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Title: The Young Pilgrim,
   or Alfred Campbell's Return to the East;
   and his Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Asia Minor,
   Arabia Petræa, &c. &c.
Author: Hofland, Barbara (1770-1844)
Illustrator: Anonymous
Date of first publication: 1826
Edition used as base for this ebook:
   New York: Orville A. Roorbach, 1828
Date first posted: 4 August 2010
Date last updated: 4 August 2010
Project Gutenberg Canada ebook #587

This ebook was produced by:
David Edwards, Ross Cooling
& the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
at http://www.pgdpcanada.net

This file was produced from images generously made
available by the Internet Archive/American Libraries




_The Young Pilgrim._

[Illustration: _N^o. 1._    _Page 8._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 2._    _Page 23._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._




THE

YOUNG PILGRIM,

OR

ALFRED CAMPBELL'S

RETURN TO THE EAST;

AND HIS

TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA, ASIA MINOR, ARABIA PETRÆA, &c. &c.

BY MRS. HOFLAND,

AUTHOR OF

"ALFRED CAMPBELL, OR THE YOUNG PILGRIM," "THE SON OF A GENIUS," &c. &c.

  "Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country, &c.--And Edom said unto
  him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the
  sword." _Numbers_, xx.

_NEW-YORK:_

PUBLISHED BY ORVILLE A. ROORBACH.

W. E. Dean, Printer.

1828.




TO WILLIAM,

THIRD SON OF THE

REVEREND GILBERT BERESFORD.

My dear young Friend,

I have great pleasure in dedicating to you, this and the preceding volume
of Alfred Campbell's Travels, because you manifest an ardent desire for
improvement, and are at an age when the mind, unburthened by other cares,
may imbibe the most happy (because pious and moral) impressions, and commit
to memory with good effect every species of knowledge. You will perceive,
from the perusal of these pages, that nothing in itself valuable is
achieved without labour, and enter on the increasing toils of your own
education, I hope in the same disposition that my young traveller exhibits,
with a resolute heart and manly mind, assured that, whether _his_
fatigues were recompensed or not, your own will certainly be so. The sense
of conquering difficulties is itself a reward to a noble spirit, and the
acquisition of knowledge is that of the best treasure man can possess on
earth next to piety, which it resembles in being also one which "moth doth
not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal;" and, unlike to riches,
doth not "make itself wings and flee away."

To you, my dear Boy, this treasure will also become the more sweet from
being gathered under the eye, and with the aid of your beloved parents,
with your brothers and sisters as companions. More happy than Alfred, you
may bask in the sunshine of a mother's smile, in the bleakest deserts of
your arduous path, and rejoice the heart of a father as you gaze from the
eminence to which he has conducted you.

With every sincere wish for your improvement and happiness, I remain your
affectionate friend,

Barbara Hofland.

_23, Newman Street,_

_March 25th, 1826._




PREFACE.


The Compiler of Alfred Campbell's Pilgrimage, being encouraged by its great
success, and honoured by the permission of Captain Mangles to extract from
his excellent and unique work, descriptions for a second tour, which could
not fail to inform and interest her young readers, now presents them her
promised work.

The present volume is indebted to the overland journey to India of Major
Campbell,[1] Sir F. Henniker's work, and that of Captain Mangles, who was
travelling at the same period with the Baronet. The account of Petra is an
abridged narrative of a journey, which, although displaying alike the
scientific research of an antiquary, the classical taste of a scholar, the
frank simplicity and untamed hardihood of a British sailor, has not yet
been offered to the public; and will therefore, it is hoped, be duly
estimated by the class of readers to whom it is so kindly conceded by the
original writer from the most amiable motives.

[Footnote 1: It will be evident to those conversant with such subjects,
that the name of this celebrated Eastern traveller suggested that of her
imaginary hero to Mrs. Hofland--a circumstance she should not have thought
it necessary to mention, if she had not learnt that, in one instance, her
book was reprobated, for having a name like a novel, and deemed improper as
a school-book. Happily for her, those who _read_ know its truth, and
those who _observe_ are aware of the interest and the utility of
narratives so given to children.]




TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER I.

  Introduction--Necessity of study--Alfred's friend--Voyage resolved
  on--The young Greek--Sail for the Ionian Islands--Arrive at
  Corfu--Family of Aliakès--The Parguinotes--Their former home taken by
  Ali Pacha--General view of the Island--Departure for Arcos--Sail to
  Aleppo                                                                   1


CHAPTER II.

  Voyage in the Levant--Touch at Cyprus--The wine of Olympus--Review of
  history connected with the Archipelago--Interest of the Bible--Arrive at
  Aleppo--Its beauty and fruitfulness--Conveniences and
  merchandize--Privileges of Christians in Aleppo--Dress of chief
  men--Coffee-house--Improvisatore and his great abilities--Pleasure of
  the Turks--Caravans--Account of the ceremonies at Mecca by the
  Pilgrims--They set out for Damietta--Tedious
  voyage--Arrive--Disagreeable place--Pelicans--Servants--Leave
  Damietta--Short voyage--Reach Mansoura                                  13


CHAPTER III.

  Arrive at Grand Cairo--Funeral Ululahs--The Pacha--Death of the
  Mamelukes by treachery--Military procession--Arrival of the
  Caravan--Interesting spectacle--Sacred Camel--Visit the Pyramids--The
  Sphinx--Alfred ascends the Pyramid of Chephrenes--Magnificent Temple of
  Dendera--Fine engravings on the walls--The head of Isis--Go to
  Kenneh--To Goos--Company of Arabs--Depart for Thebes                    24


CHAPTER IV.

  Thebes--Grandeur of its Ruins--Fine Prospect thence--Freshness of
  Paintings--Memnonium--Colossal Statues--Fine Ornaments--Statue of
  Memnon--Dogs and Filth--Proceed to Esneh--To Eleithias--To Edfou--Fine
  Ruin at Koam Ombos--Arrive at Elephantine--Women pleasing--Set out for
  the Cataracts of the Nile--Song of the Nubian Boatmen--Pass the
  Cataracts--Egyptian moonlight--Reach Philoe--Astonishing number of fine
  Ruins--Inscription of Buonaparte--Debord, Kardassy, Kaleksky--Ebsambal
  most magnificent--Prodigious Statues                                    45


CHAPTER V.

  Return to Philoe--The Desert--Arrive at Suez--Sail to Tor--Beauty of the
  Red Sea--The Narkous--Set out for Mount Sinai--Arabs and Camels--Desert
  Breakfast--Continue to travel by night--Sleep in
  Cave--Conversation--Reach Mount Sinai--The Convent--The Church--Camp of
  St. Catherine--The Pilgrimage performed--Leave the Convent--Arab's
  vow--Journey to Palestine--Vale of Ascalon--Jaffa--Jerusalem            56


CHAPTER VI.

  Received with joy at the Convent--Dissuade them from travelling to
  Petra--Bethlehem, the Women there--Kindness to the Fathers--Depart for
  Hebron in their way to the Dead Sea--Final farewell to Jerusalem        78


CHAPTER VII.

  Dress of the Travellers--Hebron--Its great antiquity--The Sheikh's
  Civility and Irresolution--Set out for Jellaheen--The Arabs--Approach to
  the Dead Sea--Sleep in a Cavern--Goahnays' Kindness--Melancholy
  Road--Castle of Kerek--Agree with Sheikh Yousouf--Dine with a Turk--Mode
  of Cookery                                                              87


CHAPTER VIII.

  Leave Kerek--Pass Medin, Imriega, &c.--Proceed towards Shobek--Engage
  Sheikh Sahlem--Pass Gharandel--Reach Shobek--Well received there--Meet
  Abou Raschid--Menaced by the Men of Wady Moussa--Abou's noble
  spirit--Large Encampment--Continued Opposition--Peace effected with the
  Men of Wady Moussa                                                    104


CHAPTER IX.

  Set out for Petra--Pass the Boundaries of Wady Moussa--Enter the
  Necropolis--Immense Tombs excavated--Long Ravine--Towers and
  Temple--Paucity of Inscriptions--Wild flowers--Murder of
  Pilgrims--Magnificent winged Statue--Surprising Architecture          132


CHAPTER X.

  Theatre at Petra--Visit Aaron's Tomb on a Pinnacle of Mount Hor--Beauty
  of Colour in the Rocks--Reach the Tomb--Its Authenticity--Its Form,
  &c.--Magnificent Temple seen from the Mountain--Inaccessible--Return
  safe in the Ruins--Departure from Petra--Bid Adieu to Abou
  Raschid--Accompany Yousouf--Treatment of the Sick--The Dead Sea--Its
  false Apples--Adders where they sleep--Tiberias--Inhumanity of the
  Turkish Consul                                                        153


CHAPTER XI.

  Set out for Constantinople--Enter the Sea of
  Marmora--Dardanelles--Beautiful Prospect of the City, Shores, and
  Vessels--The Grand Signior goes to Mosque--Use of Imperial
  Turbans--Presentation of the British Ambassador--Confused
  Procession--Janissaries--Dinner--Pelisses--Audience Chamber--Throne of
  the Grand Signior--Pay of Soldiers, &c.                               175


CHAPTER XII.

  They quit Constantinople--Put in at Basilikos--Visit of pompous
  Governor--Reach Varna--Proceed towards Bucharest--Wretched
  Accommodation--Bad Roads--Bucharest, the Carriages, &c.--Reach
  Vienna--Comforts of Civilization and Religion--Fine City--Travel through
  Tyrol and Grisons--Honesty of Natives--Advantages of
  Christianity--Conclusion                                              191




THE YOUNG PILGRIM.

CHAPTER I.

  Introduction--Necessity of Study--Alfred's Friend--Voyage resolved
  on--The Young Greek--They sail for the Ionian Islands--Arrive at
  Corfu--Family of Aliakès--The Parguinotes--Their former Home taken by
  Ali Pacha--General View of the Islands--Departure for Arcos--Sail to
  Aleppo.


The warm interest taken by Alfred Campbell in his visit to the Holy
Land, did not die away on his return to his native country: a
circumstance which frequently happens to young travellers. It is true,
that the cares still requisite for the completion of his education, and
the pleasure of society offered by his beloved family, weaned him from
any regret of the places which he had visited; but he retained a great
desire to explore those parts which were still unknown to him in the
same direction; and in the course of a few years he could not forbear
to lament, that a journey of so much interest and importance had been
taken by him at so early a period of his life.

When his father sent him to the University of Cambridge, he was
introduced to a young gentleman of the name of Clayfield, with whom he
contracted a close intimacy, and who, being already acquainted with a
young Greek who was residing there, named Aliakès, who had inspired
_him_ with a great desire to travel, they were frequently led to talk
much on the subject. This was rendered the more interesting to young
Clayfield, because he was already a great proficient in the Arabic
language, and was extremely desirous of speaking it with fluency. In
this pursuit he found a little assistance from our young friend, who
possessed a good memory, and a quick ear; but the little he could
remember, eventually was found rather to stimulate curiosity than
satisfy it.

Under the influence of this desire, which was connected with that of
improvement in all the parties, the fathers of both the young men
agreed, that, when they had obtained their degrees, they should be
permitted to make a tour through the countries now so much the object of
attention to enlightened travellers; and, in particular, that they
should, in the first place, visit the Ionian Isles with the young Greek,
who undertook to be their guide in this new acquisition to British
sovereignty.

Mr. Campbell was particularly desirous to impress upon his son, at this
juncture, the necessity of withdrawing his mind from the contemplation
of this scheme farther than as an incitement to present exertion. He
told him, that even the most lawful and innocent wishes must not be
indulged at the expense of higher views and more important duties; that
the advantages he now possessed in prosecuting his studies, could never
be enjoyed again; and that if he did not use them aright, he would be
unjust alike to his father and himself.

It will be readily believed, that Alfred attended fully to these
suggestions, because his affection for his dear and only parent remained
in full force, and his understanding, matured by time, and improved by
knowledge, showed him the truth and justness of these observations. He
therefore wisely laboured incessantly, and cheerfully, never thinking of
the journey in any other light than as the reward of his toils in due
season.

The time at length arrived, when, dignified with University honours, and
rich in the esteem and affection of all who knew him, he could claim
from his father permission to prosecute a plan, which was to prolong his
absence, and to expose him to some danger of course, and was so far
painful. Mr. Campbell was sorry to part again with a son of whom he was
so justly proud, but he gave him leave to go with cheerfulness, saying,
"that he had well earned his leisure;" and united with the father of Mr.
Clayfield in arranging every thing necessary for the comfort of the
young travellers, with the utmost facility.

Under these circumstances they left their native land, and proceeded by
sea for Corfu. Their voyage was rendered extremely pleasant by the
society of their companion Aliakès, who exhibited by turns every trait
they had heard as characteristic of his country. Full of enthusiastic
love for Greece, both as she existed in classic lore, with which he was
at this period deeply imbued, and from that domestic affection which
bound him to his own home, every word and action displayed his delight
in returning. Some successes against the Turks had inspired him with the
most ardent hopes for the emancipation of Greece, but in expressing this
pleasure he would too frequently show a ferocious spirit; and whilst our
young Englishmen admired his transport, yet they often found it their
duty to press upon him their own sense of forbearance and of integrity.

Alas! he had suffered much: he had seen his family driven from their
house, injured in their property, insulted in their persons, and
compelled to quit their long-endeared native plains, to take refuge in
the Islands beneath the protection of Great Britain; and although his
residence in that country for awhile softened his sense of injury, it
revived as he approached the shores where his family were exiled.

The weather was fine, the air balmy; and borne forward with a motion
almost imperceptible towards Corfu, they saw on either hand the Ionian
Isles, so much the object of attention in Great Britain within the last
ten years, and so celebrated in Grecian story, as to cast around them a
lustre beyond their present interest. It is true the Islands are all
fruitful, but they have been so long injured by the base governments
under which they have groaned, that the moral character of the natives
has deteriorated, in despite of the natural abilities they evidently
possess, and it will be only a course of years under the beneficent
laws now promulgated for their benefit, that can restore to them, or
rather _bestow_ on them, virtue and happiness.

Arrived at Corfu, which is the seat of government, and the most gay and
agreeable of these Islands as a place of residence, they were
affectionately received by several of their own countrymen; and young
Clayfield was particularly delighted with the novelty of all around him.

Aliakès had in the mean time gone in search of his family, who had been
formerly Parguinotes, but were now, like all the exiles from unhappy
Parga, settled at Corfu, and although deprived of their former dignity,
and nearly all their property, were somewhat recovered from their
distresses, and looking forward to prosperity through the medium of a
son, whose uncommon talents naturally awakened their hopes. In a short
time the young Greek came to request their presence to sup with his
family; and it may be supposed they would not refuse one so long their
companion.

They found on their arrival the members of a numerous family assembled,
all eager to pay them respect, and testify gratitude for their
friendship towards their young relative. The father and friends of
Aliakès were, as they understood, and afterwards saw, a fair sample of
their country,--being above the middle size, strong and robust; their
costume was an embroidered jacket, full trowsers of blue cloth, with a
small red cap. They wore mustachios, and were armed with pistols,
dagger, and sabre, adopted as a kind of full dress, in compliment to
their guests.

The sisters of Aliakès were very handsome; and their dress, which
consisted of cloth, or silk, jackets embroidered with gold, and a long
plaited petticoat, was very becoming. Their heads, on the arrival of the
strangers, were covered with a large coloured handkerchief, which they
laid aside, thereby showing, to the great delight of Alfred, the very
coiffure, he had so frequently seen in ancient statues. Long braids of
hair parted at the forehead, were entwined with double cords of red
silk, and fastened gracefully behind, showing the elegant form of their
heads to the utmost advantage.

The conversation turned upon a description of their former home, which
was a small town on the coast of Epirus, built on a conical rock, two
hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea, and looking over the
Ionian sea, as if the Islands that beautify its surface were subject to
its dominion. Behind it rose the mountains of Albania, encircling it as
if for protection. It was fertilized by rivers and springs, beautified
by forest trees, enriched by the vine and the olive, and enjoyed
considerable commerce in oil, oranges, citrons, and cedrats. But alas!
in one bad neighbour, the Parguinotes, like our first parents, found a
devil, who drove them from their Paradise.

This was the renowned and infamous Ali Pacha, whose nephew having been
killed in a skirmish with the inhabitants, he devoted them to
destruction, and, being unhappily all-powerful, would unquestionably
have extirpated them from the face of the earth, if they had not been
under the protection of Great Britain, which, having newly obtained the
sovereignty of the Ionian Isles, was intreated by Parga to take her
also. In consequence of some treaty with the Porte, this protection only
extended to the lives, and a small portion of the property; and the
whole body of the Parguinotes were compelled to leave their native soil
and their patrimonial possessions. It is, however, pleasant to reflect,
that the tyrant was disappointed in his views of vengeance; that the
blood of these injured people did not pollute their altars, nor slavery
to his will torture them with daily deaths. That many have suffered all
the sorrows of exile, the miseries of want, and probably the death of
despair, we have too much reason to suppose; but it is certain that
numbers are settled in the Islands, and in Italy also, in a state of
considerable comfort and prosperity.

Our young men lost no time in running about, and afterwards in going
from one island to another, in search of all that was curious to the
naturalist and the antiquary. They visited Santa Maura, to see the rock
from whence Sappho, the Lesbian poetess, flung herself into the sea; and
sailed to Isara del Compare, the ancient Ithaca, because it was the
island of Ulysses; but they found Zante the best worth seeing of all the
Islands, on account of its fruitfulness in currants and grapes, the
strength of its citadel, and the agreeable manners of the inhabitants,
who are mostly Greeks of lively dispositions, and particularly fond of
strangers, but cannot boast of any other virtue.

Aliakès attended them wherever they went, and greatly contributed to
their pleasure and their information; nor could he prevail on himself
to depart when the time came that they entered on the more serious part
of their journey; but having obtained leave to accompany them through
the gulph of Corinth, he did not quit them till they arrived at Arcos,
where they found a vessel bound direct for Aleppo, in which they
immediately secured a passage.




CHAPTER II.

  Voyage in the Levant--Touch at Cyprus--Wine of Olympus--Review of
  History connected with the Archipelago--Interest of the Bible--Arrive at
  Aleppo--Its beauty and fruitfulness--Convenience and
  Merchandise--Privileges of Christians--Dress of Chief
  Men--Coffee-house--Improvisatore--Pleasure of the Turks, &c.


Our young travellers promised themselves much pleasure in crossing those
seas, and touching at those islands, so celebrated in ancient story; and
frequently did they remember, that

  Here so oft the Muse her harp has strung,
  That not a Mountain rears its head unsung;--

and they more particularly recollected the lays of Lord Byron on
subjects of Greek or Turkish origin. These pleasant themes of discourse
were, however, much interrupted by the many petty evils which make
themselves felt, alike in despite of the buoyant spirits of youth, and
the philosophical temper acquired by experience. Their vessel was crazy,
ill-manned, ill-managed, and so wofully provisioned, that they had no
alternative between starving and living on food inferior to hog-wash at
home. There were times when Clayfield could not help wishing himself at
home again; but Alfred entered on this beginning of hardships with all
the firmness of a veteran traveller; and his cheerful smile, and
"_Courage, mon ami_," quickly restored his friend to his usual spirits.

They put in for a short time at Nicosia on the isle of Cyprus, which
afforded them the relief of a little fresh food, and a draught of the
finest wine in all the Greek islands, and which, being produced from
grapes growing at the foot of Olympus, not only cheered their spirits,
but renewed that spirit of classical research, damped by a long and
disagreeable voyage.

So far as they could judge, this island realized all the evils every
where found under the Turkish government--Nature was abundant in her
productions, but man was poor in the midst of them. Oil, wine, cotton,
silk, and turpentine, all of excellent quality, are abundantly produced
on this fine island, which is one hundred and fifty miles long, and
seventy broad. At the time of the Crusaders it was inhabited by
Christians, and was a rich and flourishing kingdom. Richard Coeur de
Lion subdued it, and affixed it to the kingdom of Jerusalem under Guy de
Lusignan, but it soon afterwards shared the fate of all those
possessions attained by the Crusaders.

"In this place," observed Alfred, "I may begin my recollections of my
former journey, for I touched here on my return from Palestine, which I
heartily desire to see again; but with that exception I wish of course
to give all possible novelty to my journey; and as the whole is alike
new to you, if I promise to conduct you to the principal objects of
curiosity in this interesting country, I presume you will be content."

