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Le gouvernement de Constantinople, sans énergie pour tenir le pays dans une complète soumission, n'y a qu'une sorte de suzeraineté, qui lui rapporte de légers subsides, qu'il cherche tous les ans à augmenter, par de nouvelles ruses. Le très-petit nombre de Mamlouchs qui restent sont relégués dans la Haute Egypte, ou Mehemed Ali ne peut étendre sa domination, &c." Vol. ii. p. 237, Voyages d Ali Bey.*

We are now favoured with a concise but clear account of those singular people the Wahabees, and the vigorous measures adopted by the Pacha for their suppression, the expences of which warfare, Mr. L. affirms, were supported by the enormous profits derived from the commerce in corn, which the Pacha carried on with the English government; the particulars of which transaction he

thus details

An agent of the British government whom we met at Alexandria on our first landing, and who was then on the point

of returning to Gibraltar, had made a contract with the Pacha of Egypt for forty thousand ardebs,† equal to about seventy thousand quarters of corn, to supply our troops in Spain.

The terms of the agreement were, that eighty piastres should be paid per ardeb, and that the corn should be delivered in the month of April at Alexandria. As soon as the Pacha had concluded this favourable bargain, he laid an embargo on all the boats upon the Nile and sent them into Upper Egypt for the corn, part of which was collected in lieu of contributions, and the rest was bought of the fellah, or labouring Arabs, at the rate of ten piastres per ardeb: so strict indeed was the embargo, that it was with great difficulty we could hire a boat to take us up to Cairo, and the moment we arrived at Boulac it was seized by the government. The Pacha used such exertion in fulfilling the conditions of his advantageous contract that the corn was delivered at Alexandria by the appointed time ;-but it was not until the month of May that any transports arrived, and they carried away only a fourth of the whole quantity.

In July following, a convoy took away ten thousand ardebs more, and it was by that opportunity that we left the country.

The pretended Ali Bey is a Spaniard of the name of Badia, who was employed by Buonaparte as a spy, first in Morocco, and afterwards in Egypt and the east.

An ardeb is equal to fourteen bushels English.

At what period the rest was removed, it is impossible to say; but certainly no contract could have been made more disadvantageous to the British government.

Instead of fixing April for the delivery of the corn, had the following month of May been appointed, which, as it appeared, would have been quite early enough, the harvest would have been got in, and the wheat would not only have been much cheaper, but greatly better in quality.

At the time we left Egypt, the corn was sprouting in the impurities with which it was mixed, and we saw it actually smoking on board the transports which carried it away.

Having obtained permission from the Pacha to hire a cangia, our author sailed on the 13th Jamuary for Upper Egypt, and on the 21st landing at the village of Bennihassan, he visited the grottoes of that place; from thence he proceeded to Sheikh Ababdé, the site of ancient Antinoë, the ruins of which place he shortly describes and then hastens to the splendid portico of Hermopolis which he notices in a concise but satisfac tory manner. On the 26th January our travellers arrived at Siout, which city has succeeded to Girgeh, as the capital of Upper Egypt, but although they did not witness the arrival of a caravan of slaves from the interior of Africa, he has favoured us with some par ticulars of this horrid traffic, in which we find the following ac count, but are not informed in a satisfastory manner why so wanton and unprofitable cruelties are perpetrated.

In the course of this long and tedious journey, they suffer occasionally great hardships, and we were informed that the Jelabs seized upon these periods of distress, arising from a scarcity of water or provisions, to perform the operation of emasculation, which, according to our informant, was doue completely by the entire removal of the genitals. The wretches were afterwards buried in the sand to a certain depth, and in this rude manner the hemorrhage was stopped. The calculation was, that one out of three only survived the operation, which was performed at a moment of distress, that the risk of mortality might be incurred, at a time when the merchants could best spare their slaves, Their method of travelling

was to sling a dozen of the negroes across the back of a camel.

many months, and not even a camel could be procured. With deep regret for the disappointment in my earnest wish of proceeding to Abyssinia by this route, I

