan cities. The streets are narrow and dark, producing a shade which is necessary in this climate; although they appear warmer than they are, because of the projection of the first floors, or second stories, which advance so far that in some of the narrowest streets they are only a few inches distant from the houses opposite.

Among our many excursions was one to the “Valley of the Wanderings,” or forest of Agate in the Desert, on the route to the Red Sea. After quitting Cairo, and passing through the great Mameluke Cemetery, we entered into the desert for about five miles, where we found immense quantities of petrifactions of trees, in which are seen the grain of the wood; in some places trunks from twenty to fifty feet in length lie prostrate. Reeds and roots are also found, and quantities of shells. It appears as if a forest had been petrified, and then thrown down by a hurricane, or some other convulsion, and shattered to fragments in the fall. All is conjecture as to the origin and cause of these forests.

On visiting the citadel of Cairo we were shown the place where the unfortunate Mamelukes were slaughtered by the present Pasha, while smoking their pipes of peace, having been invited on a visit of friendship, and were pent up and murdered, only one escaping by leaping his horse over the citadel walls and down an immense precipice. Here was also the Mint, and Joseph’s Well, or the well of Saladin, forty-five feet wide, and cut two hundred and seventy-four feet through solid rock, to a level with the Nile.

On visiting the slave market I found perhaps five or six hundred slaves for sale, most of them naked, except a slight covering across the loins, and some covered with blankets. A large proportion were from Dongola and Sennaar, and exceedingly black and ugly. The Abyssinians have yellow complexions and good teeth; and some quite pretty are kept separate from the mass, among whom were some well dressed, wearing ornaments of gold and chains; two particularly good-looking caught hold of my hand as I passed, smiling and coquetting, and seemed to express by their gestures a desire that I would buy them, and pouted when I left. Prices vary from one hundred dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars; but some who were sick were offered at almost nothing, as so much perishable goods, which the seller wanted to dispose of before it was entirely lost.

Yesterday we went to the Pyramids, passing through a succession of beautiful gardens of Ibrahim Pacha. We reached Old Cairo, occupying the site of the Egyptian Babylon, on the Nile, and celebrated in sacred history as the spot where Pharaoh’s daughter found the infant Moses in his cradle of bulrushes. Further on we stopped to examine the ovens for hatching chickens, in general use in Egypt. It was a large establishment, and capable of hatching by the wholesale. The entrances were so narrow and low as to be difficult, leading into small vaulted chambers, connected with each other, on one side of which are ovens. The eggs remain seventeen days, and on the eighteenth the chickens quit the shell. Out of two thousand eggs the manager counts on one thousand chickens. The general heat is one hundred degrees Fahrenheit during the process.

On crossing the Nile I discovered the Pyramids in the distance, near the margin of the desert, but they did not appear what I had imagined, and it was only until I approached and beheld the four that I could realize them, and not until I approached and commenced ascending, that I could appreciate this mammoth work. The Great Pyramid, the largest of the four, is a gigantic work, being a square of seven hundred and forty-six feet, and its perpendicular height four hundred and sixty-one feet, being higher than St. Peter’s at Rome, or the Cathedral at Strasburg, and one hundred and seventeen feet higher than St. Paul’s of London, all of which I have ascended. The quantity of stone used in this single pyramid is estimated at six million tons, and a hundred thousand men are said to have been employed ninety years in raising it. The top is about thirty feet square. There are two hundred and six layers of stone, the average height from two to four feet. They are so arranged as to form a series of steps, so that any person may mount with the assistance of two Arabs on the outside to aid in stepping up. We were aided by two Arabs each, and others carrying the supplies of provisions and water, of which we made a repast on the top. The prospect from the summit, the rich valley of the Nile covered with verdure, with herds of buffalo quietly feeding, caravans of camels winding their way along the margin of the river, is very beautiful. On the other side it is dreary and gloomy indeed, the surface only broken by the tracks of the caravans, and no signs of vegetation. It is estimated that this great pyramid covers eleven acres of ground. The next largest pyramid is six hundred and eighty-four feet square, and four hundred and fifty-six feet high. Besides the four great pyramids there are smaller ones that appear in the distance, and also ruins of mausoleums about the grand pyramid, which, seen from the top, look like tombstones round a church. On entering the pyramid, knowing that it was difficult of access and almost insufferable on account of dust, we sent in three Arabs with candles, forbidding the others who swarmed around to enter, but they were determined to go in, thereby hoping to get a few _paras_ more for services. It was not until our dragoman placed himself at the narrow passage, three and a half feet square, with his musket in hand, and threatened to shoot the first man who attempted to enter, that we could pass alone. We descended about ninety feet from the opening, which is the one hundred and sixty-third step of the pyramid, at an angle of twenty-seven degrees, then turned and mounted several steps into a passage one hundred feet long and five feet high. At the end is found the queen’s chamber, seventeen feet long, fourteen wide, and twelve high, of polished granite. Above this, ascending an inclined plane one hundred and twenty feet long, of granite, highly wrought, is the king’s chamber, thirty-seven feet long, seventeen wide, and twenty feet high. The slabs of stone which form the ceiling, consisting of nine, extend from side to side. The walls are highly polished, of red granite, and here is a sarcophagus seven feet six inches long, three and a half feet deep, and three and a half broad, supposed to have been the tomb of one of the greatest rulers of the south. It was very hot and suffocating, with the glare of the light and the abundance of dust, and I was rejoiced when I came out.

