Chapter X

Romance of Oriental life — Summary justice and Latiffe Pasha — His despotism — Hatred of Europeans — A box on the ear — Visit to the hareem of Ali Bey Hassib — Juvenile costume — Marabouts.

My mother and sister paid a visit to the hareem of Ali Bey Hassib, to the door of which we accompanied them, after passing through a yard tenanted by a giraffe and an ostrich, and defended by two brass cannon and fifteen very inferior looking soldiers—they, however, constitute the _force armée_ of Berber, capital of the province of that name; the rest being employed in the war.

This town much resembles all other towns in the East; it is, however, the largest in Nubia, and the inhabitants may number about eight thousand. It is very difficult to speak with any degree of accuracy about the population of these countries; as the people have an insurmountable objection to having their names down in the government lists, founded on an impression that only those whose names are so inscribed, will figure in more important documents—the taxation or the conscription lists.

The population, always on the decrease in these towns, continues to pay the same taxation as in the time of Mehemet Ali, though numbers have absconded into the desert, and absolutism is communist in one point, in making those who will pay for those who do not; thus, if your neighbour is a bankrupt, you pay his taxes, as the Sheik of the village must forward the same amount annually to the Governor of the province.

The oppression under which the poor natives labour, proceeds chiefly from the head man of their village. The power these petty governors exercise is immense; for if they bear a particular dislike to any person under their rule, to put down his eldest son as a conscript, is a never- failing way of humbling him to the dust, and is often made the means of great extortion.

The Central Government is gradually dismissing the sheiks governing the villages in Upper Egypt, and has nearly all the government of Lower Egypt already in its hands: a step, the policy of which cannot be too much applauded. We believe that it proceeds from more enlightened minds than those of the followers of Mahomet.

Traversing mounds of earth, which form the principal streets, you soon find yourself in the midst of the Nubian capital, and surrounded by all the interesting objects of a city in the East; children running here and there, or making the little mud pies, which form a staple amusement to the youth of all nations; or trotting under the weight of some little brother or sister, as yet unable to toddle along on its own account, and soothing it when some heap of dust occasions a rough fall; men loitering about pipe in hand, and graceful women carrying the large jars of water, the supply for the day; donkeys trotting gaily by under the weight of the richer Arabs, and camels with their wild-looking owners seated on the top of the high leathern saddle, preparing for a long journey across the desert, or arriving at their houses after a weary march.

The bazaars, if such a street of open booths may be called so, are crowded with natives, selling or buying grain, cotton, or camel furniture, or productions of more northern latitudes. The dogs were, as usual, very numerous and very noisy, running between every one’s legs, and confident in the superstition which prevents their extirpation, make themselves as disagreeable as possible.

The houses are mostly built of mud and sun-dried bricks, though here and there a burnt brick house appeared, the mansion of some native grandee.

We noticed with pleasure some Nubians walking with their unveiled wives—an unusual sight in Egypt—and even caressing their funny little children, carrying them in the peculiar Eastern fashion; which I can fancy must be more healthy to the children than that adopted by us. The infant, even at a very early age, learns to cling to his parent, sitting as it were astride on her hips, while one arm is placed round the child’s waist, by the careful mother, to prevent it from falling.

It is a most striking feature to observe the utter indifference of Egyptian mothers, and even of many fathers, to their young children; it was many weeks before I noticed any mark of tenderness passing between a parent and child; but probably this indifference is assumed in public.

While at the Governor’s divan we heard some extraordinary stories of our obliging friend, Latiffe Pasha; proving that Madame Scandal in this remote quarter is as busy as she often is in the most favoured spots of our own dear land. One of these being particularly illustrative of the romance of Oriental life, as a faithful chronicler of the manners and customs of these people, I think I ought not to omit it.

When his Excellency left Cairo, he took with him a young Greek lady of respectable parents, who had been his wife’s intimate friend and companion, and was neither a slave, nor in any way related to him. He was also accompanied by a young man whom he had adopted, and who went by the name of Ibreem Latiffe. While passing through Berber, he took a fancy to one of Ali Bey Hassib’s wives, whom he asked for, and, as that gentleman had at the time a larger stock than he wanted, he at once offered to spare one for his friend. He carried her off to Khartoum, where he had been only a few weeks, when he married his adopted son to the fair Greek, with more than usual ceremony: and all parties, as is the custom of the country, lived very comfortably in the same hareem.

