FOURDBILCHE.

57

CHAPTER IV.

Continuance of the Sirocco-Visit to an Arab Village-A ludicrous Bluster-Village Scenery-Rain in Egypt-Slow Progress and poor Prospects-The Rais' wife and Children-Crocodiles-A fight-Determined on a new mode of conveyance-All's well that ends well-New mode of travelling-Arab Fishermen-Irrigation of land in Egypt-A crowded Ferry-boat-Selim's alarm and fears-A night's lodging-The Pacha's Palace-Ibrahim's Palace-Beautiful Scenery-Arrival at Cairo and visit to the American Consul.

THE next morning when we arose, the sky was still hazy and of a fiery appearance. The sun rose pale and sickly, and the Sirocco was still blowing with unabated fury. Before breakfast we went on shore as usual, but the air seemed to be filled with fine drifting sand, which rendered our eyes painful. We soon returned on board, when the men raised a sail and ran the boat about two miles, the length of a bend in the river. Here we were brought up by the wind blowing directly against us on the next bend. This brought us to the village of Fourdbilche, where we lay-to about four hours. Here we again went on shore, rambled about, shooting at eagles and other birds, but killed nothing. We finally concluded to take a ramble into this village.

On our approach, we first came to a mill, turned by an ox, and in all respects similar to the one I have before described. A woman was engaged tending it and driving the animal. As we stopped for a moment, she turned upon us a most wrathful countenance, and belched at us, what we supposed to be a curse, beginning with the word Allah. We then passed round the village. On the south side were several graves

and tombs. Every Arab grave that I saw in Egypt, seemed first to have had the earth rounded upon it, similar to graves with us. Over this, a white ce

ment is spread, forming a small knob at the head. On drying, this cement becomes nearly as hard as stone. I remarked that in this village, graves were close by dwelling-houses, and in some instances, directly by the side of doors. The houses and every thing we saw, were very similar to those in Abde, except that the inhabitants were more shy of us, and some of them more wrathful in their looks.

Near sunset, the wind having slacked, our boat was got under way by towing. The men labored in this way till about eleven o'clock at night, and then tied up the boat.

Selim

Mr. C.

For a

We were up by sunrise on the next morning. Our boatmen sat idle and looked sulky. We inquired, through Selim, why they did not proceed, as there was then but little wind, and they could tow. said they were determined to wait for wind. stormed loudly and shook his cane at them. few minutes the scene was truly ludicrous. There stood the Englishman storming in his language, and the Arabs in theirs, and neither party understanding the other. Mr. C. by his gestures, however, made them understand there was wrath for them if they did not proceed immediately. They suddenly cowered down and started the boat.

After a slight breakfast, we took Selim on shore to procure a fresh supply of provisions. We walked up the Nile to the neighboring village of Shaboor. Here we tried to purchase some fowls and eggs, but could obtain none. We spent an hour in this village

PLACES OF WORSHIP.

59

and walked through various parts of it. The inhabitants appeared friendly and not shy of us. But all in and around the place was much like what I have described of other villages. Children were numerous—many of them in an entire state of nudity, and the whole place appeared closely tenanted. Passing out of the village, we came to a mosque with` the door open. As I had never seen the inside of a Mohammedan place of worship, curiosity led me to take a look at this. The interior was much more ordinary than the outside. Nothing was to be seen worthy of note, except that the whole place was very filthy. Around this mosque were a large number of graves and tombs. Many beautiful palm-trees were scattered in and around this village, on some of which large clusters of dates were still hanging.

A cloud was now gathering in the north-west, bearing signs of rain. This we had long desired, hoping it would bring with it a change of wind. As the cloud began to rise, we hastened on board, and soon it rained copiously. I remembered that somewhere I had read that it never rains in Egypt! How strange, thought I. Rarely did I ever see it rain faster, though for only a few minutes. I was told that there are occasional showers even as high up as Thebes and the cataracts of the Nile. The wind shifted with this shower, and soon we had a favorable breeze. Our boat now moved on its way briskly, and all became cheerful. Large flocks of wildgeese, ducks, storks and herons, were seen along the river. We also saw one large pelican of the desert. This was the first living species of that bird I had

ever seen.

60

SANDS OF THE DESERT.

Our boat was kept running all night before a good breeze. This was fortunate, for the next morning the breeze entirely died away. The sun shone hot, and the day was as warm as June in New England. About 11 o'clock, A. M., we lay-to just above a large village called Zonitrazin. The rais of our boat had stopped at this village to procure, as he said, bread for the boatmen. After waiting two hours for him, the boat proceeded on, leaving him to come when he got ready. As we had no wind, the men were compelled to tow. The progress thus made is not to exceed a mile and a half an hour. The men, however, had worked faithfully four hours, and no rais had come yet. They had eaten nothing since morning, and four of them declared they would proceed no further, but would leave the boat and go for something to eat. We were then not near any village. On learning our situation, through Selim, we requested him to say to the men, if they would proceed with the boat, we would buy them bread at the next village. This soon brought them on board. The wind was rising, our sails were set, and we proceeded on.

During this day, as we advanced up the Nile, the vale on the west, or Lybian side, became narrow. Beyond it the yellow sands of the desert lay spread to view as far as the eye could stretch. Towards night we passed in sight of a camp of Bedoin Arabs. These were the first that I had ever seen of that wandering class of barbarians, and little did I then suppose that such were soon to be my guides and protectors through the dangerous region of Arabia Petra. Their tents were black, and their persons, with everything around them, bore a wild and savage

appearance. At half-past ten, P. M., our men refused to proceed any further that night on any conditions, though the wind was favorable. This was truly vexatious, but what could we do but submit?

When morning light came, we found ourselves lying beside a miserable village called Venisillama, on the Lybian side of the river. All we had left for our breakfast were a few eggs, some hard dry bread, and some coffee. We commissioned Selim to try at this village for some fowls and milk. I walked with him through several of its miserable lanes, but he could purchase nothing, though I saw plenty of fowls and cattle. This village was built very compact, its streets being not more than six or eight feet wide. The houses were all constructed of mud, and built in every imaginable form. Some of them were square and covered with loose bamboo reeds, while others were round and covered in the same manner. The shape of some of the houses resembled that of a coalpit just covered, or a straw bee-hive; while others were constructed in form like an oven, with a similar mouth for entrance. The door or entrance into any habitation was a mere ill-shapen breach in the wall. Cow-yards and sheep-folds were mixed in with the houses in every part of the village. It is extremely difficult accurately to estimate the population of an Arabian village. They most probably range from three hundred to fifteen hundred souls. At this place the Lybian desert comes down to the Nile. There is, indeed, a small green strip of land in rear of this village, but beyond that is an entire sandy waste. The village stands on the Lybian sands.

At ten o'clock in the morning the rais, who had