"Undoubtedly I shall, for I have already found out the utter
impossibility of exploring every place: otherwise I would have run over
every island in the Archipelago, and Levant sea, in the same way we
visited the seven Ionian Isles, since they would, I apprehend, have
afforded many more antiquities. I should have wished to have climbed
Mount Ida in Crete, where Jupiter was nursed".--"You would find it now a
barren rock, with no traces of temple or monument to repay your
toil."--"I would have gone to Rhodes, though I should not hope to find
any remnant of its brass statue, once the wonder of the world; and to
Chios, which claims, with six other places, to be the native land of
Homer--thence to Samos, which was the birth-place of Pythagoras--to the
Cyclades, where Apollo and Diana were born--to Lesbos, where not only
Sappho but many other poets and philosophers flourished; and to Tenedos,
which, you know, is opposite to the site of old Troy."

"I wish, my dear fellow, we had been able to go to these places
together, and on the spot talk over the real or fabulous lives of the
personages in question; but we must content ourselves, it appears, with
seeing Cyprus only, of all these celebrated Islands, remembering for our
comfort, that we are proceeding to that country where Mahomet founded
the most extensive empire, and spread a false faith among various
nations with a success unrivalled in the annals of human nature; thereby
stamping on his character a right to be considered the most powerful and
remarkable of men, as being unassisted by God. Thence we shall be led to
the land where Moses, the most honoured of mere mortals, exhibited those
miracles which enabled him to lead forth a small body from the midst of
a mighty nation, and whose remnant, scattered over the wide earth at
this very day, are as much separated now, as they were then, though it
is now for evil, as it was then for good.

"Lastly, I will bring you to the birth-place of Him before whose great
name and glorious ministry, all those poets, warriors, legislators, and
philosophers, whom, with justice, we have considered great, become, in
comparison, 'lighter than dust in the balance.'"

"My dear Alfred, you need say no more; I am perfectly content to resign
all the Ægean isles, but I must insist on seeing Mount Sinai, Mount
Calvary, and, if it be possible, Arabia Petrea."

The conversation was interrupted by a summons to the vessel; but, as
they walked towards it, Alfred observed:--

"The land we leave is a mixture of many nations, but that to which we
hasten will place us decidedly amongst enemies to our faith, and
therefore despisers of our persons: we shall be surrounded by native
Syrians, intermixed occasionally with Arabians. They hate each other,
but they will unite in doing us ill offices: one party will oppress us
by their insolence, the other, rob us of our property; nevertheless, we
shall find some who are good and faithful, and to them we must trust."

In a very short time our travellers landed at Aleppo, which they found a
considerable city, being, with its suburbs, upwards of seven miles in
circumference, standing on eight small hills, and crowned on the highest
by a castle or citadel. The streets are narrow, but well paved with
large square stones, and kept remarkably clean; for although this city
cannot boast of wells of water within its walls, yet that great
commodity of life is furnished by an aqueduct, four miles distant,
erected by the good Empress Helena. The surrounding country is rough and
barren, but the gardens near the city are pleasantly laid out, and
abound in vines, olives, figs, and pistachios.

But our young men soon observed that the pride of this city was its
numerous and magnificent mosques; and they could not forbear sighing
when they remembered that they were indeed in a country where the
Crescent had triumphed over the Cross, and Alfred nearly caught his old
feelings, and wished for a Crusade again; but he did not speak on the
subject, being aware that his first business must be to present himself
and friend to the British Consul.

Being received with great politeness by this gentleman, who procured
them lodgings near his own dwelling, and invited them to his table
during their stay, they proceeded to examine every part of the city more
minutely. They found the castle a poor place, and the palace, or
seraglio, had little of either grandeur or strength; but as the Bashaw,
who is the Governor, has the command of a large body of troops which are
stationed around him, and his residence looks all over the city, it
would be easy for him to descry an enemy, or suppress an insurrection.
They were much pleased with the bagnios, or bathing-houses, but still
more with the bazaars, which in the length of their long covered
streets, the riches they displayed in their various commodities, the
neatness, order, and silence which reigned there, (as very important
bargains were frequently made without a word being spoken on either
side,) offered much that was worthy of admiration.

Returning from their first walk to the house of the Consul, they saw
several merchants, their countrymen, who were all handsomely mounted on
Arabian horses, attended by secretaries and servants, and making a
superb appearance. It is only in Aleppo that privileges of this nature
are granted to Christians, so that young Clayfield was fortunate in his
entrance into the country through such a medium; and Alfred was glad to
find, one place afford an exception to the illiberality of Mussulmen.
They were much amused, on leaving the bazaar, by the quarrel of two
Turks in the street, who appeared to abuse one another with severe words
and violent gesticulation, approaching each other perpetually as if to
strike a severe blow, but always taking care to avoid coming in
contact. Their long beards, the flow of their garments, their assumed
fierceness, and actual cowardice, rendered them a most ludicrous
spectacle to the young men, who could talk of nothing else on their
arrival at home.

"If you are so much amused with these bearded old women," said Mr. ----,
"I must send you to see a circle, whose gravity will, perhaps, be not
less ridiculous; but I warn you not to laugh till you are in your own
chamber, as it would be considered very ill-bred." In pursuance of this
plan, he sent his secretary to conduct them to a kind of coffee-house,
where a number of Turks were seated in a circle, and silently taking a
cup of excellent coffee, sherbet, or fruit and sweatmeats; but their
quiet enjoyment was interrupted, soon after the entrance of the party,
by a man, who came with a hasty step, and took several turns in the
apartment, with a motion so rapid, and a countenance of such whimsical
expression, that they were at a loss whether to consider him a madman,
or a fool in office.

At length he stopped short, and began to speak in an agreeable tone, and
with a vivacious expression. The countenances of the grave Turks who
surrounded him, relaxed as he spoke; their eyes twinkled with delight,
their closed lips dilated with smiles. Alfred perceived that he was one
of those improvisatori orators who afford to the solemn and stupid
Mussulman, that, divertisement sought in Europe from the drama, or the
concert; and thought, from his action, that he was relating some portion
of the life of Sindbad the Sailor, in the Arabian Night Tales. At all
events, he was sensible that he united the humour of Matthews with the
energy of Kean; for his countenance and gestures exhibited by turns the
utmost archness and drollery--the most deplorable expressions of sorrow
and horror, succeeded by the loathings of disgust, and the triumph of
escape; and notwithstanding they were ignorant of his language, our
young friends were really mortified when this accomplished actor and
story-teller suddenly sprang out of the circle in the very midst of his
tale, and escaped alike from applause and reward.

"This is always the way with this fellow," said the secretary:--"he
leaves off in the middle of his story when he arrives at the interesting
part. At such a moment, the improvisatore of Italy would throw his cap
on the ground and collect farthings; but our orator is above that, he
knows that the same circle will collect to-morrow, and he waits till
then for his own satisfaction and theirs."

When our young travellers had seen Aleppo, they became anxious to
proceed either to Damascus, whither they knew a caravan was likely to
travel soon; or take to the sea again for the purpose of landing at
Alexandria or Rosetta. The young gentleman their present companion
advised the latter, as the best way of reaching Suez, from whence they
might proceed with comparative ease to Mount Sinai, to the convent of
which he furnished them with an introduction, knowing it to be an object
of their search. "I have myself," added he, "travelled with the caravan
to Mecca, and found it extremely disagreeable, and the whole affair of
the pilgrimage a disgusting piece of mummery, which it seems surprising
even such stupid personages (as Mahomedans generally are) should be
submitted to. I went, of course, in disguise, or I could not have
witnessed their ceremonies, which I will relate with as much brevity as
I can.

"The time of our arrival was shortly after the fast of Ramadan, and
before the great sacrifice called the Corban. Before arriving at Mecca,
we fell in with two other caravans, making in all a body of upwards of
two hundred thousand persons, besides a still greater number of camels,
so that altogether we cut a very formidable appearance. After our
encampment in the neighbourhood of Mecca, which is a mean, ill-built
city, the pilgrims divided themselves into small detachments, and
entered the town. They are led up an ascending street until they arrive
at a place called the Gate of Health, which they salute with profound
respect, saying, 'Salem Alek I ruseul Allah!' that is, 'Peace be with
the ambassador of God!' They now mount five steps upon a platform, and
offer up their prayers; then descend with silence and devotion on the
other side of the steps, towards two arches at a distance from each
other, but which they do not pass through until this ceremony has been
gone through _seven_ times.

"When this performance is complete, the pilgrims proceed to the great
Mosque, within which is the house of Abraham, for whom all Mussulmen
profess the greatest veneration; and here they again walk _seven_ times
round the little building, saying, 'This is the house of God and his
servant Abraham.' They next kiss a black stone, said to have descended
white from heaven; and proceed to the famous well called Zun Zun, which,
they say, is the same which the angel showed to Hagar when she was
distressed in the Desert, doubtless forgetting how near they have placed
the house of Abraham to it. Into this well they plunge with all their
clothes on, repeating continually, 'Toba Allah! Toba Allah!'
'Forgiveness, God! Forgiveness, God!' They then drink a draught of the
water, which is turbid and foetid, and depart; but those who desire to
reach heaven before their neighbours, renew the ceremony before they
quit Mecca.

"On the eve of the day of sacrifice, our three caravans, ranged in a
triangular form, surrounded the mountain, and during the whole night
rejoicings were kept up with great clamour, and the continual firing of
arms, aided by drums and trumpets. When day broke, perfect silence
succeeded, and the people slew and offered up their sheep, with an
appearance of profound devotion.

"On a sudden a Sheick, or Saint, rushed from amidst the multitude, and
mounted on a camel, which ascended a kind of platform raised for the
purpose. He addressed them in a studied oration for a considerable time,
at the conclusion of which they all saluted the mountain, and prepared
to depart.

"Before my return, I visited a hill called Ghiabal Arabata, or the Mount
of Forgiveness. It is about two miles in circumference, and is really a
beautiful spot. The Arabs say, that Adam and Eve met here after being
separated by God for forty years, and that they formed a dwelling upon
it, called Beith Adam, or, the House of Adam. It was the only spot worth
seeing in this long and painful journey; for neither Mecca nor Medina
boast any degree of magnificence deserving notice."

Thankful for this information, the young men took their departure from
Aleppo in a coasting vessel bound for Antioch, from whence they could
proceed either to Palestine or Egypt, as might be found most convenient.
Their voyage was rendered extremely unpleasant by bad weather, which
they now for the first time encountered; and they were driven so far out
to sea, as to be obliged to pass Tyre, Sidon, Ptolemais, and Antioch
itself, without the power of making these ports, or any other in that
line of coast. When at length the storm abated, the master of the
vessel, to the satisfaction of our travellers, determined on sailing for
Damietta in Egypt.

Here, then, in due time they arrived, heartily sick of voyaging in these
seas, but delighted with finding themselves on the banks of one of the
mouths of the Nile, in the land once so renowned as the birth-place of
science, the scene of miracles, and the existing proof that despotism
in rulers, and ignorance in subjects, will reduce the most favoured
country far below that to which Nature has denied her bounties.

As there was no inn at Damietta, the English Vice-consul welcomed the
strangers, and entertained them most hospitably. Their dinner was served
at mid-day; and it was a great treat to them to be provided with chairs,
knives, and forks, in a country where such luxuries are almost unknown;
as even the son of their host ate with his fingers, tearing the
over-roasted meat into scraps with neatness and agility. Cyprus wine,
imported in skins, which give it a disagreeable flavour, with pipes and
coffee, were served to them after the meat was removed; water was then
poured on their hands, followed by _eau de rose_, by those slaves who
attended during the meal to flap away the flies. After this, their
entertainer and other guests retired to their siesta; but our young
friends were not inclined to sleep, and therefore began to arrange their
plans for visiting the most remarkable places on their way to Cairo.

Walking out to observe what was most remarkable at Damietta, which
afforded nothing agreeable, they observed rows of pelicans stretched
along the smooth surface of the river, which really afforded a beautiful
sight, as they resembled swans: part of their plumage being rose colour,
glittered in the sun, and produced the most splendid effect. These birds
live on fish, and may be purchased for two piastres, (one shilling.)

Having with the assistance of the Vice-consul engaged a Candgy, or
little skiff, and two well-armed servants for their protection, they set
out for Maturich, on their way to Grand Cairo, with an understanding
that they should leave the vessel under the care of a shekh or governor,
who was also engaged in their service, whenever their inclination
prompted them to visit the shores, or inspect those antiquities which
they expected to find on their way.

Notwithstanding these persons had been duly hired as their servants, yet
they had each the most decided contempt for their temporary masters, as
Franks; and in any service of difficulty or danger, never failed to
throw it upon them, saying, "that as they were _only_ Christians, it was
better for the risk to be put upon them." Disagreeable as this conduct
was, it did not affect our youths with any other sensation than that of
ludicrous contempt; but as the party continually quarrelled with each
other also, their little voyage was one of perpetual bustle. Laughter
and scolding on board, the howl of jackals on shore, and the observation
of parties of Arabs and their gipsy encampments, alone varied the scene,
till they reached Mansoura.




CHAPTER III.

  Arrive at Grand Cairo--Funeral Ululahs--The Pacha--Death of Mamelukes by
  treachery--Military Procession--Interesting Spectacle--Sacred
  Camel--Visit the Pyramids--The Sphinx--Alfred ascends the Pyramid of
  Chephrenes--Magnificent Temple at Dendera--Fine engravings--Head of
  Isis--Go to Kenneh--to Goos--Arabs--Depart for Thebes.


It was night when they reached Mansoura; and on the sun arising, they
pursued their way with renewed hopes, and soon arrived at the head of
the Delta, from whence they saw the Mekattan range of mountains, and the
Pyramids. The former were like old friends to Alfred, who greatly
disliked the flatness of Egypt; and the latter were delightful to
Clayfield, as being in a great measure the objects of his journey.

Arrived within two miles of Cairo, they procured donkies, which,
together with camels, may always be had on all those occasions for
which we use hackney-coaches at home, and on which their luggage was
immediately placed, to be conveyed to the Custom-house. Alfred found
Cairo as disagreeable as he remembered it to be; and Clayfield thought
it very inferior to Aleppo, although larger, and more populous; he
observed, "there was not a street in either of them so wide as Cranbourn
Alley."

Passing forward to see what would be done with their luggage, they were
startled by loud howls and lamentations, and learnt that they were near
a cemetery, where hired mourners were uttering _ululahs_, or mournful
sounds, over a person buried there a year before,--a mark of respect to
the dead, extremely unpleasant to the ears of the living. On presenting
themselves to the Consul, all inconveniences were set to rights, and a
time appointed for presenting them to the reigning Pacha, who pays great
respect to the English.

On this introduction, the great man received them in the court-yard of
his palace. He was seated on a sofa, smoking, and plainly apparelled, as
Turks of high rank generally are, except on gala days, when their dress
is very gorgeous. The Pacha has a vulgar, low-born cast of countenance,
but a commanding intelligent eye. He is known to be treacherous; as he
invited the Mamelukes to the citadel, and massacred them all except
Ennin Bey, whose horse leaped over the parapet and was killed, but the
master, delivering himself to some Arabs, obtained from them promise of
safety, which is kept hitherto inviolate. He is also avaricious, and
reported to be concerned in the sudden death of his eldest son, who
disappeared in a manner likely to create suspicion: but with all this,
he is not considered worse than other personages in the same capacity.

[Illustration: _N^o. 3._    _Page 37._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 4._    _Page 47._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._

Our travellers were fortunate in arriving at Cairo just before a
military procession, and the entrance of a caravan from Mecca. In the
former, the most remarkable object was the conqueror, who was Ibrahim
Pacha; for he was seated on horseback, clothed in a white satin gown,
and a high conical cap, looking like a sick girl rather than a military
general. The caravan was met, by the same women who sell their grief at
funerals, with a loud shriek of welcome; and presented a bustling,
interesting spectacle, especially when numerous friends came out to meet
their dearest connexions, and make inquiries on which their hopes and
their happiness depended. One wretched woman threw herself in the path
of the camels; for alas! her one child, her fatherless boy, was dead,
and she was maddened with the anguish of the shock.

Turning from this sad spectacle, they encountered that of an idiot, or
saint, according to the superstition of the Turks, which was extremely
disgusting. He was perfectly naked, but strapped securely on a camel,
and formed a part of the procession of the caravan, as he followed the
_holy_ camel; so designated, because on going out to Mecca he had
carried the offerings of Grand Cairo, which service exempts him from
labour the rest of his life. This sacred camel was covered with a green
cloth embroidered with Arabic characters; and multitudes who had not
been to Mecca, eagerly pressed forward to touch it as a means of
salvation; but from this act of pollution they were prevented by the
cudgels of those who guarded it.

Having seen the _almahs_, or dancing girls, they set out for the
Pyramids. The Sphinx was, however, the first curious object at which
they arrived; it had lately been found to be a perfect figure, cut out
of the living rock, but the sand had accumulated again upon it, and only
the head and neck were visible. They next visited the largest Pyramid;
and Alfred, who was now, like many of his countrymen, extremely tall,
found the first step even with his chest; and on standing so near it,
found it to have much more effect upon the mind, as a work of stupendous
magnitude, than it ever had before. Determined to see all they could,
our travellers prepared to enter the galleries of this Pyramid; and as
they were surrounded by Arabs, who insisted upon being their guides,
this design was put in execution; and the labours of the expedition
ended by the ascent of Alfred to the top of the Pyramid of Chephrenes,
which stands only one hundred and twenty yards from the highest, and is
little inferior in bulk and height.

The ascent of this building was found not only dangerous in the extreme,
but so fatiguing, that Alfred sincerely regretted the time and labour it
had cost him; and blamed his folly for exposing himself to the chance of
a death, which would have been a source of severe affliction, not only
to the beloved family at home, but the dear friend and companion who had
suffered severely during every moment in which he was taking it, and
whom he now promised never to quit on so foolish a business again.

Their next object was the celebrated Temple of Dendera, which, seen
from the surrounding plain, appeared to rise from a mound of beautiful
verdure, but, on arriving there, was found so surrounded by the mud
walls of an Arab village, as greatly to detract from the general
effect;--yet there was much on which the eye could rest with
satisfaction.

The first object of attraction is a propylon, on the left hand side of
which, as you pass to the temple, are inscribed large human figures,
while on the right hand are hieroglyphics only, such as birds and other
signs. Arrived at the portico, they were lost in admiration: the torus
and cornice, all the beauties of Egyptian architecture, were here, with
pillars, that in size and number baffle the eye. They found the fabric
two hundred and eighty paces in circumference, and with scarcely one
spot of either wall, column, ceiling, or staircase, that was not
ornamented with lithography. On one wall, less than fifteen feet in
extent, were sixty-nine rows of sacred characters, beautifully
engraven; and time has so spared this beauteous work, that the finest
lines ever formed by the chisel remain uninjured, except by man.

The hieroglyphics are of three kinds--a simple line--bas relief--and a
relief in contour. The whole is substantial in the highest degree; the
outer wall is seven feet thick, and formed of stones, each of which is
seven feet itself, and these are held by ingots of iron. Each stone of
the architrave is more than twenty feet in length, and the pillars are
twenty-two feet in circumference. On the capital of every pillar there
has been the head of Isis, of which the lips only remain, but they are
very beautiful.

The chamber of the Zodiac is in the upper part of the building, near to
which is a flight of steps, which conducts to the highest roof, or
gazebo, which was probably used as an observatory, the study of
astronomy being never neglected by the Egyptians.

So long as possible, both the young gentlemen employed themselves in
making sketches of these magnificent ruins; but the want of light, and
still more of air, prevented their effecting much; and they at last
quitted it with regret, that the miserable country in which it stands
forbade them to remain, and moralizing on the wonderful change which had
reduced a people once capable of such mighty works, into hordes of
thieves and beggars.

From Dendera they went to Kenneh, which may be called the pottery of
Egypt; thence to Copht, where they saw some stone pillars, the remains
of a Christian church. Proceeding to Goos, they found a large company of
Arabs assembled under a palm-leaf shed, lighted up by burning sticks,
which was evidently a substitute for the English public-house, as they
were all smoking, drinking, and talking with great glee. They here found
the remnant of a magnificent gate, which, so far as they could judge by
torch-light, was little inferior once to that of the temple at Dendera.
Not liking the vicinity of the Arabs, and being impatient to get to
Thebes, which was their principal object, they soon re-entered the boat
which they had hired to take them thither; and about midnight moored in
the centre of that famous city.




CHAPTER IV.


  Thebes--Grandeur of its Ruins--Fine Prospect thence--Freshness of
  Paintings--The Memnonium--Colossal Statues--Fine Ornaments--Statue of
  Memnon--Dogs and Filth--Proceed to Esneh--To Eleithias--To Edfou--Fine
  Ruin at Korm Ombos--Arrive at Elephantine--Women pleasing--Set out for
  the Cataracts of the Nile--Song of Nubian Boatmen--Pass the
  Cataracts--Reach Philoe--Astonishing number of Ruins--Ebsambal the
  finest of all--Prodigious Statues.

