MARSEILLES TO ALEXANDRIA.
At twelve o’clock on the morning
of the 21st of September, we were informed that the
English Government-mails had not arrived, and that
the probabilities were in favour of their not reaching
Marseilles until five o’clock; in which event,
the steamer could not leave the harbour that night.
We, therefore, anticipated another day in our pleasant
quarters; but thought it prudent to take our baggage
on board. Upon getting down to the quay, we were
stopped by a gens-d’armes, who desired
to have our keys, which we of course immediately surrendered.
On the previous day, while driving about the town,
our progress had been suddenly arrested by one of these
officials, with an inquiry whether we had any thing
to declare. He was satisfied with our reply in
the negative, and allowed us to proceed. A gentleman
afterwards asked me whether, in my travels through
France, I had not observed that the police was a mere
political agent, established for the purpose of strengthening
the hands of the government, and not, as in England,
intended for the protection of the people? I
could only reply, that we had lost nothing in France,
and that property there appeared to be as secure as
at home. Certainly, the interference of the gens-d’armes
about the baggage, and the continual demand for our
passports, were very vexatious, detracting in a great
degree from the pleasure of the journey.
We found the rate of porterage excessively
high; the conveyance of our baggage to and fro, as
we passed from steam-boats to hotels, proving, in
the aggregate, enormous; the whole went upon a truck,
which one man drew, with apparent ease, and for a
very short distance, we paid nearly double the sum
demanded for the hire of a horse and cart in London,
from Baker Street, Portman Square, to the Custom House.
Upon getting on board the Megara,
we found that the mails were in the act of delivery,
and that the vessel would start without delay.
We had now to take leave of the friend who had seen
us so far upon our journey, and to rely wholly upon
ourselves, or the chance civilities we might meet
with on the road. Our spirits, which had been
so gay, were much damped by the loss of a companion
so cheerful and ready to afford us every enjoyment
within our reach, and we in consequence thought less
of the danger to which we were shortly afterwards
exposed, the pain of parting being the paramount feeling.
There is always some difficulty in
getting out of the harbour of Marseilles, and the
natural obstacles are heightened by the want of a
superintending power. There is no harbour-master,
to regulate the movements of vessels, and to appoint
their respective places; consequently, there is generally
a great deal of confusion; while serious accidents
are not unfrequent.
Before we got under weigh, I saw my
old acquaintance, Hussein Khan, the Persian ambassador,
go on board the French steamer, which was anchored
within a short distance of us. He was received
with all the honours due to his rank; which, by the
way, was not acknowledged in England; and his suite,
whom we had seen lounging at the doors of the cafes
the evening before, made a gay appearance on the deck.
We got foul of one or two ships as
we went out, and just as we left the harbour, the
clouds, which had threatened all the morning, burst
upon us in a tremendous storm, accompanied by thunder
and lightning. The rain came down in torrents,
sweeping along the decks, while a heavy squall threatened
to drive us upon the rocks, which we had admired so
much as the guardians of the port. In this emergency,
we were compelled to drop our anchor, and remain quiescent
until the fury of the elements had abated. The
storm passed away about midnight, and getting the
steam up, we were far away from Marseilles and la
belle France before morning.
The Megara belonged to a class
of steamers built for the government upon some new-fangled
principle, and which have the art of rolling in any
sea. Though the waters of the Mediterranean were
scarcely ruffled by the breeze, which was in our favour,
there was so much motion in the vessel, that it was
impossible to employ ourselves in any way except in
reading. In other respects, the Megara
was commodious enough; the stern cabin, with smaller
ones opening into it, and each containing two bed-places,
was appropriated to the ladies, the whole being neatly
fitted up. We found some agreeable fellow-passengers;
the only drawback being a family of three children.
In consequence of the cabins being thus occupied,
we could not preserve the neatness and order which
are so essential to comfort, and which need not be
dispensed with even in a short voyage.
Our commandant, Mr. Goldsmith, a descendant
of the brother of the poet, and who appeared to have
inherited the benevolence of his distinguished relative,
was indefatigable in his exertions to render us happy.
