A narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar, under the command of Ismael Pasha ... First American edition

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A NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION TO Hotifiol* an* §*mua*Vf UNDER THE COMMAND OP HIS EXCELLENCE ISMAEL PASHA, UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER OE HIS HIGHNESS MEHEMMED ALI PASHA. VICEROY OF EGYPT. By GEORGE BETHUNE ENGLISH. FIjaST AMERICAN EDITION. BOSTON : WELLS AND LILLY— COURT-STREET. 1823. DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to wit : District Clerk's Office. BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty-first day of November, A. D. 1822, in the forty-seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, George Bethune English of the said District, has deposited in this Office the Title of a Book, the Right whereofhe claims as Author and Proprietor, in the Words following, to ivit : A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar. under the command of Hii Excellence Ismael Pasha, undertaken by order of His Highness Mehemmed Ali Pasha, Viceroy of Egypt.

By George Bethune English. First American Edition. In Conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled " An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of guch Copies, during the Times therein mentioned :*' and also to an Act entitled, * An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned ; and extending the Benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching Historical and other Prints.*' JNO. W. DAVIS. Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. ro HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S CONSUL GENERAL IN EGYPT, ftptnrg &&ltf 22s<t* MY FATHERLY FRIEND IN A FOREIGN LAND, THIS WORK IS DEDICATED, WITH AFFECTIONATE RESPECT, BV THE AUTHOR ilrcfacc* ItIehemmeb Aiii Pasha, the victorious pa cificator of Egypt and Arabia, is already renowned in the civilized world.* Egypt, once the home of Discord, and the head quarters of Anarchy, under his administra tion has long enjoyed peace and prosperity ; is permeable in all directions, with perfect * Mehemmed Ali Pasha, the present Viceroy of Egypt, was born of Turkish parents, at Porto Cavallo near Salonique in Macedonia.

He came to Egypt about the time the French evacuated it, a Bimbashi or Colonel of Jannissaries. By his talents and courage, displayed in the war of the Turks against the Mamalukes, whom the Grand Seignor had divest ed of the government of Egypt, he obtained the good will and confidence of the Turkish Army, who elected him for their Chief. The Grand Seignor confirmed their choice and sent him the three Horse tails, and the Firman, constitut ing him Viceroy of Egypt and Arabia. He is now about sixty years of age, and his vigorous constitution promises a long life, which his distinguished talents will doubtless render useful and glorious.

Preface

. VI safety to the merchant and the traveller, and is yearly advancing in wealth and im provement.* * For instance, a navigable passage has been cut through the rocks of the First Cataract, and a canal is at present in progress, by order of the Pasha, round some of the most difficult passes of the Second. He has completed a broad and deep canal from the Nile to Alexandria, by which commerce is liberated from the risk attending the passage of the Boghaz of Rosetta. The communication by way of Egypt with India has been opened, and a commerce yearly augmenting has been renewed between those two countries. Large establishments for the fabric of saltpetre, gunpowder, cannon and small arms, others for the fabric of silks, cotton and sugar, have been erected by the Viceroy, and are in operation under the superintendance of Europeans.

A well chosen library of the best European books on the art military, geography, astronomy, medicine, history, belle* lettres and the fine arts, has been purchased from Europe by the Viceroy and placed in the palace of Ismael Pasha ; where is also a school, at the Viceroy's expense, for the instruction of the Mussulman youth in the Italian language and the sciences of the Franks. To' which establishments has been lately added a printing press, for printing books in the Turk ish, Arabic and Persian languages, and a weekly newspaper in Arabic and Italian. The library and the press are under the superintendance of Osman Noureddin Effendi, a young Turk of great good sense, and who is well versed in the lite rature of Europe, where he has resided for several years by order of the Viceroy, for his education : he is at present engaged in translating into Turkish some works on tactics, for the use of his countrymen. Within the last year, it is said, that the Viceroy has levied a conscription of sixty thousand men, which he has caused to be trained to the

PREFACE.