In passing Diospolis Parva (the modern How) our travellers for was constrained to abandon all hope for the first time observed the croco- that season and to think of returning." diles, the largest of which he 142. ~p. says were about twenty-five feet in length, and at this place they also felt the kamsin, which is thus described:

While opposite Diospolis Parva, we experienced a gale of the Kamsin, which, though we were on the water and consequently in a great measure protected from its violence, was still so formidable in its effects, as to dispose us to give full credit to the accounts of travellers, and, indeed, of entire caravans being overtaken and buried in the sand by this destructive wind of the desert. The air became thick and cloudy, as if a storm of snow or sleet were coming on, and we felt our eyes, ears and mouths filled with the fine particles of sand, which were raised and suspended in the atmosphere. We suffered also in our food, for the pilau, which formed the great article of our sustenance, was rendered so gritty as to be scarcely eatable; and on opening our trunks, which had been closed and locked, we found considerable quantities of sand deposited between the folds of our linen.

Proceeding on their journey, our travellers just notice landing at Thebes, but refer us to the Travels of Denon and Mr. Hamilton's work for the details of this wonderful spot. On the eleventh of February they reached Essouan and paid a visit to the Arab governor of the town, for the purpose of inquiring into the possibility of proceeding beyond the Cataracts into the country of the Barâbras, and the information they obtained gave them great encouragement; he then quotes the following accounts of the failures and discouragements, which former travellers have experienced who have attempted to penetrate into this country.

"At Essouan, (says Browne, in his Travels into Africa,) I remained three days, contriving, if possible, to pursue my route up the Nile; but a war having arisen between the Mamelukes of Upper Egypt and the Cacheff of Ibrîm, no one was suffered to pass from Egypt to Nubia; the caravans had all been stopped for

Mr. Hamilton relates, that on his arri val at the Cataracts he was deterred from

proceeding, by the accounts he there received of the difficulty of the roads, and the inhospitable disposition of the inhabitants; he was told that they had not for a long time submitted to the Turks, and had never acknowledged the sovereignty of the Mamelukes; neither had they been visited by the French, and were resolutely determined to prevent the arrival of any foreigners. He adds, that the Cacheffs of the Berberi were formerly nominally dependent on the Porte, and remitted annually a tribute to Cairo, but that they threw off the yoke at the time the Beys became masters of Egypt.

Soleyman Cacheff, who died a few years ago, united the lesser chieftains under himself; the country was quiet, and Mr. Hamilton thought that a cautious traveller might then have penetrated into Nubia;

but at the time of his visit to the Cataracts, Elfi Bey was encamped in the neighbourhood, and dissuaded him from going farther. Mr. Hamilton justly observes, that the Beys had an interest in increasing the difficulties of penetrating

farther south than the Cataracts, as they last resource in the event of a temporary look to a retreat in that country as their expulsion from Egypt.

The boundary of the French expedition in Egypt was marked on a granite rock a little above the Cataracts; and the obstinate resistance shewn by the inhabitants to the entry of their troops into the isle of Phile, and the jealous fear of strangers exhibited on that occasion, strengthened

the idea of the difficulty of passing the

Cataracts. No terms of accommodation would be listened to; but when the natives were no longer able to prevent the approach of the enemy, they quitted the island in despair, and men, women and children were seen to plunge themselves into the Nile, and swim to the opposite shore. Mothers drowned their infants whom they could not carry away with them, and mutilated their daughters, to preserve them from the violation of the

conquerors.

"Lorsque j'entrai (says Denon) le lendemain dans l'île, je trouvai une petite fille de 7 à 8 ans, à laquelle une couture faite avec autant de brutalité que de cruauté avoit ôté tous les moyens de satisfaire au plus pressant besoin, et lui causoit des convulsions horribles: ce ne fut qu'avec une contre opération et un bain que je sauvai la vie à cette malheureuse

petite créature qui étoit tout à fait jolie.” Vol. ii. p. 89.