On our arrival at Cairo we discharged our boat, having suffered considerably from fleas and other vermin, while our baggage was injured by rats. We, however, procured another boat, with a comfortable little cabin astern on deck, just large enough for three persons. The first move was to sink her in the Nile, thereby destroying all the vermin. After she was hauled out her owner, according to contract, painted our little cabin, furnished us with glass windows, which were a novelty, thereby making our habitation for six weeks as comfortable as possible. She is furnished with new sails, and a crew consisting of the reis and twelve stout Arabs. She is almost seventy feet long, with a sharp bow, and two enormous sails, triangular in form, and attached to two tall spars eighty or ninety feet long, heavy at the end, and tapering to a point. These rest upon two short masts, changing their position with the wind, playing upon pivots. Having again furnished ourselves with supplies of provisions, this being the last place for purchasing many articles in use by Europeans, we shall start for the upper country to-morrow or next day, and you may not hear from me again in some time, there being no communication by mail.

XXX.

THEBES, UPPER EGYPT, _February 13, 1842_.

We left Cairo on the 24th of January, and arrived here after a passage of twenty days. I must now recur to my journal to recount some of the adventures of the voyage.

The first day we made but little progress against a strong current, although we had all our Arab crew ashore, with ropes across their breasts, pulling, and at night found ourselves moored among the reeds of the island of Rhoda, where it is recorded that Moses was found by the daughter of Pharaoh. While here, we were boarded by a Nubian, of a dark, tall, and fine figure, bearing his orders in diamonds and sabre by his side. Not knowing his designs, we desired him to be seated, and following the custom of the country presented coffee and a pipe, when he produced a paper in Arabic for the arrest of our reis, or captain, who owed a certain sum of money. High words ensued, in which the captain, crew, and domestics took part, and we, being determined not to be detained, produced the firmans of the Sultan and Mehemet Ali, stating that we could not be stopped, when he very politely concluded to defer the arrest until the return of the barge. The second day the scene had changed; with a fine wind and our tall sails spread to the breeze, we were dashing against the rapid current, and making fine progress, and leaving Cairo in the distance, when we suddenly found ourselves upon a sand bank, which, as we have since found, is a thing of frequent occurrence. Instantly ten or eleven naked Arabs and Barbary negroes plunged into the river, and we soon found the boat lightened and again under way. At night the wind ceased, and we drew up to the bank, alongside of an Arab village, while the rays of the setting sun gilded beautifully the mountains and the desert in the distance. The village, surrounded with palm trees gently waving, and the rich verdure of the plain, seemed to me more beautiful than ever. The morning of the 26th, to our surprise, found the wind dead ahead and strong; I started along the bank with my two companions shooting pigeons, which are found in great abundance, and saw about two hundred Egyptians, a large proportion half naked, employed in making dyes. Our appearance and guns created a sensation. We frequently encountered groups of women and girls with massive jugs, which, after having filled them with Nile water, they put upon their heads and march off in line. Their appearance differs from those in large cities, from their not having a veil to cover their faces; but on our approach they endeavored to cover them with a blue cotton shawl which is worn on the head and shoulders. They are swarthy, with feet and ankles bare, their faces and hands marked with a blue color resembling India ink; they wear many ornaments about the neck, wrists, and even ankles, and not unfrequently rings in the nose.

