good of all creeds. I have looked at you | a piteous manner, "this is none of my work, with my eyes and have heard you with my See there, that old black fox hath practised ears. I find in your faces and behavior the this deceit. He is the dragoman of a Frank tokens of brotherhood, and in your words family now in the island, and it vexes him the sound of truth. If you promise to deal to behold a Frank conducting his own af with me fairly as men and brothers, I am fairs without the help of his craft." not afraid to trust your word." "By God we will deal with you right- grinning black face of an old Soudanee drageously!" they replied. oman I had seen on the boat of some ac

I looked further back, and recognized the

their bowels are full of panic. Go thou therefore to the Hakem (Governor) at Assouan, and request of him a letter to the governors up the country, setting forth the circumstances of thy journey."

So it was agreed. My donkey was dis-quaintances at Assouan. I begged my promissed, and I went back to the island to fessor's pardon, and went to the merchants. gather up my goods, accompanied by two There was much talk. I told my story to dusky men, whom at first I conjectured to the merchants, and the beadsmen and camel be servants of the Moorish merchants, but I dealer expatiated on the imprudence of takafterwards found them to be mere casual ing me with them, to all the rabble of small fellow-passengers in the qangiah, over whom, passengers. The Moors, after some reflecby virtue of superior wealth and social po- tion, said that, though there was nothing in sition, the Moors exercised an influence. it, it was better not to overrule, but to meet One of them, Mohammed the Beadsman, the objection. was a dealer in large heavy glass beads "The foolish persons have eaten fear, and about an inch in diameter, to form ornaments for the necks and wrists and ankles of the queens of Soudan; for in Soudan, as the merchants afterwards told me," to every hill there is a king, and to every king plenty of queens." The other, Mohammed El Ghereyety, was a camel dealer going up river to buy cheap. He was reported to be full of money, but very miserly, showing no outward signs of wealth, and sponging on the merchants, who got but little service out of him in return. These men loitered about while I packed my luggage; but when it was ready they declined to put it in the boat, saying the boat would not carry it. It was a bad little boat, and I suggested dividing the baggage for two trips; but they would not take any. I got into the boat, and was going to the merchants to report the mutiny, when I saw my professor on the shore. I cried out to him,—

"What is the cause of this impediment?" "The men have taken fright," he replied. "What, to upset the boat ?"

"No; they fear lest, having a Frank in their company, they should be arrested by the governors up the river for kidnapping." "O thou son of ingratitude and father of treachery! Thou hast evidently implanted this error in the skulls of those two asses in order to retain thy miserable salary for teaching me ungrammatical Arabic. Thinkest thou after this I shall continue thy lessons ?"

"Nay," expostulated the learned man in

"But if a wind arise in the mean time, will ye not leave me and depart?"

'By Allah, what haste is there? Are we not thy rafeeq. Let everything be done by the permission of God! Surely, we will await thy return."

66

So I again demanded a donkey, and a good donkey, that could really go on pain of non-payment if unsatisfactory. Possibly the boys thought me by this time a doubtful customer. Certainly the donkey which came was as I pointed out to his driver, an ass of the exercrable, the feeble of body, the obdurate of disposition." The events of that sultry day had not tended to tranquillity of temper. Stooping to pack my luggage got the blood into my head. The dragoman, camel-dealer, and beadsman difficulty had kept me on the boil some time. The sun was now very hot upon me; and kicking the ribs of my lazy beast with bare heels and vast slippers very liable to slip off, caused me to continue in a slight simmer as I went. Going on a slow donkey, when one is in a great hurry, is a trial of temper at the best of times; so after half a mile or so I jumped off the donkey and discharged him unre

*Party is the nearest word to rafeeq-travelling party especially. One man may be called rafeeq of another man with whom he is travelling; but it is usually a noun of number.

It would be tedious to relate all my adventures on this short journey, but before I reached Assouan (a distance of about four miles and a half,) I had mounted three separate donkeys and two different camels. I

