Dahabeahs and Steamers

Nothing has probably been so fully described and praised to exhaustion as the famous “Dahabeah;” and the idyllic charms of life in one of these boats, floating up and down the Nile, have been sung in every imaginable strain. No doubt, for a party of very dear friends on a shooting excursion, a young couple in their honeymoon, invalids in search of health, young swells who have nothing at all to do on earth but kill time and throw away their money – in fact, for any one who can easily shut himself out from all communication with the civilized world, and has got the temper to lie idle for weeks and months, looking every day on the same uniformly desolate scenery, nothing can be more delicious besides, it is “the Fashion.” Who would dare to confess, in good society, to having been up the Nile, except by Dahabeah?

Such small drawbacks as sudden severe illness, accidents from fire-arms, and consequent helplessness of the travellers – no medical aid being obtainable – even deaths on board, occurring every season, are never even mentioned; but those who have witnessed this, and have seen those unfortunate parties return, and heard their tale of woe, know better. During last season, 1871-2, several sad incidents happened, and frequently the Steamers were hailed for medical assistance from the ship’s doctor, or to take in tow Dahabeahs wanting to return as fast as possible to Cairo. Unfortunately, towing of any craft is strictly prohibited, and these applications had all to be declined.

Even the most enthusiastic admirer of this majestic river must confess that the scenery on its banks is very tame, and soon becomes monotonous. On board a fast sailing Steamer there is continual change, and every turn brings new features, new sights in view. A Dahabeah, when becalmed, may be detained in the same spot for a whole week; or, if the passengers insist, as they must do if they want to move on, and there is no head wind, the crew will work away and haul the boat up stream – a very painful sight, and really galley work. Look at those poor fellows yoked together with a rope round their breasts, toiling along with outstretched and swollen necks, and listen to their painful song as they work, slowly advancing, by short steps, at the rate of from five to six miles per day! Floating down river, if contrary winds prevail, Dahabeahs are no better off. Arabs can do nothing without singing most piteously; their songs, which are described fully in every guide book, may amuse you for a whole day, but become, from constant repetition, quite unbearable.
It very frequently happens that a party for a Dahabeah is only made up in Cairo, between people who never knew or met each other before. On starting, it is soon found out that their characters are anything but congenial; one angry word produces another, and after a few days serious quarrelling breaks out. If these parties are still within the reach of the Railway (running from Cairo to Roda, 180 miles), they break up and return to Cairo; if beyond, they have to endure each other’s society until the end of the voyage.

There is a saying that if a man has any bad point it is sure to come out and shine in all its splendour on board a ship.
The Nile Steamers generally carry from twelve to twenty passengers. If they are all well-educated and nice people, behaving to each other with due regard, there can be nothing more pleasant; they all become fast friends, and each individual contributes, by his acquired knowledge and reading, to the general amusement and instruction, as very often men of great learning join these excursions. Several of the Steamers returning last season from this three weeks’ Tour gave splendid proofs of this; on arrival at Cairo there was no end of affectionate leave-taking, shaking of hands and expressions of mutual esteem and gratitude for the pleasure received. Other expeditions, we are sorry to say, terminated quite differently; passengers parting from each other without a kind word, and complaining and finding fault with everything on board.

The best means to enjoy this Tour thoroughly, and avoid all this unpleasantness, is undoubtedly for a party of friends who know each other – or, if not friends, at least parties of the same nationality – to hire a small special Steamer to themselves, as, by paying thirteen or fourteen first-class passages, they can always be accommodated.

Still, such dissensions and incompatibility of temper are less strongly felt, and of less consequence, on board a Steamboat – being a public means of conveyance, where every passenger can keep aloof from or mix with whom he likes – than on board a Dahabeah, where they all must form one family party, living day and night in close proximity, and where continual frictions are unavoidable. We repeat, it is very bad when misunderstanding arises between the passengers on board a Steamer, but it is ten times worse in a Dahabeah, and why, if a confidential party is not formed from the very beginning, run the risk of spending three miserable months with disagreeable travelling companions instead of so many weeks?