Norden, the only European who had surmounted these difficulties, gives the following account of the conversation he held with the Aga of Essouan, who endeavoured, but in vain, to dissuade him from his attempt. "You'll be all destroyed," says he; "you are going not amongst men, but amongst savage beasts; they would murder a man for a para. In what manner will they deal with you, who carry such treasures?" But when the traveller was determined to proceed, -"Im-Sehalla !" cried out the Aga, as he delivered passports to the dragoman of the party; "here, take the letters they have asked of me for the grandees; let them go in God's name: but I am sorry those scoundrels should get so many fine things as you have with you."

But our travellers were fortunately more successful than their predecessors, and Mr. L. thus accounts for their success

On the other hand, the Shekh of Essouan, with whom we had frequent conversations on the subject, rather encouraged than dissuaded us from the expedition. He promised that his son should accompany us, and engaged to procure for us a smaller boat at Philæ, as the one we had brought from Cairo could not, at this time of the year, pass the Cataracts. We were probably indebted, in some measure, to the cupidity of the Shekh for the eagerness with which he promoted our voyage, as he undertook to dispose of a quantity of salt which we brought with us from Cairo, both as ballast to our boat, and as

merchandize. The prospect of the gain he should derive from this transaction, induced him to hasten our departure as soon as possible.

During the few days they stayed at Essouan, they were employed in visiting the islands of Elephantina, Philæ, and the Cataracts, which latter are thus noticed

So much has been written on the Cataracts of the Nile, that it may almost appear superfluous to attempt any further description, if it were not that the vague and contradictory accounts of authors seem to call for some explanation. Eight Cataracts have been enumerated in the course of the Nile, from its source in the Mountains of the Moon, to the last fall a little above Essouan, where the river is about half a mile broad; Norden estimates the fall at only four feet, and Po

cocke even so low as three feet. The latter, indeed, on his visit to the Cataracts, asks where they are? and is surprized to find he is looking on them.

On the right bank of the river there are more obstacles from rocky islands than on the left, on which side during the period of the inundation, (in September, for instance,) boats may sail up with a tolerable breeze from the N.W., or be hauled up by a rope without much difficulty. But there are modern travellers who seem to have listened rather to the stories of the ancients, than to the evidence of their own senses: and Cicero is still quoted to prove that the inhabitants in the neighbourhood of the Cataract are deafened by its noise. In confirmation of the fact, it has been lately asserted that the natives of that part are remarkably dull of hearing.

In order to understand the descriptions which are given in ancient authors of the Cataracts, one must admit an almost incredible change in the bed of the river, or suppose that their accounts relate rather to the second Cataract at Genâdil, which is said to be much more considerable than the one at Syene. We were at the Cataracts at the time of year when the fall is the greatest, and certainly witnessed nothing which warrants the glowing colours in which they have been so often described; but such is the confusion in the different accounts, that it is more reasonable to suppose them greatly exaggerated. Perhaps a tolerably correct idea will be formed of the real appearance of these falls, by the mention of the fact, that the boys of the neighbouring huts would at any time, for the reward of a para, dive into the most rapid cascade, when, after disappearing for a few seconds, their heads were again seen above the water, low. They were in the constant habit of at the distance of forty or fifty yards bediving also for the purpose of catching fish.

At the same time it must be allowed that the view of the barrier which nature has placed between Nubia and Egypt is in the highest degree magnificent.

The party now bid adieu to Es into the country of the Nubians, souan, and continue their journey troubled with a few anxious feelings, at the prospect of the undertaking, as by venturing beyond the Cataracts they were placing themselves beyond the authority of the Pacha of Egypt. Proceeding up the Nile, they anchored at Siala, a small village about eighteen miles above Philæ; and the following morning were informed that it was necessary they should pay a visit to Douab Cacheff, who was encamped in the neighbourhood with a considerable party, forming a kind of advanced guard

of the Nubians. The Shekh of Essouan had given them a letter to the first tribe of Barâbras they might meet, and they now set out to claim the protection of the Cacheff. We shall venture to transcribe a description of their reception.

