Letters from Egypt and Syria

Prefatory Note

The letters which compose this volume, are the unstudied communications of a Brother to a Sister — written for no other eye than hers, and printed solely with the hope of affording gratification to those by whom the character and talents of the lamented writer were well known.

There are some among his friends, more devoted to antiquarian pursuits than himself, who may not concur in many opinions which he has expressed concerning Egyptian antiquities ; but these, being his own convictions, which he was too candid to conceal, can be perused only with kind and generous feelings.

The letters, written amidst the inconveniences and hindrances of Eastern travel, contain, with a few notes appended to them, all that remains of the writer's descriptions of his journeyings in Egypt, Nubia, and Palestine, until within a few days of his arrival at Damascus, wThere it pleased God that they should terminate with his life.

PRINCIPAL CONTENTS OF THE LETTERS.

LETTER I. page.

Yoyage to Gibraltar ....... 1 — 3

The Rock and Town 4—5

Malta — the Lazaretto 8 — 13

Harbour of Alexandria 14 — 15

LETTER n.

Alexandria — scenes and sounds in — Nile water cisterns 17 — 18

The Date palm , . . 19

The City— its dilapidations and dogs . . . 20 — 21

Pompey's Pillar 22

The English Church 23

Local Mortality — its causes ..... 25

LETTER III. Passage from Alexandria to Cairo .... 27

Mahmoudieh Canal 27—28

Landing a Passenger 28

Khereddin Pasha 29—30

Population and sombre scenery of Delta . . , 30 — 32

Cairo — Shepherd's British Hotel .... 33

The running footmen, I. Kings, 18 — 46 ... 38

The donkey and camel — the streets .... 36 — 39

LETTER IY.

Route from Cairo to the Pyramids of Ghizeh . . 40 — 43

Site and structure of the Pyramids . . , ... 44 — 47

Perpendicular appearance of on a near view . . 47

Ascent of Cheops ....... 48

Yiew of the Nile valley from Cheops .... 49

Arab race upon the Pyramids t 50

Interior and passages in Cheops 51 — 53

Cephrenes and its court 54

Belzoni and Yyse Pyramids ..... 55

Importunity of Arab guides ..... 53 — 54

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

LETTER Y. page.

Cairo — Preparations for voyage up the Nile . . 57

Valuable Library of the Egyptian Society ... 58

Visit to mosques 58

Christians of both sexes admitted .... 59

Note of Lithograph of the Great Pyramid ... 60

LETTER VI.

On the Nile — the boat and crew 61

The Barrage 62—63

Rhoda— the locality of Exodus, 2. 1—9. ... 64

Villagers and dovecotes 65 — 66

The British in Egypt 66

Accident to Mr. Lakes 67 — 68

Plague of flies, &c 68

LETTER VH.

Winter frost and ice at Rhodah, latitude 28° . . 70

Sugar factories at Minieh 70 — 71

Seven days forced labour . . . . . . 71

Modern Egypt according to prophecy ... 71

Steam engines, &c. on the Nile 71

Manfalout — an Egyptian boy 73

Arnout soldiery 74

Ameen and his brother ...... 75

Limestone barrier of the Nile valley . . ... 75

Jackalls, and vegetation of valley .... 76

Universal brown hue of Egypt 77 — 78

Siout — manufacture of pipe bowls at ... 79

Sepulchral excavations on western cliffs ... 79

Visit to the Siout Bazaars ...... 80

LETTER VIII.

Ekhmein, December 12th. Coldness and force of the north

The darrabatakako 81

Antique coins, &c. on sale 84

The Doum palm, first seen . . . . . 85

Scenery of Nile valley . . . . . . 86

Crocodiles seen . . . . . . . 87 — 88

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

LETTER, IX. page.

Kenneh 89

Scarcity of plants in seed —

Berber songs to the dram 90

LETTER X.

Kenneh — scenery of the Nile 91

Guinea — corn harvest —

Products of the valley ........ 92

Manufacture and rafts of Gullahs .... 93

Date groves 94

Temple of Dendereh 95

Economical arrangements of Nile boat . . . 96 — 97

Luxor — coldness of the night and dawn ... 98

LETTER XI.

Luxor — its obelisk, hovels and colossi . . . 99 — 100

Dendereh and Luxor compared ..... 100

Rude and primitive character of buildings at Karnak . 102

Enthusiasm in description equals untruth . . . 103 Critique on popular views of the zoology and vegetation

of the Nile 104—105

LETTER XII.