Mutual forbearance, a little unselfishness, and easy temper, can give great charms to this highly interesting Tour; and any one travelling in the East, and especially on the Nile, ought to remember the country and place he is in-that it is utterly impossible to get everything as easily as in a civilized country; in short, he must make up his mind to rough it a little every now and then, and not grumble on the least occasion; or he had much better stay at home.
The expenses of the Steamboat administration, and the difficulty of supplying coal and various kinds of provisions, are very serious. The matériel actually disposable for the passenger traffic on the Nile is certainly not what it could and ought to be; but then we ought to be thankful even for this, and consider that the Egyptian Government keep up these passenger Steamers at a great pecuniary loss, and only for the sake and benefit of European Tourists.

Besides, the Khédive intends to improve this service gradually, and one new comfortable Steamer has already been prepared for next season. Many passengers consider the rate of £44 sterling, excessive – although it includes everything – living, sight-seeing, guides, and donkeys. Coal is very expensive upon the Nile, and the servants and crew in these small Steamers always outnumber the paying passengers. No private enterprise could possibly work these Steamers regularly without loss, and, as stated above, it is only managed by Government assistance. Taking into consideration all these circumstances, any short – comings ought to be endured and disposed of with an easy temper; the Tour once accomplished, every little hardship is naturally soon forgotten, and nothing will remain, but to remember, with unalloyed pleasure, the interesting journey and the wonderful scenes visited.

Another great service has been indirectly rendered to the travelling public by the revival of Steamboat traffic on the Nile. During the last few years the prices for Dahabeahs have risen to an extraordinary height. Last winter, before the Steamers began to ply, the price asked for a first-class boat was from £90 to £120 sterling a month, for three or four months; a short time afterwards they came down to £60, or even lower, and remained stationary at that rate all the season through. It is quite natural that Dragomans, owners of Dahabeahs, and the numerous class of tradesmen whose interests are threatened, are not much in favour of Steamers, which will surely diminish, or partly destroy, their business; and any one applying to such people for information may certainly expect to be misled, and to hear the most awful reports about the Steamers. Many instances occurred last season, where Dragomans absolutely declined to obey the written orders of their employers they have been accustomed so long to have it all their own way, that they do not like to sacrifice any of their privileges. In going by Steamer, the traveller is saved an enormous amount of trouble and expense; no bargaining, no contract, and no quarrelling when the journey is completed. All he has to do is to take his Ticket and come on board at the appointed hour.

Time and patience will work the change from sail to steam, even on the Nile; there is no reason whatever why people ought not to travel by steam on this enormous stream, as well as on other rivers whose shores offer more variety and more attractions to the ordinary visitor and sight-seer. The order of sight – seeing by Steamboat is perfectly in harmony with the importance of the monuments. The stoppings take place in sailing up stream, beginning at the tombs of Beni-Hassan, and finishing at Philae. By thus visiting the temple of Dandarah, and other minor monuments, before Thebes, they lose nothing of their grandeur, and produce their full impression. The time allowed and fixed for sight-seeing is quite adequate and sufficient, whatever may be stated to the contrary; out of all the passengers who made the Tour on hoard the Steamers, there was not one who was not thoroughly satisfied in this respect.

A passenger by Dahabeah is conveyed up stream as fast as possible, whenever there is a favourable wind, by day or night, and begins sight – seeing at the wrong end-on his way down; a Steamer never travels by night, and, therefore, has the double advantage, that no scenery is lost, and sleep is undisturbed.
Nearly every week in the season a Steamer is regularly dispatched, and letters are forwarded to passengers up the Nile on board the other Steamers; the returning boats receive letters to be posted from the up boats, and they always stop together for half an hour on meeting each other. The sailings and stoppings of a Steamer are always fixed and can be relied upon, so that telegraphic messages can be received and forwarded nearly every day through our Office in Cairo. The calculation of time employed is easy and certain, and the date of return can be fixed beforehand, so that ulterior travelling arrangements can be made with safety. In a Dahabeah, one may return in six weeks or three months, according to wind and other circumstances; the defective postal arrangements make it very difficult, or rather impossible, to receive or dispatch letters. The only place where letters can be addressed to up the Nile is at the English Consul’s, Mustapha Agar, at Luxor; there the letters and papers lie about on a table or in an open box, so that every one can help himself at pleasure.

From Up the Nile by Steam
by R. Etzensberger - Thomas Cook & Son, 1872

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Up the Nile by Steam
by R. Etzensberger - Thomas Cook & Son
with Tourist Programmers for the East by Thomas Cook & Son and Specially designed maps by Keith Johnston. London, Thomas Cook & Son, 1872. An eBook from Bookolica.com.