After a short but sound sleep, Alfred arose, and called lustily to his
companion:

"Sleeper, arise, and behold the reward of thy labours; thou art in the
midst of the once mighty Thebes; the Nile, the 'father of rivers,' flows
under thee; and the statue of Memnon is before thee."

"Ay," said Clayfield, laughing as he sprang up, "but I fear the statue
will not sing to the sun to oblige me; nevertheless, I am ready to run
through the city of the hundred gates, as you would wish me."

They landed, and gazed around with inexpressible delight. The face of
the country was of emerald brightness, encircled by desert mountains;
and the ruins amongst which they stood, although Egyptian in their form
and magnitude, were still picturesque. Two colossal statues, the
obelisks of Longsnor, the temples, and the tombs, were before them; and
after a short time spent in general admiration, they first began to
examine the latter.

This was the tomb of a Theban king, discovered by Belzoni: the paintings
in it were as fresh as if newly done, and were of gaudy colouring, with
little recommendation to the eye of taste, except in the face of Isis,
which is always given with an expression of great sweetness, and a
peculiar elongation of the eye, which is very pleasing. They found no
less than forty of these tombs; but their entrance was opposed by
myriads of bats, which seem, like the fabled vampyre, to have taken
possession of the dead, and are determined to defend their usurpation.

Their next object was the Memnonium, a prodigious temple, which
resembles a mountain of laboured stone. The passage of the gateway is
thirty-nine feet high; yet magnificent as it appears, they were not
prepared by it for the statue to which it led them. This colossus is
unfortunately broken in pieces, but every fragment of it still excites
the utmost admiration:--the head and shoulders twenty feet, the chest
twenty-two feet, and the little toe three feet in length, bespeak its
prodigious effect.

Near to this temple was a smaller of the same description, where they
were struck by a beautiful border designed from the lotos flower. They
next examined a building, said to have been a palace, which is not of
Egyptian architecture. Close at hand was an immense and noble fabric,
four hundred and twenty feet long; but nearly half of it was filled to
the very roof with sand, and much of the exterior was also hidden by
rubbish. In forming conjectures, and decyphering the numerous figures
engraven on the walls of this building, they spent the whole day; and at
length, overwhelmed with fatigue, surprise, and pleasure, slept on mats
under its shadow.

The following day they inspected the two gigantic statues, each of which
claim to be the celebrated Memnon: they are situated near each other,
are fifty feet high, both in a sitting position, their hands resting on
their knees. That on the south is formed of one solid block of granite,
the other of various pieces: there is a doubt which of these used to
hail the rising sun. On the perfect figure is no inscription; but the
broken one is covered with inscriptions, which record the names of those
who testify that they have heard it utter miraculous sounds at sunrise.

The temple of Longsnor they found swarming with dogs, and, from the
accumulation of filth, were prevented from examining it; but the
obelisks, though half buried, are the finest in the world. The temple of
the Dicspolis, four hundred and thirty paces long, was the most
magnificent of all, and its walls were, as usual, covered with pictorial
ornaments. In many of these representations were seen gigantic heroes,
sacrificing numerous victims. The subjects on the gateways were
generally battles, chariots, and horses; and the number of these
doubtless gave rise to the report of the hundred gates of Thebes.

Leaving Thebes, their curiosity to explore ruins being rather whetted
than wearied, our travellers made arrangements for proceeding to the
islet of Elephantine; and determined not to return to Cairo, but pass
from thence to Suez. They now proceeded to Emsambal, where they engaged
a dragoman and an Arab, by whom they were conducted to Hermontis, where
they found a small temple; to Esneh, where there is a magnificent
portico to a building partly filled with merchandise, but the greater
part with dirt. At Eleithias they found a temple, rocks, and a yawning
sepulchre dug in the latter; and at Edfou, though seen after Dendera,
they found a magnificent temple; and the mole, and its entrance, far the
finest in Egypt.

At Korm Ombos, they found a noble ruin, in which thirteen pillars are
yet standing, but two are fallen. At this place the crocodile was
worshipped, and one of these water-fiends was fastened by a golden
chain. He is here personified, seated on a throne and receiving
offerings.

The islet of Elephantine is in part covered with palm-trees and corn,
and in part with ruins: it is picturesque, and rocks, the harbingers of
the cataracts, break the stream on every side. The women here differ
much from other Egyptians; for, though extremely shy, they do not wear
veils, and have handsome features and graceful forms.

The wind being fair, they now bade adieu to the wonders of art in days
past, and proceeded to explore the far-famed Cataracts of the Nile. The
crew of their little vessel were in great spirits; the reiss, or
"captain of the cataracts," came on board from Essouan, a small town
opposite to Elephantine; and they set out immediately.

Granite islets became frequent in their passage, and were strikingly
picturesque: the Nile itself assumed the appearance of a lake cradled in
granite; and fishermen were seen running on the rocks, or diving in the
stream, in all directions; whilst the crew commenced a song, the burthen
of which was, "Come, love, to the Cataracts, and you shall be clothed in
cashmere; Nubia is the land of roses."

The river now forces its way between a small island and some blocks of
granite, which caused a descent of some two or three feet, on which the
reiss, with many anticks indicative of power and ability, caused ropes
to be fastened to the boat, and gave command to about fifty fellows, who
managed the matter so badly, that a considerable quantity of water was
shipped. The surface of the stream, which had been rippled for a short
distance, becoming smooth, and the bustle over, Alfred inquired "how far
they were from the Cataracts?" fearing that they should fare worse when
they arrived there. To the astonishment of both travellers, they learned
that the Cataracts of the Nile were passed: the whole affair of those
far-famed falls was not more formidable than London bridge.

They pursued their way, beneath the pure moonlight of an Egyptian sky,
to Philoe, which is, when seen under such soft light, a kind of
enchanted island, being covered with temples, columns, and obelisks. The
following day showed these magnificent objects more correctly, and
proved, that, although every individual part was good, the whole was
badly put together. Among thirty pillars, there are not two with
capitals alike; that of the palm-leaf is most elegant, but that is
inferior to the Grecian. There is a flight of steps here, as at
Elephantine, which descends to the river, which Alfred considered to be
the ancient Nilometer, since no other has been discovered.

Upon Philoe is found a place resembling a confessional-box, in which
some sacred animal was formerly cooped, to be worshipped as a god. The
primitive Christians have left traces of their zeal on the island; and
the French a record, stating, "that, under General Buonaparte, their
army pursued the Mamelukes to the island of Philoe."

After leaving this highly interesting spot, they proceeded to Debord,
where they found an unfinished temple; thence to Kardassy, where they
found one, small, but elegant; and in the neighbourhood were mummy-pits.
The bodies here were hard and dry, and looked like figures made for
painters.

At Kalelesky, they found another noble ruin. But the most extraordinary
sight in their route was at Gwersh Hassan, where there is an
excavation, in which stand six giants, each three times the height of
the tallest man. They stand on each side of the entrance, and produce
great effect; but, on examination, are found ill done and
disproportionate. Whilst here, the natives followed them, crying out
_becksheesh_; but they were driven away, without receiving their demand,
since there would have been no end to their extortion, if once indulged.

Arrived at Ebsambal, they alike declared that this was the _ne plus
ultra_ of Egyptian labour, and a rich recompense for their own. The
first objects of admiration are six gigantic forms, sculptured in relief
on the mountain rock; they stand upright, with their arms hanging down.
Beneath each hand is also an upright figure, and these, which appear
like children, are each seven feet high. The statues in the neighbouring
temple are on a still larger scale; but, unfortunately, the sand had
covered up the doorway, and the travellers were informed that it would
be impossible to effect an entrance. They were both much too
enterprising to give credit to the idle natives, and set about removing
the difficulties with such spirit, that in a short time they had the
satisfaction of entering, when they beheld eight of these prodigious
statues, which, like Atlases, supported the roof, and formed a guard of
honour, through which they passed. But the difficulty of proceeding was
dreadful, from the heat and the want of air; and if they had not been in
the vigour of youth, they could not have sustained the intolerable
closeness, which was worse than a vapour-bath. It was, however, a great
satisfaction, that their journey had been crowned by examining, so far
as they were able, the very noblest monument of antiquity to be found on
the banks of the Nile, where they had already found so many.




CHAPTER V.

  Return to Philoe--The Desert--Arrive at Suez--Beauty of the Red Sea--The
  Narkous--Set out for Mount Sinai--Arabs and Camels--Desert
  Breakfast--Sleep in Cave--Conversation--Reach Mount Sinai--The
  Convent--The Church--Pilgrimage performed--Leave the Convent--Arab's
  vow--Journey to Palestine--Vale of Ascalon--Jaffa--Jerusalem.


Our travellers were obliged to return to Philoe, and repass many other
places, which we shall not now mention, to avoid repetition, in order to
their safe arrival at Cairo, which they found it necessary to revisit;
after which they lost no time in departing for Suez, where they heard
that an English vessel was then lying, likely to convey them to Tor on
the Red Sea.

They found the desert from Cairo to Suez very disagreeable, especially
as it offered no object of interest on which they could rest; and their
attendants and guide were perpetually prophesying some evil from
irruption of the Arabs; but they were well armed, and not subject to
fear, and the asses on which they rode enabled them to talk over the
wonders they had seen, so that this unpleasant journey was got over
better than they had reason to expect when they began it.

They found Suez a very tolerable town, considering that it was a Turkish
one; for the situation is delightful. The Red Sea, or the Arabian Gulph,
as it is now frequently called, appears in that situation as a noble
lake, girded with rocks; and when they beheld the British flag waving on
its waters, they could not forbear to utter a shout of joy, and think
that they had never seen so beautiful a scene before.

All was soon adjusted--the Captain agreed to land them at Tor, from
whence they could proceed to Mount Sinai, which was now their more
immediate object. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the water when they
went on board; and they remarked that it was blue, and the coral which
abounds in it was white, so that they could not impute its name to
either of those causes. Clayfield observed that it was extremely
shallow; to which Alfred agreed, but added, "It is evidently not shallow
enough to have become fordable in consequence of a North wind, as some
Deists have dared to assert."

In twenty-four hours they landed at Tor, by which they were saved three
days' travelling in the wilderness. They found it a wretched place, but,
as it boasted a grove of palm-trees and twelve springs of water, it was
suitable for the habitation of man. The mountains to the East rose in
stupendous majesty, affording strong contrast to the flat and fruitful
plains of Egypt. Tor is supposed to be the ancient Elim, as the number
of its springs indicates.

About eight miles North from Tor is a phenomenon called the Narkous, or
bell, where, the inhabitants say, a bodiless hand was once seen to ring
a bell, since which time one of the gaps in the rock utters miraculous
sounds. It was represented to our young friends as so loud and striking,
that they set out to visit it, but found that report had greatly
exaggerated the truth. As, however, they actually heard a grumbling
sound proceed from a fissure in the rock, their toil was repaid.
Besides, they had a charming ride, sometimes close to the sea, which was
beautifully transparent, and at others over ground covered with spicy
herbs, the rich fragrance of which told them that they were now

  "In Araby the Blest."

After a day's rest, they addressed themselves to their journey. Their
suite consisted of two servants, a dragoman, three stout Arabs, and
seven camels. The Arab who took the lead, was gaily dressed, and his
camel in like manner ornamented, as the fore-horse of the team, with red
and white tassels. They set out through the grove of palms, which they
threaded with great discrimination; and then travelled forward till
sun-set, when every camel dropped upon its knees, to be relieved from
its burden and receive its supper. When this was done, and their
forelegs bound to restrain them from wandering, and yet allow them to
pick the scanty herbage, supper for the party was provided also.

Our travellers sat down upon the ground close to each other; feeling,
perhaps, in this awful solitude, more closely drawn in heart and mind
together, than they had ever been before. They conversed on those
subjects most likely to present themselves to their minds;--the long
wanderings of the children of Israel; the natural powers, and the
miraculous gifts of Moses, their inspired leader; and the accomplishment
of his promise in finally bringing them, through these awful defiles and
frightful deserts, to a land "flowing with milk and honey," a land "of
the vine, the fig, and the olive."

[Illustration: _N^o. 5._    _Page 60._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 6._    _Page 97._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._

Meantime, one of the Arabs collected dry shrubs, and, clearing a bed in
the sand, set fire to them: another took from his sack a measure of
flour, kneaded it with butter-milk, (laban,) and formed it into a flat
cake: the third was at the same time roasting coffee, which he pounded
with his bludgeon in a mortar. By the time the cake was made, the shrubs
were burnt and the place swept: the cake was then placed in the hollow,
and the embers collected and thrown on it, and, although not well baked,
it was soon brought forth and devoured, followed by the coffee; after
which, the Arabs began to amuse themselves by telling tales.

As, however, the moon was nearly at the full, and the night favourable
for travelling, Alfred sought to resume his journey; and, by dint of
treating them with brandy, carried his point. The camels were reladen,
each appearing willing to comply with his master's wishes, (for there
is an extraordinary understanding between the Arab and his camel, or his
horse;) and they proceeded to enter a narrow fissure, between mountains
whose sides were clothed with rocks that rose to a fearful height, and
whose extremity was lost in gloom.

An awful silence sat on all around; and as this fissure, which conducts
to Mount Sinai, is only a few feet in breadth, and affords passage to a
streamlet, the camels were obliged to walk in water, to which they have
a great antipathy. Having wound through this defile about an hour,
partially assisted by the rays of the moon, lighting in the most
picturesque manner the lofty pinnacles of the steep rocks, and partially
descending to the rippling current, they at length emerged into a
wider place, and, perceiving a cave in the rocks, they removed their
mattresses into it, and resolved to remain there for the rest of the
night.

"Ah!" exclaimed Clayfield, "what would my mother and your sisters say,
Campbell, could they behold our present situation? How would they
contrast this bivouac in the bowels of Stony Arabia, with their own
comfortable and elegant bed-rooms! and how would they tremble when they
looked on the wild and fierce gestures of our companions, and remembered
how totally we are in their power!"

"Nevertheless," replied Alfred, "they might be perfectly easy; for these
servants will be obliged to render an account of us at Suez, you know,
and surely they are, with our assistance, more than a match for the
three Arabs; and I confess the novelty of our situation has great charms
for me."

"So it has for me also; but these dear relatives would feel very
differently from us: therefore they are happy in their ignorance, as we
all are in a thousand instances in our path through life."

After recommending themselves to God in this awful scene of his power,
they slept soundly, and the following morning commenced their journey
cheerfully. During the whole day they saw not a human being, nor even
the traces of man, save that, on the edge of a precipice, the figure of
the Cross had been wrought by some zealous Christian, and was here an
affecting object.

Late at night they reached the Convent of Mount Sinai. Alfred hailed it
with pleasure, not only as the object of his journey, but in remembrance
of kindness received on his former journey at various convents, and from
the sense of brotherhood in Christian society, in a land of enemies,
which is necessarily endearing. As there is neither door, bell, nor
bugle, to this monastery, they could only be heard within by strength of
lungs, which was not spared; and at length the warder arose, and
inquired for their credentials. These were tied to a string, and after
examination, a rope was thrown down with a noose, into which Clayfield
got, and was wound up into the Convent window; and in due time Alfred
was admitted by the same means, together with that servant, who partook
all their wanderings as dragoman and interpreter.

The fathers received them with great affection as "Englitz Milordos,"
and lodged them in comparative comfort. The following morning they
examined the Convent, which has much the appearance of a fortress, being
indeed protected against the Arabs by two guns. It consists of a large
area, inclosed by a lofty wall, into which are jumbled a number of
rooms, erected in different periods. There is, of course, a Church; but
what struck the strangers as extremely singular, they found a Mosque
there also, and learnt that it was owing to the circumstance of its
being there, that this little Christian community is tolerated by the
Turkish government.

The church is handsomely built in the Greek style, with much gilding and
some paintings; and they boast of having the bones of St. Catherine,
which are now preserved in a silver case, presented by the Empress
Catherine of Russia. Near to her image a lamp is kept burning, which the
monks said, "had never been extinguished, as the oil was supplied by
Heaven." This the young strangers found to be an assertion made in the
figurative language of the East: as their charity was expected, in
common with that of all visitants, to keep the lamp burning.

They found also a library attached to the Convent, and expected to find
some very curious works in it; but the monks directed their attention,
in preference, to some clean new Bibles, sent from the Bible Society,
and which they kept carefully put by, as much too valuable for use.

They now joined the fathers at their frugal meal, and found that the
society consisted of thirty resident, and thirty travelling or begging
brothers. Their diet is limited to biscuits, fruits, and
vegetables;--wine and brandy are allowed, and are sent by the Greek
Patriarch at Cairo. They have also manna here, which is a kind of
honey-dew found on shrubs; and a good garden, with an orchard of
olive-trees, is very valuable to the Convent; it has also almond-trees
and cypresses, and a shrub said to be planted by Moses himself.

On the second day they began to perform a pilgrim's duty by climbing
Mount Sinai. The ascent is calculated at fifty thousand steps; and they
found the pilgrimage occupy nearly twelve hours, although conducted by a
very good cicerone in one of the fathers. He conducted them first to a
small chapel, next to a portal, where it was once customary for the
pilgrim to stop and confess his sins. The next object was a large
cypress-tree, and a spring of beautiful water, beyond which is a chapel
said to be built on the spot where Elijah was fed by the ravens; and
certainly a place more calculated for perfect seclusion could not have
been found by the prophet in his exile.

They were now led nearly to the top of the mountain, and shown the place
whence Moses surveyed the fight between Joshua and Amalek. Soon after
they attained the summit, where large masses of stone, lying
promiscuously together, form a natural cave, the part which may be
called the roof having in it a slight excavation resembling the upper
part of a man. This, the father told them, was the impression of Moses's
form, at the time when the Lord passed over the mountain,--an assertion
to which they gave little heed, aware that, in the mind of the father,
superstition and tradition were jumbled with truth. But the general
appearance of the mountain at this place, as being scorched with fire at
some former period, was exceedingly impressive and awful; and made them
feel assured that they did indeed stand on that mountain which was once
so signally marked with the Divine presence.

On the very summit are two dilapidated chapels. On one side rises the
rock of St. Catherine, more lofty and picturesque than that of Sinai;
but all the rest is a sea of desolation. It looks as if it had once been
an ocean of lava, to which, when its proud waves were running mountains
high, the Omnipotent had said, "Be still,"--such is its tremendous
height and absolute sterility.

They descended by the same path as far as the solitary cypress-tree,
when they turned towards the Convent of the Forty Martyrs, which is
situated on the opposite side of the mountain. They passed in their way
several springs, some aromatic herbs, and small solitary cells, once
inhabited by St. Gregory and others. Being exceedingly fatigued, they
declined going to the Convent of the Forty Martyrs, where they would
have been permitted to sleep; and made the best of their way home,
winding round the base of the mountain.

They now came to the "stone of Moses," said to be that from which water
was miraculously brought by the stroke of his rod; but of the identity
of this rock they entertained much doubt, notwithstanding Maundrell
(generally extremely accurate in his descriptions, and just in his
conceptions) allows it. They then were shown a grotto, once the
residence of St. Athanasius; and were taken to a place where the earth
opened and swallowed up the worshippers of the golden calf. _Here_ was
the brazen serpent erected; and _there_ the calf was molten, the very
mould of which the fathers believe they have found, in two pieces of
granite.

The day following was spent in sketching the Convent and the mountains;
after which, determining to proceed by the desert to Palestine, they
concerted through the medium of the monks, to whom they were extremely
liberal, the mode of removal, and adopted the necessary disguises. The
fathers greatly fear the Arabs, who insult and ill-treat them; but on
this occasion they undertook to procure the required escort for their
visitants.

Early on the sixth day of their residence, five Arabs and seven camels
were under the walls of the Convent, with whom they ratified the
agreement made in their behalf. The elder of the party then drew his
sword, placed some salt upon the blade, and put a portion of it into his
mouth, desiring the travellers to do the same, with which request they
immediately complied.

"Now," said he, "sons of my uncle, your heads are on my shoulders;"
which amounted to saying, "your lives are as sacred to me as my own."
They then loaded the camels with the provision brought from the Convent
for the journey; and the fathers from above calling for blessings on
them, they departed, much in the same manner in which they arrived.