warded. The soil is very sandy, and I found | broken granite ridges and sand-hills of the walking in loose sand, with loose slippers on desert. Probably he had time to whisper stockingless feet, a trial of temper too; es- to the old man, "This is a madman of the pecially when a slipper fell off, for then the ungodly. Heaven deliver thee from his hands scorching heat of the sand made me hop and pipe-stick." For the camel taken also frantically. I was now in the village of into the conspiracy, continued to groan withShelaal, and a man came fadging nimbly out attempting to stir a peg, and the old after me on a fresh ass. I made him an man feigned a blank imbecility. His age offer of sixpence to Assouan and back, prevented me from applying the pipe-stick, which was above the real price, but not half so I slid down from the camel's hump, and what would be charged to an inexperienced trudged on through the desert. Frank. The rider did not prudently take into consideration that I had spoken to him in Arabic. He had the impudence to ask me no less than fourteen pence. I had no words to express my accumulated indignation, so I went at him headlong, without got my letter written by the governor, minding my slippers, and so belabored him about the head and shoulders with my pipestick that he fell neck and crop off his beast, and scrambled away in great alarm. The ass stood perfectly still in the midst of the way. This was so unforeseen a result of my frantic onslaught that I could not help laughing in spite of my rage as I mounted my captured animal, and his rider followed me at a respectful distance as I rode away. By degrees the man accepted his destiny, and drove his donkey as if he had been hired in the most regular way. The donkey went well, and my anger was mollified. But we had scarcely got into the reach of desert which divides Shelaal from Assouan, when the man desisted from driving and the ass from going cheerfully. I remonstrated.

"The ass is weary, O sir; and if thou wouldst reach Assouan with celerity behold a camel." Effectively, as the French say, a camel and an old man did appear at this juncture. "Will you ride the camel?" said he (the beaten of the pipe-stick). "Whose camel?" said I. "Mine!" said he. servant."

returned to Phile on a single donkey, and got my baggage on board the merchant's boat. I was too much exhausted to cook anything, but soaked some rusks in brandy and water for supper, and fell asleep on board the qangiah soon after sunset. I had taken the precaution of sending the names and address of the merchants, and the date of my joining them, to the consul-general at Cairo, on a slip of paper, which I committed to the gentleman whose dragoman had caused me so much trouble; so that in case I never turned up again, inquiries might be instituted for the satisfaction of my family. I find in an old letter to my father, dated" from aboard the barge of Mohammed of Tarabboloos," these expressions of the frame of mind and considerations under which I resolved on joining the merchants' party :

"It will perhaps seem to you an imprudent step; but you must take into consideration that it is an adventure. One travels on purpose to meet with adventures, and in nine cases out of ten, when an opening for an adventure offers, one passes it by because "The old man is my there is a little risk or inconvenience in the way. One might just as well slide upon dry I confess with shame that I was foolish ground, or learn to swim before going into enough to accept the proposition. To mount the water, as try to find adventures which a camel is a thing that requires time and are not inaugurated with risk and attended attention. The gaunt beast groaned as if with inconvenience. All the stereotyped

his heart would break. He kneit down. I conventionalities of discretion and indolence got on his back. Then with a couple of severe jerks I was hoisted half-way between the desert and the sky. Meanwhile the ass and his master had scudded swiftly away from the track and disappeared behind the

rose up in my weaker will to warn me against the expedition. But I said, in reply to these suggestions, This is not a time to argue the case, while cowardice has a barrier of obstructions on her side. I must act on my

antecedent determination, that adventures | pion; he said I had entered the company on are worth looking for; and at any rate be the express understanding that I was to be able to feel that I have done my best to re-treated as one of them and taking due regard move the impediment. The retarding influ- as to the bulk of my baggage and my berth ence of friction on inert bodies is at its high-in the boat, twenty piastres was ample. est pitch in the moment preceding motion. Much and stormy debating arose; and it And so it is with all the stumbling-blocks ended in settling thirty piastres* as the sum. of commonplace which hamper the feet of I was about to pay on the spot, but Aali bade independent action. Set your shoulder me put up my purse till the journey was peragainst these di termini worshipped by the formed. I had every reason to be satisfied stick-in-the-mud multitude, their foundations with my terms; for I had a place under the soon loosen, and when once rooted up, a kick matting awning, side by side with the elder or two will roll them away into the limbo of Moor. A narrow gangway divided us. I discredited idols. If I had failed to move fear the younger brother, Hajji Aali, had my obstacle, I should not have cared much. turned out of this berth in my favor. His But if I had given up without an effort, I couch was made on a couple of large chests, should have felt I had missed my destiny. outside the awning, so that he had to rig up I should have dragomanized myself into the a carpet with string and palm branches, to 'reglar.' I shall, no doubt have many more shade himself from the sun. I found the difficulties, and the adventure may turn out qangiah more comfortable than the dahaless picturesque than it seems to promise. bieh; for the awning being open at both Adventures usually do. I remember feeling ends, was a cooler shelter in the day than very much ashamed of myself, among the the close wooden cabin had been; and at windy spray, of an unnecessary stock of night it was at least no colder than the open valor I had mustered in order to go beneath deck of the dahabieh, to which I retreated the thundering veil of Niagara's waters. And after my first night in the cabin, from a so, Forsitan hæc olim meminisse pudebit. In bloodthirsty swarm of brown, broad-backed the mean time, don't be alarmed about me. multipeds, which on acquaintance with both, I am a tolerable hand at taking care of my- I can safely say are much more to be dreaded self. I have medicines with me which, if by those they love than the "creature friendly not required in my own case, will increase to man." There were none of these familiar my consideration among the natives. Love vampires on board the merchants' boat, and to all. Farewell. Just as I have finished, I slept in peace. our boat has sailed, and we are moving up the Nile towards the second cataract."

