Voyage to Cairo on the Nile

I continued the journey of my pilgrimage on Thursday the 30th of October 1806, after having passed five months and a half at Alexandria. I embarked in a djerme, accompanied by some of the principal Scheiks of the town, who wished to remain with me in the vessel at least two hours longer. We then took leave of each other; and they returned in a boat.

A djerme is a vessel with triangular sails, and has no deck. That in which I was embarked was a very large one it had three masts, and a large sail upon each. The yards are fixed quite at the top of the masts; so that when they wish to take in any reefs of the sail, they must mount the whole length of the yard, which occasions ‘a thousand accidents in these small vessels, particularly when the wind or waves are very rough. There does not a year pass without some of them being wrecked on account of this bad Construction, and the dangerous and difficult passage of the bar of the Nile.

As we had but little wind, the djerme did not make much way. and as we saw we could not arrive in time to pass the bar of the Nile before night, we anchored in the Bay of Aboukir, at four O’clock in the afternoon.

At the western extremity of the bay stands the castle, which is an old fortress, with a high tower and some new breast-works. At its side is a village in ruins, and at a short distance are some houses surrounded by gardens and trees. There are a few pieces of cannon mounted upon the fortress: the garrison, I was informed, consisted I of but eight or ten men. Opposite are some small islands, where the anchorage is good.

At three o’clock in the morning of Friday 31st, we set sail; but the wind being slack, we did not arrive at the bar until seven.

The bar of the Nile is nearly four miles in the sea. The billows are generally very strong; for it is a bank of sand, against which the waters of the sea and the Nile beat with prodigious force. Ships find very little water; and the straits which are passable shift continually; so that there is a boat stationed upon the bar to indicate the passage. Notwithstanding this precaution, as the bar is so broad that it requires sometimes ten minutes to cross it, the boats hardly ever pass over it without touching the sand three or four times, when the water of the Nile is low, which causes much fatigue to the sailors, and exposes them to be lost. As the Nile was high, and the sea and wind tranquil, when I crossed it, I only distinguished it by the red line that the waters of the Nile, which are charged with mud, occasioned; so that we passed it almost without perceiving it.

The wind failing altogether, we cast anchor in the Nile, near the land, at a short distance from the bar. How fine a sight it is to see this sea of smooth water! The mouth of the Nile was at a league’s distance at least; we were in reality in the Mediterranean Sea; and we drank some of the water, which was perfectly sweet, and which repels the water of the sea far beyond the bar.

At half-past nine a favourable wind sprang up, and we set sail. At ten we entered the mouth of the Nile. What a fine picture! This majestic river, whose waters flow slowly between two banks covered with palm-trees, and those of every other Species; with large plantations of rice, which were then in cultivation; with an infinity of wild and aromatic plants, whose perfumes embalmed the air; with villages, and small houses, scattered here and there with cows, sheep, and other animals, peaceably reposing upon the verdure; with a thousand species of birds, which made the air resound with their notes; with millions of geese, ducks, and water fowl, diving into the water; with large flocks of swans, which appeared as sovereigns among these aqueous animals; all combined to make me exclaim, Ah! why did not the goddess of Love fix her abode upon the banks of the mouth of the Nile! We saw Fort Julian upon the left bank of the river; it appeared to be in a good state, and well furnished with artillery. Upon the right was a large island newly formed, named Djezira Hhadera, or Green Island, which owes its origin to the shipwreck of a djerme, upon which the sand and mud have accumulated: it is at present of a great extent, and covered with houses and gardens. We continued our delightful course, accompanied by thirteen or fourteen other djermes, which, with our own, appeared to form a little fleet.

In a bend of the river, having the wind before us, all the sailors of our vessels leapt on shore, on the left bank, and towed them with ropes, until they came to another bend; when, gaining the wind in our rear, we sailed along, and arrived at Rosetta at noon. I landed immediately, and went to lodge in a house that had been prepared for me by an Arab, one of my friends.