He had procured abundant supplies for the table, which
was every day spread with a profusion of good things,
while eight or ten different kinds of wine, in addition
to ale and porter, were placed at the disposal of
the guests. Nothing, indeed, was wanting, except
a French cook. No single meal had ever disagreed
with us in France; but though partaking sparingly,
we felt the inconvenience of the heavy English mode
of cookery.
Amongst the attendants at table was
one who speedily grew into the good graces of all
the passengers. A little fellow, eight years
old, but who did not look more than seven, placed himself
at the commandant’s elbow, who immediately upon
seeing him exclaimed, with a benevolent smile, “What,
are you here, Jemmy? then we are all right.”
Jemmy, it seems, was the boatswain’s son, and
no diminutive page belonging to a spoiled lady of
quality, or Lilliputian tiger in the service of a
fashionable aspirant, could have been dressed in more
accurate costume. Jemmy was every inch a sailor;
but, while preserving the true nautical cut, his garments
were fashioned with somewhat coxcombical nicety, and
he could have made his appearance upon any stage as
a specimen of aquatic dandyism. Jemmy would be
invaluable on board a yacht. His services at
table were rewarded by a plateful of pudding, which
he ate standing at the captain’s right hand,
after having, with great propriety, said grace.
The little fellow had been afloat for a year and a
half; but during this period his education had not
been neglected, and he could read as well as any person
in the ship.
Amongst our passengers was a French
gentleman, the commandant and owner of an Indiaman,
which had sailed from Bordeaux to Bombay under the
charge of the first officer. He had previously
made twelve voyages to India; but now availed himself
of the shorter route, and proposed to join his vessel
at Bombay, dispose of the cargo, and, after taking
in a new freight, return through Egypt. The only
coasts in sight, during our voyage from Marseilles
to Malta, were those of Sardinia and Africa, Sicily
being too far off to be visible. We were not near
enough to Sardinia to see more than a long succession
of irregular hills, which looked very beautiful under
the lights and shades of a lovely summer sky.
The weather was warm, without being sultry, and nothing
was wanting excepting a few books. Mr. Goldsmith
regretted the absence of a library on board, but expressed
his intention of making a collection as speedily as
possible.
The excessive and continual motion
of the vessel caused me to suffer very severely from
seasickness; the exertion of dressing in the morning
always brought on a paroxysm, but I determined to struggle
against it as much as possible, and was only one day
so completely overpowered as to be unable to rise
from the sofa. This sickness was the more provoking,
since there was no swell to occasion it, the inconvenience
entirely arising from Sir Somebody Symonds’ (I
believe that is the name) method of building.
What the Megara would be in a heavy sea, there
is no saying, and I should be very sorry to make the
experiment.
We found ourselves at Malta at an
early hour of the morning of the 25th, having been
only five nights and four days on board. Mr.
Goldsmith celebrated our last dinner with a profusion
of champaigne, and though glad to get out of the vessel,
we felt unfeignedly sorry to take leave of our kind
commandant. We were, of course, up by daylight,
in order to lose nothing of the view.
Much as I had heard of the gay singularity
of the appearance of Malta, I felt surprise as well
as delight at the beautiful scene around; nor was
I at all prepared for the extent of the city of Valetta.
The excessive whiteness of the houses, built of the
rock of which the island is composed, contrasted with
the vivid green of their verandahs, gives to the whole
landscape the air of a painting, in which the artist
has employed the most brilliant colours for sea and
sky, and habitations of a sort of fairy land.
Nor does a nearer approach destroy this illusion;
there are no prominently squalid features in Malta,
the beggars, who crowd round every stranger, being
the only evidence, at a cursory gaze, of its poverty.
Soon after the Megara had dropped
anchor, a young officer from the Acheron, the
steamer that had brought the mails from Gibraltar,
came on board to inquire whether I was amongst the
passengers, and gave me the pleasing intelligence
that a lady, a friend of mine, who had left London
a few days before me, was now in Malta, and would proceed
to India in the vessel appointed to take the mails.
She was staying at Durnsford’s Hotel, a place
to which I had been strongly recommended. Mr.
