Doubtless,
At A Less Favourable Period Of The Year, Both Would Prove Difficult
To Bear.
The wind, we were told, frequently raised the sand in clouds;
and though the danger of being buried beneath
The tombs thus made, we
had reason to believe, was greatly exaggerated, yet the plague of sand
is certainly an evil to be dreaded, and travellers will do well
to avoid the season in which it prevails. The speed of my donkeys
increasing, rather than diminishing, after we left the well, for they
seemed to know that Suez would terminate their journey, I crossed the
intervening three miles very quickly, and was soon at the walls of the
town.
Distance lends no enchantment to the view of Suez. It is difficult to
fancy that the few miserable buildings, appearing upon the margin
of the sea, actually constitute a town; and the heart sinks at the
approach to a place so barren and desolate. My donkeys carried me
through a gap in the wall, which answered all the purposes of
a gateway, and we passed along broken ground and among wretched
habitations, more fit for the abode of savage beasts than men. Even
the superior description of houses bore so forlorn and dilapidated
an appearance, that I actually trembled as I approached them, fearing
that my guide would stop, and tell me that, my journey was at an end.
Before I had time to make any observations upon the place to which I
was conducted, I found myself at the foot of a flight of steps, and
reaching a landing place, saw another above, and Mohammed descending
to meet me. I followed him to the top, and crossing a large apartment,
which served as dining and drawing room, entered a passage which led
to a light and certainly airy bed-chamber; for half the front wall,
and a portion of one of the sides, were entirely formed of wooden
trellice, which admitted, with the utmost freedom, all the winds of
heaven, the sun, and also the dust. There was a mat upon the floor,
and the apartment was whitewashed to the rafters, which were in good
condition; and upon Mohammed's declaration that it was free from rats,
I felt an assurance of a share of comfort which I had dared not expect
before. There were two neat beds, with musquito-curtains, two tables,
and washing apparatus, but no looking-glass; an omission which I could
supply, though we had dispensed with such a piece of luxury altogether
in the desert. Well supplied with hot and cold water, I had enjoyed
the refreshment of plenteous ablutions, and nearly completed my
toilet, before the arrival of the friends I had so completely
distanced. I made an attempt to sit down to my desk, but was unable
to write a line, and throwing myself on my bed full dressed, I fell
asleep in a moment, and enjoyed the deepest repose for an hour, or
perhaps longer.
I was awakened by my friend, Miss E., who informed me that the purser
of the Berenice was in the drawing-room, and that I must go to him
and pay my passage-money. I was not, however, provided with the means
of doing this in ready cash, and as the rate of exchange for the
thirty pounds in sovereigns which I possessed could not be decided
here, at the suggestion of one of my fellow-passengers, I drew a
bill upon a banker in Bombay for the amount, eighty pounds, the sum
demanded for half a cabin, which, fortunately, I could divide with
the friend who had accompanied me from England. This transaction so
completely roused me, that I found myself equal to the continuation
of the journal which I had commenced at Cairo. I despatched also the
letter with which I had been kindly furnished to the British Consul,
and was immediately favoured by a visit from him. As we expressed
some anxiety about our accommodation on board the steamer, he
politely offered to take us to the vessel in his own boat; but to
this arrangement the purser objected, stating that the ship was in
confusion, and that one of the best cabins had been reserved for us.
With this assurance we were accordingly content.
We arrived at Suez on Wednesday, the 9th of October, and were told to
hold ourselves in readiness to embark on Friday at noon. We were not
sorry for this respite, especially as we found our hotel, which was
kept by a person in the employment of Mr. Waghorn, more comfortable
than could have been hoped for from its exterior. The greatest
annoyance we sustained was from the dust, which was brought in by a
very strong wind through the lattices. I endeavoured to remedy this
evil, in some degree, by directing the servants of the house to nail
a sheet across the upper portion of the perforated wood-work. The
windows of our chamber commanded as good a view of Suez as the place
afforded; one at the side overlooked an irregular open space, which
stretched between the house and the sea. At some distance opposite,
there were one or two mansions of much better appearance than the
rest, and having an air of comfort imparted to them by outside
shutters, of new and neat construction. These we understood to be the
abodes of officers in the Pasha's service. Mehemet Ali is said to
be extremely unwilling to allow English people to build houses
for themselves at Suez; while he freely grants permission to their
residence at Alexandria and Cairo, he seems averse to their settling
upon the shores of the Red Sea. Mr. Waghorn and Mr. Hill are,
therefore, compelled to be content to fit up the only residences at
their disposal in the best manner that circumstances will admit. I
had no opportunity of forming any opinion respecting Mr. Hill's
establishment, but am able to speak very well of the accommodation
afforded by the hotel at which we sojourned.
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