Altogether, If
I May Venture To Pronounce An Opinion, After So Short A Residence, I
Should Say That, If Our Peaceful Relations With Egypt Should Continue
To Be Kept Up, In No Place Will Travellers Be Better Received Or
Entertained Than In Cairo.
CHAPTER VI.
* * * * *
THE DESERT.
* * * * *
Equipage for crossing the Desert - Donkey-chairs - Sense of calmness and
tranquillity on entering the Desert - Nothing dismal in its
aspect - The Travellers' Bungalow - Inconvenient construction of these
buildings - Kafila of the Governor of Jiddah and his Lady - Their
Equipage - Bedouins - Impositions practised on Travellers - Desert
Travelling not disagreeable - Report of the sailing of the
Steamer - Frequency of false reports - Ease with which an infant of
the party bore the journey - A wheeled carriage crossing the
Desert - Parties of Passengers from Suez encountered - One of Mr. Hill's
tilted Caravans - Difficulty of procuring water at the Travellers'
Bungalow - A night in the Desert - Magnificent sunrise - First sight
of the Red Sea and the Town of Suez - Miserable appearance of the
latter - Engagement of a Passage to Bombay.
We found the equipages in which we were to cross the desert waiting
for us at the City of Tombs. They consisted of donkey-chairs, one
being provided for each of the females of the party, while my
friend Miss E. had also an extra donkey, with a saddle, to ride upon
occasionally. Nothing could be more comfortable than these vehicles;
a common arm-chair was fastened into a sort of wooden tray, which
projected in front about a foot, thereby enabling the passenger to
carry a small basket or other package; the chairs were then slung by
the arms to long bamboos, one upon either side, and these, by means
of ropes or straps placed across, were fastened upon the backs
of donkeys, one in front, the other, behind. Five long and narrow
vehicles of this kind, running across the desert, made a sufficiently
droll and singular appearance, and we did nothing but admire each
other as we went along. The movement was delightfully easy, and the
donkeys, though not travelling at a quick pace, got on very well. Our
cavalcade consisted besides of two stout donkeys, which carried the
beds and carpet-bags of the whole party, thus enabling us to send the
camels a-head: the three men-servants were also mounted upon donkeys,
and there were three or four spare ones, in case any of the others
should knock up upon the road. In this particular it is proper to
say that we were cheated, for had such an accident occurred, the
extra-animals were so weak and inefficient, that they could not have
supplied the places of any of those in use. There were eight or ten
donkey-men, and a boy; the latter generally contrived to ride, but the
others walked by the side of the equipages.
In first striking into the desert, we all enjoyed a most delightful
feeling of repose; every thing around appeared to be so calm
and tranquil, that, especially after encountering the noises and
multitudes of a large and crowded city, it was soothing to the mind
thus to emerge from the haunts of men and wander through the vast
solitudes that spread their wastes before us. To me there was nothing
dismal in the aspect of the desert, nor was the view so boundless as I
had expected.
In these wide plains, the fall of a few inches is sufficient to
diversify the prospect; there is always some gentle acclivity to be
surmounted, which cheats the sense with the expectation of finding
a novel scene beyond: the sand-hills in the distance also range
themselves in wild and fantastic forms, many appearing like
promontories jutting out into some noble harbour, to which the
traveller seems to be approaching. Nor were there wanting living
objects to animate the scene; our own little kafila was sufficiently
large and cheerful to banish every idea of dreariness, and we
encountered others much more picturesque.
Soon after losing sight of the tombs, we came upon a party who
had bivouac'd for the night; the camels, unladen, were, with their
burthens, placed in a circle, and the people busily employed in
preparing their evening meal. Other evidences there were, however, to
show that the toils of the desert were but too frequently fatal to the
wretched beasts of burthen employed in traversing these barren wastes;
the whitened bones of camels and donkeys occurred so frequently, as to
serve to indicate the road.
Our first stage was the shortest of the whole, and we came to the
rest-house, or travellers' bungalow, just as night closed in, and long
before I entertained any idea that we should have been able to reach
it, travelling as we did at an easy walk. The bungalow was not yet
completed, which we found rather an advantage, since it seems to
be exceedingly questionable whether the buildings erected for the
accommodation of travellers on the track to Suez will be habitable
even for a few hours in the course of another year. The funds of the
Steam-committee have been lamentably mismanaged in this instance.
However, there being no windows, we were enabled to enjoy the fresh
air, and the room we occupied, not having been long whitewashed, was
perfectly clean.
Nothing can have been worse planned than the construction of these
houses. The only entrance is in front, down a narrow passage, open at
the top, and having apartments on either side, the two in front
being sleeping-rooms for travellers, with a kitchen and other offices
beyond, and at the back of all a stable, which occupies the whole
width of the building. The consequence is, that all the animals, biped
and quadruped, inhabiting the stable, must pass the traveller's
door, who is regaled with the smell proceeding from the said stable,
cook-rooms, &c.; all the insects they collect, and all the feathers
from the fowls slaughtered upon the spot; the plan being, when parties
arrive, to drive the unhappy creatures into the house, kill and pluck
them immediately.
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