542

amusement.

NOTES.

quickly veiled, not, as I conclude, in mercy, lest the gazer should be unable to support the sight too long, but in prudence, lest the Turk should catch them lessening their value by making their charms public. Having very little to do, I had much curiosity about these ladies; and, whenever I could get out, I generally either lay down on the sand, or paced backwards and forwards within sight of their door; and by this means frequently saw them; for a surtout and round hat, being novelties in dress with which they were unacquainted, appeared to afford them some Their complexions were very fair, with eyes and hair dark, the form of the face being rather round than oval. Their ancles were coarse, and not well washed; and this is all I know of their persons, except from the report of the surgeon, which, having been made in confidence, cannot be divulged. At the end of twenty-eight days passed within the walls, to my great joy and surprise, the surgeon, with his attendants, entered to congratulate me upon my release; and, after a formal fumigation, all ventured to shake hands. This was the first intimation I received of the duration of my quarantine. I was now so weak from want of sleep, proper food, and exercise, that I could scarcely walk for ten minutes without lying down. But, thanks to God, my constitution remained unimpaired; for, on the fourth day after, I was able to ride to Rosetta, about thirty-six miles, without feeling more fatigue than is always incident to sitting for so long a time upon the wretched apology for a saddle with which the animals of this country are equipped.

NOTES.

543

(Page 50.)

ANECDOTE OF MOHAMMED ALI.

THE following very characteristic anecdote is related at Alexandria concerning the manner in which Mr. Barker, late H. B. M. Consul-general in Egypt, was received by the Pasha. When Mr. Barker, on his arrival at Alexandria, proceeded to the palace to deliver his credentials, his Highness received him very graciously. The usual compliments passed, the dragoman delivered to Boghos Ioussouf, the Barat, or "Imperial command," recognising Mr. Barker as British Consul in Alexandria; but this, without even condescending to open it, the Pasha with a sign ordered to be returned to the dragoman. He then entered into very familiar conversation; spoke of four frigates which were building for him at Marseilles and Leghorn, and would be completed in the spring; (it was now November, 1826); and observed that the Greeks never attacked any of his ships; but it was not clear whether he meant that this proceeded from fear or favour. He then spoke in general terms of praise of Mr. Barker's predecessor, Mr. Lee, dwelling particularly on his prudence, and the proofs of understanding which he displayed, by never making any opposition to his Highness's will, or respecting any of his opinions; which, he observed, was matter of no difficulty, since they were only founded in reason and justice. He concluded by observing, "I will tell you a story: I was born in a village in Albania, and my father had ten children, besides me, who are all dead; but, while living, not one of them ever contradicted me. Although I left my native mountains before I attained to manhood, the principal people in the place never took any step in the business of the commune, without previously inquiring what was my pleasure. I came to this country an obscure adventurer, and when I was yet but a Bimbashi (captain), it happened one day that the commissary had to give each of the Bimbashis a tent. They were all my seniors, and naturally pretended to a preference over me; but the officer said, 'Stand you all by; this youth, Mohammed Ali, shall be served first. And I was served first; and I advanced step by step, as it pleased God to ordain; and now here I am" -(rising a little on his seat, and looking out of the window

1

which was at his elbow, and commanded a view of the Lake Mareotis)" and now here I am. I never had a master,"

(glancing his eye at the roll containing the Imperial firman).

(Page 77.)

ON FAMINES IN EGYPT.

I PERCEIVE from the public journals, that the inundation of the Nile was last year insufficient to irrigate the necessary quantity of land; in which case a famine will most probably ensue. Though these fearful visitations are, perhaps, less frequent, in Egypt than in any other country, they are very far from being unknown there. We find one great dearth described in Genesis ; ancient historians, also, relate many remarkable examples of scarcity, in which, through the deficiency of proper nourishment, the inhabitants fed upon human flesh, though they spared the sacred animals. Several terrible famines are recorded by Jemaleddin, in his "History of Modern Egypt." In the reign of Almostanser Billah, who succeeded his father Aldhader in A. H. 427, occurred a dearth greater than had been known in the memory of man. A small measure of wheat sold for two golden dinars (nearly £1 sterling), and in a short time the price was again doubled. This, however, was but the beginning of their calamities; for all the usual articles of food at length failing, they openly devoured human flesh, dogs, and the bodies of the dead. The dogs which remained, rendered furious by hunger, broke into the houses, and tore to pieces. the children in the sight of their parents, who were too weak to defend them. In the street Altabek, the most elegant in Cairo, twenty houses, the meanest valued at a thousand dinars, were sold for a small quantity of bread. This calamity occurred thrice in two years. It is related by Ben Aljouzi, that a lady of great opulence and distinction, taking four measures of Jewels in her hand, went forth into the streets, exclaiming,

