It Was Also Said, That Nothing But The Favour
Shown By The French Cabinet To The Pasha Had Hitherto Prevented The
Commencement Of Hostilities, Since The British Government, Taking The
View Of Its Representative At Constantinople, Felt Strongly Inclined
To Proceed To Extremities.
I merely, of course, state the rumour that
prevailed; whether they carried the slightest authority or not, I do
not pretend to determine.
Alexandria, from the sea, presents a very imposing appearance; long
lines of handsome buildings, apparently of white stone, relieved by
green Venetian blinds, afford evidence of increasing prosperity, and
a wish to imitate the style of European cities. There is nothing,
however, in the landing-place worthy of the approach to a place of
importance; a confused crowd of camels, donkeys, and their drivers,
congregated amidst heaps of rubbish, awaited us upon reaching the
shore. We had been told that we should be almost torn to pieces by
this rabble, in their eagerness to induce us to engage the services of
themselves or their animals. Accustomed as we had been to the attacks
of French waiters, we were astonished by the indifference of the
people, who very contentedly permitted us to walk to the place of our
destination.
The lady-passengers, who arrived in the steamer, agreed to prosecute
the remainder of the journey in company; our party, therefore,
consisted of four, with two servants, and a baby; the latter a
beautiful little creature, of seven months old, the pet and delight of
us all. This darling never cried, excepting when she was hungry, and
she would eat any thing, and go to any body. One of the servants
who attended upon her was a Mohammedan native of India, an excellent
person, much attached to his little charge; and we were altogether a
very agreeable party, quite ready to enjoy all the pleasures, and to
encounter all the difficulties, which might come in our way.
Having formed my expectations of Alexandria from books of travels,
which describe it as one of the most wretched places imaginable, I was
agreeably disappointed by the reality. My own experience of
Mohammedan cities had taught me to anticipate much more of squalor and
dilapidation than I saw; though I confess, that both were sufficiently
developed to strike an European eye. We wended our way through
avenues ancle-deep in sand, and flanked on either side with various
descriptions of native houses, some mere sheds, and others of more
lofty and solid construction. We encountered in our progress several
native parties belonging to the respectable classes; and one lady,
very handsomely dressed, threw aside her outer covering, a dark silk
robe, somewhat resembling a domino, and removing her veil, allowed us
to see her dress and ornaments, which were very handsome. She was
a fine-looking woman, with a very good-natured expression of
countenance.
[Footnote A: The author followed up these remarks with others, still
more severe, upon the treatment which she and her fellow-travellers
experienced on board this vessel; but as these remarks seem to have
caused pain, and as Miss Roberts, without retracting one particle of
her statements, regretted that she had published them, it has been
deemed right to omit them in this work.]
CHAPTER IV.
* * * * *
ALEXANDRIA TO BOULAK.
* * * * *
Description of Alexandria - Hotels - Houses - Streets - Frank
Shops - Cafes - Equipages - Arrangements for the Journey to
Suez - Pompey's Pillar - Turkish and Arab Burial-grounds - Preparations
for the Journey to Cairo - Embarkation on the Canal - Bad accommodation
in the Boat - Banks of the Canal - Varieties of Costume in
Egypt - Collision during the night - Atfee - Its wretched appearance - The
Pasha - Exchange of Boats - Disappointment at the Nile - Scarcity of
Trees - Manners of the Boatmen - Aspect of the Villages - The Marquess
of Waterford - The Mughreebee Magician - First sight of the
Pyramids - Arrival at Boulak, the Port of Cairo.
There are several excellent hotels at Alexandria for the accommodation
of European travellers. We were recommended to Rey's, in which we
found every comfort we could desire. The house is large and handsome,
and well situated, being at the end of a wide street, or rather
place, in which the more wealthy of the Frank inhabitants reside,
and where there are several houses belonging to the consuls of
various nations. These latter are usually detached mansions, of a
very handsome description, and one especially, facing the top, will be
magnificent when finished.
All the houses in this quarter are very solidly constructed, lofty,
and with flat roofs. The ground-floor seems to be appropriated to
merchandize, or as domestic offices, the habitable apartments being
above. The windows are supplied with outside Venetian blinds, usually
painted green, which, together with the pure white of the walls, gives
them a fresh and new appearance, which I had not expected to see. In
fact, nothing could exceed the surprise with which I viewed a street
that would have excited admiration in many of our European capitals.
It will in a short time be embellished by a fountain, which was
erecting at the period of my visit: could the residents get trees
to grow, nothing more would be wanting to render it one of the
most superb avenues of the kind extant; but, a few inches below the
surface, the earth at Alexandria is so completely impregnated
with briny particles, as to render the progress of vegetation very
difficult at all times, and in some places impossible.
This portion of the city is quite modern; near it there is a more
singular and more ancient series of buildings, called the Okella;
a word, I believe, derived from castle. This consists of one large
quadrangle, or square, entered by gateways at different sides. A
terrace, approached by flights of steps, extends all round, forming
a broad colonnade, supported upon arches. The houses belonging to the
Franks open upon this terrace; they are large and commodious, but the
look-out does not equal that from the newer quarter; the quadrangle
below exhibiting any thing rather than neatness or order.
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