On our arrival we found the men encamped in wigwams, and the women and children stationed apart in tents; the whole body might be about 400: their horses and camels were feeding around them.

We sat an hour without the camp before the Cacheff made his appearance, and in the mean time were surrounded by many of the Nubians, who expressed great surprise and curiosity at our appearance. From the time we were kept in suspense and the apparent demur and delay, we were much afraid we should not be allowed to proceed; but the Cacheff at length appeared, and after having asked us many questions, such as whence we came and the object of our voyage, he offered us coffee. As this was a token of peace, we began by giving him the letter we had brought from Essouan; and finding afterwards that he was unable to read Turkish, we shewed him our Firman written in that language, which we persuaded him contained a permission from the Pacha of Egypt to penetrate as far as we pleased into the country above the Cataracts. Though the Nubians consider themselves independant of the Government of Egypt, yet they were desirous of remaining on friendly terms with the Pacha, and his supposed recommendation had, doubtless, its weight with the Cacheff, who appeared to make no objection to our proceeding, and said he would send off an express to Dehr to inform Hassan Cacheff of our intended visit to his capital. He offered us milk, flour and butter, invited us to eat out of the same bowl with him, and on taking our leave we desired him to send down to our boat and we would make him a present of coffee and tobacco; in return for which he afterwards sent us a sheep. We retraced our steps to the river, astonished and delighted at the friendly reception we had met with, so different from what we had been led to expect, and even from what we had generally experienced in Upper Egypt. In our journey from Cairo to Essouan, wherever we landed, which we frequently did to buy provisions, the people of the villages ran away, and drove

their cattle into the desert and the moun

tains beyond; in these cases our only resource was to attempt, if possible, to lay hold of one of the children, who generally endeavoured to hide themselves among the sugar canes, and, if we were successful, to give him some paras and then let him

go. As this conduct convinced the rest of the natives of our peaceable disposition,

they ceme afterwards and sold us whatever we wanted. At first they asked us two or three paras for an egg, but afterwards we generally bought six for a para.

This dread of strangers arises from the ill-treatment and oppression to which they are exposed from the Turks, and the freedom from such tyrannical extortion sufficiently explains the unsuspecting and friendly manners which we afterwards uniformly found among the Baråbras.

Thus succeeding by a falsity, without which it appears they could not have continued their route, they left Siala and again set sail; but were we to notice the numerous ruins they examined as they passed up the river, it would far exceed our proper limits; we must, therefore, refer the reader to the work itself, and feel confident that the antiquarian and the architect will receive ample gratification in its perusal. Speaking of the antiquity of these several remnants of former grandeur, Mr. L. low the Cataracts in the following compares them with the ruins be

terms.

The period of the construction of these several edifices is a matter of pure conjecture, but it may be observed, that the most striking difference between the temples above and below the Cataracts, is the high state of preservation of the stone and outward walls of the latter, which have scarcely suffered from the ravages of time. -From this circumstance it might at first sight be supposed, that these remains in antiquity were posterior to the temples in Egypt, but that opinion is not warranted by any other evidence. It would be diffi cult indeed, with any reasonable allowance of difference of date, to explain the superior preservation in which we found the temples of Nubia, compared with those below the Cataracts, and we must seek for the cause in the mild, unalterable climate between the tropics. The corroding hand of time has no effect upon them, but they are abandoned to the desert, and many of them will in a few years entirely disappear.

On their arrival at Dehr, which, he observes, is rather a district than a town, they were under the necessity of paying their respects to Hassan Cacheff, the most pow❤ erful chieftain of the Barâbras, and endeavour to obtain from him permission to proceed, which after

some difficulty they gained: The The linen trowsers, wore a turban, and had a interview is thus described.