"Who will give me corn for these gems?" No person attending to her cries, she thus spake : — “ Since ye cannot aid me in my distress, what need have I of you?" and with the words she cast them into the street, where they were suffered to remain; no person regarding them. Almostanser exhausted the public treasures in alleviating the miseries of his people;

and these not sufficing, he disposed of his personal ornaments and possessions, and the riches of his palace, amounting, it is said, to 30,000 gems of all kinds, 75,000 garments inwrought with gold, 20,000 swords, and 11,000 villas. In this manner he was reduced to such extreme poverty, that he possessed nothing but the carpet on which he knelt to pray, and a wooden footstool. Borrowing a mule from the president of the council, he descended from the citadel to the mosque of El Azhar, where he exhorted the few survivors to patience; and shortly after this, his affairs assuming a new aspect, the whole kingdom of Egypt was restored to its wonted prosperity. A story not very dissimilar to that of Aljouzi is related by Ibn Hasham. By the rushing of a sudden torrent a sepulchre was uncovered in Yemen, in which lay the body of a woman with seven strings of pearls about her neck, on each of her hands and feet anklets and bracelets, besides seven other crural and brachial ornaments, rings set with gems of great price on every finger, and at her head a chest filled with riches, on which was this inscription: "In thy name, O God! God Hamyar! I, the lady Di Shafar sent to Joseph my steward, who, delaying to return, I despatched my maid with a bushel of money for a bushel of wheat; this not succeeding, I sent a bushel of pearls; which also proving of no avail, I commanded them to be broken to pieces, and took refuge in the tomb." In the 695 of the Hejira, another grievous famine afflicted Egypt, in which, as before, men fed on dogs, and on each others bodies. The governor of Cairo discovered three ruffians, sitting round the body of a little child, which they were eating, having seasoned it with salt, onions, and vinegar. On being apprehended, they confessed they had long subsisted on the flesh of infants, one of which they had devoured daily. Being executed, their bodies were gibbeted at the gate Zawiet; but, during the night, they were taken down, and eaten by the famishing people. To this famine a terrible plague succeeded. A. H. 784, another terrible famine. But, even in times of plenty, the Egyptians, as we learn from Scripture, used to feed on mallows. Job, ch. xxx. ver. 4. Abdollataph, p. 8., and Prosper Alpinus, ap. Carlyle, Not. ad Jemaleddin. p. 9.

546

NOTES.

(Page 165.)

ON THE HORSES OF ARABIA.

FROM its vicinity to Arabia, and constant intercourse with the Bedouins, Egypt seems to have been celebrated in all ages for the excellence of its horses. This is alluded to in Deuteronomy: "But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses,” xvii. 16.—In another part of Scripture we not only find that the trade in horses was carried on with Egypt, but also discover the price of one of these animals in the days of Solomon. "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt."— In the next verse the price of each horse is said to have been 150 shekels of silver; which, if the greater shekel be meant, is equal to about 187. sterling, 2 Chron. i. 16, 17. ix. 28. Shishak, king of Egypt, is said to have invaded Palestine with 1,200 chariots, and 60,000 horses, Id. xii. 3.—The prophet Isaiah, likewise, alludes to the horses of Egypt. "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, not spirit," xxxi. 1. 3.— Marco Polo describes the horse trade of Arabia as very considerable in his time. "In this port of Aden the merchants likewise ship a great number of Arabian horses, which they carry for sale to all the kingdoms and islands of India, obtaining high prices for them, and large profits. I was informed, that when the Soldan of Babylon, in the year 1200, led his army for the first time against the city of Acre, this city of Aden furnished him with 30,000 horses, and 4,000 camels." Marsden's Translation, iii. 40. It is from the Nejed, however, the best horses of Arabia are now obtained; and it has been justly supposed that the importation of a few genuine Nejdis would materially contribute to the improvement of our English race horse. Several years ago Mr. Barker, at that time consul at Aleppo, entertained the design of taking twelve Arab stallions to England for this purpose. It was urged, however, that the English race horse had already attained the utmost perfection, in consequence of the liberal and enlightened exertions of the nobility, who, for upwards of a century, had paid the most scrupulous attention to the improvement of the breed, by a judicious mixture