Goldsmith was kind enough to promise to see our heavy
baggage on board the Volcano, the vessel under
sailing orders; and a clergyman and his wife, resident
in Malta, who had gone to Marseilles for a change
of scene and air, inviting Miss E. and myself to accompany
them on shore, we gladly accepted their offer.
We found a caless in waiting
for us; a very singular description of vehicle, but
one common to the island. I had seen representations
of these carriages in old engravings, but had not
the least idea that they were still in use. They
have only two wheels, placed behind, so that the horse
has to bear the weight of the vehicle as well as to
draw it; and there is something so inexpressibly odd
in the whole arrangement, that it put me in mind of
the équipages brought on the stage in a Christmas
pantomime. Our caless held four persons
very conveniently, and was really a handsome vehicle,
gaily lined with scarlet leather, and having spring
seats. We saw others plying for hire, of a very
inferior description; some only calculated for two
persons, and of a faded and dilapidated appearance.
They seem to be dangerous conveyances, especially
for the poor horse; we heard of one being upset, on
a steep hill, and breaking the neck of the animal that
drew it. In driving, we were obliged to take rather
a circuitous route to our inn, though the distance,
had we walked, would have been very inconsiderable.
We were glad of the opportunity of seeing a little
of the suburbs, and were almost sorry to arrive at
the place of our destination.
As we came along we were delighted
with the picturesque appearance of the Maltese women,
whose national dress is at once nunlike and coquettish.
A black petticoat envelopes the form from the waist,
and over that is thrown a singular veil, gathered
into a hood, and kept out with a piece of whalebone.
This covering, which is called the faldetta,
is capable of many arrangements, and is generally disposed
so as to “keep one eye free to do its worst of
witchery.” When one of the poorer classes
is enabled to clothe herself in a veil and petticoat
of silk, she considers that she has gained the acme
of respectability. The streets of the city of
Valetta are extremely narrow, and the houses high;
a great advantage in such a climate, as it ensures
shade, while, as they generally run at right angles,
they obtain all the breeze that is to be had.
The appearance of our hotel was prepossessing.
We entered through a wide gateway into a hall opening
upon a small court, in the centre of which stood a
large vase, very well sculptured, from the stone of
the island, and filled with flowers. A wide handsome
staircase, also of stone, with richly-carved balustrades,
and adorned with statues and vases, conducted us to
a gallery, two sides of which were open, and the other
two closed, running round the court-yard, and affording
entrance to very good apartments. Every thing
was perfectly clean; the bedsteads of iron, furnished
with mosquito-curtains; and we were supplied immediately
with every article that we required.
As the rolling of the Megara
had prevented the possibility of forming a sentence,
we sat down to write letters, and having despatched
a few of the introductions to residents, with which
my friends in England had supplied me, I was agreeably
surprised by some visits which I had scarcely expected,
as we found that we should be obliged to embark for
Alexandria in the evening.
I did not hear very flattering accounts
of the state of society at Malta, which, like that
of all other confined places, is split into factions,
and where there seems to be a perpetual struggle, by
the least fortunate classes, to assert equality with
those whose rank is acknowledged; thus every person
attached to the government assumes eligibility for
the entre into the best circles, while the
magnates of the place are by no means inclined to admit
them to these privileges. It appeared that the
endeavours of the Commissioner to produce a greater
degree of cordiality between the Maltese inhabitants
and the English residents, so far from succeeding,
had tended to widen the distance between them, and
that the Maltese were by no means grateful for the
efforts made for their improvement. However, though
the fruits may not at present appear, the seed having
been sown, we may entertain a strong hope that they
will show themselves in time.
While an undertaking so gigantic as
the diffusion of the English language throughout India
has been attempted, it seems rather extraordinary
that the efforts of the committee should not have
been directed to the same result in Malta, and that
the progress of education should not have been conducted
in the language that promised to prove the most useful
to subjects of the British crown; but it appears that
the committee decided otherwise, and complaints are
making, that the instruction now supplied at the schools
is of the most superficial nature, and by no means
calculated to produce the desired end.
Every object in Malta bears witness
to the ingenuity and industry of its inhabitants.