. VII The Viceroy has been particularly atten tive to revive and extend those commercial relations of Egypt with the surrounding countries, which once rendered it the richest and most flourishing territory in the ancient world. For several years past the inland commerce of this favoured land had suffered great interruptions from the confusion and discord to which the countries on the Upper Nile have been a prey. The chiefs of Shageia had formed themselves into a singular aristocracy of brigands, and pillaged all the provinces and caravans within their reach, without mercy and without restraint ; while the civil wars, which bave distracted the once powerful kingdom of Sennaar for these last eighteen years, had occasioned an almost entire cessation of a commerce, from which Egypt had derived great advantages. European discipline ; in which they have already made so much progress, as to promise to become a formidable body of effective troops.

PREFACE.

. VIII His Highness the Viceroy in consequence determined, as the most effectual means of putting an end to these disorders, to subject those countries to his dominion. Four thousand troops were accordingly put under the command of Ismael Pasha, the youngest son of the Viceroy, with orders to conquer all the provinces on the Nile, from the Second Cataract to Sennaar inclu sive.* Through the influence of the recommen dation of Henry Salt, Esq., His Britannic Majesty's Consul General in Egypt, I was ordered by the Viceroy to accompany this expedition, with the rank of Topgi Bashi, i. e. General of artillery, and with directions to propose such plans of operation to the * Ismael Pasha is about twenty-five years of age. Mehem med Ali had three sons. Toussoun Pasha, (who was the eldest, and died soon after his return from the War with the Wahabi* in Arabia ;) Ibrahim Pasha, now about thirty years of age, who brought the war with the Wahabis to a successful issue, and Ismael, the conqueror of Ethiopia.

PREFACE.

. IX Pasha Ismael as I should deem expedient, but Avhich the Pasha might adopt or reject as he should think proper. This extraordinary expedition has been perfectly successful ; and the conquest of the extensive and fertile countries, which, in the reign of Candace, repulsed the for midable legions of Rome, has been effected at an expense not greater on our part than the blood of about two hundred soldiers. The principal cause of a success so extra^ ordinary, at such a price, has been the humanity and good faith of the Pasha Ismael towards those provinces that sub mitted without fighting. Perfect security of person and property was assured to the peaceable, and severe examples were made of those few of the soldiery, who, in a very few instances, presumed to violate it. The good consequences of this deportment toward the people of these countries have been evident. All have seen that those who B

PREFACE.

. X preferred peace before war have had peace without war, and that those who preferred war before peace have not had peace but at the price of ruin. The destruction or disarmment of the brigands, who have heretofore pillaged those countries with impunity — the establishment of order and tranquillity — the security now assured to the peasants and the caravans — and the annexation of so many fine provinces and kingdoms to the sway of the Viceroy of Egypt,* are not the only consequences of this expedition that will give him glory. This expedition has laid open to the researches of the geographer and the anti quarian, a river and a country highly inte- * Their names are as follows : — Succoot, Machass, Don gola, Shageia, Monasier, Isyout, Rabutat, Berber, Shendi, Halfya; the kingdoms of Sennaar, Darfour, and Kordofan, at present, all subject to the conqueror of Egypt and Arabia.

The eleven first mentioned, lie on the Nile, in the order named to a traveller coming from Egypt Kordofan and Darfour lie off west of the Nile. See the Map.

PREFACE.

. XI resting, and hitherto imperfectly known to the civilized world. The Nile, on whose banks we have marched for so many hun dred miles, is the most famous river in the world, for the uncertainty of its source, and the obscurity of its course. At present this obscurity is dispersed, and before the re turn of the Pasha Ismael this uncertainty will probably be no more. The countries we have traversed are renowned in history and poetry as the land of ancient and famous nations, which have established and over thrown mighty empires, and have originated the religions, the learning, the arts, and the civilization of nations long since extinct ; and who have been preceded by their in structors in the common road which every thing human must travel. * * Ancient History speaks in high terms of the antiquity, wisdom, and science of " the unconquered Ethiopians," with whom Homer fables the gods were accustomed to feast.