27th.--Wind still contrary, which is rare, as it usually blows from the north during the winter months. Although our men tugged heavily all day, we made very little progress. At night we halted at a small village, where we found a caravan of men, women, and children, with their camels, all reposing upon their mats and straw for the night, whilst our Arab crew were gathered around a fire on the bank. Had an eclipse of the full moon this evening, which has created an excitement among the superstitious Arabs, causing many invocations to the prophet.

28th.--This is the most horrible and disagreeable day we have had upon the Nile. The wind ahead, and blows a perfect gale; cannot change our position. Yesterday was warm and delightful, but to-day extremely cold. Our men are wrapped up in all the covering they can find, and we are glad to confine ourselves to the cabin.

29th and 30th.--The wind still being against us, we were almost discouraged with the prospect; but the ruins of immortal Thebes, which had her hundred gates, were before us, and beckoned us on.

31st.--We made some progress to-day in towing, but no wind. Discovering a mud village in the distance, I took an Arab servant with me, to bring a supply of poultry, eggs, and mutton, which can be procured at almost all places along the Nile. These articles, with a species of cake called bread, are about all that can be procured, excepting in the largest towns. On returning to the boat, I saw several mounted horsemen, who were cautioning my companions not to go alone into the villages, as four soldiers had just been killed by the villagers.

Feb. 4th.--I made my appearance again on deck, having been confined to my bed for the last three days with cold and fever, from the effect of checked perspiration. Fortunately, I had a medicine chest, to which I am indebted for my quick recovery. In a country like Egypt, where no medical attendance can be procured, it is all-important to be provided with the necessary remedies; besides which, among the Arabs, who have a great passion for medicine, one soon acquires distinction in the title of “hakim.” Before our arrival at Thebes, three of our crew fell sick, but a strong dose to each was sufficient to effect a cure, and they seemed to feel under many obligations.

After the 4th, our prospects changed; the wind veered round to the north, and we found our bark gliding along with great velocity, passing some important towns and villages, with the determination to stop on our return, not wishing to lose such a fine wind, which we held most of the way to Thebes. In ascending the Nile new sights are continually rising to view. In one place may be seen a herd of buffalo and camels, quietly grazing upon the rich plain; while near at hand are discovered half-a-dozen Egyptians, in a state of nature, raising water to irrigate the soil, by buckets fastened to a pole, like our old-fashioned well-poles. The next moment, perhaps, you discover fifteen or twenty crocodiles, from ten to fourteen feet long, and as numerous as in the days when the Egyptians worshipped them. As they lay basking in the sun, we would give them a passing shot, which would shake their scaly sides and send them tumbling in the water. Upon the Nile, one who is fond of shooting, finds plenty of amusement, as pelicans, wild ducks, geese, and eagles abound, and in many places are found the hyena, gazelle, foxes, wolves, and other animals. The slave trade is still continued from Dongola and Senaar. We saw one large boat descending with upwards of one hundred on board, who were bought for a small sum, or some article of necessity, from their parents, and were now wending their way to the slave market at Cairo, or perhaps to Siout, where the abominable traffic in eunuchs for the harems is still carried on. It is to be hoped, under the enlightened government of Mehemet Ali, that the latter detestable practice will be abandoned.

On arriving at Dendera, within a day’s sail of Thebes, we visited the ruins of the temple, &c., which stands about a mile and a half from the river, on the side of the desert, and occupies an area of three and a half miles in circumference. It is the first temple one sees on coming up the Nile, and is decidedly the best preserved one in Egypt. It is impossible to describe this superb building, which I found much more beautiful than I had expected, although considerably choked up with sand and stones, and forming the centre of an Arab village, which was abandoned from some cause or other. Their huts not only surrounded it, but crowned the summit of the temple itself. Nothing can exceed its magnificence. It is as rich in sculpture, hieroglyphics, and mythological paintings, as the greatest lover of antiquity could desire. Its dimensions are enormous. The vestibule, or porch, has twenty-one figures along the ceiling, ending with the vulture, the guardian genius of the kings and heroes of Egypt. On each hand are three rows of columns, with three columns in each row--making eighteen--which occupy the body of the vestibule. The exterior walls, as well as the interior, and columns, are covered with sculptured devices of the most remarkable execution: the winged globe, vulture, hawk, ibis, Isis, Osiris, gods, goddesses, priests, and women, sacred boats, with the sacred bulls which were formerly exhibited to the admiring multitude. What is most remarkable is, that after the lapse of two thousand years, the painting should appear, in many instances, as if executed but a month ago. There are several other smaller temples and gates of the city still standing, which are also full of interest. Dendera, which was anciently called Tentyra, is situated near the west bank of the Nile, about two hundred and sixty miles south by east of Cairo, and its ruins bespeak its former greatness.