CHAPTER III.

TWO-AND-TWENTY DAYS' TRAVEL WITH THE
MERCHANTS OF TRIPOLI.

"

One morning, while we were lying along shore, I saw the dignified figure of Hajji Mohammed seated on the bank. He had just performed his ablutions and prayers; but now he appeared to be investigating the ample convolutions of his white woollen ONE of the main topics which occupied robes. I approached him, and inquired what the attention of our boat's company during he was in search of. He replied without our first day's sail, was the adjustment of my circumlocution in the simple generic word, passage money. I then discovered that the "Qaml." I said, "Show it to me, for I know Moors had not the sole occupancy of the not its appearance." He continued his search, boat, but were only the principal charter- and soon directed my attention to an infini parties of a public passenger boat, not run- tesimal scarlet bead, less than the head of a ning regularly, but when a sufficient number minikin pin, a nice, cleanly-looking insect. of passengers made it worth while. I took I now remembered that for a day or two I no part in the matter; my interests being had occasionally felt a slight irritation of the amply defended by the merchants. The dis- skin, much too mild for the ravages of the tance was a trifle-between two and three domestic flea. I retired precipitately to the hundred miles. The Reis (captain) was of boat, examined my own drapery, and found opinion that the least that could be decently the Dragoman's warning was fulfilled; I had charged to a Frank was a hundred Egyptian "taken him." I was a little shocked, but piastres. Hajji Aali was my main cham

*Six shillings.

they called "Aaddas," a small lentile, which has a taste something like buckwheat. All hands were now called, and we gathered round the bowl. Everybody said grace for himself—“ Bismillah" (In God's name)and fell to. When any one was satisfied, he cried, "Eh hamdolillah " (God be praised), and desisted. It was not by any means a bad mess when we were not muttonless. But muttonless we sometimes were, and I was in a manner the cause of dearth. One day Hajji Aali came and addressed me gravely, thus,

"As thou art our companion, is it not better to be clad as we? I have in my chest wearing apparel of suitable quality, of which I will sell thee a change without profit.”

"Wherefore is this? Why should I disguise that I am a Frank?"

"For this cause. When we arrive in villages, information spreads. Behold a boat with a gentleman of the Franks. And the villagers of the river are accustomed to demand a price out of reason for meat to the Frank boats: and they, being brutally ignorant, will not believe that thou art our companion merely, nor will, while they see you thus attired, desist from exorbitantly enhancing the price of mutton."

not dismayed. He did not infest my head | As we use rice in our broth, they used what or beard, and I found him a friendly creature. Our course of life on board the qangiah was of a desultory complexion. About dawn we awoke gradually. The earliest wakers gathered bits of dry bulrush on the bank, and kindled a fire. The fireplace was a heap of wood-ashes and stones in the midst of the vessel. It may or may not have had an iron bottom for safety, but as it was nobody's business to clear the grate, the ashes increased and multiplied; and the vessel never took fire. I often made the coffee in my own little tenekeh with my own boonn, and served the merchants with a little cup apiece. They liked my brew better than their own; and besides, when they made coffee, they had to give some to the captain and steersman, and sometimes to the dealer in beads. So that when I was up first and made the fire, there was often no other coffee made. Then smoking began, and hunger was fenced with at pipe's length while we sat enjoying the glorious golden sunrise flashing on the still expanse of water. (We had a great deficiency of wind during the earlier part of those three weeks.) At last, when some one of the party was prompted by his stomach, cooking began in earnest. Sometimes it was the captain, sometimes Hajji Aali, or the beadsman, or the camel dealer, anybody, in short, who was hungriest, volunteered as chef; while the next hungriest assisted as marmiton. The principal cook mixed bat- During the day our boat was tracked ter in a wicker-work jar, which previous mix- along tediously by the crew. They were ings had smeared inwardly so as to render not numerous, to begin with, and I suspect the vessel impervious. When mixed, some were chiefly working out their passage of it was poured on a round hearth-plate of money; for as they came to their respective sheet iron, previously greased, and supported homes they deserted us, so that we were rehorizontally on stones over the embers. A duced at length to the captain,-who fell minute or two baked the first cake, which sick,-the steersman, and two little boys. was laid in the bottom of a large wooden Under these adverse circumstances no one bowl, called the ghadaah. A great number except myself showed any impatience. of broad thin cakes were thus baked and de- "Everything is by the permission of God," posited in succession. When the batter jar the elder Moor used to observe when I comwas exhausted, an earthen pot, which had plained. The younger Moor, though he meanwhile been simmering with whatever showed no anxiety or hurry, was always esculent vegetation happened to grow near ready to lend his brawny arm to help us forthe towing-path-and if we were lucky, a ward. While there were hands enough to piece of mutton-was overturned into the track a little, he volunteered at the cable, cavity in the midst of the cake-lined bowl. and threw more strength and good-will into The tenekeh is the simplest form of coffee-pot. the work than two or three of the rest. It has a small body and a long handle, that you Hajji Aali was a downright good fellow. A may hold it while making without scorching your devout Moslem without intolerance, and enhands.