The town of Rosetta, which is called by its inhabitants Raschid, is situated upon the left bank of the Nile: it is very long, but not very broad. Its houses, like others of the same country, are of bricks, four or five stories high; which, united with the great number of windows and fine towers, give it a fine appearance. If we add to this picture the neighbourhood of a great river, and beyond it the view of the Delta, the fineness of the climate, and the excellent productions of nature and art, it will appear that Rosetta would be a delightful abode, if man did not counteract the beneficent dispositions of Providence.

Rosetta has for its governor an Aga, who is an Arnaut, named Ali Bey. He has generally three hundred soldiers of his nation under him. There happened to be here a Turk, also named Ali Bey, the son of an ancient Pacha; so that we were three of the same name at Rosetta.

This town is the residence of a Greek bishop. The archbishop of Mount Sinai, who was going from Cairo to Constantinople, was here; as was also the Kiahia, or lieutenant general of the Captain Pacha, who was following the same route; so that the town presented the appearance of a small court.

On Saturday several persons of the town made me visits. I did not go out myself, except to Mr. Rosette’s, who gave me a little entertainment. On Sunday it rained the whole of the day, and thundered very much.

At two o’clock on Monday, the 3d of October, I embarked in a cancha, and proceeded up the river. This sort of vessel is used only upon the Nile. Its construction does not differ much from that of the djermes. It is of the same size, and has the same rigging; but it has two rooms, which form a drawing room and cabinet, surrounded with small windows, and a small balcony behind the whole, being independent of the rest of the vessel. I occupied these apartments; and my servants, horses, and baggage, were stowed in the body of the ship.

At half-past two we passed before Abu Mandour, a mosque dedicated to a saint, on the left bank of the river; and at five arrived at Berenbal, a village upon the right, after having left Lemir upon the left.

The windings of the Nile require the prow of the vessels to be turned towards the wind. In these cases they tow them by means of cords, as has been already said; and the canchas have on this account a greater number of sailors than the size of them otherwise would require. There were fourteen men on board mine.

At eight in the evening we stopped between the villages of Emtaubes upon the right, and Edfina upon the left bank of the river.

Tuesday, October 4th.
We sailed at eight in the morning with a slight breeze. Eight of the sailors leapt ashore to tow the vessel; but they soon came on board; for the bank was a swampy marsh, which prevented their progress. We succeeded, however, in advancing by the help of poles. The pilot, who had a great knowledge of the banks, ordered the inn into the water: they swam eight or ten toises distance, when they found two feet of water only: they then commenced towing again.

At this spot I observed a fisherman, seated upon a raft composed of eight or ten planks, which another man, who walked in the water, pushed on gently by degrees. When they observed any fish, they cast their net into the water; and when they were successful they killed the fish, by biting them with their teeth; after which they again commenced their operations.

The vessels which descend the Nile proceed without sails or oars and when the current is strong the pilots allow them to run with it (I now observed the true cause why the negroes upon the Niger go without sails or Oars), guiding them at the prow by means of a long oar, which three or four men keep continually in motion.

We were attacked by a multitude of flies, which annoyed us excessively. There were but a few gnats; and they made their appearance during the night.

Towards ten o’clock we stopped a short time upon the left bank, to allow the crew to rest and to breakfast. The water was so deep, that we were enabled to touch the bank, without the keel striking the bottom. I was even able to pluck some reeds that grew at the water’s edge.

They began again to tow about eleven; and soon after we passed between the villages of Schemschera and Fizarra, situated upon the right and left banks of the river.

Whilst passing we observed a funeral procession at Schemschera. It was headed by a respectable and well-dressed person, perhaps the Incana, who was followed by twelve or fifteen persons. The corpse was carried by four men upon their shoulders, and was covered with different pieces of coloured cotton, the last of which was red. The whole was closed by a number of women, who shed tears, and uttered loud cries. These women, as well as all the others I remarked upon the banks of the Nile, were dressed or covered with blue cloth, except one, who was more elegant than the rest, being covered with a large broad cloth with blue and white stripes. The procession being arrived at the sepulchre, the women withdrew; and the men remained alone to bury the body.

