The Persons In Care Of These Bungalows Are Usually A Mongrel Sort Of
Franks, Who Have No Idea Of Cleanliness, And Are Regardless Of The
Most Unsavoury Odours.
The furniture of the rooms consisted of a deal
table and a moveable divan of wicker-work, while another, formed of
the same solid materials as the house, spread in the Egyptian fashion
along one side.
Upon this Miss E. and myself laid our beds; our two
other lady friends, with the infant and female attendant, occupying
the opposite apartment. We concluded the evening with tea and supper,
for which we were amply provided, having cold fowls, cold ham,
hard-boiled eggs, and bread and fruit in abundance. Wrapped up in our
dressing-gowns, we passed a very comfortable night, and in the morning
were able to procure the luxury of warm water for washing with.
Having discovered that the people of the hotel at Cairo had forgotten
to put up some of the articles which we had ordered, and being afraid
that our supplies might fail, we had sent Mohammed back for them. He
did not rejoin us until eight o'clock the following morning, just
as we had begun to grow uneasy about him; it appeared that, although
apparently well acquainted with the desert, having crossed it many
times, he had missed the track, and lost his way, and after wandering
about all night, was glad to meet with a man, whom he engaged as a
guide. The poor fellow was much exhausted, but had not omitted to
bring us a bottle of fresh milk for our breakfast. We desired him to
get some tea for himself, and he soon recovered; his spirits never
forsaking him.
In consequence of these delays, it was rather late, past nine o'clock,
before we set forward. I had provided myself with a pair of crape
spectacles and a double veil, but I speedily discarded both; the crape
fretted my eye-lashes, and would have produced a greater degree of
irritation than the sand. A much better kind are those of wire, which
tie round the head with a ribbon, and take in the whole eye. Though
the sun was rather warm, its heat was tempered by a fresh cold air,
which blew across the desert, though not strongly enough to lift the
sand; we, therefore, travelled with much less inconvenience than is
sustained upon a turnpike-road in England in dusty weather. I could
not endure to mar the prospect by looking at it through a veil, and
found my parasol quite sufficient protection against the rays of the
sun.
The kafila, which we had passed the preceding evening, overtook us
soon after we started. It consisted of a long train of camels, and
belonged to the native governor of Jiddah, who was proceeding to that
place with, his wife and family, a native vessel being in waiting
at Suez to take him down the Red Sea. We saw several females wrapped
closely from head to foot in long blue garments, mounted upon these
camels. The governor's wife travelled in a sort of cage, which I
recognised immediately, from the description in Anastatius. This
vehicle is formed of two rude kinds of sophas, or what in English
country phrase would be called settles, canopied overhead, and with a
resting place for the feet. They are sometimes separated, and slung on
either side of a camel; at other times joined together, and placed on
the top, with a curtain or cloth lining, to protect the inmates from
the sun, and secure the privacy so necessary for a Mohammedan lady.
The height of the camels with their lading, and this cage on
the summit of all, give an extraordinary and almost supernatural
appearance to the animal as he plods along, his head nodding, and his
whole body moving in a strange ungainly manner.
Occasionally we saw a small party of Bedouins, easily distinguished by
the fierce countenances glaring from beneath the large rolls of cloth
twisted over their turbans, and round their throats, leaving nothing
besides flashing eyes, a strongly developed nose, and a bushy beard,
to be seen. One or two, superior to the rest, were handsomely
dressed, armed to the teeth, and rode camels well-groomed and richly
caparisoned; wild-looking warriors, whom it would not have been
agreeable to meet were the country in a less tranquil state.
To the present ruler of Egypt we certainly owe the security now
enjoyed in passing the desert; a party of ladies, having only three
servants and a few donkey-drivers, required no other protection,
though our beds, dressing-cases, and carpet-bags, to say nothing of
the camels laden with trunks and portmanteaus a-head, must have been
rather tempting to robbers by profession. The Pasha is the only
person who has hitherto been able to oblige the Sheikhs to respect the
property of those travellers not strong enough to protect themselves
from outrage. It is said that occasionally these Bedouins, when
desirous of obtaining water, make no scruple of helping themselves to
the supplies at the bungalows; the will, therefore, is not wanting to
commit more serious depredations. Consequently, in maintaining a good
understanding with Egypt, we must likewise endeavour to render its
sovereign strong enough to keep the neighbouring tribes in awe.
Having made a slight refection on the road, of hard-boiled eggs,
bread, grapes, and apples, we came up at mid-day to a rest-house,
where it was determined we should remain for an hour or two, to water
the donkeys, and afford them needful repose, while we enjoyed a more
substantial luncheon. Our companions were so well satisfied with the
management of Mohammed, who conducted the whole line of march, that
they sent their Egyptian servant forward to order our dinner at the
resting-place for the night. We found, however, that advantage had
been taken of Mohammed's absence the preceding evening, and of the
hurry of the morning's departure, to send back some of the animals we
had engaged and paid for, and to substitute others so weak as to be
perfectly useless.
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