Tropic passed at Kalabshee , 106

Native love of country 107

Products of the land of Cush : Khenna, &c. . . 108 — 109

Characteristics of local population .... 109

Eirst cataract 110

Notes on drying plants —

Contrast between cultivated and native plants . . Ill

Subtropical or midland European flora . . . Ill — 112

Birds and insects mostly akin to British ... 112

Coldness of morning and evening, and its cause . . 114 — 115

Desert views from the boat 114

Remarkable proof of atmospheric dryness . . . 115

Korosko — the depot of caravans for Cairo . . —

LETTER XIII.

Caravan journey from Wady Half eh . . . . 117

Low morning temperature of the desert ... —

Effects of scorpion sting 117 — 118

X.

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

PAGE.

Colossal statues — Isle of Argo 118

A soft fall after a hard ride 119

Camel riding — its advantages , . . . . 120

Napata, the city of Candace, Acts viii. 27 . . 121

Pyramids of Neuri and their porches ... . 122

Nights under the open sky 123

Table of temperature at noon 124

Khartoun — welcome at 125

Christian temple — ruins at Gebel al Gazal ... 126

Sketch of the birds of Soudan 127

Plants of ditto ........ —

Effects of camel-riding on linen . '. . . . 128

LETTER XIV.

Reflections on the poverty of the Nubian peasantry . 129

Security of property 130

Hippopotami seen above Berber .... 131

The crocodile more fearful than formidable . . . 132

LETTER XV.

Return voyage to Cairo ...... 133

Passage from Khartoun to Berber „ 134

Pyramids of Meroe . . . . . . . 135

Illness of Mr. Lakes 133_5_6

Arab doctor's treatment of him .... 137

His death and interment 138 — 9

Friendly aid of Coptic christians, &c. . . . 139

Merchant adventurers a degraded class ... 140

Respectability of British residents . . . . 140

Private society at Khartoun ..... —

Turkish morality 141

Comfortless death of Mr. M. on the desert . . 142 Privations and desolation on the desert . . . 143 — 144

Reservoir of rain water ] 45

Description and comfort of the zemmzemeer . . 145

Scanty and inferior supply of food .... 146

LETTER XVI.

Descent of the first cataract ..... 149

Ruins of Komoomba — Philoe 150

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

PAGE.

The British flag a sanctuary for conscripts . . . 151

Plans for the torn* in Syria , —

LETTER XVII.

Temperature in north wind and upon water . . 153

Sand storms and their causes 154

Zobah or Sand pillar —

Occasional storms of rain —

Display of meteors ....... —

Factory chimneys and obelisks . ... . . 155

The Galliode 156

Ruins of Medinet Habou 156—7

The Memnonium 157

The vocal Memnon 158

Tombs in Theban mountains 159

Critique on Egyptian architecture and painting . . 160

Sober estimate of the latter . . . . . 161 — 3

Historical value of the tombs 163

Inscriptions of visitors —

Prospect from Theban mountains .... 164

Grottoes of Assaseef —

Karnak by moonlight . , . . . . 165 — 6

Second visit to Dendereh . . . . . . 167

Salutary effects of radiation of heat by night . . 168

Progressive temperature from sunrise to sunrise . . 169

ElBahr . 170

Prevailing dulness of sky and land .... 171 — 2 LETTER XYIII.

Erequency of eye disease 173

Desert Arabs free from it 173 — 174

Deficient supply of animal food 175 — 8

Cattle of Nubia and Egypt 176

The water Buffaloe —

Endurance of heat by cattle 177

Compulsion of donkeys to drink .... —

Emits of Lower Egypt , . . . . . 179

Eulfilment of Isaiah xix. 6. 7 181

Scarcity of aquatic plants in Egypt .... —

Awful evidence of the spoilers of Egypt . . . 182 xii.

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

LETTER XIX.

PAGE.

Ingratitude of Arab and Berber races

Improvements in Cairo .....

Moslem respect for Protestant consistency

LETTER XX.

Journey from Cairo to Suez .....

Tomb of Malek Adel

—

Station bouses

186—7

Solitary tree

Desert plants . . . .

—

Peculiar donkey shoe

' Loss of one, without means of supply

— .

