Far From Being Disappointed, The
Vastness Of Their Dimensions Struck Me At Once, As They Rose In
Lonely Majesty On
The bare plain, with nothing to detract from their
grandeur, or to afford, by its littleness, a point of comparison.
We were never tired of gazing upon these noble monuments of an age
shrouded in impenetrable mystery. They were afterwards seen at less
advantage, in consequence of the intervention of some rising ground;
but from all points they created the strongest degree of interest.
We had a magnificent thunder-storm just as it was growing dark, and
the red lightning lit up the pyramids, which came out, as it were,
from the black masses of clouds behind them, while the broad waters
of the Nile assumed a dark and troubled aspect. The scene was sublime,
but of short duration; for the tempest speedily rolled off down the
river; when, accompanied by a squall and heavy rain, it caught several
boats, which were obliged to put into the shore. We did not experience
the slightest inconvenience; and though the latter part of the voyage
had been protracted from want of wind, arrived at the port of Boulak
at half-past nine on the second evening of our embarkation.
CHAPTER V.
* * * * *
CAIRO.
* * * * *
Arrival at Boulak - Description of the place - Moolid, or Religious
Fair - Surprise of the People - The Hotel at Cairo - Description of
the City - The Citadel - View from thence - The City - The
Shops - The Streets - The interior of the Pasha's
Palace - Pictures - Furniture - Military Band - Affray between a Man and
Woman - Indifference of the Police to Street Broils - Natives beaten
by Englishmen - Visit to an English Antiquary - By-ways of
the City - Interior of the Houses - Nubian
Slave-market - Gypsies - Preparations for Departure to Suez - Mode
of driving in the Streets of Cairo - Leave the City - The Changes in
travelling in Egypt - Attractions of Cairo.
It was half-past nine o'clock, on the evening of the 4th of October,
1839, that we arrived at the port of Boulak. We expected to find some
person in waiting to give us the pass-word, and thus enable us to
get into Cairo, the gates of the city being closed at nine o'clock.
Depending upon the attendance of the hotel-keeper at Cairo, who had
been apprised of our approach, we had not put the janissary on shore,
as we ought to have done, at the British Consul's country-house, who
would have furnished us with a talisman to pass the gates. We sent
Mohammed and the janissary on shore, to see what could be done.
Including the voyage up the canal, Miss E. and myself had passed (we
could not say slept) three nights on board a boat, the first without
an attempt at repose, the two latter lying down in our dressing-gowns
upon thin mattresses, stretched upon hard boards; we, therefore, could
not very easily relinquish the endeavour to procure a bed during
the time which would intervene between the period (an hour before
day-light) in which the gates of the city would be open.
I had a letter to the British Consul, which I gave Mohammed, telling
him to try the effect of bribery upon the guardians of the city.
During his absence, the Arab captain, feeling that we were left
under his protection, came and seated himself beside us, outside the
cabin-door. We conversed together without understanding each other's
language; he had nothing to offer us except snuff, of which we each
took a pinch, giving him in return, as he refused wine, a pomegranate,
to which I added a five-franc piece from the remains of my French
money. If any thing had been wanting to establish a good understanding
between us, this would have accomplished it. The rais, or captain,
took my hand in his, and pressed his own to his lips, in token of
gratitude; and when upon the return of Mohammed he perceived that I
was rather nervous at the idea of crossing the plank from the boat to
the shore, he plunged at once into the water to assist me over it.
The janissary brought word that there was a moolid, or religious fair,
held at the opposite end of the city, and that if we would make a
circuit of three miles round the walls, we might enter Cairo that
night, as the gate was left open for the convenience of the people
in the neighbourhood. Mohammed had aroused a donkey-man of his
acquaintance, who was in attendance, with a youth his son, and two
donkeys. To the boy was entrusted the care of the lanthorn, without
which no person is allowed to traverse the streets after nightfall,
and mounting, we set forward.
The streets of Boulak are narrow, but the houses appear to be lofty
and substantially built. We were challenged by the soldiers at the
gates, but allowed to pass without farther inquiry. The ride round
the walls at night was dreary enough, over broken ground, occupied
by bandogs barking at us as we passed. We met occasionally groups of
people coming from the fair, who gave us the welcome intelligence that
the gates were still open, and, pushing on, we came at length to the
entrance, an archway of some magnitude. Upon turning an angle of this
wall, we suddenly emerged upon a very singular scene. The tomb of
the saint, in whose honour the moolid was held, was surrounded by
devotees, engaged in the performance of some religious rite. Around,
and in front, throughout the neighbouring streets, gleamed a strong
illumination, produced by an assemblage of lamps and lanthorns
of various kinds. Some of the shops boasted handsome cut-glass
chandeliers, or Argand lamps, evidently of European manufacture;
others were content with a circular frame, perforated with holes,
in which all sorts of glass vessels, wine-glasses, tumblers,
mustard-pots, &c., were placed, filled with oil, and having several
wicks.
The articles displayed for sale at the fair were, as far as we could
judge from the hasty glances we cast as we passed along, good of
their kind, and of some value; the confectioners' shops made a gay
appearance with their variously-coloured sweetmeats, piled up in
tempting heaps, and we saw enough of embroidery and gold to form a
very favourable idea of the taste and splendour of the native dress.
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