In my next I shall endeavor to give you some idea of the gigantic ruins of Thebes, with Luxor and Karnak, which are said to have extended twenty-three miles in circumference; and the valley of the Nile not being able to contain them, their extremities rested upon the bases of the mountains of Arabia and Africa.

XXXI.

DJIRJEH, UPPER EGYPT, _February 20, 1842_.

My last was from Thebes, after having made the ancient port of Luxor and found ourselves some seven or eight hundred miles from the sea, secured to the old quay where the Egyptian boatmen tied their boats three thousand years ago. On the eastern or Arabian side of the Nile are the immense ruins of Luxor and Karnak. The temple of Luxor is a mere skeleton; the greater part of the columns stand yet, but the outside walls have been thrown down, and the materials carried away. It stands very near the river bank, and was supposed to be for the use of the boatmen. The temple was six hundred feet in length; the interior court was three hundred feet long and one hundred and sixty feet wide, and the double row of columns, twelve feet diameter and one hundred and forty feet high, were covered with sculpture. Before a magnificent gateway of the temple stands the survivor of the beautiful obelisks which have withstood the hand of time for three thousand years. It is a single block of red granite, eighty or ninety feet high, covered with sculpture and hieroglyphics beautifully executed. Its fellow was taken by the French, and now stands in the Place de la Concorde at Paris. The refinement of civilization has dared to remove what the grossness of barbarism feared to touch. The obelisks were among the few objects spared by the Persians on entering Egypt, probably from the fact that they were the symbols of the sacred element, _fire_, which the Persians worshipped.

The gateway of this magnificent ruin is two hundred feet long and sixty feet high; the front of the interior wall is covered with sculpture, representing the battle scenes of an Egyptian warrior in different attitudes, advancing at the head of his army, breaking through the ranks of the enemy; sometimes in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds, with plumes waving over their heads, the bow bent, the arrow drawn to its extremity, whilst the dead and wounded are falling under the wheels of his car; with a great variety of other devices.

Leaving Luxor we proceeded to Karnak, a distance of about two miles, and in approaching the ruins of the immense temples which occupy a mile in diameter, we passed through the avenue of sphinxes, each a solid block of granite, lining the whole length of the road, which was sixty feet wide, regularly formed, and shaded by rows of poplar trees. Many are broken, but some are quite perfect, and solemn as when the ancient Egyptians passed to worship in the great temple of Ammon. Here we saw several rows of sphinxes. The grand temple of Karnak, which was twelve hundred feet in length, and four hundred and twenty feet in breadth, stood in the centre of a series of smaller temples, with avenues of sphinxes and colossal statues radiating from it. The principal entrances, of which there were twelve, were so contrived as exactly to front the corresponding temples on the other side of the river at Thebes, which must have added much to the effect produced by the annual processions of the priests and gods of Egypt, when they were carried in solemn triumph from the Arabian to the Lybian side of the Nile. Some of the smaller temples surrounding this gigantic structure are larger than many other temples elsewhere. Here are seen many colossal statues, twenty or thirty feet high, some sitting, others erect. In front of the body of the temple is a large court, with an immense colonnade on each side, of thirty columns in length, and through the middle two rows of columns fifty feet high; then comes an immense portico, the roof supported originally by one hundred and thirty-four columns; I counted one hundred and twenty-six still standing, which measured from thirty to thirty-six feet in circumference. Here are three beautiful obelisks, seventy feet high, the sanctuary of highly polished granite, the walls of which are covered with sculpture representing offerings to the gods. The walls inside and out, as also the columns in every part, are covered with every variety of device, representing the acts of their kings, the worship of their gods, &c. Here are immense walls and gates and ruins, with cemeteries, in which are still standing colossal figures of rams, and those of men with the heads of animals. In fact, it is impossible to form any correct estimate of these gigantic remains. One is struck with wonder and confusion, and, to use the language of Dr. Richardson, who, looking from one of the gateways, exclaims, “the vast scene of havoc and destruction presents itself in all the extent of this immense temple, with its columns, and walls, and immense propylons, all prostrate in one heap of ruins, looking as if the thunders of heaven had smitten it at the command of an insulted God.”