I at once acquiesced. And from that time forward, till I quitted the East, wore Oriental costume.

Boonn is the material, cahweh the pre-ergetic without fidgety impatience. He was

pared beverage.

should truth be revealed to a liar? If I testify thus without a firm faith, I should remain as one stultified."

"May God give thee faith, O my friend! If thou canst embrace Islam in thy heart, we will adopt thee into our family in the place of our brother Abd-Allah, who is dead. Allah be merciful to him! Under his name thou shalt sojourn with us, and journey with us. And one of us will accompany thee on thy pilgrimage to the holy places. so that thou be Hajji Abd-Allah.”

ready to cook, gather firewood, chant the Coran of an evening to his fellow-passengers, or pole our heavy craft off a sand-bank; anything that was wanted. He had rather a gloomy, undemonstrative manner, and had been much less ready to welcome me in the first instance than Mohammed. But he was more of a friend to me when we became better acquainted. He had a genuine conscience, and a most gentleman-like sense of honor. He was simple-hearted, and most singularly free from vanity and pretence of any sort. He stood over six feet two, was I felt certain promptings of a dishonest lank and sinewy in frame, rather ungainly but adventurous devil within me to accept in his movements. He had lost an eye, this offer, and turn a base literary penny by which spoilt his good looks. But his man-narrating in print what might come of it. ner and presence, though neither comely nor But Paley's Evidences, and the shame of graceful, had a rough, honest sort of dignity. dealing falsely with an open-hearted, friendly The elder was portly and picturesque in his fellow-creature, stuck in my throat; so I outward man; sententious in his talk; much thanked him kindly, and said my faith, such less genuinely earnest in his devotions, and as it was, could not change. Nevertheless, much more careful of his ease and comforts, so much influence had Moslem contagion than the younger brother. Still, Hajji Mo- upon me, that I began to feel seriously hammed was a fine old fellow; shrewd and ashamed of the undemonstrative character liberal minded. He had been a soldier in of my religion. Nay, one Sunday morning the sultan's forces, and had fought the I had thoughts of standing up on deck and Wahabees in the Hejaz. He had seen the going through all I could remember of the world; and knew one word of Italian, of Church service as audibly as the pious Aali which he was very proud-Mezzogiorno. was in the habit of proclaiming that "Allah He took great pleasure in conversing with was great." However, I reflected that as it me on European science-railways, steam- had never before been my habit, it would be boats, manufactures, and politics. But re- a pharisaical performance. And moreover ligious discussion occupied a good deal of I had before my eyes a methodistical Nileour leisure. I had to translate all I remem- bank peddling merchant on a small scale bered of my "Littlego" Paley into the best who had joined our party I forget how soon extemporaneous Arabic I could command, after leaving Phila. But he evidently laid to combat his polemic efforts to disabuse me on his religion thick and unctuous to take of the errors of Christianity. Aali, on the the tone of the aristocracy of the party, other hand, did not argue, nor use many whom he toadied in a manner perfectly recwords; but he seemed much more earnestly ognizable by the light of European analogies. to desire my conversion. He would sometimes exhort me in a Catholic spirit

"These reasonings are not for me. If there were present a learned Ullema, he would confute them. It suffices me to know that my creed is the truth. And if thou wouldst but testify and confess that there is no God but Allah, and that Mahomet is his prophet, the darkness of error that is before thine eyes would dispart itself as it were the curtain of a tent, and thou wouldst behold the truth manifestly. Wherefore wilt thou not thus testify?"

"Before I testify I must be convinced. If I testify without conviction, I lie. How

At length a fair wind came blowing briskly up the river, and we bowled away merrily before it. My delight at this change to rapid motion did not last very long; for the sheet gave way, and our rotten old sail began to flick itself into shreds and tatters. The captain was lying sick. The steersman left the helm to one of the boys, and went aloft, but had not strength enough to gather in the flapping canvas. Then Hajji Aali climbed the mast, and managed the business quickly. But enough damage had been done to oblige us to stop and refit, so we belayed on the western bank, spread our sail, and sat down to stitch at the tatters. It very soon