If so, they must have had better fare in old times than they gave to us, or else " the gods," I should imagine, would hot have gone there more than once.

PREFACE.

. XII This famous land of Cush and Saba, at present overawed by the camps of the Osmanli, has presented to our observation many memorials of the poAver and splen dour of its ancient masters. The vieAv of remains of cities once populous — ruined temples once magnificent — colossal statues of idols once adored, but noAv prostrated by the strong arms of Time and Truth — and more than a hundred pyramids, which entomb the bodies of kings and conquerors once mighty — but whose memory has perished, have suspended for awhile the march of our troops — have attracted the notice of the Franks, who voyage with the army with the favour and under the protection of the Pasha;* and which doubtless ere long, by * Mr. Frediani, an Italians and Messrs. Caillaud and Con stant, the two latter sent out by His Most Christian Majesty, have accompanied our camp to Sennaar, where I left them in good health.

To Messrs. Caillaud and Constant particularly I am indebted for much cordiality and friendship, which it is 4 A traveller who availed himself of the protection afforded by the army to penetrate up the Nile : he died in Sennaar. This unfortunate man died » chained maniac, in consequence of violent fever.

PREFACE.

. XIII engaging the attention and researches of men of learning, will unite the names of Mehemmed Ali and Ismael his son with the history and monuments of this once famous and long secluded land, in a man ner that will make the memory of both renowned and inseparable. The Reader will find, that I have some times, in the course of this Journal, in cluded the events of several days in the form of narrative, particularly in my ac count of the Second Cataract. Wherever I have so done, it has been occasioned by paroxysms of a severe ophthalmia, which a pleasure to me to acknowledge. The geographical posi tions of the most important places on the Upper Nile have been ascertained by Mr. Constant, who is provided with an excellent set of instruments, with great care and the most indefatigable pains, of which I myself have been a witness. His observations will doubtless be a most valuable acquisition to geography.

PREFACE.

. XIV afflicted me for fifteen months, and render ed me at times incapable of writing. Partly from this cause, but principally because I have inserted nothing that I did not witness, or had the best authority to consider as fact, the work is a brief one ; but I prefer to risk being charged with the venial fault of conciseness, rather than to incur the impu tation of error. For these reasons I have preferred, in an Appendix, to give some notices of Nubia and Ethiopia in the words of others, believing, at the same time that the statements therein contained will be found to be correct, though T decline giving them to the Public on my own responsibility. I commenced my journal at Wady Haifa, on the lower extremity of the second Cata ract, because the Expedition may be said to have started from that place, and more especially, because the Nile and its banks below Wady Haifa have been repeatedly visited by Europeans, and have been fre quently described in various publications, well known to the literary world.

PREFACE.

. XV The Map is from an English one, and is the best in point of accuracy which is yet published. It however can only be considered as an approximation to the true course of the Nile, but is sufficiently accurate to illustrate this work. ERRATA. p. 16 line 8 of the note for "pushing it along. In," &c. read " pushing it along, in" &c. p. 100 line 4 of the note for " Courtry," read " Courty." p. 105 in note i& line 4 for " Selina," read " Sittina." p. 1 16 line 2 of the note for " the rest of," read " many of." p. 144 line 7 for " boles" read " bowls." ® 1®xvv&tito€f &c. &c. X arrived at the camp at Wady Haifa, on the Se cond Cataract, on the 16th of the moon Zilhadge in the year of the Hegira 1235,* where I found about four thousand troops, consisting of Turkish cavalry, infantry and artillery, and a considerable proportion of Bedouin cavalry and Mogrebin foot soldiers ;t besides about one hundred and tAventy * Corresponding to the end of September, or the former part of October, A.C. 1820, at which season the Nile is at its greatest height.