The softness of the stone renders it easily cut, and
the Dowager Marchioness of Hastings (who has left imperishable
marks of her desire to benefit those who came under
her observation), in supplying the best designs, has
filled the shops of Malta with a tasteful species
of bijouterie, which is eagerly sought after
by all the visitors. The carved work of Malta
is sold very cheap; but the same quality, which renders
it so easily cut, occasions it to chip, and, therefore,
great care is necessary in packing these fragile articles.
As soon as possible, we sallied forth
to inspect the far-famed church of St. John, and found
our expectations more than gratified by the interior
of this gorgeous edifice. It was not, however,
without melancholy feelings, that we reflected on
the miserable remnant of those valiant knights, who
had made Malta celebrated throughout all history,
and who, on the suppression of the order, were suffered
to languish out the remainder of their existence in
obscurity. Mass was performing at the time of
our entrance, and seating ourselves in one of the
side chapels until it should be over, we were at its
conclusion accosted by a priest, who, finding that
we did not speak Italian, sent another person to show
the beauties of the church. Some Maltese ladies
greeted us very courteously, and though, perhaps, we
would rather have wandered about alone, indulging
in our own recollections of the past, we could not
help being pleased with the attentions which were paid
us.
Upon returning to our inn, we met
a gentleman with whom we were slightly acquainted,
who, upon learning that I had a letter to Sir Henry
Bouverie, the governor, recommended me to deliver
it in person, the palace being close at hand.
Our party met with a very courteous reception, and
we were happy in the opportunity thus afforded of
seeing the palace, which showed remains of former grandeur
far more interesting than any modern improvements
could have been. One apartment, in particular,
hung round with tapestry, which, though brought from
France 135 years ago, retains all the brilliancy of
its original colouring, pleased us exceedingly.
There are some good paintings upon
the walls; but the armoury is the most attractive
feature in the palace. It consists of one splendid
apartment, running the whole length of the building,
and makes a very imposing appearance; the arms of
various periods being well arranged. The collection
of ancient weapons was not so great as I had expected;
still there were very interesting specimens, and an
intelligent corporal, belonging to one of the Queen’s
regiments, who acted as Cicerone, gave us all
the information we could require.
Some of our party had the curiosity
to visit the cemetery of the Capuchin convent, in
which the monks who die, after having undergone a
preserving process, are dressed in the habit of the
order, and fastened up in niches; when the skeletons,
from extreme age, actually fall to pieces, the skulls
and bones are formed into funeral trophies for the
decoration of the walls; and the whole is described
as a most revolting and barbarous spectacle.
The last occupant was said to have departed this life
as late as 1835, adding, by the comparative newness
of his inhumation, to the horrors of the scene.
The influence of the priesthood, though
still very great, is represented to be upon the decline;
they have lately, however, shown their power, by retarding
the progress of the building of the Protestant church,
to which the Dowager Queen Adelaide so munificently
subscribed. All the workmen employed are obliged
to have dispensations from the Pope, and every pretext
is eagerly seized upon to delay the erection of the
edifice. At present, the Protestant community,
with few exceptions, are content to have service performed
in an angle of the court-yard of the palace, formerly
a cellar and kitchen, but now converted into an episcopal
chapel and vestry-room. The members of the society
have a small chapel, not adequate to the accommodation
of those who desire to attend it, belonging to the
Methodist persuasion; but its minister is afraid to
encounter the difficulties and delays which would
be consequent upon an attempt to enlarge it. There
is a public library adjoining the palace, originally
formed by the knights, but considered now to be more
extensive than valuable.
The period which I spent upon the
island was too brief to allow me to make any inquiries
respecting its institutions, the novelties of the
scene engaging my attention so completely, that I could
give no thought to anything else. The shops and
cafes of La Valetta have a very gay appearance,
and the ingenuity of the inhabitants is displayed
in several manufactures; the black lace mittens, now
so fashionable, being particularly well made.
Table-linen, also of superior quality, may be purchased,
wrought in elegant patterns, and, if bespoken, with
the coat-of-arms or crest worked into the centre or
the corners. In the fashioning of the precious
metals, the Maltese likewise excel, their filagree-work,
both in gold and silver, being very beautiful:
the Maltese chains have long enjoyed a reputation in
Europe, and other ornaments may be purchased of equal
excellence.
