round price. He is then given over to a few natives, with a native guide who can speak a little English. The agency pays the natives very cheaply to do this business-pockets the avails-and leaves the traveller to get along as well as he can; while the natives will sponge out of him bucksheesh every once in a while, or there is no getting forward. When shall these evils be remedied, and travellers have justice done them in Egypt?

For the sum paid at the India agency office, we were not only to be conveyed to Cairo, but an ample supply of good provisions was to be furnished us, and a good cook to prepare our meals. I was also to have a good mattress and covering provided me. All this was promised most faithfully. On the 10th of December, toward evening, we were ready to start for our boat on the Mahmoudieh canal, through which we must be conveyed as far as Atfe on the Nile. Our baggage, provisions, and wood for cooking, were all placed on two camels. As the day was pleasant, and the distance to our place of embarkation not over two miles, we chose ourselves to go on foot. Natives with donkeys, however, followed us, insisting upon our riding, till their teasing put my English friend quite out of patience. He turned upon them with his cane, and, driving them back several rods, threatened to cane the first black mother's son of them that dare follow us any farther. The process was salutary, and ridded us of these shameless annoyers.

On our way to the boat, we again passed Pompey's pillar. We stopped a few moments, took another survey of this stupendous column of solid granite; and then, taking from its pedestal a few fragments of

cement as relics, passed on. We had been promised the best boat on the canal. It possibly may have been such, but it was in reality an old filthy concern. Its length was about that of a line-boat on the Erie canal, of some longer beam, and covered in a similar manner about two-thirds of the way. The covered part was separated by cross partitions into three small rooms. It had two short masts, with long lateen sails. These are raised when the wind is fair. When there is no wind, five or six of the men go on shore, and by pulling at a rope, tow the boat forward at a very sluggish pace.

Our interpreter, who was also to serve as cook, accompanied us to the boat. He was a young Arab, small in size, and of very dark visage, indicating a mixture of Nubian blood. His dress was better than that of Arabs generally. He spoke some English very badly, and bore the name of Selim Hassan. He proved to be a bad cook, and miserably stupid in everything; but still seemed to possess rather a benevolent heart. Upon the whole, I should consider Selim a very tolerable young Arab. The crew of our boat were in appearance of the most filthy class, with scarcely rags to cover their bodies. They had every appearance, too, of being badly infested with vermin. All of them had sore eyes, and two of them appeared to be nearly blind.

The boat was soon under way. In the meantime we set about arranging our baggage, and examining our stock of provisions. Much of this we found of an inferior quality, some of it very bad, and the whole scanty. We however hoped for a short passage, and concluded to make the best of an unpleasant

matter. I inquired for the mattress that I was to have. Selim said none had been sent. This was indeed vexatious. What was to be done? Must I lie on the hard boards all the way to Cairo? My kind English friend had no more bedding than he needed, and I wanted no part of Selim's, which at best was scanty. My travelling friend, however, after adjusting his mattress, kindly furnished me with a few things, and Selim insisted on my taking a part of his. From these two sources, with the aid of my cloak, a place was made for me to lie on.

That evening I was suddenly taken most violently ill, first with pains, and then with a profuse vomiting. At first the whole seemed like the result of poison; and yet I knew of nothing I had taken which would produce that effect. I had eaten but one meal on board, and that a sparing one. During a sleepless night, as I lay sick on my hard made bed, I thought of kindred and friends far away, good beds, and nourishing things. Added to this, I was sorely annoyed by fleas and mosquitoes, which abound in Egypt, even in winter. To be taken sick in such a place, and under such circumstances, was a thought gloomy enough. In the morning, though weak and feverish, I besought to be set on shore, that I might breathe a pure air and take a little exercise. The sickly scent of our filthy cabin was peculiarly oppressive.. Our boat was then moving but slowly, and my English friend went on shore with me. We walked at a very moderate pace for about a mile. The morning air was balmy and bracing, while the odor of various kinds of trees on our way was delicious and invigorating. On returning to the boat

MAHMOUDIEH CANAL.

45

I felt refreshed, and from that time continued to mend. In two days my health was good.

The entire length of the Mahmoudieh canal is said to be sixty miles. It is designed as an opening for the commerce of the Nile direct to Alexandria, instead of the hazardous route by way of Rosetta and the Mediterranean. Nearly the whole distance we travelled it, the canal passes near the shore of Lake Mareotis, and finally unites with the Nile at the town of Atfe. This lake is a broad, tranquil sheet of water, perhaps ten or twelve miles wide, and stretching considerably farther west than the city of Alexandria. To the south of it, the Lybian desert spreads itself in boundless desolation. The Mahmoudieh canal is an effort of the pacha, to raise fallen Alexandria. For that city he seems to evince a partiality not bestowed on any other place in Egypt. This canal was doubtless a work of great labor, and accomplished at a vast sacrifice of life. It is ninety feet in width, and eighteen feet deep, extending through an entire level space, not requiring a single lock. With the Nile at its head, and Lake Mareotis at its side, this vast excavation must have been made at great inconvenience, from a constant flow of water into the works during their entire progression.

To accomplish this work, the laboring classes of Lower Egypt were put in requisition. To each village and district was allotted the extent of work they were expected to perform. The Arabs marched down in multitudes, under their respective chiefs. The whole of the intended canal was lined with workmen at once; and the number employed at one time, it is said, amounted to two hundred and fifty thou

46

EGYPTIAN ENCAMPMENTS,

sand men.* In little more time than six weeks, the whole excavation was completed. A few monthswas necessary for additional work, and the canal was opened with great pomp on the 7th of December, 1819. But-awful to relate!-it is said twenty thousand lives were sacrificed in completing this work! Death strewed his victims from one end of this canal to the other. Such a process of accomplishing a public enterprise, could only be carried out in a despotic government like that of Egypt, where the will of one man is absolute law. From his mandate there is no appeal; and wo to the heads of such as dare resist one of his orders!

We had not passed far on the canal before we came to a large encampment of Egyptian cavalry. Tents were pitched over a considerable space, and the horses stood in the open air, each eating provender from a small clay trough. A little distant was a clustre of miserable clay huts, such as we had seen round the suburbs of Alexandria. Among these were, either sitting or wandering, a number of filthy-looking women and children. At different places on the canal, we passed several encampments of troops, presenting the same appearance of tents and miserable clay huts. But all the soldiers I saw, appeared quite civil and well-behaved. Martial music, such as it is, may be heard at all hours along the pacha's canal. Contiguous to the banks are several Arab villages. Some of them are in ruins and deserted, while others swarm with inhabitants. On our morning-walk before mentioned, we passed through and examined a deserted hamlet. Here we had the privilege of looking inside

* Russell