During twelve succeeding days, they were at several different places
entertained in Arab settlements, generally on a boiled sheep; but for
the most part they fared, as we have already seen, on kneaded cakes
baked in the sand, or the biscuits provided for them in the Convent. On
several occasions their Arab guides appeared in great fear from the
approaches of other tribes; and there were times when their situation
was full of danger, not from the infidelity of their guides, but the
superiority of their assailants. They found on these occasions that
cunning supplied the place of strength, and that their leader was never
at a loss either for words wherewith to elude, or defy, those of whose
treachery or ferocity he was in fear.

So long and harassing had their journey been both for their bodies and
minds, that, when they had forded the last stream of the desert, and
arrived at the top of the ridge of hills from which they saw the sea,
such was their delight, that they instantly dismounted, and rushed into
each other's arms. They compared their feelings with those of the
suffering Greeks, when, in the retreat of Xenophon, they too hailed the
element whose waves kissed their native soil, and would bear them
thither once more.

Below them lay the vale of Ascalon, enamelled with flowers; amongst
which our garden pink occupies the place of daisies. "Surely," said
Clayfield, "this land is yet one of beauty and fruitfulness? I never saw
any thing more rich and fair than the scene before us."

"It is so," returned Alfred, "and you will find other spots like this in
the course of your route; but yet be assured, that the land groans under
the curse of God and man, and you will see in a short time enough to
prove alike the riches of its past days, and the poverty of the
present."

The Arabs stopped some hours before arriving at Gaza, declaring, "that
their agreement was now fulfilled;" and insisting that it would be for
them a dangerous intrusion to proceed. This was a great inconvenience,
as they were obliged to send their man forward to the town to seek the
banker, and adjust their accounts, which of course included _becksheesh_.
This settled, they parted amicably, exchanging salams; and mounting the
mules brought, together with a guide, by their servant, prepared again
to depart.

At this moment, one of the Arabs, who had all along been particularly
respectful in his manners, darted after them, and looking earnestly at
each, with much emotion exclaimed, "Salam Alekum!" (health to you!) then
added in the same language, "May your father and mother be blessed!"
with much fervour, and departed with this affecting apostrophe.

This impressive adieu was extremely touching to those whose hearts had
been so recently moved with the view of the ocean; and for some time
they rode forward in silence, each, undoubtedly, desiring to return to
the dear country where those beloved connexions resided, held so highly
in the sight of this son of the desert: nor could they muster spirits
for conversation even when they arrived at the khan, or inn, of the
nearest village, which they found a miserable place, where bread was
obtained with difficulty, and poverty was rendered disgusting by filth
of every description.

The following day they reached Jaffa, and saw with delight its fruitful
gardens, which surpass those of Rosetta. Apricots, figs, and oranges,
hanging over the sea, afforded a new and beautiful spectacle to those
who had so long trod the barren sand, and gazed on the naked rock. Here,
to his surprise and pleasure, Alfred found his old friend Damietta as
pompous and _outré_ as he had been six years before, but much more
hospitable, and so pleased to see him a second time, as to appear
perfectly agreeable in the sight of the youth who formerly laughed at
him.

Their national pride was gratified at Jaffa by seeing a small
fortification built by Sir Sidney Smith, or under his instructions. In
the garden of Damietta they caught that curious animal the chameleon. So
far as they could judge, its power of changing colour varied from pale
green to yellow, or at the darkest to blue; but they were told that
sometimes the chameleon became red.

Their next stage was to the convent of Ramlah, once Arimathea. A
solitary monk was the servant, and master, of a place alike deficient in
the comforts to be expected from each. From hence to Jerusalem they did
not meet a single creature; but Clayfield remarked that the surface of
the country resembled that of Syracuse, which he had visited. In one
place, they saw the whole side of a mountain covered with roses, which
reminded them of the song of the Nubians; but lonely appeared the way to
the Blessed City, no longer the "joy of the earth;" and in weariness
they entered the undefended gate, which brought them to the Latin
convent in Jerusalem.




CHAPTER VI.

  Received with joy at the Convent--Dissuade them from travelling to
  Arabia Petræa--Bethlehem--The women there--Kindness to the
  Fathers--Depart for Hebron in their way to the Dead Sea--Final farewell
  to Jerusalem.


Whatever had been the previous fatigue of Alfred, and however incapable
he had been of awakening in himself or his companion, those emotions of
sublime joy and holy rapture which affected him on the first view of
Jerusalem; yet, when he was within the convent, they all revived to a
considerable degree. Many of the fathers received him with warm
affection, and held him to their hearts as a son restored from death,
whom they never could expect to have beheld again; and the remembrance
of his long wandering on the desert, his dangers on the water, and his
perils with the enemies of their faith, rendered his sense of protection
in this quiet resting-place a subject of devout gratitude to God, and
thankfulness to them.

After the necessary rest of a few days, it became a delightful task to
Alfred to show every place of interest to his friend, whose mind was
strongly excited, and piously elevated, by visiting all those places
memorable for being the scenes of our Redeemer's ministry, his cruel
death, and glorious ascension. They found themselves somewhat less
insulted by the ignorant and brutal natives, than on their former visit;
and were gratified by learning, that the monks were on the whole better
treated; but learnt with extreme sorrow and indignation, that a
gentleman,[2] who was their countryman, had lately been shot, in the
neighbourhood of Jericho, and severely wounded by a large party of
robbers.

[Footnote 2: Sir Frederick Henniker was wounded in the year 1822, and we
are sorry to learn is lately dead.]

This sad news exceedingly damped their spirits, and caused them to
hesitate on that expedition to Arabia Petræa, which had long formed the
great object of Alfred's desire. It had been his wish to have
accomplished the journey to the wonderful valley (visited by two English
officers, who had greatly excited his curiosity,) from Mount Sinai, and
to have entered Judea by that route; but it was found utterly impossible
to persuade any Arab to attempt it. Our young friends had, therefore,
determined to pursue precisely the same plan with the aforenamed
travellers, not doubting but they should accomplish it in the same
manner, and being willing, with all the spirit and courage natural to
their age, to encounter any difficulties they might meet.

But this misfortune having taken place within the last two months, the
good fathers lost no opportunity of descanting upon it; and they were
the more inclined to do so, from finding that our travellers had
performed the pilgrimage to Sinai. As the Turks and Arabs are fully
persuaded, that all Europeans visit the antiquities and curiosities of
their country in search of gold; so these good fathers concluded that
their travels were only to secure heaven, which they considered
effectually done already, and therefore they lost no opportunity of
insisting on the danger of proceeding farther, and the cruelty of
exposing the sons of fathers to destruction. The scheme had, however,
seized upon their imaginations too strongly to be surrendered: they
remembered the pleasure and surprise they had experienced from viewing
the temples of Dendera, Thebes, and Diospolis; the beauties of the Isles
of Elephantine and Philoe rose to their memory, combined with
recollections of the mountains of Sinai; and as they hoped to find
objects of this different character combined in that of their search,
they could not bring themselves to relinquish it.

During the time necessary for arranging this, every object of sacred
curiosity was visited in the environs of Jerusalem, particularly
Bethlehem, with which Clayfield was exceedingly gratified and affected.
They remarked at this place several young women, whose features greatly
resembled those handed down of the Virgin Mary, but observed that they
had not met with any picture which gave the true costume, or the
manners of the country.

As Mr. Clayfield determined to visit the Dead Sea, which he justly
considered the greatest curiosity in the country, they determined, at
all events, to set out for Jericho, taking, of course, a double number
of attendants, in consequence of finding the road was more infested with
thieves[3] than ever. They yet considered that the circumstance of the
late assassination (as it was called all over the country) was more
likely to act as a preservative to them than otherwise; for as the
sluggish government had been so far roused as to induce restitution of
the Baronet's luggage, and otherwise to exert itself against the
offenders, it was probable that they might reap the benefit of these
exertions.

[Footnote 3: "A certain man went down to Jericho, and fell among
thieves."]

The promulgation of this resolution filled the convent with mourning;
and they were surprised to see so much affection manifested by men who
had themselves renounced all the tenderer ties of life, and who gave
themselves up to the contemplation, either of divine things, or to
performing a ceaseless round of ceremonies, calculated to wean them from
the common cares of life. Our young friends were not aware that vice
alone hardens the heart against the general tenderness and friendly
interests of our nature; and they were too modest and humble to know
that the elegance of their persons, the suavity of their manners, and
the knowledge they possessed, rendered them in the eyes of the
kind-hearted but ignorant Monks, beings of a superior order, whilst
their youth still entitled them to be held in _their_ estimation as
beloved children.

The young men paid their respects to the governor on parting, who
offered them a Janissary, and accepted the usual presents, an ancient
custom the inhabitants of the East seem in no danger of declining. Their
next care was to consider the wants of the Convent, where they had been
hospitably, though from necessity humbly entertained; and they jointly
presented a sum which appeared magnificent to the fathers,
notwithstanding they justly observed that a day in London, if spent in
the gay world, would have cost more. They also bestowed on their
favourites, and especially those whom Alfred had known the longest, some
of those small but precious[4] gifts, so dear to the heart as memorials.
A few common snuff-boxes and knives, with a pocket telescope for the
superior, if they did not remove their grief, at least softened and
diverted it. They were indeed much consoled with the travellers having
determined to pursue their route to the Dead Sea by way of Bethlehem and
Hebron, in preference to that of Jericho; and they bade them adieu with
good wishes and prayers for their success.

[Footnote 4: Every traveller to these countries ought to provide himself
with things of this kind as presents.]

It was the intention of the travellers, on their arrival at the southern
end of the Dead Sea, to engage with some Arabs of a more civilized cast,
to conduct them to Petra. For this reason they only engaged a guide and
horses besides their servant; but they also bought dresses suited for
complete disguise as Arabians, new furbished their arms, and prepared
themselves for the difficulties which were likely to attend their future
movements, observing that, although the Nubians had been the most
ferocious people they had hitherto encountered, yet the Arabs were the
most cunning, and, when not secured as friends, were to be held as
certain enemies.

They now rode forth from the Convent, but having proceeded about half a
mile, Alfred turned round to take a last look at that memorable city,
and his companion gladly united in his action and sentiments. The sun
now shone upon it in all the splendour of an oriental morning; and as
they were sufficiently removed from the many objects which degrade the
interior, the whole view presented a noble-looking city, with sites
capable of showing the magnificent buildings which once adorned it, to
the greatest advantage. Our young Pilgrims alike lamented its
degradation, acknowledged the awful hand which had chastened it, and,
breathing a devout prayer for its restoration, bade it an eternal adieu.




CHAPTER VII.

  Dress of the Travellers--Hebron--Its great antiquity--The Sheikh's
  Civility and Irresolution--Set out for Jellaheen--The Arabs--Approach
  the Dead Sea--Sleep in a Cavern--Goahnays' Kindness--Melancholy
  Road--Castle of Kerek--Agree with Sheikh Yousouf--Dine with a Turk--Mode
  of Cookery.


The dress of our young travellers, adopted for this important
expedition, was a frock and drawers of very coarse linen, the frock
being fastened round the waist by a leathern girdle four inches broad.
Their head-dress was a handkerchief of silk and cotton, with broad
stripes of green, red, and yellow. This was doubled into a triangular
form, and thrown over the head, to which it was attached by a double
girdle of brown worsted rope: one corner of it hung down the back of the
neck, the other two covered the ears, and fell upon the shoulders. It is
the custom with the Arabs, when the weather is cold, to pass these
corners under the chin, and cover the whole face, except the eyes. Over
all they wore the _abba_, or cloak, and they carried their money in
small gold coins concealed in leather belts, tied round the waist next
the skin.

They proceeded to Bethlehem, which having seen before, they moved
forward to Hebron, passing by nine sepulchral caves, and the ruins of a
small convent, which the Jews call the House of Abraham. They now passed
amidst considerable vineyards, and reached Hebron at night, remembering
the account of its antiquity given by Moses, "Hebron was built seven
years before Zoan in Egypt." Here Abraham, Sarah his wife, and Isaac,
died.

The Turks of Hebron having little intercourse with Europeans, are very
jealous of them; and they could not, by any effort, gain admission to
the Mosque, which is said to be the tomb of Abraham; they considered the
lower part of this building very curious, and thought, from its
appearance, that it was a kind of cover only to the Mosque itself.

The town of Hebron is populous, but not large; the streets are winding,
and the houses unusually high. They found that a party of pilgrims went
from hence every year, to fall in with the great body at Damascus; and
they learnt from a merchant, that about three days' journey from thence
great ruins might be seen in the Desert at Abdi,--information which of
course quickened their desires to penetrate into Arabia Petræa.

They had been favourably received by the Sheikh, who entertained them
with rice, milk and coffee; but although he spoke on the subject of
proceeding to Wady Moussa and Kerek as easy matters in the first
instance, he soon afterwards threw many difficulties in the way. In
consequence of this change in his manners, Alfred applied to a Jewish
priest, whom he thought a likely person to assist in the search for
conductors. They found him in a house remarkable for its neatness and
cleanliness, and learnt that he was at the head of about a hundred
families of Jews resident in Hebron. The governor visited at the house
of this priest, who was extremely civil, and offered them letters of
introduction to persons in the villages through which they desired to
pass: on seeing which, the governor again appeared willing to negotiate,
and for five hundred piastres undertook to convey them a part of their
way, to which was added a present of a watch; so that, after many
disappointments on one hand, and much shuffling on the other, they
finally proceeded to enter on their great attempt.

Their first place of halt was near a Jellaheen camp of about thirty
tents, situated on a hill, which is contrary to the habits of the Arabs.
The harems, or women's portions of the tents, were closely covered, and
the women entirely veiled. These people appeared extremely poor, yet
they had numbers of sheep, goats, and camels; perhaps the circumstance
of being encamped in a country completely desert, accounted for it. They
here saw an Arab journeyman tailor, who was employed in making coats of
sheep-skins, which he afterwards dyed with red ochre, or some similar
substance.

They now tried to persuade these Jellaheens to conduct them to Wady
Moussa, offering them a very large sum; but they all refused to accept
it, observing, "that the people of Wady Moussa were a treacherous and
cruel race, and always attacked strangers by firing upon them from the
rocks,"--a method adopted by the thieves, who had in that manner wounded
their countryman, Sir Frederick Henniker, on the road to Jericho. This
information again caused them to hesitate; but, as they understood that
some of the party were quarrelling with others for the chance of
accompanying them, they concluded that the danger was magnified, and
they recommenced their negotiation, which, however, came to no end, and
they finally set out with their original guides.

After they had proceeded a few miles in a very dissatisfied state, they
were followed by three of the Jellaheens; and although they affected
indifference in order to lessen their extortion, yet they gladly entered
into a bargain with them, convinced that, in journeying through deserts,
such guides alone can be trusted as are conversant with the way.

Under the new directors, they now turned to the south, and about mid-day
saw from a slight eminence the Dead Sea spread out before them; from
which view, they did not consider it nearly so large as it had been
generally represented. They now began a continual descent into a barren
valley full of great stones, and passed a pool of green water, in which
an old Turk was bathing; but, little tempting as this reservoir
appeared, they were glad to drink of it, and to fill their water-skins
likewise. The place was called El Zowar. On leaving this, they passed a
gravelly ravine, where there were bushes of the acacia tree, and a plant
bearing a small stone fruit, resembling a dried apple, which the Arabs
called "doom." In the evening they arrived at the great plain at the end
of the Dead Sea.

Every step which brought them nearer to this eternal monument of divine
wrath, exhibited the most melancholy dreariness of aspect; but yet, as
the impressions of his first journey to this dreadful scene were vividly
impressed on Alfred's memory, he thought that the first sight had shown
it in a worse point of view than the second. Clayfield, however, found
it sufficiently deplorable to affect his spirits exceedingly, and for
some time he protested against spending the night there; but this being
most convenient, they proceeded to gather wood, which had been thrown up
by the lake, in order to make a fire, and bake cakes for their suppers.

The wood was so impregnated with salt, that all their efforts to produce
fire were unavailing, and they were compelled to eat their flour mixed
with their unsavoury water, then creep into a cleft in the surrounding
rocks for the night, surrounded by that scene of comfortless horror,
which never fails to impress alike upon the enlightened traveller, and
the wandering Arab, a sense of awe the most profound and appalling.

On awaking and emerging from their cavern, they were extremely sensible
of the unpleasant smell for which the waters of the Dead Sea have been
remarkable, and they gladly left its shores, and had within a short time
the satisfaction of entering a wooded tract, diversified by the mimosa,
the tamarind tree, and one tree which they had never seen before. This
curious tree was here in great plenty, and bore a fruit in bunches
resembling currants, of the colour of the plum. They found the taste
pleasant, but of a strong aromatic kind, resembling mustard, and
producing a similar irritability in the nose and eyes.

"Surely," said Alfred, "this must be the tree to which our Saviour
alluded, when he gave the parable of the mustard-seed, and not the
mustard of the North?"

"I am entirely of your opinion," replied his companion; "for although,
on our way to Jerusalem, we saw mustard-plants growing as high as our
horses' heads, yet they were but annuals, and do not deserve the name of
trees; whereas here we see that birds do indeed take shelter under the
branches of these trees."

Amongst many other curiosities in the vegetable world, they remarked the
wild cotton-plant, and soon afterwards found that corn was growing in
the space between the bushes. The guides now told them not to talk, lest
they should be overheard by the natives; but this request they would not
comply with, as they were now extremely hungry, and desirous of
procuring refreshment.

Soon afterwards some of these natives appeared;--they were, indeed, a
wild-looking race, clad in leather aprons reaching to the shoulders, a
dress they had never seen before. They addressed them civilly, and,
being told they were soldiers going to Kerek, they wished that more
would come amongst them, as they were oppressed by the Bedouins, "who
neither feared God nor the saints." They gave them doom to eat, dried
and pounded, and afterwards fetched them bread, butter, and milk. They
were at this time exceedingly annoyed with large horse-flies, which,
they were told, "were a plague sent by the Almighty at the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah."

The people they saw here, are called Goahnays: they differ materially
from the Arabs, and from the natives of towns, yet they adhere to one
place of abode, and cultivate the land in its vicinity. They build huts
of reeds, rushes, and canes, and construct their villages in the form of
a square, with only one entrance for the cattle, which are thereby kept
from straying. They treated our young travellers very hospitably; for,
before they left them, they threshed out corn with great sticks for
their horses. The women commenced this labour, but, as they could not
work and hide their faces at the same time, the men dismissed them, and
did it themselves. On taking leave, they were offered a handsome reward,
but they absolutely refused it for a quarter of an hour, when Alfred
threw the money amongst them, on which they fell to fighting for the
prize, and a furious battle ensued.

These people had universally a bad character; it was therefore supposed
that it was the fear of the Aga which operated so favourably in behalf
of his supposed soldiers.

They now passed along the foot of mountains, rugged and barren in the
extreme, but presenting fine specimens of black, grey, and red porphyry,
serpentine stones, beautiful black basalt, and many other valuable
stones. They did not doubt that from this place the ancients procured
materials for the fine columns met with in Turkey and Syria. Our young
friends loaded themselves and their servant with specimens; and, after
passing Saphy, the honey river, and other places, reached Elderrat at
night-fall, in time to make a sketch from thence over the country they
had passed.

The following morning they continued a journey altogether rugged and
devoid of vegetation. They met four men, two of whom were black; and in
their way were startled by perceiving five men, with muskets, peeping
from behind a rock at some distance from the road; but they appeared to
be moved by curiosity, not ill-will. Their road lay on a terrace on the
side of a romantic ravine, where immense fragments had fallen, and
fissures were presented, showing that more would fall. At length they
came to a small deposit of water under an olive-tree, when the five men
followed them, calling out, "that they desired to eat bread with them;"
but they considered their conduct as suspicious, and passed forward.

As they advanced, they found themselves in corn-fields, with cattle
grazing to the left, on the banks of the river Souf Sussa, which runs
towards the Asphaltes, the waters of which were nearly hidden by the
Oleander in full bloom, which fringed its edges. The Castle of Kerek
soon appeared, to their great delight; but they could not yet see the
town, towards which they now hastened with renewed spirits, as forming
one great point in their tour.

The ruins of the Castle of Kerek, and a large building called the
Seraglio of Melek-e-dahie, are the most striking objects here. Between
these, they found the gate of entrance, a narrow arch with an Arabian
inscription over it. In their approach to the town, they descended a
valley at the foot of the castle hill, where they saw with pleasure a
stream of water, and a narrow line of gardens, in which grew olives,
pomegranates, and figs. The ascent from hence was steep and toilsome;
but they soon found themselves within the walls, and saw from the ruins,
that there had formerly been a considerable population. The houses were
of one story, terrace-roofed, and so constructed that the roof at the
back is, in many of them, not above the level of the ground, so that
they are traversed even by persons on horseback, without their being
aware of it. The walls of the ancient buildings were daubed with
paintings in red and black; but the most remarkable thing they observed,
was a Christian church in the very bosom of the castle, constructed in a
rude manner with small stones; whereas the castle itself was built with
large ones, laid in the Mahomedan manner. The church resembles one at
Tiberias, which Alfred remembered; and he remarked, "that, as both were
unquestionably the work of Crusaders, and it was known that Godfrey de
Bouillon took Kerek, and called it Mons Regalis, so most probably he
built this church." On the stuccoed walls were depicted a king in
armour, and the martyrdom of a saint by twisting out his bowels. A few
vestiges of remote antiquity, particularly a great wing in basso
relievo, which they thought had been the wing of the Roman eagle, as
they could not trace any remains of the globe to which such wings were
attached in the temples of Egypt, were likewise visible.