In the East they compute the year to consist of twelve lunar months, whose names are as follows : Moharram — Safa — Rebi — Rebialachar — Jamisalawal — Jamisalachar — Regeb — Shaban — Ramazan — Shawal — Ziikade — Zilhadge. By this compu tation the day of the month is the same as that of the moon's age, which in the fine climates of the East is easily percepti ble. For these reasons, and more especially to facilitate the translation of this little work into Turkish and Arabic, I com puted time in the oriental manner throughout. t This force may be thus enumerated : ten pieces of field artillery, one mortar 8 inch calibre, and two small howitzers, large boats loaded with provisions and ammunition, and destined to folloAV the march of the army to the upper countries of the Nile. 11th of Zilhadge.

Presented myself to his Ex cellency the Pasha Ismael, by whom I was receiv ed in a very flattering manner, and presented with a suit of his own habiliments.* On my asking his Excellency if he had any or ders for me, he replied, that he was at present solely occupied in expediting the loading and for warding the boats carrying the provisions of the army, but that Avhen that was finished, he would send for me to receive his commands. I employed this interval in noticing the assem blage that composed the army. The chiefs and soldiers I found well disposed to do their duty through attachment to their young commander and through fear of Mehemmed Ali. They were alert attached to which were one hundred and twenty cannoneers ; three hundred Turkish infantry, and seven hundred Mogrebin ditto ;§ the remainder of the army, Turkish and Bedouin cavalry, together with a corps of Abbadies mounted on dromedaries, and armed with lances, swords and shields, and a few matchlocks. * This according to the Oriental customs was intended and considered as a great honour. } Mogrebin, i.e. occidental.

They were mercenaries from the Barbary States, who in the oriental phrase " ate the salt" of the Viceroy. to execute what orders they received, and very busy in smoking their pipes when they had nothing else to do. The resemblance between an European and a Turkish camp, is like that between the river in Macedonia, and the one in Wales. As Captain Fluellen says, " there are salmons in both." The Turkish soldiery are splendidly dressed and super abundantly armed ; each horse soldier carrying, besides his fusee and sabre, two pair of pistols ; one pair at his saddle bow, and another pair in his sash. The infantry, besides their long guns, carry in their sash a brace of pistols and an ataghan, i. e. a short sword of the best of steel. All these arms are splendidly ornamented with silver. The Turk ish troops have a regular staff, and are regularly organized into corps, regiments and odas, or com panies; but are acquainted merely with the first elements of tactics.

A Turkish camp is pitched in very irregular order : the Quarter Master Ge neral merely assigns the places for the tents of the chiefs of the different corps which compose the army, and the soldiers of each chief place their tents round that of their commandant as they think proper. The only parts of our camp which presented a regular arrangement of the tents, were the quarters of the cannoneers and the Pasha. The cannoneers arranged their tents in lines, in the rear of the cannon. The great officers of the Pa sha's household arranged their tents to the right and left of his tent, while his body guard of Mamalukes planted theirs in a semi-circle to the rear of it. The tent of the Pasha Ismael Avas a magnificent military palace. It consisted of three parts: 1st, a closed round pavilion of considerable size, of gaudy colours, and surmounted with a large gilt globe.

This contained his private apartments, joining on to the front of which was a long closed hall, richly furnished : this Avas the eating apartment, and the hall of private audience. The confidential Mamalukes of the Pasha watched armed in this hall every night, over the safety of their sleeping master : and 3d, in front of this hall was a porch, separated from the hall by two veils, one of crimson silk, and the other of tapestry. In this porch the Pasha, seated on a sofa, gave public au dience ; heard complaints and petitions, and admi nistered justice; received the homage of the chiefs of the conquered countries, and gave his orders to his officers. Round the exterior of the tent the body guard of Mamalukes kept Avatch every night. This tent, in the whole, Avas about a hundred feet long, made of canvas dyed green, handsomely lined with tapestry, and every tent pole belonging to it surmounted with a large gilded ball.