Night rencontres with camels

Wayside skeletons of ditto

Refreshing influence of north wind by day .

—

Mirage, and real blue line of Red Sea

Suez, a night on board the Akbar ....

192—3

Considerations upon Israel's passage of Red Sea

193—4

Tradition and modern opinion — Klysma . .

Saline deposits on soil around Suez

Return journey to Cairo

Deception of a sick child — mirage ....

—

Excursion to Toorah Quarries

Fickleness and distrustfulness of Arabs :

197—8

Resulting from the uncertain value and great variety of

Arab currency .0

198—9

Pacts on scarcity of money

200—1

Hatching-ovens . . . .

Memphis and its debris . ...

JL y I clIlllU.0 yji. kJClL/Ldi Oil ••••••

Their structure

Ibis mummy pits,

Palse pyramid in Upper Egypt

Yisit to Nilometer at Rhoda

LETTER XXI.

Excursion to On

Scenery around Cairo . . . . ' .

Tombs of Mamaluke Kings

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

Xlll.

PAGE.

Palaces ol Abbas Pasha ......

Forced labour oil his works .....

Blindness and squinting prevalent ....

Temperature of the season .

Desert border the site of ancient cities

Popular contempt of the Pharoahs . . . .

209—10

Identity of Balsam of Mecca and Storax

Sycomore of holy family at Matereeh ....

210—1]

Garden at Shoobra, and mode of irrigation .

Egyptian fruits, trees, and shrubs ; Khenna leaves, use of 212 — 13

Fruits — deficient cultivation of

214—15

Apricots, Mishmush, &c

215—16

Yariable breadth of cultivation on the banks of the Nile

216—17

Rigid abstinence of Arabs during Ramadan

—

Serpent charms witnessed and vindicated

217—20

Singular charm against a serpent's bite

LETTER XXII.

Voyage to the Mediterranean .

221—2

Ramadan, the traveller's woe .....

OOO 9 >7 ll& o — /

Scenery between Cairo and Damietta . . .

Yiolent overthrow of Egyptian monuments .

224—5

225—8

Miserable lodging there ......

226—7

Yisit to Lake Menzaleh

228-9

Accident, and barber surgeon

229—230

Causes of lakes of Delta

Pield and ruins of Zoan

232—3

Ineffectual search for Papyrus

LETTER XXIII.

The Bougaz 22

6—8—243

239—240

xiv.

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

PAGE.

Scanty flora of rice marshes 241

The brighter side of hardship 241 — 242

Former cultivation of inundated lands .... 242

Lodgings among rice bags 243

The Bougaz passed 244

Retrospect of Egyptian travel 244 — 5

Yoyage to Jaffa — Hungarian refugee .... 245

LETTER XXIV.

Lazaretto — Dr. Kyat . 246 — 8

Simon the tanner's house 248

Site, gardens and produce of Jaffa , 249 — SO

LETTER XXV.

Journey to Jerusalem — Ramlah . . . . . 251

Summer camps of the Bishop &c. . . . 252

English church at Jerusalem ..... —

Visit to Bethlehem 253

LETTER XXVI.

Sketch of journey to Beyrout . . . . . 254

Temperature and climate 255

Garden cultivation of surrounding country ... 256

Memorandum upon Notes ...... 257

NOTES EOR LETTERS.

Excursion to Jericho and Dead Sea . . . . 258

The Quarantana . . 259

The Jordan ........ —

Dead Sea, and water-fowl upon it ... —

Plants on the shores . . . . . . . 260

Ascent to Mar Saba —

Engedi— heights of 261

The Convent of Mar Saba —

Excursion to Hebron . . ■> . . . . 263

Rachael's tomb, &c. —

Pools of Solomon «. 264

CONTENTS OF LETTERS.

Paved road into Hebron

Oak of Mamre

Hebron still Kirjath Arba Snow of 1850 in Holy Land Local antiquities and population of Hebron Glass works

Jerusalem to Beyrout .

Nablous, Mount Ebal, &c Samaritans Sebaste

Nazareth

Traditional period of Joseph's residence in Egypt, &c .

Fair maidens and foul state of Nazareth . . . 268

Mount Tabor — its vegetation, &c. —

Mount Carmel 258—270

Acre —

Sidon — local fertility, and export trade ... —

Distant view of Lebanon ...... 272