The women at Kerek, contrary to all others in their route, did not cover
their faces beyond the point of the chin; and so far from keeping out of
sight, they sat down and conversed familiarly. The travellers and their
horses were well fed, without any cost; but they were obliged to remain
until the Sheikh Yousouf should return, he being absent at a camp half a
day distant, passing the honey-moon with an Arab bride, whom he had
lately married.

This period was passed by them in a general inspection of the manners of
the people; and they were amused also by the remarks of a great
traveller, who came from Damascus on a swift dromedary, soon after their
arrival. He said "he had been to Tripoli, Aleppo, and Cyprus, but had
too much value for his life to venture it at Constantinople." They found
that, at Kerek, few knew the name of the ruling Sultan; but they joined
in abusing the Bashaws, and protesting against the degradation "of
hiding their hands before them, when they could loll as they pleased in
their own houses."

One day they were invited to dine at a Turk's house, who treated them
with a boiled sheep, without bread, or any thing to it--a custom which,
they afterwards regretted to find, was exceedingly common. They both
agreed, that the common method among the Arabs of seething the meat in
leban, (sour butter-milk,) was an excellent mode of cooking, as it
rendered the flesh much tenderer than by boiling it in water, and
preserved all the juices, which, when incorporated with the _leban_, and
poured on pillaw of rice, made also excellent food.




CHAPTER VIII.

  Leave Kerek--Pass Medin, Imriega, &c.--Proceed towards Shobek--Engage
  Sheikh Sahlem--Pass Gharundel--Reach Shobek--Well received there--Meet
  Abou Raschid--Menaced by the Men of Wady Moussa--Abou's noble
  spirit--Large Encampment--Continued Opposition--Peace effected with the
  Men of Wady Moussa.


On the evening of the fourth day, Sheikh Yousouf arrived, but did not
bring his bride. He was a fine-looking man of sixty, with a long white
beard; and on hearing the request of our travellers to proceed, he asked
roughly, "Whether this was the country of their fathers?" which, to
their apprehension, did not augur favourably. Yousouf, however, turned
out to be a plain, but honest man, considering his country; and, when
the only person in the town who could read, had been summoned to examine
their various documents of credentials, recommendations, &c. he gave the
matter due consideration. Four hundred piastres[5] were his own demand,
as the price of safe conduct to Wady Moussa; but he would not undertake
to free them from incidental tributes, though he pledged himself to
accompany them the whole journey. During their conference, they saw the
dowry of a young woman about to be married, paid down in the Sheikh's
house: it amounted to about an hundred piastres, paid in white money of
Constantinople. This was understood to be for her head-ornament, as the
ladies here decorate their foreheads with dollars, and different kinds
of money, sometimes amounting to a great weight.

[Footnote 5: A piastre is about nine pence.]

The following afternoon they set out, leaving Kerek in a direction to
the south, passing through a narrow ravine as they left the town. On
each side they remarked caverns and wrought tombs, with places intended
for sarcophagi; and they did not doubt but this had been the
burying-place of the ancient town. They were joined by an Arab who had
escaped from the Wahabees, by whom he had been taken prisoner; he was
mounted on a light leggy horse, very different from those of the Arabs,
and confirmed the account they had received before, that this people
feed their horses on camel's milk; he also said the Wahabees preferred
silver greatly to gold, but gave no reason for it.

In two hours they reached the camp under the son of Yousouf, where they
took refreshment, and then proceeded to a village called Mahana, in
ruins. Amongst those ruins was a Christian Church. They then went due
west to Medin, whence they saw many sites of places now only
distinguished by ruins, as Imriega, Hadad, Skirree, Becklanah, and
Mehkill. On every side were stretched fine plains, which had once been
covered with noble towns, each of which had been surrounded by a richly
cultivated country. The prospect, on either hand, was of a nature to
awaken the most lively interest, and the most melancholy reflections.

"Ah!" said Alfred, "we are now in the very land of which Josephus
speaks, 'the country of the Nabatheans, the most potent of the Arabs
and the Idumeans,' who, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem,
were almost as numerous as the Jews. How wonderful and how complete has
been the destruction given to both: 'the corn that grows where Troy town
stood,' is not more decisive proof of its extinction, than the memorials
by which we are surrounded."

The following morning they set out before sunrise, and in about a
quarter of an hour passed the tomb of Sheikh Jaffa, where some of the
party alighted to pray. Most of the inhabitants of Kerek are Christians,
but the Turks live with them in great amity, and the present party of
guides consisted of both. Soon after, they reached the camp of Sheikh
Sahlem, who has great influence over all the country as far as Shobek.
This chief demanded two hundred piastres; but as Yousouf had calculated
on thirty only, our travellers refused to pay it. He then wished they
might be struck with lightning before they reached Kerek; and said,
"they would have taken the money by force, had it not been for the
presence of Yousouf." When they had ceased to threaten, Alfred gave the
chief one hundred and fifty piastres: on which he mounted his horse, and
with his son, who was a fine young man, amicably accompanied the party,
and took them to another camp of his tribe, consisting of thirty-three
tents.

From this camp they proceeded unattended to visit the ruins of Dettrass,
but, except some Roman pillars, found nothing of interest. On returning,
they saw that the women of the camp had their cheeks covered with blood
and scratches; and, on inquiring the reason, were told, "that they had
mourned, the day before, for a death in one of the Harems."

They now left far behind the once populous plains, and wound upwards,
through a steep acclivity, where the rocks gave signal of former
volcanic effects, but still the Oleander, in rich profusion, might be
descried in the valleys beneath. After a journey of six hours, they
reached another camp, where they were hospitably received, as usual, but
robbed of several articles, which they were obliged to purchase from the
tribe in the morning, as they confessed to being possessed of the
property without hesitation, being anxious only to dispose well of their
pilferings. This conduct did not appear in the least surprising to
Yousouf, although he was of a very different character. Dishonesty is so
common among these people, as to excite little disapprobation even in
the best of them; and it is remarkable, that the very persons who will
freely feed men and their horses whom they never saw before nor expect
to see again, should yet, where money is concerned, be always
extortionate and unjust.

Their way now became on the descent, and in about three hours they
reached the ruins called Gharundel. They are situated on the slope of a
hill, and are of considerable extent. Towards the centre, are the
remains of two parallel rows of columns, without capitals; near to
these, were fragments of others, the capitals of which appeared to be
bad Doric. Leaving the ruins, they proceeded to an Arab camp, of the
tribe of Hadjezah; and whilst they were eating with these people, their
women gave an alarm, by crying out and waving their scarfs, that an
enemy was attempting to drive away their flocks. The whole party within
sallied forth, but could not see the offenders.

Again their way lay near a volcanic mount, covered with scoria of a
reddish colour; and from three eminences of this description, they
perceived the lava that had streamed from them, and formed a kind of
island in the midst. Soon after, they found an ancient Roman highway,
paved with black stone; and on the right, at intervals, were ruins of
square buildings, one of which had a cistern, which indicated that they
had been erected for the benefit of travellers. They found three
mile-stones, but their inscriptions were effaced; and, following the
road to the edge of a deep vale, they came suddenly upon Shobek, or
Showbac, which stands like a gigantic mound, the foot of which is
terraced round by gardens with fig-trees, at this time full of verdure.

"So, this is the ancient Shobek, mentioned by Nehemiah," said Clayfield,
"and probably very little altered since his time.--How is this? are we
not to enter the place?" Alfred looked up, and perceived numbers of the
natives of the city standing on the walls, and throwing down stones; but
they appeared to be acting rather from alarm than defiance. The two
sheikhs, Yousouf and Sahlem, proceeded, without delay, to enter by an
iron gate; on seeing whom, the inhabitants received them civilly, some
crying out to others, "Go and get bread and firewood for these poor
fellows, who are come to lodge a night amongst us."

They were then carried to a sort of divan in the open air, constructed
upon what seemed to be the ruins of a Church, of Crusade architecture;
but the doors and the arch had the air of a Mahomedan building, and
Alfred remarked to his friend, "that great changes had been seen there,
as at other places, since the time when Shobek was named in the Old
Testament; but he was inclined to think with him, the manners of the
inhabitants were much the same." This idea was confirmed from the mode
of their salutation, in which there was much kissing, first of the right
cheek, and afterwards of the left, four or five times. They brought them
dried figs, green, and of a delicious flavour; and as, from their
exalted situation[6] in the open air, they could see over the whole
country, and particularly notice the volcanic mountains, our young men
were much pleased with their situation. The inhabitants evinced their
good breeding by making no inquiries as to the object of their journey;
but it was evident that they were very curious on the subject.

[Footnote 6: "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid," were words
probably used by our Lord in reference to Showbac.]

After resting for some time, they made a diligent search for
inscriptions, but only found one, which had happily attracted the
attention of Mr. Banks, and been satisfactorily translated by that
diligent and learned traveller, proving that the building in which it
was found was erected by one of the Frank kings of Jerusalem. The
interior parts of this Church (for such it may still be called) are of
the pure Gothic, but the construction is more in the Oriental than the
Norman style. But in the walls and gates of Antioch the same
circumstance occurs, and they too were built by the Crusaders, who
probably had good reasons for uniting the different modes.

Quitting Shobek, they wound by a spiral road into the valley which
surrounds it, and observed that the road had been, in some parts, cased
with masonry. From thence they ascended to the south-west, and arrived
at a large Arab camp, where they expected to find the Sheikh Mahommed
Abou Raschid, _i. e._ Mahommed the father of Raschid; but unfortunately
he was from home. They were, however, hospitably received, and
messengers despatched to inform the Sheikh of their arrival. Whilst they
were taking food, a merchant, whom they had seen at Hebron, came into
the tent, complaining that he had been robbed of twenty-eight pieces of
merchandise; and it was a curious coincidence that during their short
stay at Shobek, there had been an alarm in the place, that the Arabs had
killed forty of their goats: so that robbery seemed the order of the
day.

The following day at noon, Abou Raschid arrived. He was a middle-aged
man, of dark complexion and beard, black piercing eyes, and aquiline
nose, about thirty. He was evidently full of life and spirits, yet of
few words, and of plain unaffected manners. Having first dined with our
travelling party, he then gave audience to the Hebron merchant, who
pleaded his own case so well, that the Sheikh gave orders "that his
goods should be restored." He then entered speedily on terms with the
travellers, assuring them "he would conduct them to Wady Moussa, for the
sake of Ali Pacha of Egypt, and desire no recompense;" and he had so high
a character, and appeared so much a man of business, that they had no
doubt he would fulfil his promise.

Soon after a great tumult arose in the tent, Abou Zatoun, (the father of
the Olives,) who was the Sheikh of Wady Moussa, declaring with violent
gestures, and even swearing "by the beard of the Prophet" and "by the
honour of their women," that the travellers should not go forward; and
when he saw that they were preparing to mount, he rode forth, uttering
threats and execrations, towards Wady Moussa, to prevent them. All the
Wady Moussa people in the camp joined in their chiefs hostility, and
followed him, exclaiming, "Let the dogs go and perish if they please!"
and swearing "they should neither drink of their water, nor pass into
their territory." Whilst this was passing, the old Sheikh Yousouf's
resolution was shaken, and he tried to persuade our young travellers to
give up their attempt of proceeding further; but as their curiosity was
rather excited than satisfied by what they had seen, and they were now
so near the great object of their search, it will be readily supposed
that they combated his suggestions.

[Illustration: _N^o. 7._    _Page 117._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 8._    _Page 123._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._

Abou Raschid twice dismounted to answer the arguments of his people, who
crowded around him, imploring him "not to risk himself for the sake of
people who were only Christians;" but when he saw that his arguments had
no effect, he seized his spear, and sprang upon his horse, exclaiming,
"I have set them on their horses, let us see who will dare to stop Abou
Raschid?"

They now descended by a rocky ravine, the people of Wady Moussa riding
also in a parallel line with them, keeping to the high ground on their
left. In about half an hour, they reached a place called Sammach, where
they were joined by a host of armed people, some on horseback, some on
foot, also two double-mounted dromedaries. These were all subject to
their new Sheikh, for Yousouf and Sahlem remained in the camp they had
quitted. On the coming up of his people, Abou Raschid took an oath also,
that "by the honour of their women, and by the faith of a true
Mussulman, the travellers _should_ drink of the water of Wady Moussa,
and go whithersoever he pleased to carry them."

Thus were the two rival chiefs oppositely pledged, and in a manner war
declared: which was the more honourably espoused on the part of Abou
Raschid, because he had not only not received any promise of pecuniary
reward, but made no stipulation for it. As they advanced down the
ravine, a wild and romantic view opened before them, terminated by the
peaks of the black and rugged ridge of Mount Hor, and by a boundless
extent of desert, which they had never seen equalled before, even from
Mount Sinai, either as regarded its singularity or grandeur; and despite
of the near vicinity of their enemies, they rejoiced in the resolution
of proceeding which they had evinced.

From this ravine, they crossed a plain, covered with corn and
white-thorn bushes, which conducted them to a valley with the sides
prettily studded with turpentine trees, so as to give it a park-like
appearance; and they perceived traces of a paved way. At sun-set, they
alighted at a camp of sixty-eight tents, pitched in three adjoining
circles, on the highest point of a pass.

This encampment commanded a magnificent view, and added much to the
wild, romantic character of the scene, which was closed in by mountains
of sparry flint, of a purple hue, seamed with wild crevices,
intersecting a whitish expanse of country, jutting forward into it like
promontories. The violent rains which had happened a short time before,
added to this landscape the charm so seldom found in eastern views, for
the water formed a line of glittering silver in the distant plain. The
furthest range of mountains here pointed out, they were told was Mount
Sinai; and to the westward they were shown that peak of Mount Hor, which
is said to be the tomb of Aaron: see Numbers xx. 25. A place called
Gerige was also named, as lying four days' distance eastward, where
there were very extensive ruins. In front of the tent where they slept,
were traces of an ancient road, in two parallel lines of low walling.
Far below, they discerned various small camps of Arabs, but no town, or
village, was beheld through the wide expanse; all was now given to the
children of the Desert, the wandering sons of Ishmael.

On the following day they pursued their way unmolested by their
opponents, who had withdrawn in the night, but of whose future movements
they still remained suspicious. They soon reached a camp within sight of
Wady Moussa, which appeared an inconsiderable village, with a few
fig-trees about it. Other places were also visible, but they were
prohibited from going on the precipice, from whence they could be seen.
In this camp were some singular-looking persons, with long hair of a
tawny colour, plaited in small plaits in the Nubian manner, with brown
handkerchiefs worked with patches of coloured woollen, and so fastened
as to stand up high on the head. The women had a peculiar way of
plaiting their braided hair across the forehead, giving it the formal
air of a wig. The children wore only leathern aprons, ornamented with
shells.

They were now apprised that the adverse party were determined to oppose
them, that they had removed several of their camps, abandoned their
village of Wady Moussa, and intended to occupy a height which commanded
it. The tents which they were pitching there soon became visible, and
messages of persuasions or threats were continually passing. A party
from them once passed their tents, but they refused to come into them;
they were suffered to go on unmolested. In the afternoon arrived a large
deputation, and a conference was commenced with Abou Raschid, for of the
travellers themselves no notice was taken. Much stress was laid by the
Sheikh on the boyourdi of the Pashaw of Damascus; but this they refused
to observe, saying, "it was a forgery of the Jews." Abou Raschid then
roundly asserted, "that they had with them a person on the part of
Soliman Pashaw of Acre," and added other falsehoods in argument, urging
them by various threats of the anger of different Pashaws to comply. He
next desired the travellers to take down the names of the refractory
chiefs, in order that they might instigate Mahomed Ali to lay hands upon
them, when they should come to trade at Grand Cairo. All he could urge
seemed to fail entirely of effect, for they pretended to believe that
the strangers intended to poison the water.

In the evening, they had a loud thunder-storm; and as there was neither
food for the band, nor forage for their horses, they returned to the
camp they had left, where for some hours a cold rain fell, which
penetrated the tent. On the morning, a thick fog prevailed, and in the
camp noisy councils and altercations were heard on all sides, indicative
of approaching war. Our young men, although there had been many times in
the preceding day when their hearts had beat high for battle, goaded by
the insolence, or vexed by the obstinacy of their opponents, could not
bear to think of so seriously involving the lives and comforts of their
fellow creatures. This emotion was increased, when they saw a poor woman
in tears, with a child in her arms, earnestly beseeching the chiefs to
refrain. They assured the Sheikh that they were willing to renounce Wady
Moussa altogether; that they had no desire to taste the water, the
antiquities which were at a distance from that village being the sole
objects. Abou Raschid, however, though a man of few words, stood always
to his point; and he now swore, "they should not only see the place, but
_bathe_ in the waters," and this, if not accomplished by fair means, he
would effect by force.

The messengers who now arrived from the party in opposition, not only
renewed protestations against them if they entered _their_ territory,
but threatened to cut off their return: of course their situation became
very serious. Alfred observed, "that they were in the same situation as
the children of Israel, when Edom refused to give them a passage through
this country; and that, in fact, they must be on the same spot of land,
as the appearance of Mount Hor, the burial-place of Aaron, proved."

About mid-day, when the weather was somewhat clearer, they perceived a
number of armed men, some mounted, coming up the valley. The horsemen
were the Sheikhs Yousouf and Sahlem, with their attendants: they were
followed by a few lances, and infantry to the amount of sixty. They drew
up in a line near the camp, and approached it shouting, the women within
answering with a scream of exultation; but they were not suffered to
stand exposed in the way, for those who ventured out were rudely driven
back by the men. The two Sheikhs entered the camp, much dispirited and
hurt with this affair, reminding Alfred how strongly they advised him
to desist. Old Yousouf, with his long white beard and persuasive speech,
exceedingly struck them as resembling Nestor in the Iliad: he dwelt much
on what had passed in his youth--dwelt on the wars in which he had been
engaged, and the reason he now saw to repent of them. His stories were
given with much grave action; but they had more effect on all his
hearers, than the spirited young Arab for whom they were designed, who
could never be induced to give up a single iota; he maintained, that
wherever he chose to carry the strangers, thither they should go.

Another deputation arrived from the enemy; and the old Sheikhs used
their utmost efforts to induce compliance on each side, but in vain.
Meantime Abou Raschid gained strength by reinforcements continually
arriving. The camp began to wear a very formidable character; the spears
stuck in the sand, the saddled horses before the tents, with the arms
hanging up within, had altogether an imposing effect. Perceiving such a
concourse of strangers, and considering the increased expense, the young
men begged they might be permitted to pay for their own food and
provender for their horses; but Abou Raschid would not hear of it.

Hindi, an Arab chief, of poor appearance, and almost blind, was yet a
man of much power, and was said to have the command of two thousand
guns. He had formerly been on bad terms with Abou Raschid, but on the
present occasion was inclined to favour him. In the course of the day,
he made a solemn peace with this Sheikh; and having done so, passed over
to the tent of the enemy, as it was supposed, in the character of a
mediator.

No answer arrived that night, but there was a rumour in the camp, that
opposition would not be offered in the morning, and the chief said
exultingly, "that there were some who had the talent of carrying their
point with saying very little; while others, who made a great noise,
were obliged to give way, and behaved like cattle."

About midnight, as if to complete the turmoils of this memorable day,
there was a cry of thieves in the camp; and on examination it was found,
that the robbers were quietly seated round the fire; as nothing was
lost, no other punishment was given than expelling the intruders.

The following day the fog was still thicker than before; and, as if the
weather settled on the temper, our young friends learnt, to their great
vexation, that the people of Wady Moussa still declared, "that they
should pay with their lives for any attempt to advance within their
limits;" and what still augured worse to them, was the absence of Abou
Raschid nearly the whole day. On the following, they expected some
result would arise from the interference of Hindi, but as they found
that two other tribes had joined their enemies, there was less reason to
hope. During this day, old Yousouf was particularly eloquent in their
behalf, maintaining, "that they were followers of Mahomet, whose only
motive in advancing was to offer their devotions at the tomb of Aaron,"
thus giving a plausible reason for the journey. When pressed farther as
to the travellers' faith, he replied, "They are English;" and after a
long harangue, which, towards the conclusion, seemed to favour of
hostility, he said, "I too could bring out the men of Kerek;" but yet he
did not pledge himself to do so. He was, altogether, a wise and wary
chief, yet an honest guide, since he in all things fulfilled his
original treaty.