The floor was covered with Persian carpets and rich cushions; and in front of the tent Avere planted the Pasha's standard and the horse tails during the day, which in the night were replaced by a chandelier of glass lamps.* On the 19th I was sent for by the Pasha, with whom I remained in private audience for an hour. On the 21st of the moon Zilhadge I was attacked by that distressing malady the opthalmia. In two days the progress of the disorder was such that my eyes Avere closed up and incapable of support ing the light, and occasioned me such acute anguish that I could get no sleep but by the effect of lau danum, and for a time placed me in the miserable condition of a blind man. This misfortune at this crisis Avas peculiarly vexatious and mortifying for me, as it put it out of my poAver to accompany the Pasha,t who departed Avith the army for Dun- * This oriental scenite custom appears to be alluded to in Job, ch. xxiii. v. 3.

The Chief's tent in a Bedouin camp is distinguished at night by lamps. t And obliged me to run the chance of a miserable and in glorious death, either from the rocks and torrents of the cagola on the 26th, taking his route on the west bank of the river, and leaving the Divan Effendi* and a small party of soldiers to expedite the loading and forwarding the boats that had not as yet got ready to proceed up the Cataract. On the 3d of the Moharram A. H. 1236, I em barked on board the boat of the surgeons attached to the army, to whose care I was committed by the Pasha, and left the lower or north end of the Second Cataract, as it is commonly styled in the maps, in company with fifteen boats to follow and rejoin the army. I Avould here observe that Avhat is called the Second Cataract, is, in the time of the inundation, properly a succession of partial falls and swift rapids for more than a hundred miles before we arrived at Succoot.

I counted nine ; some of them, particularly the second,t fifths seventh§ and ninth,|| very dangerous to pass, though at this time the Nile had fallen but a few feet. Before we taract, or the knives of the natives of the country, in following the army from which I was separated. * The Divan Effendi is the Chief Counsellor of a Pasha for Civil Affairs. _* t Called the Shellal of Semne. \ Called the Shellal of Ambigool. § Called the Shellal of Tongaroo. II Called the Shellal of Dal. arrived at the fifth, two boats were wrecked against the rocks which croAvd the rapids, and one filled and sunk ;* and before we had passed the ninth, several similar accidents had taken place. To pass the second and seventh rapids, it was ne cessary to employ, in aid of the sails, about a hundred men to drag the boats one after another against the current.

At the second pass particularly, se veral of the boats were damaged, and two soldiers and two boatmen droAvned. At this pass the river is interrupted by a ledge of rocks reaching nearly across, and over which the Nile falls. Between this ledge of rocks and the western shore of the river is a practicable passage, wide enough to ad mit a boat to be hauled up the current, which here runs furiously. Overlooking this passage are Iavo hills, one on the east and one on the west side of the river : on these hills are the ruins of ancient fortifications. They are also surmounted by two small temples in the Egyptian style ; that on the west side is almost perfect. It is sculptured exte riorly and interiorly Avith figures and hieroglyphics, and the ceiling is painted azure.f * Not to mention several more that were damaged, but had time enough to reach the shore in a bilged condition : these were afterwards repaired, and followed us. t I have been informed that about two miles northward of this place, on the west side of the river, is to be see* The appearance of the country on each side of the falls is similar to that of the country immedi ately south of Assuan — a sandy desert studded Avith rocky hills and mountains.

The only appearance of vegetation observable Avas in some of the islands and on the immediate banks of the river, where we met at every mile or two Avith small spots of fertile ground, some of them cultivated and inha bited. The rocky hills consist frequently of beau tiful black granite, of the colour and brilliancy of the best sea-coal. Here and there at different points on the Cataract, I observed some forts built by the natives of the country. They are con structed of unheAvn stones cemented with mud, and flanked by towers and angular projections some thing resembling bastions, and are pierced with loopholes for musquetry. Their interior presents the following appearance : — against the interior side of the Avails all round are built low chambers. communicating by small doors with the area and frequently with each other.