At every instant we perceived barn floors for beating out the rice. The banks were covered with cows and buffaloes. Several of these animals were immersed to their necks in the water: they sometimes plunged their heads under also, and remained in that state for a minute.

At one in the afternoon we passed between the villages Derout and Sindioun; and at half-past three we arrived at Foua, which is upon the right bank. It is tolerably extensive, for I counted fourteen minarets belonging to mosques. The houses are large. There were a great number of troops, and Arnaut soldiers. In front of the town is the village Zurumbé. The river may be about half a league wide at this spot; and there is a large island in the middle of it. It was half-past five when we passed the village of Salmia, situated upon the right; and at half-past eight, having passed between the town of Rahmanich, which is on the right, and the village of Dessouk, we anchored in sight of both. The appearance of Rahmanich is not more agreeable than that of the other towns of Lower Egypt. The houses are built upon small heights, and are composed of bricks made of the black earth upon which they stand. As they are not white-washed, they give the town a very melancholy look; which, however, possesses one singularity, namely, there is one quarter composed entirely of dove houses, each of which has a round roof, that gives it the appearance of a large sugar loaf, or parabolic cupola; and the tout ensemble of these cupolas present an aspect truly original.

On one side of the town there was a camp of two thousand Arnauts, situated upon the edge of the river. The soldiers had a number of boats placed the whole length of their line.

Wednesday, October 5th.
The calm continued. At ten, however, the wind rose, and we set sail. In half an hour we were between the village of Morques which is on the left, and that of Maidmoun on the right; and after leaving Mehalet Abouaali upon the right, we passed Caffer-macher on the same side. There were several groups of houses and cottages on the opposite shore.

Dove houses, similar to those at Rahmanich, are very common in all the villages arid hamlets. Pigeons supply the place of meat, which is scarce, on account of the want of pasturage. There are no trees near the river on either side, in this part of the country.

At noon we passed Ssaflia upon the right; and three quarters of an hour afterwards we were between Mahhaladiaya upon the right, and Hheberhhil upon the left.

It was one o’clock before we arrived between Dameguiniddena and Scheberriss. At three I saw the town of Saoun-el-hajár, which is large, and situated about half a mile inland upon the right. We passed Nikleh upon the left an hour afterwards, opposite which there were eighty vessels, filled with Arnaut soldiers.

About six o’clock we passed Addah-harie, a village upon the left bank, which is reported to be inhabited by Mamelukes: it was on that account that we avoided approaching it. We kept along the right side, upon which are situated several hamlets: opposite to them is the village of Schabour. At length, at eight, we arrived at Noffa, upon the right; but, continuing our voyage, we ran a-ground about ten, near the right bank; nor could all the means we used set us afloat again; so that we were obliged to pass the night there.

Thursday, October 6th.
In the morning I perceived we were within view of Nitme upon the left bank, and Caffer-el-baga upon the right.

All our efforts to get the vessel off were useless; but after some time we obtained the assistance of some Arabs, when we overcame the difficulty. We were, however, prevented from proceeding by a strong easterly wind, and therefore anchored at Caffer-el-baga.

I went ashore at noon; and, having observed the sun, I found the latitude of this village to be 300 47’ 53” N.

The wind having abated a little towards one o’clock, we proceeded to tow along the right bank; but the wind and current being contrary, did not permit us to make much progress. At four we passed Mischla upon the right; and at five we were obliged to cast anchor.

We found two other vessels at the spot where we stopped, the crews of which assured us, that the Arabs upon the left bank, a short distance higher up, had taken possession of a third, by means of two armed sloops.

At six the wind freshened, and we all sailed. We left Zaïra upon the right about an hour afterwards; and at nine we arrived at Tounoub upon the same side, were we anchored.