In the course of this day, Alfred had the great satisfaction of
discovering one of the ruins they so ardently desired to examine, from
the mountain where they were encamped. It was discernible through a
narrow strait, formed by two craggy cliffs, which gave it a very
picturesque appearance; and it will be readily conceived with what
eagerness he called for his friend to partake his pleasure. By following
the brow of the mountain, they gained also a sight of the Theatre at
Petra, cut out of the lime rock, and several of the tombs. These ruins
were not discerned without the aid of a spy-glass, but the sight of them
not only charmed, but greatly encouraged our young enthusiasts, who
conceived it very possible, should other methods fail, to reach them in
the night, without passing by the enemy's quarters. Whilst they were
deliberating on this subject, they saw a great cavalcade enter the camp,
and observed among the horsemen some who wore richer turbans, and more
gaudy colours, than are used by the Bedouin Arabs. As this procession
advanced, several of Abou Raschid's Arabs went out and led the horses of
the chiefs by the bridles into the camp. The whole procession alighted
at the tent of their chief, Abou Raschid, and kissed his turban, which
was the signal of pacification. Peace was now proclaimed through the
camp, and notice given that the men bearing arms, should return to their
respective homes.

They now understood that they might set out that afternoon; but by
general consent it was deferred. Singing and music took place in the
tents; and one of the chiefs who had been adverse, came to pay the
travellers a formal visit, and in the course of it affected to examine
and approve their papers, though, in point of fact, he was perfectly
ignorant of the Turkish language, but on his decision he grounded a
claim to money. This claim old Yousouf warded off by saying, "that, for
his own part, he had not seen the colour of their gold," which assertion
was, in one sense, true, since the money he agreed to receive was lodged
in the hands of a Greek priest.

At length Abou Raschid entered to them, and, as he was in high spirits,
and all things propitious, they closed the day with hopes that the
weather would become as favourable to their design as other
circumstances, consoling themselves for the time they had lost, by
recollecting, that, for several days past, they could not have
prosecuted their journey, even if the people of Wady Moussa had been
ever so agreeable; and remembering also, that they had gained such
insight into the manners of the Arabs, and the individual
characteristics of their chiefs, as could not have been furnished by any
other circumstances whatever.




CHAPTER IX.

  Set out for Petra--Pass the Boundaries of Wady Moussa--Enter the
  Necropolis--Immense Tombs excavated--Long Ravine--Towers and
  Temples--Paucity of Inscriptions--Wild Flowers--Murder of
  Pilgrims--Magnificent winged Statue--Surprising Architecture.


"Now for Petra! the city of the Desert, the land of wonders!" cried
Alfred, as he leapt from his hard couch at sun rise. Clayfield was
already up, and examining the weather, which was very tolerable; and
in a short time they set out. Their present party were about fifty
persons, several of the deputation from Wady Moussa being amongst
them, together with some men of Damascus, who had passed the night in
the tents of Abou Raschid. The first part of their journey was the
same they had passed before; but after some time they turned to the
south-east, constantly descending. After a time, the road grew very
difficult, passing into a narrow, rocky defile, towards the extremity
of which the path branched off two ways. It was whispered to Alfred by
their chief, that they would not seem to take any notice, but follow
their own guide, who would here lead them to the ruins, whilst the men
of Wady Moussa might turn to their own village.

When this point of separation was reached, many of the men proceeded
towards Wady Moussa; but others, who saw Abou Raschid's intentions, used
their utmost efforts to induce him to go thither, but he now told them,
"he had sworn an oath that they should neither eat, nor drink, at their
expense, nor within the limits of their territory." This was evidently a
mortification, and some of them followed him for a short distance; but,
before they had reached the valley of Wady Moussa, all had withdrawn.

The defile brought them now to a place so long and painfully familiar to
them. They found it a stony but cultivated valley, at the upper end of
which the village was now seen hanging over stages of hanging
fruit-trees and gardens. At the point of junction between two valleys,
Abou Raschid pointed with a sneer towards a brook they were crossing,
saying, "There is the water about which there has been so much
contention."

"This stream," observed Alfred to his friend, "has been dignified by
Pliny with the name of a river." But Clayfield's attention was given to
the people of Wady Moussa, whom they now saw assembled in great numbers
to watch them on the side of the hill. As they approached nearer to the
village, though still distant enough to prove their intention of not
visiting it, they saw that it was a wretched place of only forty or
fifty houses.

A few hundred yards below the spring, they saw with a delight the
anxious investigator of antiquity can alone appreciate, the vast
Necropolis of Petra begin. Many door-ways were visible, cut in the side
of the mountain, upon different levels. Towards this part the mountain
assumes a rugged aspect; and the most remarkable tombs stand near the
road, which follows the course of the brook.

What an idea was given of the past magnificence of Petra to our young
travellers, when the burial-place of its inhabitants offered objects to
their view so imposing in character as those which every step now
disclosed to them! and how light appeared all their past difficulties,
when they found themselves on the spot they had so long desired to see,
and which had been seen by so few before them![7]--men whose steps it
was an honour to follow, and whose pleasures it was a glory to partake!

[Footnote 7: This journey is referred to in the introduction, as taken
by Captain Mangles, R. N. and the Hon. Captain Irby.]

The first tomb they examined was on the right hand, and is cut in a mass
of whitish rock, which is in some measure insulated and detached from
the general range. The centre represents the front of a square tower,
with pilasters at the corner, and several successive bands of frieze
and entablature above; two low wings project from it at right angles,
and present each of them a recess in the manner of a portico, which
consists of two columns, whose capitals have affinity with the Doric
order, between corresponding antea. Three sides of a square are thus
inclosed; the fourth was apparently shut in by a low wall, and two
colossal lions on either side, all much decayed.

Proceeding, they now saw on the left a wide façade, of rather low
proportions, loaded with ornaments in the Roman manner, but in a bad
taste; with an infinity of broken lines, unnecessary angles, multiplied
pediments, half pediments, and pedestals set upon columns that support
nothing. It struck them as having more the air of a fantastical scene in
a theatre, than an architectural work in stone; and they could not help
lamenting, that so much labour had been bestowed with so little taste.
The chamber to which this unmeaning front was the entrance, had a broad
raised platform round three sides, on which bodies were probably
disposed. Immediately over this front is another of almost equal extent,
but wholly distinct from it, so that even the centres do not correspond;
the doorway has the same ornaments, triglyphs over the entablature, and
flowers in the metopes; the rest of the design is no more than a plain
front, without the decoration of a single moulding. Upon this are set,
in a recess, four tall and taper pyramids; their effect is singular and
surprising, but combining too little with the rest of the elevation to
be good.

Pyramids so applied, Clayfield said, he had read of, as being on the
tomb of the Queen of Adiabeena; also on the summit of the tomb of the
Maccabees. The interior of this Mausoleum they found of moderate size,
with two sepulchral recesses on each side, and one in form of an arched
alcove at the upper end, being probably intended for the head of a
family and his wives. The exteriors of these tombs,[8] as sketched on
the spot, are given in the plate.

[Footnote 8: Copied from the work of Captain Mangles.]

The sides of the valley through which they were proceeding, now became
rugged and precipitous to a high degree, so that it might deserve the
name of a ravine, with high detached masses of rock standing up here and
there in the open space. Of these the architects had availed themselves.
In some instances, large and lofty towers were represented in relievo on
the lower part of the precipice, and the live rock cut on all sides to
make the resemblance complete. The greater part of these present
themselves in the high road, but others stand back in the wild nooks and
recesses of the mountain. Yet all appeared sepulchral--so far it was a
city of the dead; and, like the Pyramids of Egypt, the labours of
innumerable living men had been given to forming palaces for corpses.

[Illustration: _N^o. 9._    _Page 138._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 10._    _Page 162._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._

They remarked, that quadrangular towers for sepulchres had been the
fashion in the East. Clayfield instanced those of Jehoshaphat, near
Jerusalem; and Alfred remembered, that they abounded at Palmyra, and
that the details betrayed an imitation of Roman architecture, but those
of Petra bear the marks of a peculiar and indigenous style. They were
surprised, amongst such a multitude of tombs, to find so few with any
inscription or record for whom they were constructed, as they found two
only. From the days of Rehem, king of the Midianites, who passes for the
founder of Petra, to those of Alexander the Great, there must have been
a long suite of kings, whose tombs most probably lay before them, but
whose names and actions were as much lost, as if these ambitious
monuments had never been carved in honour of their memory.

One interesting inscription they copied, but the other was too much
mutilated. The more perfect one was delicately drawn, and was that which
could only be deciphered by Mr. Bankes, as being the most learned of all
our Eastern travellers; but Alfred saw that the characters resembled
those he had remarked about Mount Sinai.

After exploring many tombs on either side, and frequently pausing in
astonishment at the immense labour evinced in hewing out of the living
rock such a multitude of works rich in finished ornament, they proceeded
towards the eastern part of Petra. As they advanced, the natural
features of the defile grew more imposing at every step, and they
remarked how much more importance was obtained through the natural
situation of the place, than in the most magnificent temples they had
visited in Egypt. They soon found the excavations and sculpture more
frequent, until the whole defile presented a continued street of tombs,
beyond which the rocks gradually approached each other, and seemed all
at once to close without any outlet. There was, however, one frightful
chasm for the passage of the stream, which furnishes, as it did
anciently, the only avenue to Petra on this side.

It is impossible to conceive any thing more awful or sublime than such
an approach. The width is not more than just sufficient for the passage
of two horsemen abreast. The sides are, in all parts, perpendicular,
verging from four hundred to seven hundred feet in height; and they
often overhung to such a degree, that, without their absolutely meeting,
the sky is intercepted, and completely shut out for one hundred yards
together, and there is little more light than in a cavern.

The screaming of the eagles, hawks, and owls, who were soaring above
their heads, annoyed by the entrance of human footsteps in this their
long-established empire, added greatly to the singularity of the scene,
which, in its severer features, was soothed and contrasted by the
beautiful vegetation, which grew luxuriantly about the path and in the
crevices of the rocks. The oleander, wild fig, and tamarind sometimes
hung beautifully from the cliffs; and the caper plant in the coolness of
the deep shade found sufficient moisture.

Very near the first entrance of this romantic pass, a bold arch is
thrown across at a great height, connecting the opposite sides of the
cliff. Our young travellers, alert and indefatigable as they were, could
not learn its particular form from examination; but their surprise on
beholding so mighty a body far above them, suspended between two rugged
masses apparently inaccessible, may be conceived. Immediately below it
they saw sculptured niches in the rocks, probably designed for statues,
and Alfred thought inscriptions might be found, had it been possible to
decipher them. Farther down, on a lower level, there is an object
frequently repeated in sculpture, which was therefore probably
worshipped at Petra, accompanied by inscriptions, but they were too
much defaced to afford light on the subject.

The ravine now presented so many elbowings and windings, that the eye
could seldom penetrate more than a few paces; and in the midst of these
natural horrors, had thirty pilgrims been murdered, only the year
before, by the men of Wady Moussa, as they were returning from Mecca.
Never had Salvator Rosa conceived so suitable a scene for the residence
of banditti; nor can the human imagination portray a place, where the
gaunt forms of the murderers, and the pale horror of their victims,
would so accord with the fierce features and death-like silence of the
rocks around them.

They followed this sort of half-subterranean passage for the space of
nearly two miles; the sides increasing in height, as the path
continually descended, while the tops of the precipices retained their
former level. Where they are at the highest, a beam of stronger light
breaks in at the close of the dark perspective, and opens to view, half
seen at first through the tall, narrow opening, columns, statues, and
cornices, of a light and finished taste, as if fresh from the chisel,
without the tints and weather-stains of age, and executed in a stone of
a pale rose-colour, which was illumined, at the moment when our young
men espied it first, with the full light of the morning sun. The dark
green shrubs that grow in this perpetual shade, and the sombre hue of
the murder-stained passage from which they were emerging, added, by
their strong contrast, to the peculiar splendour and unique character of
this striking scene, which cannot be compared with any other in the
world, since there is nothing yet known which resembles it.

Only a portion of a very extensive architectural elevation is seen at
first; but it has been so contrived, that a statue, with expanded
wings, just fills the centre of the aperture in front, which being
closed below by the sides of the rock folding over each other, gives to
the figure the appearance of being suspended in the air at a
considerable height; the extreme ruggedness of the cliffs below, setting
off the sculpture to the greatest advantage. The rest of the design
opened gradually as our young travellers advanced, till the narrow
defile spread out on either side into an open area of moderate size,
whose sides are by nature inaccessible, and present the same awful and
romantic features as the avenues which lead to it. This opening gives
admission to a great body of light from the eastward. The position is
the most beautiful that could be imagined for the front of a great
temple; the richness and exquisite finish of whose decorations offer a
most remarkable contrast to the savage scenery which surrounds it.

The temple on which they now gazed, was of a very lofty proportion,
comprising two stories. The taste was not to be commended; but many of
the details and ornaments, and the size and proportions of the great
doorway, especially struck them as very noble. No part was built, the
whole being purely a work of excavation; and the minutest embellishments
so perfect, that our travellers doubted whether any work of the
ancients, except some on the banks of the Nile, have come down to our
time so little injured by the lapse of ages. There is, in fact, scarcely
a building of forty years standing in England, so little injured in its
architectural decorations.

The statues here are numerous, and colossal. Those on each side the
portico represent a centaur and a young man, but they have been
mutilated by the zeal of Christians, or Mussulmen, against idolatry. On
the upper tier are female figures: unfortunately, the centre figure,
which was doubtless the principal, is much defaced, so that they could
not determine to what divinity this extraordinary temple had been
dedicated. The principal chamber of the interior is large, and
remarkably lofty, but quite plain, with the exception of the doors,
which opened into cells. The centre of the superstructure is a circular
elevation, surrounded by columns, with a dome supporting an urn: this
urn has excited the covetousness of the natives, who speak of it as the
deposit of the treasures of Pharaoh, as far as Jerusalem; and it was
evident that it has been aimed at by bullet-shot, as they saw the marks
of bullets in the stone, and thought, by one perforation, it was
possible that it was hollow. Above the monument the face of the rock is
left overhanging, and to this they ascribed the excellent preservation
of the temple. From the top being finished with eagles and half
pediments, they were led to think this great effort of art was finished
since the conquest of Trajan.

They now began to climb the steep sides of those rocks, from which such
miraculous places had been formed: which was found extremely difficult,
and frequently even dangerous. They found several pillars and obelisks,
and saw the great vase which crowns another monument to the north-west.
The space before the temple is an area of about fifty yards in width,
and three times as long, terminating to the south in a precipitous
cliff. The defile again assumes its former character, with an infinite
variety of tombs, both Arabian and Roman. This pass conducts to the
theatre; and here the ruins of the city burst on the view, in their full
grandeur, shut in on the opposite side by barren, craggy precipices,
from which numerous ravines, like that they had passed, branch out in
all directions, covered with an endless variety of tombs and private
dwellings. This presented altogether the most singular scene they had
ever beheld, as the rocks were tinted with the most extraordinary hues
at their summits, tending to exhibit Nature in her most savage and
romantic forms; whilst their bases were worked out in all the symmetry
of art, with colonnades, pediments, and ranges of corridors, adhering to
the perpendicular surface.

"Oh!" cried Alfred in ecstasies, "we were surely right, Clayfield, in
concluding, that the wide world could show us nothing like Petra! How
strange it is, that Pliny says only, when speaking of it, 'the Nabateai
inhabit a city called Petra, in a hollow, less than two miles in
circumference, surrounded by inaccessible mountains, with a stream
running through it.' Surely he could not know that it contained wonders
of Art, still more surprising than those of Nature?"

"I think he could not," replied Clayfield; "but certainly his
description of the situation was just, and accords with that of Strabo,
who says, 'it lies in a spot which is fortified all around with a
barrier of rocks and precipices, within furnished with springs of
excellent quality for the supply of water, and the irrigation of
gardens.' He adds, 'that one of the royal lineage always resided at
Petra.' What a place must it have been, when busy and princely trains
were seen to pour down these rocky avenues, and overspread the mighty
temple we have been visiting!"

"And think what the effect of a funeral procession must have been, when
the long train of mourners were drawn beneath the gloomy avenues we have
passed; or when, in a siege, the proud warriors, with gleaming
falchions, opposed the enemy in those terrific passes." But, alas! we
have no time for the dreams of imagination: Abou Raschid is a very fine
fellow, but he will not allow us time for sentimentalizing; he says that
two days is the utmost he will remain in this wonderful place.

They recommenced their examination, observing that the ancient
geographers were right in their description in the main, as it was an
area in the bosom of a mountain, swelling into mounds, and intersected
with gullies. Within the actual circuit of the city there are two
mounds, which seem to have been entirely covered with buildings, being
strewed over with a prodigious quantity of loose stones and fragments of
a light and delicate fabric. The bed of the river flows between these
two spots: on the left bank of the stream seem to have been some of the
principal edifices.

One of these was an archway with pilasters enriched with foliage; in the
interior were chambers sixty feet in length; but many dwellings had
small mean chambers, like so many pigeonholes in the rock, the fronts
and partitions being of indifferent masonry and cement.

Following the defile, the river is seen to flow with rapidity, and
luxuriant shrubs surround it, which mingle beautifully with the rocks
and ruins, and are doubtless the offspring of those gardens which once
supplied the market of this capital of Arabia, decorated the brows of
its beauties, and solaced the palates of its princes. The carob, fig,
mulberry, vine, and pomegranate, line the river side; and a beautiful
species of aloe, with a flower of orange hue, shaded to scarlet in some
instances, having upwards of one hundred blossoms upon it, was among the
luxurious productions of this curious scene.




CHAPTER X.

  Theatre at Petra--Visit Aaron's Tomb on a Pinnacle of Mount Hor--Beauty
  of Colours in the Rocks--Reach the Tomb--Its authenticity--Magnificent
  Temple seen from the mountain--Inaccessible--Return safe in the
  Ruins--Departure from Petra--Bid adieu to Abou Raschid--Accompany
  Yousouf--Treatment of the Sick--The Dead Sea--Its false Apples--Adders
  where they sleep--Tiberias--Inhumanity of the Consul.


The theatre was the next object which the travellers examined. It was
hewn out of the live rock: the diameter of the podium is one hundred and
twenty feet, the number of seats thirty-three; there was no break, and,
consequently, no vomitories. The scene was, unfortunately, built, not
excavated; the whole is therefore fallen, and the bases of four columns
only remain.

The theatre is surrounded by sepulchres; every avenue leading to it is
full of them; indeed, throughout every quarter of this city, the
depositories of the dead presented themselves continually to the eyes of
the living: it therefore appears that the Arabians resembled the
Egyptians in their respect for the ashes of their ancestors.

In one magnificent mausoleum, in which were six recesses, three of them
had been fitted for altars for a Christian church, and there was an
inscription in red paint, recording the date of its consecration. This
was the only vestige of a Christian establishment they found throughout
the remains of Petra.

The two days given them to examine curiosities, well worthy that of as
many months, were too soon at an end. The afternoon of the first had
been given to ascending the rugged pinnacle, on the top of which is the
Tomb of Aaron. They were the more anxious to examine this edifice, from
their increasing conviction of its being indeed the spot mentioned in
the Scriptures as the place where the High Priest died and was buried;
for they had remarked through their whole journey, that in the writings
of Moses, description was always exact, and capable of being traced
accurately; to which it might be added, that the situation being without
parallel, could not be mistaken for any other.

They rode to the foot of this pinnacle of the mountain, over a rugged
and broken track, passing in the way many sepulchres similar to those
described; and remarked, on the left hand, a singular monument, where an
obtuse cone, standing on a vast pedestal, was obtained out of one of the
peaked summits of the rock. They were next struck by the extraordinary
colouring of the mountains by which they were surrounded, being
sometimes of a deep, then of a paler blue, occasionally streaked with
red, and shaded off to lilac and purple. Sometimes a salmon colour was
veined in waved lines, and circles with crimson and scarlet; at others,
stripes of yellow and bright orange were ranged side by side in parallel
strata. It was indeed the peculiar characteristic beauty of Petra to
exhibit this wonderful variety of colours; and the façades of the tombs,
tastefully as they were sculptured, owe much to the diversity of hues
in the stone.

