Notes from Egypt

My dear E

I thank God! we are now (April 30th) on the eve of quitting the regions of absolute savagedom for the comparative civilization of Egypt, at whose southern portal we are awaiting the safe conduct of our little bark down the cataract, which is to be accomplished^ we trust, early to-morrow morning (May 1st). Much care and circumspection are requisite in the present extremely low state of the river, to prevent accidents from the boat striking the rocks at the bottom in her descent, and hence the sheyk of the cataract requires time to muster his hands, and make the necessary preparations.

The heat from the long continuance of northerly winds continues to be very moderate for the advanced season, the thermometer at noon, and till two or three o'clock is usually from 90° to 95° in our cabin. At this moment whilst I am writing, it is at 99°, and our crew are stretched listlessly on deck: to myself, it is not by any means overpowering whilst I continue sitting, but somewhat too high for agreeable locomotion. The fact is, that for several weeks past, the thermometer having seldom been much under 100° in the middle of the day, and often several degrees above it, my system has become quite habituated to this high temperature, and anything under 90° feels quite cool and fresh. The hot southerly winds of May called the Khamseen, must now be looked for daily, and of course much hotter weather will be our portion, 110° to 120° in the shade.

The river has a most forlorn deserted appearance; all English tourists have long since fled its narrowed currents in dread of the summer heat, and we, the last way-worn travellers, are wending our solitary course far in the rear of the herd of winter visitors, whose ultima Thule was Wady Halfeh, or perhaps the first cataract. Even the natives gaze upon us as on a sort of unseasonable phenomenon, and we expect to look like very respectable lions on our arrival at Cairo, since we shall be the very last of the fashionable arrivals of the season: and the few stray birds of passage that may still be in the City of Victory, at this time of universal incandescence, will have no other lions to look at but ourselves.

During the earlier part of the night, the heat under our mosquito curtains is considerable, and the temperature does not lower on the water with half the rapidity with which it is radiated from the stony sandy desert, but after midnight, it becomes quite cool and pleasant, and the early mornings till nine o'clock, are delightfully fresh still. The dry heat of this climate, too, is far less oppressive than a much lower temperature of an atmosphere holding water in solution, as India, &c. I thank God, that the heat agrees well with both of us: we have good appetites, and sleep well.

May 3rd, Nile between Assouan and Edfou. We are now on the broad stream of this ancient river, beyond all further danger from rocks or cataracts, with a smooth liquid, unobstructed path open to us from hence to Cairo.

On the 1st we shot the cataracts between Phiioe and Assouan in a masterly style, and fortunately without accident: it was, however, a nervous business to every one on board as we darted down the boiling flood, where the least inadvertence, want of skill or presence of mind in the helmsman, must have consigned our boat to instant destruction, with great loss of life amongst those on board. The river being now extremely low, the cataract is greatly increased in rapidity, as well as shallower; and there is consequently much danger of the boat striking the rocky bottom in her headlongcareer, or of being dashed against the masses of rock that obstruct the channels between which the torrent rushes. As it was, she grazed the bottom in her descent, with sufficient force to render her very leaky, and I fear we shall be detained a whole day at Esneh to have her haided up on shore and caulked, as the quantity of water she takes in causes her to sail slowly.

The thermometer is now constantly at, and above 100° for some hours in the day, and the breeze comes off the banks like a blast from an oven or furnace mouth, although still northerly, or north-easterly; what it will be when the Khamseen begins to blow irom the south, as it ought now to be doing, I cannot venture to guess, as the above is the temperature in the coolest corner of the boat that I can find for the thermometer. Great as this degree of heat is, it by no means interferes with our pursuits, reading, writing, or even going ashore, if there is anything to be seen or done there. I have been within these four hours examining the fine remains of the temple at Kom Ombes, in the full blaze of the sun, whose face I do not remember to have seen obscured for above a few minutes once or twice since leaving Cairo, November 24th.

Philae looked more lovely and picturesque to our way-worn eyes, as we passed under her ruin-crowned banks than she did on our upward course; being the first herald of our approach to regions of comparative civilization and plenty; for our Nubian and Ethiopian trip has been somewhat trying to body as well as mind, although a great deal of enjoyment has been mingled with our anxieties and occasional personal discomfort. It is an expedition I am glad to have made, but never wish to repeat!

Great consternation prevails at this time along the valley of the Nile, on account of the Pasha's troops being engaged in levying the conscription by seizing men in all the towns and villages, and marching them off in chains to Cairo, &c. to recruit the army. Three or four days ago, we were witnesses of this act of despotic power, by seeing a numerous band of these unhappy peasants-, who had been torn from their homes and families, on the point of being embarked on board a vessel on the Nile, for some distant part of the empire, guarded by cavalry, and tied together like dogs. The evening before, we had dispatched Mohammed and Achmed on the usual errand on shore to procure milk, when they found the place entirely deserted, the adult male population having fled to the hills to avoid the conscription, the women and children only remaining behind.

Our gallant little bark is now turned into an asylum for the persecuted. Four men have sought refuge and protection under the British pennant, having begged a passage to Cairo to escape being taken for soldiers in their own village. Once on board a boat under a consular flag, the government cannot touch them; they are under the protection of that flag pro tempore, and are considered as servants in the pay and employ of the owner or traveller. These poor people work their passage to the capital by taking the oars with the rest of the men; they bring their own provisions (a little d'hourah merely), and all we give them is lodging on deck with our own people.

In my next I will give you a definite direction for future letters, as I hope to quit Egypt for Syria as soon as possible after visiting Damietta, Mansoureh, Rosetta, and Suez , which will not occupy me long. I shall take Saad with me into Syria, whither I intend to proceed alone, as I shall soon find many acquaintances through my letters for Jerusalem and Bairout, and Saad is an admirable guide for the country with which he is well acquainted, as well as with many people there; besides being an excellent and faithful servant, now well tried. I propose visiting Jerusalem, Bairout, Damascus, Constantinople, and Smyrna, and to return home either by sea in the Peninsular and Oriental Company's vessels, or by the Austrian Lloyd's line to Trieste, and across the continent via the north of Italy, the Rhine and Belgium.

I shall do all in my power not to extend my absence beyond the middle of August, but I must be entirely dependent on the sailing of the different steamers, and cannot therefore calculate nay return with any degree of nicety.

With kindest regards to all our friends, Believe me, Your affectionate Brother, William Arnold Bromfield.