To the eye of a stranger, Malta, at
this period of the year (the end of September), seems
bare and destitute of verdure; yet, from the quantity
of every kind of vegetables brought to market, it must
be amazingly productive. The growth of cotton,
lately introduced into Egypt, has been injurious to
the trade and manufactures of Malta, and the attempt
to supply its place with silk failed. In the opinion
of some persons, the experiment made had not a fair
trial. The mulberry trees flourished, and the
silk produced was of an excellent quality; but the
worms did not thrive, and in consequence the design
was abandoned. Inquiry has shown, that the leaves
from old trees are essential to the existence of the
silk-worm, and that, had the projectors of the scheme
been aware of a fact so necessary to be known, they
would have awaited the result of a few more years,
which seems all that was necessary for the success
of the undertaking. How many goodly schemes have
been ruined from the want of scientific knowledge
upon the part of their projectors, and how frequently
it happens that a moment of impatience will destroy
the hopes of years!
Fruit is cheap, plentiful, and excellent
at Malta, the figs and grapes being of very superior
quality, while the island affords materials for the
most luxurious table. The golden mullet and the
Becca fica are abundant; and all the articles
brought to market are procurable at low prices.
I can scarcely imagine a more agreeable place to spend
a winter in, and I promise myself much gratification
in the sojourn of a few weeks at this delightful island
upon my return to England. I can very strongly
recommend Durnsford’s Hotel as a place of residence,
the accommodation being excellent and the terms moderate.
In remaining any time, arrangement may be made for
apartments and board, by which means the rate of living
is much cheaper, while the style is equally good.
There is an opera at Malta, in which
performances of various degrees of mediocrity are
given. The gay period to a stranger is that of
the carnival; but, at other times, the festivals of
the church, celebrated in this isolated place with
more of the mummeries of Roman Catholicism than obtain
in many other countries professing the same faith,
afford amusement to the lovers of the grotesque.
Though the thermometer at Malta seldom
rises to 90 deg., yet the heat in the sultry
season is very great. Every person, who is in
the habit of studying the glass, becomes aware of
the difference between the heat that is actually felt
and that which is indicated by instruments; and in
no place is this discrepancy more sensibly experienced
than Malta, in which the state of the winds materially
affects the comfort of the inhabitants. A good
authority assures us, that “the heat of Malta
is most oppressive, so much so, as to justify the term
‘implacable,’ which is often applied to
it. The sun, in summer, remains so long above
the horizon, and the stone walls absorb such an enormous
quantity of heat, that they never have sufficient time
to get cool; and during the short nights, this heat
radiates from them so copiously, as to render the
nights, in fact, as hot as the days, and much more
oppressive to the feelings of those who are accustomed
to associate the idea of coolness with darkness.
I have seen the thermometer, in a very sheltered part
of my house, steadily maintain, during the night,
the same height to which it had arisen in the day,
while I marked it with feelings of incalculably increased
oppression, and this for three successive weeks in
August and September, 1822.”
At Malta, we were recommended, in
consequence of the unsettled state of affairs between
Mehemet Ali and the European powers, to proceed forthwith
to Egypt, and though strongly tempted to prolong my
stay in the island, I thought it advisable to make
the best of my way to the Red Sea, and defer the pleasure,
which a more protracted residence promised, until
my return in the ensuing year. Lieut. Goldsmith,
our kind commandant of the Megara, called upon
us, according to promise, to conduct us on board the
new steamer, the Volcano, the vessel appointed
to carry the mails on to Alexandria. This ship
was in quarantine, and it was consequently necessary
to take some precautions in going on board. We
proceeded, in the first instance, to a police station,
where we took a second boat in tow, and a guadiano,
an official appointed to see that no persons transgress
the rules and regulations of the port instituted for
the preservation of health.
Upon getting alongside of the Volcano,
our baggage was placed in this boat; Miss E. and myself
were then handed in, and cast adrift, to my great
astonishment; for not having had any previous intimation
of the method to be pursued, I was not at all prepared
to hold on, as I believe it is called, without assistance.