After a time they engaged an Arab shepherd as a guide, and, leaving
their horses and servants with Abou Raschid, began to mount the track
which led to the pinnacle of the mount, which was extremely laborious,
and must frequently be ascended by the pilgrim on his hands and knees.
In some places were found flights of rude steps, or inclined planes,
constructed of stones, with niches to receive the footsteps cut in the
live rock. Many juniper bushes grow on the mountain, and flowers such as
they had never seen before, some of which were very beautiful, but they
were all thorny. On the top there was an overhanging shelf of rock,
which forms a sort of cavern; and here they found a skin of very bad
water suspended for drinking, a pallet of straw, with a pitcher, and
other utensils, belonging to the Sheikh who resides here. He was a
decrepit old man, who had lived there for the space of forty years, and
continued occasionally to endure the fatigue of descending, and
re-ascending, the mountain.

The tomb itself is inclosed in a small building, not differing in its
external form from those which are common to Mahomedan saints throughout
every Turkish province, where they have probably been adopted from this;
or it may have been rebuilt at no very distant period, as some fragments
of granite and marble were lying about. The door is near the south-west
angle, within which a constructed tomb, with a pall thrown over it,
presents itself immediately upon entering. It is patched together out of
fragments of stone and marble, that have been parts of other fabricks.
Upon one of these are several short lines in the Hebrew character, cut
in a slovenly manner, and proved to be the names of a Jew and his
family, who had scratched this record of their visit. As probably no
other Jew has visited this spot for many ages, it is now a curiosity.
Many rags and shreds of yarn, beads, and paras, have been left as
votive offerings by the Arabs.

They were now desired to take off their[9] sandals, and descended by
steps to a vault, or grotto, beneath, the Sheikh furnishing them with a
lamp of butter. The roof is covered, but the whole was rude and
ill-fashioned. Towards the farther end of the vault lie two
corresponding leaves of an iron grating, which formerly prevented all
nearer approach to the tomb of the Patriarch. They were thrown down, and
our young friends advanced so far as to touch it. It was covered by a
ragged pall; and in the darkness, they were afraid of treading on some
scorpion or other reptile.

[Footnote 9: "Loose thy shoes from off thy feet." Joshua v. 15.]

The view from the summit of the edifice was extensive in every
direction; and, with few determinate objects, yet filled the mind by
its vastness, and the magnificence of its character. The chain of
Idumean mountains which form the western shore of the Dead Sea, appear
bare and desolate. Below them spreads a sandy plain, seamed with the
beds of torrents; and when this desert approaches Mount Hor, there arise
out of it, like islands, numerous lower peaks of a purple colour.
Towards the Egyptian side there is an expanse of country without
features or limit.

"How wonderfully adapted is this mountain," said Alfred, "to be the
burial-place, the eternal monument, of the leader of a great people
drawn out by God himself! What a spectacle was once presented from this
point in the assembled multitudes below, anxiously awaiting the awful
moment when Aaron, their high priest and joint leader, should yield up
his soul, and his son receive the sacred stole."

"It is, indeed, a spot unparalleled for such a spectacle," replied
Clayfield; "methinks the tents of the children of Israel would fill the
long vista below us, leading to Wady Moussa, and the multitude be seen
like beams in the sun, blending with the reflected lights of these
prismatic rocks. But look at that pinnacle: it is surely finished by
Art, and is a monument of extraordinary grandeur."

Alfred's eye followed the direction of his friend's hand, and saw an
object which had attracted his attention several times before, when he
had been on elevated spots that morning, but to visit which appeared
utterly impracticable from the number and intricacy of the valleys and
ravines which surrounded it. With the assistance of their glasses, they
now made out the façade to be longer than that of the temple at Petra,
and nowise inferior to it in richness and beauty. Like that, it is hewn
out of the rock, and seemed to be composed of two tiers of columns, of
which the upper range is Ionic, the centre of the monument being crowned
by a vase of a gigantic proportion. The whole appeared to be in a state
of high preservation; and from its situation, seemed likely to have been
intended as an ornament to the northern approach to the city. Petra was
here intercepted and concealed by the prominency of the mountains. An
artist, who would study rock-scenery in all its most wild and
extravagant forms and colours, would find himself richly rewarded,
should he resort to Mount Hor for that sole purpose.

They now returned to Abou Raschid, as the day was closing, and were
reconducted near to the Palace. On leaving Petra, they had remarked with
how much care the scanty soil had been banked up into terraces, and
disposed into fields and gardens; and they again saw, that every nook
which could furnish footing for a plant, had been turned to account. But
now the prophecy was fulfilled, the curse was upon it; "Edom shall be a
desolation," appeared alike in the barrenness of the ground, and the
utter desertion of the ruined capital.

Just as they had repassed the district of the tombs, two men rushed
impetuously out, seized their bridles, and insisted on carrying them to
lodge with them. They even quarrelled and fought for the privilege of
filling their corn-bags, though they had never seen them before. Such is
their generosity; but these men on the following day, when they sought
to _purchase_ necessaries, were extortionate in the greatest degree with
them. Money is with them the root of all evil: it excites every base
passion, and blunts every nobler feeling.

A sheep slain, and boiled, concluded their first day at Petra. The
second was one of unceasing toil; but, as we have already run over the
ground, we can only say, that much effort was made, but without success,
to visit the temple descried from Mount Hor, and that, finding it
impossible to move Abou Raschid in their favour, they reluctantly
returned the second night to the camp they had left.

The day following, they proceeded to Shobek, and, to their great
surprise, (it being now the latter end of May,) were distressed with
bitter cold. On arriving at Abou Raschid's own camp, they found old
Yousouf still waiting for them, and they took leave here of their
intrepid friend Abou Raschid, to whom they presented four hundred
piastres; to which Alfred added a present of a blunderbuss, which
delighted him so much, that he kissed them both at parting.

Most probably this high-spirited chief would have accompanied them on
their return, if he had not been engaged with his own affairs; for he
was evidently warmly interested in them, and anxious to continue his
protection, as he sent with them his mace-bearer, with his iron mace, to
ensure them the same reception as if he were present in person. This
ancient custom is referred to in Ezekiel, xxxv. 36.

On quitting Shobek, they passed a swarm of locusts, which were settled
in a gully, and, making a crackling noise in eating, were heard before
they were seen; they were in such numbers as to alter apparently the
colour of the rock on which they had settled. In three days they arrived
at Wady El Ahsa, and bathed in the hot springs there, which are called
by the Arabs "Solomon's baths." Near this they saw shepherd boys playing
on double pipes, similar to some which are represented on the tombs of
Egypt. Crossing the river and ravine of El Ahsa, the ancient boundary of
the Edomites and Moabites, they entered the district of Kerek, and about
noon reached the camp belonging to the father of old Yousouf's bride. As
they entered the camp, the throats of three kids ranged in a line, were
cut before them, to celebrate their return.

The wife of the Sheikh's brother was dying of a fever, and laid in a
little room, which was so thronged with persons, as to leave her no
chance of life. The women and girls were squatting near, or leaning over
so close, that the poor creature, now speechless, could not be seen, and
the whole multitude were sending up piercing and piteous cries. Old
Yousouf and another male friend were seated in silence near the door;
and at Alfred's earnest remonstrance, they expelled the troop of
mourners, and gave the woman some peace; and the soldier, their
attendant, prescribing chicken-broth, the poor woman took it, and
recovered surprisingly.

From this place they made an excursion to the southern side of the Dead
Sea, which they had not an opportunity of examining sufficiently on
their way; the Sheikh making them pay him thirty piastres for the three
men he sent with them as guides. An open grove of the acacia and doom
tree was thinly sprinkled on the first portion of their way; but they
saw many proofs of former cultivation, such as bricks and pottery, and
found some pretty specimens of antique variegated glass, and thought the
spot might be the site of the ancient Zoar. Near these remains the river
Dara opens from a glen into the plain, and so fertilizes the valley,
that many thickets appear; among others, one with fruit about the size
of an almond in a green bush. On ripening, this fruit becomes soft and
juicy in the inside, like a green gage; but some say it is poisonous,
and the smell is sickly and disagreeable.

The weather was now excessively hot; children went naked, and their
parents nearly so, in the village of Ghor, which they passed through.
Approaching the Dead Sea, they now saw the askar plant for the first
time, grown to the stature of a tree, and bearing the fruit so often
mentioned by the ancients as apples "appearing beautiful and delicious
to the eye, but hollow within, or filled with a disagreeable substance."
The natives make use of the filaments this fruit contains, which
resemble the down of a thistle, to stuff their cushions, and into
matches for their guns, as they are excellent for that purpose. All the
foliage near the Dead Sea is covered with a salt dew to a considerable
extent, and, from a quantity of dead locusts on the banks, they were led
to think it was probable that the assertion, "no living thing could fly
over the lake," had some truth in it, more especially as they could not
discover any shells, but such as were invariably without fish. This
point was however decided by their witnessing a flight of pigeons which
passed over the sea. It still, however, held its general character of
death and desolation.

They returned to the camp of Yousouf, and had an opportunity of
witnessing the Arabian mode of administering justice. Complaint was made
of the loss of forty sheep by robbery from his tribe; of course he was
at once criminal and judge, and decided by restoring twenty. When much
pressed, he said, "It was not the custom of his tribe to relinquish
that of which they had made themselves masters." The complainants were
exceeding wroth, and threatened "to drag him by his beard to Mezereeb;"
but this was idle clamour against the Sheikh of Kerek.

With this Sheikh they now parted. His honesty and promptitude of help in
the first instance, the good humour and patience he had afterwards
evinced, together with the length of their acquaintance, had rendered
him really dear to our young travellers; but they found with sorrow,
that the general features of character in his race operated in him also.
Not content with their present of two hundred piastres, in addition to
the four hundred he raised by agreement, he refused to repay some which
he had borrowed, and endeavoured to extort a large sum for the guide he
had provided for them last, but in this he failed.

They now crossed the brook Jabbok, or Zerka, the northern boundary of
the Amorites; and proceeded to Djerash, where they found ruins of many
Christian churches, and a few inscriptions. Alfred remarked, that,
according to Eusebius, the Christians fled here during the siege of
Jerusalem by Titus. They then entered a beautiful country, varied with
woods, composed of laurustinus, arbutus, cedar, and Vallonia oak,
forming a strong contrast with the rocky deserts they had travelled
through. At night they fixed upon a space in the midst of these
beautiful woods, covered with high grass and weeds, in which to
_bivouac_; but they were disturbed by wild boars, who, in their turn,
were alarmed by the sound of the horses, and scampered away.

Young Clayfield, in the night, feeling something move underneath him,
rose to see what it was, and found an adder rising from under the edge
of his blanket, attracted by the warmth of his body; and in the morning
another was found close to one of the party. These serpents in the
paradise with which they had been so charmed the evening before,
hastened their removal; and early in the morning they reached the valley
of Rajeh, from whence they descended to the valley of the Jordan, which
they reached in two hours.

The following day they arrived at Tiberias; and Alfred took his friend
to see Mount Tabor, well remembering the delightful emotions which
warmed his heart on visiting that spot so dignified by his Saviour, in
company with his beloved father. In a cave on the top, amongst other
names they noticed those of Sir Sidney Smith, and Captain Wright, of the
Tigre, who afterwards died in the Temple at Paris.

From hence they went to Acre; and during their short stay there,
witnessed an instance of unfeeling barbarity, at which their hearts
recoiled. Going to breakfast with the Consul, they found his Greek
servant, who had been ill some days, lying outside the door; and he
actually expired before them, unattended by medical or other assistance.
Such an instance of total indifference to the comforts of a
fellow-creature, in his hour of sickness and agony--one too, who had
"eaten of his bread,"--justly excited alike contempt and disgust towards
the master, and even the country where such things could pass unnoticed
and unreproved.

"Compared to this inhuman man," said Alfred, "one finds the Arabs
(though they are certainly great thieves at times) rise in the scale;
and, indeed, we have nothing to complain of, for they lodged and fed us
and our party all through the journey for nothing; and our expenses
were, after all, a mere trifle; and although they certainly felt great
contempt for us, yet I am persuaded, had we been sick, they would have
cherished us; and it is certain, that deeming us insulted, they were
willing to fight for us."

"True." replied Clayfield, "but yet I do not think they would have
hesitated to murder us, under any different turn their quarrel had
taken; for it is certain, that when we met with head bodies concealed by
them, which, you know, was several times the case, they never appeared
to be even ashamed of the horrid deed, much less to suffer self-reproach
for it. In our case, both here and at Mount Sinai, they observed the
oaths they had taken for our preservation, it is true; but, in point of
fact, several Sheikhs were willing to abandon us, just after they had
eaten in the same dish with us, which they affect to hold as a tie of
brotherhood."

"It is all too true, my dear friend," said Alfred; "but it is a pleasant
thing to look on the poetical side of their characters; and remember
Abou Raschid, and his gallant bearing; old Yousouf, with his long beard
and Nestorian harangues;--even the Wady Moussa men riding in fierce
contention above our heads, as we wound round the mountains, has
something spirited and romantic in it."

"But there is nothing pleasing in the contemplation of their women, who
are mere beasts of burden: they weave the goat's hair, carpets, and
curtains for their tents, grind the corn with their hand-mills, bring
the water and wood, cook, and, in short, do all the drudgery; whilst the
men sit down and smoke the whole day. The little girls that guard the
flocks have always a bundle of wool at their backs for spinning, whilst
the boys are too idle even for amusing themselves. Then, they are very
dirty;--what a wretched time have we both had with the vermin that
swarmed in every camp!"

Our travellers having nothing new to see at Acre, and satisfied with
having accomplished the great object of their journey, embarked on board
an imperial brig belonging to Venice, for Constantinople, a city they
earnestly desired to visit, as enjoying the finest site of any
metropolis in the world, and being the seat of a government extending
over all the places they had traversed.




CHAPTER XI.

  Set out for Constantinople--Enter the Sea of
  Marmora--Dardanelles--Beautiful Prospect of the City, Shores, and
  Vessels--The Grand Signior goes to Mosque--Use of Imperial
  Turbans--Presentation of British Ambassador--Confused
  Procession--Janissaries--Dinner--Pelisses--Audience chamber--Throne of
  the Grand Signior--Pay of Soldiers, &c.


The weather was now very fine, and made them amends for their last
voyage by its serenity, which enabled them to see many of the islands of
the Archipelago, some of which they touched at, and finally to approach
Constantinople under those circumstances which exhibited it in the
finest points of view.

The Dardanelles and Sea of Marmora presented a most beautiful sight,
which was increased from the circumstance of a large fleet of vessels
which had been accumulating for some weeks at Mytilene and the Troad,
being unable to ascend the Straits against the Northerly winds, and were
now eagerly taking advantage of a change. The width of the Dardanelles,
they thought, was about a mile, though Leander and Lord Byron, in
swimming, might think it four. After the long prevalence of a Northerly
wind, it is considered much easier to be passed, it being only then
possible to do so in a direct line.

Every moment which brought them nearer to Constantinople, increased
their sense of its vastness and its magnificence. As presented at the
same time with Scutari, Galata, and Pera, it offered such an extent of
human habitations, crowned by the royal seraglio, varied by mosques and
minarets, as to render the whole impressive beyond their expectations.
"This was indeed calculated to be the emporium of Europe, the rival of
Rome, the mistress of the world!" cried Alfred; but as they approached
nearer, he became sensible of that division of parts, which, without
much impairing beauty, somewhat decreases the sense of magnificence.

They landed at Pera in the evening; and the following morning visited
all that they could see, and in many respects were much gratified,
although the general appearance of the city was mean, and altogether
below the ideas inspired by its noble situation. Its chief interest
arose in their eyes from its ancient splendour, while in possession of
the Greek Emperors, and the mart for all the produce of the East Indies.
They retraced its memorials in the time of the Crusaders; examined its
mosques, so far as they were permitted, especially that of St. Sophia,
and visited the Besestin, where the merchants have the bazaars admirably
arranged. The Hippodrome, (an oblong square,) the tomb of Constantine,
and the burial-grounds of the higher order of Turks, were all explored
with diligence and attention.

On the following Sunday they went to see the Grand Signior go to mosque;
he was on horseback, that his subjects might be gratified by seeing the
royal person, and he was at the same time in state. Those who had any
grievances to complain of, or any petitions to present, were arranged by
the way side; and every paper that was offered he received, either with
his own hand, or by the hand of some dignitary in attendance.

His Majesty was followed by two or three officers, each of whom carried
a royal turban: and in the presence of these turbans every head must
bow. It happened that when he had passed, a confusion arose among the
crowd, from what cause the strangers did not discover--one of the
officers held up a turban, every one bowed his head, and the disturbance
ceased.

The Grand Signior has no presentations, no levee-days, and an audience
is seldom granted without a specific purpose. Our young friends, who
naturally wished to see as much as possible of a court so little known,
were afraid they had no chance. Fortune, however, favoured them much in
this particular, as they had not been a week when one of those rare
occasions occurred which enabled them to be presented. This was on the
introduction of Mr. Frere, who was (_pro tempore_) taking the place of
Sir Robert Liston; and, in order to increase the effect, was appointed
to be received on the day when the Janissaries received their pay. The
English residents and visitors were invited, together with Franks of
every nation; and it was understood that the ceremony would be august
and imposing.

Our young friends and many others assembled at the British Palace before
five in the morning. The Turkish guards, carrying torches, were running
about in all directions; and the lustre of their arms, the gaudiness of
the colours in their dress seen under such a light, produced a fine
stage effect, and greatly raised their expectations. They were not kept
long waiting, before an officer arrived from the Porte, deputed to act
as master of the ceremonies; and, under his guidance, at day-break they
set out.

The procession commenced with about an hundred Janissaries on
foot--next, the officer above-mentioned, on horseback, attended by his
servants on foot--then came, two and two, the servants of the
ambassador; and then Mr. Frere himself, in a sedan chair--all the rest
of the party followed on foot, and certainly ought to have done so in
order; but the secretary, the consul, the dragoman, the merchants, the
visitors, and the tag-rag, were all huddled together; and in this manner
they arrived at the waters edge, where boats were provided to convey
them from Pera to Constantinople, all the Franks being obliged to reside
at the former place.

At this moment great difficulty was experienced by those who wanted
places; and some of the party were soon knee-deep in mud, owing to the
total want of management in the conduct of the affair. Our young friends
got over with unsoiled clothes, and found that horses were prepared on
the opposite shore, but for them there was another scramble. At length
most of the party got mounted, and proceeded onward, until they were
requested to wait for the Grand Vizier: on his arrival our party fell
into the rear. They saw the street, through which they were passing, was
lined with a double row of ragged troops; and at the end of it they
arrived at a dirty, dull building, which proved to be the entrance of
the Serrail, or Palace. The porch was occupied by a mob of Franks and
Turks; and they scarcely knew how they got in, as they were divided from
each other, and had completely lost sight of the official personages.

Alfred now found himself in a court yard, irregular in its shape and its
buildings. On one side were the kitchens; on the other the Serrail
itself; in the centre an avenue of trees; the whole was remarkable only
for its general character of shabbiness. Arranged down the avenue was a
line of plates, containing alternately pillaw, and a yellow mixture,
probably saffron soup. Two or three subordinate officers were keeping
guard; and on one side was collected a mob of soldiers, who stood eyeing
these luxuries in great anxiety, each with his best leg forward. One or
two of these poor hungry fellows rushed forth and made a seizure; on
which the sentinels pommelled them with their inkstands, which are of
form and size like a hammer, and are often suspended round the neck by a
chain.

At length the word of command was given, and the whole of this Falstaff
regiment rushed to the attack. The first rank was generally pushed
beyond the dishes; the second snatched them up, and they, in their turn,
being propelled, both parties were splashed over with the yellow sauce.
This treat being over, which it was undoubtedly intended the visitors
should witness, they were directed to the divan or council-chamber,
where they found already assembled, the Grand Vizier, the Capitan Bassa,
three other dignitaries, and our minister and suite. The five Turks were
seated on a sofa that stretched partly round the room, the minister had
a chair in a corner, and every body else was obliged to stand.

[Illustration: _N^o. 11._    _Page 183._]

[Illustration: _N^o. 12._    _Page 206._]

_Pub^d. by Orville A. Roorbach, N. York._

This room our young friends thought elegant, though small; it was
fronted with a very handsome gilded grating, the ceiling being a groined
arch, at each corner of which was an indifferent picture of inanimate
nature.[10] Over the seat occupied by the Vizier, they remarked a neat
bay window-grating; and at this it is said the Grand Signior comes to
spy and listen, because his pride and sublimity will not allow him to
look at a Christian, even during the interview.

