The unseemly huge
shovel-stirrups were rusty; the bits were filthy. Some of the men had
swords and pistols; others had short blunderbusses with brass barrels;
many had guns of various patterns, from the long old-fashioned Arab to
the commonest double-barrelled French gun that was imported. The
costumes varied in a like manner to the arms and animals.
Having formed in line, they now executed a brilliant charge at a
supposed enemy, and performed many feats of valour in dense clouds of
dust, and having quickly got into inconceivable confusion, they at
length rallied and returned to their original position.
I complimented their officer; - and having asked the governor if these
brave troops represented my cavalry force, and being assured of the
fact, I dismissed them; and requested Djiaffer Pacha to inform them that
"I regretted the want of transport would not permit me the advantage of
their services. `Inshallah!' (Please God!) at some future time," &c.,
&c.
I thus got rid of my cavalry, which I never wished to see again. I had
twenty-one good horses that I had brought from Cairo, and these together
with the horses belonging to the various officers were as much as we
could convey.