I could observe no thing in these chambers except the bottom part of a curious vaulted edifice, having the interior of its wall* in many places covered with paintings. My informants believed that it was anciently a Christian monastery. This is possible, as the ruins of several are to be seen on the third Cataract. and, as I have been toid, on the second also. the small hand-mills used by the Orientals to grind meal, which could not be hastily removed, as they were fixed in the ground ; every thing else the in habitants had carried off on the approach of the army. The great area in the centre of these forts appeared to have been occupied by the camels and flocks of the inhabitants. Some of these forts are to be seen surmounting the high rocky islands with which the second cataract abounds, and make a picturesque appearance.

On the 2d of the moon Safa, we passed what our Rais erroneously told us was the last rapid be tween us and Succoot. We have been thirty days in getting thus far ;* the causes of our having been so long in getting up the Falls were several. The crews of the boats which had passed unhurt a dangerous passage, were frequently detained to unload and repair those Avhich had been Avrecked or damaged. — We have been detained at the en trances of these rapids frequently for several day9 at a time, for want of a sufficient wind ; it being absolutely necessary that the Avind should be very strong, to enable the boats to force themselves through the currents running between the rocks Avith dreadful rapidity, and more than once the * About seventy miles above Wady Haifa. boatmen have hesitated to attempt a dangerous pass, till obliged by the presence and menaces of the Divan Effendi who accompanied the boats.

On the 3d of Safa, about an hour after we had passed what our Rais told us was the last ra pid of consequence Ave should have to encounter, Ave saAV the Avreck of a boat lying against a rock in the middle of the river, her masts alone appear ing out of the Avater. The river here is interrupt ed by several high insulated rocks. We had been assured that we should now find the river open and Avithout difficulty, till we should come to Succoot; the appearance of this boat seemed to contradict this representation, and in about an hour after, we had abundant reason to be satisfied that it was false. I was congratulating myself that Ave had got into smooth water, and indulging myself with a tranquil pipe of tobacco, Avhen suddenly the wind slackened just as Ave Avere passing between two ledges of rocks, where the river was running at the rate of about six knots an hour.

The current overpoAvered the effort of the sails, and carried the boat directly among the reefs, near the west bank of the river. After remaining for about ten minutes in a very perilous position, the skill of our Rais happily got the boat to shore without injury. DONGOLA AND SEKNAAR. 11 3d of Safa. We remained all night at the place Avhere we landed ; in the morning got under sail, to pass the strong current we had attempted yesterday without success. After buffeting about for an hour, Ave were forced to return to the bank of the river, and await a stronger Avind. In about an hour after the wind freshened, and we got under way with better fortune, and after passing the current before mentioned, found ourselves in smooth Avater. After sailing for an hour we stopped for ten minutes at a place where we saw sheep, in order to purchase some, having for the last tAventy days been obliged to live on bread, rice, and lentiles.

Succeeded in purchasing two lambs. The banks of the river hereabouts present some fertile spots, a few of them cultivated. About noon the wind fell and the rais put to shore ; we immediate ly set our domestics about preparing the purchas ed meat, and shortly after Ave sat doAvn to this re gale, Avhich appeared to me the most delicious meal I had eaten for many years.* Remained here for the remainder of the day. * I cannot help smiling in copying off this part of my journal, at the little account I made of " bread rice and lentiles,"§ } Lentiles are in colour red, and in size and shape resembling split peas. They are usually cooked into a sort of pottage, the same as that for which Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. " Lentiles" are called in Arabic by the 4th of Safa. Continued in the same place, there not being sufficient wind to ascend the river.

A bout two hours after noon arrived an Arab from above ; he Avas on his way to the Divan Effendi, Avho Avas a few miles below us, to inform him, that a boat, of which he had been one of the crew, had been dashed to pieces against the rocks in attempt ing to pass a rapid. I demanded of him " Hoav many rapids there were yet ahead ;" he replied " that there Avere several ; how many he did not exactly know." This intelligence made me appre hensive that we might be another month in get ting through these obstacles, and determined me to reneAV my efforts to obtain camels and proceed to the Pasha by land. I had made several atat the commencement of the campaign. Before I left Senna ar, I have been more than once obliged to take a part of my horse's rations of durra§ to support nature. He ate his por tion raw, and I had mine boiled.