[Footnote 10: The likeness of any living thing must not be represented.]

Previous to entering, they could not fail to observe a pile of small
leather bags, said to contain the pay of the Janissaries, and to hold
sixty thousand pounds sterling. These were now brought in with
considerable show, bustle, and delay, and arranged at the feet of the
Vizier. One of them was opened, and the contents poured forth upon a
salver; and shewed there was no deception, for they really were
_half-farthings_. They were then examined, and highly approved. The
bags were then counted again, and laid at the door with the same air of
importance; then again handed on through a file of soldiers, and
arranged upon the flag stones, a certain number at a time. On each
occasion a company of Janissaries was let loose among them, from about
two hundred yards distance. Whoever was so fortunate as to obtain a bag
in the scramble, would receive, on restoring it to government, sixpence
in addition to his pay. The scramble at first afforded the spectators
some amusement; but, as it lasted three hours, we may conclude even a
Turk would be tired of it.

The next part of the ceremony was dinner. A stool and a tray were placed
before the Vizier, another before the Capitan Bassa, a third before the
two Turks who sat together, and a fourth before the one who sat alone.
Our minister took his place with the Vizier; our Consul at the second
table; no stranger was admitted to the third; at the fourth were the
Secretary, Lord Charles Murray, and Sir Frederic Henniker. There was no
provision for the rest of the party. The first dish brought in was a
present from the Grand Signior to the Vizier, and was received by him
with much ceremony. Stools were brought the English to sit upon; and a
spoon, a napkin, and bread, were placed for each. The dishes were
brought in singly, and in lottery order; minced meat, pie, fowl, fish,
sweets, fish, fowl, &c. in all twenty-eight dishes. The lookers-on
understood that none were bad, nor any remarkably good, except an
aromatic cream. The moment a dish was put down, the host dipped his hand
into it, and desired others to do the same. Among other things came a
roast fowl uncarved, and there was neither knife nor fork. Lord Charles
happened to touch it, on which one of the cooks in attendance
immediately took it up, pulled it to atoms with his fingers, and threw
it down before the party. Our young friends looked at each other, and
could not forbear to smile at the effect this might have on this
nobleman; the thing had been long familiar to themselves. They yet
remembered how frequently they had admired the delicacy with which the
Arabs manage a process in itself so disgusting to a British traveller;
as also the address with which a number of persons eating out of the
same bowl, contrive not to incommode or intrude upon each other.

The lookers-on were not long tantalized with the sight of the Turkish
feast; for in ten minutes after their sitting down, the whole vanished,
and the stools also were taken away from those who had been accommodated
with them. Half an hour was now given them to wash their hands; after
which they were called into the court-yard, where they were all kept
standing, the minister alone having the option of sitting on a dirty
stone. At length there came two people with bags containing pelisses;
these were poured forth, and the clothesmen called out the names of such
as were to receive them. They were of three qualities, the first edged
with sable, the second with ermine, and the third made of a mean coarse
stuff. These were destined for the minister and his immediate suite and
dragomen, though lent for the occasion to visitors; nobody can be
admitted into the audience-chamber without one.

There is a vulgar rumour, that when a Christian wishes for an audience,
a message is delivered to the Grand Signior, setting forth, that "a dog,
hungry and naked, begs to be admitted;" to which is given this reply,
"clothe him, and feed him, and bring him in." It is, however, certain,
that a pelisse is a badge of honour in Turkey, as much as court robes
are in England; and also that the dress of a Frank is considered as no
dress at all, since it is reckoned indecent to make an ordinary visit
without that outer garment, which covers a man like a college
gown;--even the ordinary dress of the Mamelukes is subject to this
conclusion. As soon as they were clothed, there came forth a party of
attendants, one or two of whom seized each visitant by the shoulder, and
they were thus led through a file of domestics magnificently habited,
and then pressed into a small dark room, which proved to be the chamber
of audience. Seeing was nearly impossible, for the "brother of the sun"
threw no light on his own face, and the persons within were so pressed
by their attendants, that before each had time to try to obtain a sight
of what was going on, ten minutes were passed away, and the affair was
over.

The throne of the Grand Signior is a four-posted bedstead, quilted with
pearls and precious stones, and on this his mightiness sate, not in the
Oriental fashion, but with his legs hanging down. At the side of the
room to the left, were the Grand Vizier and Capitan Bassa; and the
embassy were drawn on the left, forming three sides of a square. Every
person remained with his hat on; as uncovering the head in Turkey is not
a mark of respect, but an insult. The only thing required by etiquette
is the pelisse; the only thing forbidden is the sword--a regulation
which arose from the assassination of one of the Sultans.

Our minister made his speech in English, which was translated by the
dragoman. The Grand Signior, contrary to custom, replied by his own
lips, not once turning his head to the right or left, but yet obliquely
glancing at the minister. When this was over, they were all soon hustled
out; but, before their departure, had the Janissaries with their bags,
each containing the half-pints of half farthings, brought before them
again.

Happy were they, when at night they enjoyed the hospitality of the
Ambassador's palace, and contrasted the mingled magnificence and paltry
exhibition of this day, with the solid wealth and consistent grandeur of
their own sovereign and their own country. They were yet exceedingly
glad to have witnessed it, because they had heard such exaggerated
accounts of the splendour and the peculiarities attendant on the Grand
Signior, that it was a satisfaction to have been personally enabled to
judge of their truth.




CHAPTER XII.

  They quit Constantinople--Put in at Basilikos--Visit of pompous
  Governor--Reach Varna--Proceed towards Bucharest--Wretched
  Accommodations--Bucharest, the carriages, &c.--Reach Vienna--Comforts of
  Civilization and Religion--Fine City--Travel through the Tyrol and
  Grisons--Honesty of the Natives--Advantages of Christianity--Conclusion.


Our young friends, having seen whatever was worthy attention in a place
where all research is rendered difficult and unpleasant, by the narrow
and illiberal notions of the inhabitants, and the suspicious despotism
of the Government, began to think of travelling homewards; to which
load-star their hearts had long pointed.

"As, in point of fact," said Alfred, "our greatest pleasure, connected
with Constantinople, was the approach to it, would it not be desirable
to renew that enjoyment, as far as possible, by passing the Bosphorus,
and seeing what we can on the other side. I wish, I must own, to sail
again for a short time on these beautiful seas, and should like to pass
through the Turkish provinces to Vienna; after which, we can consider
how to proceed to dear old Britain."

As Clayfield much approved this plan, they hired a large open boat for
Varna; and having engaged a new servant, (and sent back the one who had
partaken their long wanderings to Damietta, where he desired to go in
hopes of gaining a similar engagement, or to engage in other
speculations with the wealth he had acquired by their service,) they
went once more on board.

The sky was now serene; the water of that pure, deep blue, which best
reflects the objects on its surface: and as they slowly cleared from the
shore, again the proud Stamboul[11] spread before them as a mighty city,
intermixed with gardens and groves: which, blending with its domes and
minarets, united, apparently, all that was demanded for magnificence and
luxury, and bade them, for a time, forget its narrow streets and wooden
houses, its dirt and meanness.

[Footnote 11: The Turkish name for Constantinople, anciently Byzantium.]

The Black Sea could not, like the Archipelago, recall, in every distant
and fleeting form, the most striking records of antiquity; but yet every
thing around was full of interest in its combinations, or novelty in its
appearance. But, unfortunately, they had scarcely cleared the Bosphorus,
when the sky gave indications of an approaching storm. They sailed
rapidly as far as Basilicos, when the rain beginning to fall violently,
they thought it desirable to find a harbour, and were detained there for
the following two days.

As hares abound in this neighbourhood, they thought of going out to
shoot, but the rain soon compelled them to return; and whilst changing
their clothes, they were interrupted by a visit from the Governor of the
place, who entered the coffee-room where they were, and ordered coffee
and pipes. The same were handed to them; and they were informed that
this was a visit of ceremony, and that, according to the Turkish custom
among particular friends, he had come expressly "to treat them to a
cup." They were not, however, slow in learning, that according to the
universal custom, a present was expected, and that their "cup" was to be
rendered a very expensive one. The Governor, in stupid parade, great
ostentation, and real meanness, no way degenerated from his brethren in
rank on the other side of the Archipelago. A poor girl happening to
pass, he gave her a trifle, and then held out his hand for her to kiss;
and on leaving the room, he threw upon the table a handful of paras.

The weather clearing, they had a pleasant sail to Varna, which they
found a considerable fishing-town, with a convenient harbour. They were
fortifying it at the expense of the Governor; whose life becoming
forfeit to the Porte, he had bought himself off by incurring this debt
as a bribe. Alfred observed, that "probably he would live till the
fortifications were finished, but not much longer; for no reliance can
be placed in any case in the justice of the Turkish Government." The
Pachas, or Governors, every where oppress the people; and when, by their
extortion, they have amassed great wealth, become themselves the objects
of plunder. Sometimes that wealth is used, as in the present case, to
purchase indemnity; at others, life is taken, and the effects
accumulated are seized, but in no case is restitution made to the
injured. Sometimes a powerful Pacha will defy the Government, and the
evils of rebellion add to the general miseries of these distressed
countries. Such was the case under the government of Ali Pacha, whose
cruelties and rapine, though the most notorious of any in our own day,
by no means stand alone in the history of Turkish Governments.

Having a letter of introduction to one of the principal personages in
Varna, a Greek bishop, they immediately waited upon him, and found him
in his warehouse, or cellar. He apologized for not offering them wine,
saying, "it had all turned sour, and he was therefore under the
necessity of selling it as vinegar." This circumstance showed the
situation in which a Christian bishop found himself, in a country where
the religion of the Cross once maintained a powerful hierarchy.

Every thing around Varna was dull, and the accommodations very bad, yet
difficult to obtain, and they therefore were anxious to proceed; but the
Governor insisted on their taking a guard part of the way to Bucharest,
because, he said, some years before an Englishman had been murdered on
that road. Clayfleld observed, on setting out, "that any man might be
killed upon it, even if he escaped murder;" for the wagon in which they
now travelled was without springs, and its joltings were incessant and
intolerable. Every night, on their arrival at the wretched places which
were the only inns, they were compelled to take up their lodgings and
sleep in the same room with their host, hostess, children, wagoners, and
other travellers, all upon the same floor. This mode of travelling is
indeed "a misery that brings a man strange bed-fellows."

On one occasion, Alfred found his mattress spread upon a platform, on
which lay a large bundle, that proved to be a poor man actually dying.
His wife seemed in great sorrow, but she continued to sell coffee and
spirits, and soon afterwards a Greek priest came in, and repeated
various charms intended to operate in place of medicine, and for which
he received a fee. This man was so conscious of the folly of his
conduct, that he apologized to the strangers for adopting it. As soon as
he had finished his spells, the wagoners and several neighbours came
in; and, despite of every remonstrance that could be made, they got
drunk, and danced till morning.

Though Wallachia is a Turkish province, Bucharest is always governed by
a Greek appointed by the Porte; and as they advanced towards it, they
remarked several crosses erected by the way side, as in the Netherlands.
There appeared to be not many Mahomedans in the country; but they
remarked that almost all whom they saw, wore a green turban, which they
concluded was not assumed as a matter of right, but in pride and
bravado. In Bucharest they found the streets not paved with stones, but
floored with timber. Society appeared here on a very different footing
from all Turkish towns, and every thing bespoke an approach to the
general manners of Christendom; they even boasted that there was a
ball-room in the town, and that whist parties were not uncommon among
the inhabitants. The higher classes here converse in Greek, the lower
in a kind of mongrel Latin, which is yet not Italian. The carriages in
use among the boyars, or noblemen, are a kind of wagon about three feet
wide, and eight feet long, without springs. The body is of wicker-work,
and the covering painted canvass; between, or rather over, the wheels,
this canvass may be rolled up so as to make a window, and it is
generally used as a door also.

On the whole, the people of Bucharest, in their habits and conveniences,
approximate more with the Poles, than any other. They found the roads,
after they left this city, still worse than they were before they
reached it. They were always obliged to have eight horses, and sometimes
four bullocks; and though their machine was half filled with hay, the
closest packing would not save them from extreme fatigue and
inconvenience.

Throughout Transylvania and Hungary, the same inconveniences were in a
great degree experienced; and when, on their arrival at the German
states, they were obliged to perform quarantine, as coming from the
country of the plague, both agreed that a little rest was necessary.

Transylvania and Hungary, through which they were now travelling, belong
to the House of Austria, and are inhabited by a brave and independent
race of men, who have from the earliest times signalized themselves for
military prowess. They profess Christianity under all its denominations;
and a considerable number of Greeks and Mahomedans are intermixed with
them. The nearer their frontiers approach Germany, the more do the
manners of the people assimilate with their general character, but they
are yet very distinct from the Austrians, to whose government they pay
but little subjection beyond the name.

Arrived at Vienna, our travellers, by comparison, felt themselves at
home, and gladly sate down for a week or two, not only to examine the
city itself, but to recover somewhat from their fatigues in the Desert,
the consequences of which still hung upon them, and had at one time
seriously threatened to injure the health of both, particularly that of
Clayfield. It was also very delightful to them to mix once more in
civilized society, to enjoy the comforts of cleanliness, and the
decencies of life, and to find themselves habited as Christians, and
living as such; for, although in a Catholic country, they found many
Protestants, in whose worship they could join with great satisfaction;
and a sense of affectionate brotherhood and pure devotion, which those
only can conceive who have been held as aliens and dogs among the
unbelievers of the East, cheered their spirits.

Although Vienna appeared to great advantage to our young travellers,
when contrasted with the miserable cities they had passed through; and
they were fond of the Germans, under an idea that their character much
resembled, on the whole, that of their own countrymen: yet in a few days
they became impatient to proceed, and therefore determined to visit all
in the place most remarkable. They saw several very fine palaces, an
excellent university, and Alfred was particularly interested in the
circumstance of finding a Scotch convent there, and in visiting a gate
called the Scots gate, in honour of some distinguished troops of that
nation formerly employed by the Austrians. He had also the satisfaction
of meeting with some of his countrymen, who would have detained him, and
promised to introduce him at Court. To this offer both the young men
replied, "that they had resolved, when in the presence of the Grand
Signior, to seek an audience from no other Sovereign but their own, as
they thought his gracious smile alone could banish from their minds the
remembrance of the Grand Signior's unmoved countenance, his bags of
paras, and various proofs of stupidity."

"And really," added Alfred, turning to his friend, "so little and
insignificant do these buildings appear in my eyes, although I am
sensible they are large and splendid--so completely am I spoiled by the
vastness of the Egyptian temples, and the still more wonderful
excavations at Petra, that I have no taste, for the present, in
examining even that which is excellent. I prefer, therefore, to go home
through the Tyrol and Switzerland, to visiting the cities of Germany."

"With all my heart: the Tyrol, as a pastoral country, will remind us of
many parts of Judea, without the evils which attach to it; and in the
scenery of Switzerland, we are sure to find those features of Nature on
which we have long loved to dwell. The works of man may lose the power
of novelty and the charm of beauty; but the works of God never cease to
astonish or delight us."

In consequence of this coincidence of taste, as well as from the
conformity of temper constantly shown by these amiable friends, they
shortly departed from Vienna, in a carriage better appointed, but not
greatly differing in appearance from the one described. Pursuing their
route to Switzerland, they passed through the beautiful district of the
Tyrolese, and entered the Grisons, delighted with all they beheld, and
feeling the inconveniences which sometimes occurred from the delay of
horses, or the awkwardness of their German postilions, rather as amusing
incidents, than unpleasant occurrences.

Neither of our young friends spoke German; but, as one was a good
Italian scholar, and both understood French, they got on very well; and
it was, to them, an absolute refreshment of the heart to find themselves
travelling from morning to night among strangers, who never sought to
overreach them, who accepted from them with pleasure, and attended to
them with that manly civility, alike distant from the degradation of
slavery, and the insolence of contempt--an insolence every European
traveller must endure in the East, even from those he feels at the
moment to be themselves the most degraded and despicable of his species.

They entered a village in the Grisons on Saturday, where, of course,
they determined to remain; and on the Sabbath day, when they witnessed
the assembling of the villagers at their humble church, bearing in their
persons and manners, not less than in their dwellings, all the marks of
a well-ordered, industrious, and thriving population; when they beheld
them, "in simplicity and godly sincerity," offer up their devotions to
their God and Saviour, as those with whom their own hearts could give
"the right hand of fellowship,"--tears of pure delight sprang to their
eyes, and the voice of praise to God not only rose from their lips, but
their hearts.

"Ah, Clayfield!" said Alfred, as in the evening they sate beneath the
vine-tree at the door of their little inn, "if in after-life you and I
should meet with those who underrate the blessings of Christianity, and
think the world little improved by it, because there are some who
disgrace the profession, let _us_ never forget, or allow them to remain
ignorant of the mighty difference in human nature we have ourselves
witnessed. In all places there is much sin--in all perhaps there may be
found a little virtue; but it is only when the Christian religion is
cultivated, that man becomes as good as he is capable of being."

"Because Christianity alone refines his wishes, purifies his heart, and
gives to his natural affections their best influence, by opening views
and hopes of immortality. If it were only for the sake of this full
conviction, all my fatigues are well repaid. But I confess, that,
delightful as this country is, thankful as I am to be once more amongst
those I can call brethren, all I now feel renders me but the more
impatient to reach my dear country," replied his friend.

The following day they pursued their route; and as the facilities for
travelling increased the more populous the country became, they soon
found themselves in the midst of those tremendous mountains and striking
scenes, which have been so frequently described as to be familiar to our
young readers. They were extremely gratified with these beautiful and
magnificent views, and not less pleased with the neat commodious towns,
and their agreeable inhabitants, whose manners formed a striking
contrast, not less than their persons, with those of the naked Nubians,
the lazy and stupid Turks, or the acute but fierce-looking Arabs.

Commanding as were the towering heights of the Alps, their forests of
deep pine, their rocks, glaciers, and ravines, yet were they so far from
effacing the memory of those which they had visited in the East, that
they only confirmed their former prepossessions in their favour, as
being beyond all comparison _wild_, _terrible_, _picturesque_, and
_magnificent_. Mount Sinai, and Mount Hor, could alone be compared with
each other; but to the character of the former, in its pointed
pinnacles, immense rocks, and majestic outlines, were added the peculiar
charm and variety of colour, which made even the awful become the
beautiful, and threw a species of enchantment on the most fearful
features Nature has adopted perhaps on earth.

When, in addition to these recollections, Petra arose to their mind's
eye in its immense monuments of art, so adapted to the singular
facilities of its unparalleled situation, and which had called for the
united energies of innumerable persons, continued through successive
ages, surprise and admiration rose as strongly as when it was first
presented to their view; and they rejoiced in the labour they had
accomplished, the curiosity they had gratified. The more they thought on
the subject, the more they were convinced that this was the crown of
those antiquities so long and justly held in estimation; and Alfred told
his friend that it ought to make him amends for seeing neither Baalbec,
nor Palmyra, which, though more elegant than either, were not to be
compared with Philoe, and Petra, considered as wonders.

We now take our leave of Alfred and his friend, persuaded that every one
of our young readers will be enabled, in idea, to follow them to their
own homes, and conceive what the pleasure would be of meeting dear
parents, friends, brothers, and sisters, after an absence so long, and
frequently so dangerous. They will be aware how lovely every thing would
appear in their eyes which had been endeared to their memory; and, more
especially, how fervently they thanked the God who had so safely
conducted them through a land evidently suffering under His displeasure,
and stript of all the glories and privileges it once so eminently
possessed!

We conclude with presuming to hope that those, whose hearts can so
partake the emotions of our young travellers, will also remember their
adventures, and find amusement in recalling to mind whatever most
impressed them in this description of places or persons: as it is the
anxious wish of the author to increase their knowledge in every way
which can add to their innocent pleasures, and render them wise and
good.




THE END.


=Transcriber's Notes:=
  various, "Mahometan" changed to "Mahomedan" [Ed. for consistency]
  a caret (^) indicates character(s) to the right are superscripted
  Page 35, 'ill-bred. In' changed to 'ill-bred." In'
  Page 54, "found it have" changed to "found to have"
  Page 69, "like Atlasses" changed to "like Atlases"
  Page 87, "to Palestine." changed to "to Palestine,"
  Page 99, 'fell among thieves.' changed to 'fell among thieves."'
  Page 119, "few knew thename" changed to "few knew the name"
  Page 132, 'no recompense; and' changed to 'no recompense;" and'
  Page 147, "He was, altogether." changed to "He was, altogether,"
  Page 164, "imagination pourtray" change to "imagination portray"




[End of _The Young Pilgrim_ by Mrs. Hofland]