Miss E., however, who was more observant, hooked her
parasol into one of the ropes, which she subsequently
caught. We were now to be taught a new lesson the
extreme nonchalance with which the officers of a Government
steamer treat the passengers who have the misfortune
to choose these boats instead of making the voyage
on board merchant vessels. Some minutes elapsed
before any notice was taken of us, or any assistance
afforded in getting up our baggage; our own people
being obliged to look on and do nothing, since, had
they touched the ship, they would have been obliged
to perform eighteen days of quarantine.
Upon reaching the deck, we requested
that our baggage might be taken down into the ladies’
cabin, in order that we might get our small dormitories
put to rights before the rest of the passengers came
on board; but, though it could have made no earthly
difference to the people employed, we met with a refusal,
and the whole was deposited in the grand saloon, already
encumbered with luggage, every quarter of an hour
adding to the heap and the confusion, and the difficulty
of each person recognizing the identical carpet-bag
or portmanteau that he might claim as his property.
Among our new fellow-passengers there
was a young English gentleman, who intended to travel
into Syria, and who, though looking scarcely twenty,
had already spent some years in foreign countries.
He was very modest and unassuming, and both agreeable
and intelligent; and, having had a good deal of conversation
together, I was sorry to lose sight of him at Alexandria.
We had also one of Mehemet Ali’s
proteges on board, a young Egyptian, who had
been educated at the Pasha’s expense in England,
where he had resided for the last ten years, latterly
in the neighbourhood of a dock-yard, in order to study
the art of ship-building. This young man was
a favourite with those persons on board who could
make allowances for the circumstances in which he had
been placed, and who did not expect acquirements which
it was almost impossible for him to attain. His
natural abilities were very good, and he had cultivated
them to the utmost of his power. Strongly attached
to European customs, manners, and institutions, he
will lose no opportunity of improving the condition
of his countrymen, or of inducing them to discard
those prejudices which retard the progress of civilization.
He was naturally very anxious concerning his future
destiny, for the Pasha’s favour is not always
to be depended upon, while the salary of many of the
appointments which he does bestow is by no means adequate
to the support of men whom his liberality has enabled
to live in great respectability and comfort in England.
Our new acquaintance also felt that, in returning
to his friends and relatives, he should shock all
their prejudices by his entire abandonment of those
customs and opinions by which they were still guided;
he grieved especially at the distress which he should
cause his mother, and determined not to enter into
her presence until he had assumed the national dress,
and could appear, outwardly at least, like an Egyptian.
The weather, during our short voyage,
was remarkably favourable, although it got rather
too warm, especially at night, for comfort. There
are, however, great alleviations to heat in the Mediterranean
steamers. The ladies can have a wind-sail in their
cabin, which, together with the air from the stern
windows, renders the temperature at all times very
delightful. They enjoy another advantage in having
a light burning all night, a comfort which cannot be
too highly appreciated, since darkness on board ship
increases every other annoyance.
We left Malta on the evening of the
25th, and arrived at Alexandria early in the morning
of the 30th. Every eye was strained to catch the
first view of the Egyptian coast, and especially of
the Pharos, which in ancient time directed the mariners
to its shores; but the great object of attraction
at this period consisted of the united fleets, Turkish
and Egyptian, which rode at anchor in the port.
Our steamer threaded its way amid these fine-looking
vessels, some of which we passed so closely, as to
be able to look into the cabin-windows. To my
unprofessional eye, these ships looked quite as efficient
as any warlike armament of the same nature that I
had yet seen. They all appeared to be well kept,
and in good order, while the sailors were clean, neatly
dressed, and actively engaged, some in boats, and others
performing various duties. Though steamers are
now very common sights, we in turn attracted attention,
all eyes being directed to our deck.
Our Egyptian fellow-passenger was
especially interested and agitated at his approach
to his native shore, and the evidences which he saw
before him of the power and political influence of
the Pasha. From a gentleman who came on board,
we learned that an apprehension had been entertained
at Alexandria of the arrival of a hostile fleet from
Europe, in which event a collision would in all probability
have taken place. Mehemet Ali, it was said, was
so foolishly elated by his successes, and by the attitude
he had assumed, as to be perfectly unaware of his
true position, and of the lesson which he would receive,
should he persist in defying the remonstrances of his
European allies. 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.