No Sooner
Have We Been Permitted To Traverse A Country In Which Formerly It Was
Dangerous To Appear Openly As A Christian, Than We Abuse The Privilege
Thus Granted By Outrages On Its Most Peaceable Inhabitants.
I regret
to be obliged to add, that it is but too commonly the habit, of
Englishmen to beat the boat-men, donkey-men, and others of the poorer
class, whom they may engage in their service.
They justify this
cowardly practice - cowardly, because the poor creatures can gain no
redress - by declaring that there is no possibility of getting them to
stir excepting by means of the whip; but, in most cases, all that I
witnessed, they were not at the trouble of trying fairer methods:
at once enforcing their commands by blows. The comments made by the
janissary and our own servant upon those who were guilty of such
wanton brutality showed the feeling which it elicited; and when upon
one occasion Miss E. and myself interposed, declaring that we would
not allow any person in our service to be beaten, they told us not to
be alarmed, for that the rais (captain of the boat), who was an Arab,
would not put up with ill-treatment, but had threatened to go on shore
at the next village with all his men.
An English gentleman, long resident in Cairo, had done me the honour
to call upon me on the day after my arrival, and had invited me to
come to his house, to see some mummies and other curiosities he had
collected.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 121 of 293
Words from 33309 to 33569
of 80716