Friday, October 7th.
A hurricane, which blew from the south-west, prevented us from sailing the whole of the morning. The weather becoming a little more favourable about two, we recommenced our voyage; and, keeping along the same side, we passed Amorus about three; the name of which struck me, on account of several circumstances. A quarter of an hour afterwards we saw Komschirif upon the left, and at half-past three the village of Eschtain on the opposite bank.

We passed Zaouch about four. The aspect of this village is extremely singular, which may be conceived by forming an idea of 150 parabolic cupolas, about twenty feet high; the diameter of the base not exceeding eleven feet, constructed of black bricks, and a lofty minaret rising in the middle of them. These cupolas are dove houses; and as they are much larger than the bases, which serve the inhabitants of the town instead of houses, they form rather a town for pigeons than for men.

We put ourselves under arms at the commencement of the night, to be ready, at all events, to defend ourselves against the attacks of the inhabitants of the left bank.

At half-past six we left Nadir upon the right; and in half an hour afterwards we entered the canal of Menouf to the south-east, leaving the principal branch of the Nile, on account of the insults and attacks of the Arabs, and the inhabitants of the country, who make the navigation very dangerous.

We had very little wind, so that at ten o’clock we anchored in the canal.

Saturday, October 8th.
We sailed at seven in the morning, and arrived at Menouf at noon. Some Arnaut soldiers tried to force the captain to receive them on board the vessel, to convey them to Cairo. I opposed their design, and sent immediately some of my servants to the governor, who offered to give me every assistance; but before the answer had arrived they disappeared.

After having anchored an hour at Menouf, we began to tow Along the bank, in consequence of a perfect calm, which lasted till night, when a little wind arose. We continued our course till ten, and then-anchored in the canal.

Sunday, October 9th.
At seven in the morning we commenced towing, not having any wind. At nine we passed Gueleti upon the left bank of the canal, when I discovered the mountains of Cairo with my glass. Shortly afterwards we saw some hamlets with dove houses, which appeared to me to be formed of baked earth, and shaped like segments of circles, the diameter of each of which was a foot at the base. These flat-looking cones, the insides of which served as nests for the pigeons, were placed one upon another, and formed large cones like those at Rahmanich, the whole being cemented with mud. A window, placed on the outside, served as an entrance to the birds. The master of the building entered by a door placed in the side of the base, which served him for a habitation. There were a number of sticks fastened horizontally on the outside, which served as perches for the doves.

Having passed the mouth of the canal, we entered the right branch of the Nile, which runs to Damietta, or Doumial, about ten o’clock.

The canal of Menouf conveys the water from the right to the left branch of the Nile: it is extremely crooked; and its winding turns render its navigation very fatiguing, either when sailing, on account of the manoeuvring requisite, or when towing, in consequence of the difficulty of doubling the capes. Its general direction is south-east; its average breadth appears to me to be about 150 or 160 feet; its current is strong; its banks are covered with meadows but there are in general few trees, except here and there, which form a delightful picture.

At eleven we anchored in the right branch of the Nile, from whence I discovered very plainly the two great pyramids. They were, however, at twelve leagues distance.

About noon there was some wind. We accordingly set sail, and kept along the right bank. At half-past one we saw Bouschara upon the right; and after an hour’s sailing we passed Schobra, from whence I began to discover the third pyramid.

Having left Chifeita upon the right, we passed before Daraouek, situated at the southern point of the Delta, at the spot where the two branches of the Nile divide.

At five o’clock we had Schalakan upon our right; and at eleven at night we anchored safely at Boulak, which is the port of Cairo upon the same side.

This navigation of the Nile from Rosetta to Cairo is as delightful as the list of so many unknown towns and villages must have been uninteresting to the reader; but I could not pass them over in silence, without failing in the exactitude of my journal.

from Travels of Ali Bey in Morocco, Tripoli, Cyprus, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, and Turkey, between the Years 1803 and 1807
by Ali Bey, 1816