About two months ago, two of the attendants of the hareem came to him with a long story about his Greek daughter-in-law and a purveyor in the army, whom they had seen together in the garden of the hareem. The instant he heard it, Latiffe Pasha ordered in six of his Janissaries and the male delinquent. The latter he charged with the offence, and without listening to his assertions of innocence, condemned him to be shot. At first the Janissaries refused to sacrifice the officer, but the Pasha, mad with rage, insisted on his immediate execution, and one of the men shot him in the neck. He fell wounded, and was then thrown into the Nile. Latiffe, accompanied by this Janissary, now hurried into the garden of the hareem, and sent for the Greek lady, who was actually at that moment with her husband. The instant she came, she was shot, and her body cast into the river.

After this summary justice, his Excellency appeared satisfied, but evidently was not quite at his ease. His appetite fell off, and he could not sleep. He now thought, for the first time, of making some inquiries respecting the affair, and consulted a Turk at Khartoum, who was eminent for his sagacity. On hearing the whole of the case, the Turk assured him that he not only had been too hasty in forming his judgment, from the only testimony of the guilt of the parties that had been submitted to him, but that the lady, being neither his wife nor his slave, he had no right to take her life.

The Pasha became extremely dissatisfied with himself, particularly when further inquiry assured him of the untrustworthiness of the accusers of his unfortunate victims. He recompensed the five Janissaries who had refused to execute his sanguinary commands: the other suddenly disappeared, and was never more heard of. But the husband—the reader will naturally ask—what became of the poor young man? how could he ever get over such a blow to his happiness as this atrocious murder of his lovely bride? It is supposed that he got over it with the usual indifference to emotion of a Turk, for very shortly afterwards he received another wife, and not a word was said about the poor Greek. The fact was officially notified to Ali Bey Hassib, so there seems no reason for doubting the story.

No statement could more clearly show the absolute despotism that prevails here, the contempt of human life, and the small respect in which females are held: thrilling features also are the want of feeling in the husband, the hesitation in the Janissaries, (never remarkable for over-scrupulousness), the laxity of the government that passes over so atrocious a proceeding, and the curious state of the postal arrangements in a country, in which such an act can be perpetrated without exciting the slightest observation.

Notwithstanding Latiffe Pasha’s cordiality to us, we heard that his hatred to Europeans is intense. This arose out of the following circumstances: While employed in the navy, he contrived to strand a vessel of one hundred and twenty guns on the Alexandrian sands, by attempting to enter the port without a pilot, in direct defiance of the rules of the service. For this he was condemned to death by a court- martial, of which a Frenchman was President; but Mehemet Ali thought proper to cancel the sentence, and made Latiffe Governor of the Alexandrian Arsenal. While there, a Maltese, who filled a high post in the service, came to him for some arrears of pay. Latiffe directed him to bring a receipt, and when it was brought the Pasha tore it and abused him in a way his half-English blood could not brook. The Maltese took his departure without a word; but when Latiffe went out, he found the man waiting for him at the door. He immediately demanded the reason of his having been so insulted, and astonished the Pasha extremely by giving him a box on the ear; immediately after which he decamped to Malta, where he was under the protection of her Majesty’s Consul.

When he arrived at Khartoum, Latiffe Pasha found himself in the midst of a circle of enterprising Europeans, every one assuming the authority of a consul, and talking in a style as if he commanded a prodigious force composed of horse-guards, _chasseurs à cheval_, jägers, or Austrian hussars. This still further increased his distaste for the species, which he shows on every occasion.

In the midst of these characteristic anecdotes, one of the attendants of the hareem put his head into the very comfortable divan in which we were being entertained, and announced the return of the ladies. We left our pipes and joined them, and were speedily put in possession of the result of their observations.

It appeared that they were not so very well pleased with their visit. The ladies of the hareem—Abyssinian slaves—were gaudily dressed, and not lady-like in person, while the room in which the strangers had been received had much the aspect of an untidy nursery. There were two very nice children there—Master and Miss Ali Bey Hassib. The boy was dressed in red cloth breeches, red coat, and black cloth cloak, which had a curious effect, as he was only two feet ten inches high. The young lady was pretty, and of a genteel appearance. The seniors of the party were not so interesting—certainly inferior to Madame Latiffe. As their visitors had no interpreter, they were obliged to carry on an imperfect correspondence by means of signs. This, however, did not prevent the ladies of the hareem from kissing and examining their new acquaintances with immense zeal. Coffee and lemonade were served in the usual way, and then came the adieux.

On our return to the boats, we beheld a great number of marabouts stalking through the corn-fields, apparently as tame as chickens. This aggravated us into sending for our guns; but our first attempt at a nearer approach, decided the matter. They never allowed us to get near enough to have a shot, and we were obliged to abandon our purpose. Their feathers are extremely beautiful, and more valuable than those of the ostrich.