Our appearance soon drew together a number of the natives, who viewed us, the first Europeans they had yet seen, with every mark of astonishment. Though in consequence of the festival, many of them were drunk, they offered us no incivility, but we sat down under a rude sort of arcade made of bricks, and waited patiently till we should be admitted to an interview with the Cacheff. In about an hour's time, a large mess was brought us consisting of layers of bad paste, upon which was a piece of boiled goat's flesh swimming in hot butter. We invited the people about to partake of it, with which they seemed much pleased, and shewed us every mark of good will and hospitality. By this time the news of our arrival had spread to all parts of the town, and numbers had collected to see the strangers. After waiting about four hours, the Cacheff came down to us, attended by five or six of his chief officers, and a number of negro guards to keep off the mob. He appeared to be about twenty-five years old, six feet high, and of a handsome person, but evidently half drunk with araki, a spirit they distil from dates. He began by boisterously asking us what we wanted, and why we had come to Dehr? We replied we were come to pay our respects to him, and to see the remains of antiquity with which his country abounded. He answered there was nothing curious to see, but "I suppose you are come to visit the tombs of your ancestors?"-We then asked his permission to go to Ibrîm, which he flatly refused, alleging first, that there was nothing to be seen there, and next, that he had no horses to convey us ;in short, he appeared in no humour to gratify our wishes, and we began even to repent of our rashness in having placed ourselves in the power of a man whom we found surrounded by more than 300 armed negro slaves, ready to execute any order of capricious cruelty which he might give in his present state of intoxication.

But although they failed at the first visit, a second interview was more successful.

Early in the morning we received a visit from the secretary, who plainly told us that his master the Cacheff expected a present, and hinted that one of our swords would be acceptable. We said we intended to have offered him a watch, but that we were unwilling to part with our arms, as they were absolutely necessary to our defence. He left us, observing that we might see the Cacheff at eleven o'clock, when he would expect us at his house. At the appointed time we waited on the chief, and found him smoking at the end of a long chamber. He was dressed in

bournous thrown over his shoulders: the only mark of authority he carried about him was a rude iron truncheon, which he held in his hand. After the first salutation, we sat down, and they brought us coffee and pipes. Through the means of our dragoman, we began to open our business with the Cacheff, by first making him an offer of a watch, several of which we had brought from Malta, for the purpose of making presents. The Cacheff thairked us for our offer; but, as we were unable to make him comprehend its use, declined its acceptance. The way in which it was refused, and the great admiration of our arms the night before, convinced us that we should obtain no facilities in the prosecution of our journey, without the sacrifice of one of our swords. I accordingly took off my own, which was a fine Damascus blade, of about 500 piasters value, and approaching the Cacheff, requested permission to throw it over his shoulders. The effect of this present was instantaneous; he was highly pleased, and assumed the most friendly manner. He asked me if I had left my harem at the Cataracts? meaning, as I understood, to give me a female slave as a present to my wife. When he was answered in the negative, he spoke to his secretary, who retired, and soon returned with a negro boy of about ten years old. On his entrance, the Cacheff called the slave to him, spoke some words, and gave him his hand to kiss. With evident marks of agitation, the boy approached me, kissed my hand, and put it to his forehead. The simple ceremony I had witnessed was the transfer of the property of the negro to myself*.

We seized the opportunity of the favourable disposition of the Cacheff to repeat our request of going to Ibrîm, which was granted without any hesitation, and an offer was made us of horses and dromedaries, or any thing else in his power. Our journey was fixed for the next morning, and we passed the remainder of the day in visiting the town. In the evening the Cacheff paid us another visit, when we regaled him with some English brándy, and he again amused himself with examining our arms, and seemed to pique himself much upon possessing an English musket, which we had observed in his house in the morning. We shewed him our thermometers, and as it was quite impossible to give him any idea of their real use, we informed him they were in tended to shew the state of our health. It was equally difficult to explain to him the eagerness with which we enquired

*I learned afterwards, that he had been the favourite slave of the mother of Hassan, and that he had been carried off from Dongola when only six years old; he has therefore but little recol lection of his native country: When I left Egypt I brought him with me to England, and he is now living in the family of my friend, Mr. Smelt.

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