It Was With Reluctance That I Gave Up My Original Intention
Of Lingering On The Road, And At Malta, But My Unwillingness To Run
Any Risk Of Being Shut Out Of Egypt Prevailed.
After executing this
necessary business, we engaged a carriage, and paying a visit to the
British consul, drove about the town and its environs, being the more
pleased the more we saw of both.
There appeared to be a deficiency of
trees in the landscape, but a peculiar air of its own compensated for
the want of foliage.
The private streets and houses of Marseilles are very regular and
well built, nor did we see any portion of the town of a very inferior
description. I should have liked much to have remained a few weeks in
it, and indeed regretted the rapidity of my journey through France,
not being able to imagine any thing more delightful than a leisure
survey of the country through which we passed. I had been so strongly
determined to make the overland trip to India, that I would have
undertaken it quite alone, had I not met with a party to accompany me;
some kind friends would not allow me, however, to make the experiment;
nor do I recommend ladies, unless they are very well acquainted
with the country, to travel through it without the protection of a
gentleman, a courier, or a good servant. Miss E. and myself performed
the whole distance without a care or a thought beyond the objects on
the road; but this we owed entirely to the attention of the gentleman
who put us safely on board the Malta steamer, and who managed every
thing for us upon the way, so that we were never in one single
instance subjected to the slightest annoyance.
CHAPTER III.
* * * * *
MARSEILLES TO ALEXANDRIA.
* * * * *
Venations at the Custom-house - Embarkation on the Malta
Steamer - Difficulties of exit from the Harbour - Storm - Disagreeable
Motion of the Steam-vessel - Passengers - Arrival at Malta - Description
of the City - Vehicles - Dress of the Maltese Women - State of
Society - Church of St. John - The Palace - The Cemetery of the Capuchin
Convent - Intolerance of the Roman Catholic Priesthood - Shops,
Cafes, and Hotels - Manufactures and Products of Malta - Heat of
the Island - Embarkation on board an English Government
Steamer - Passengers - A young Egyptian - Arrival at Alexandria - Turkish
and Egyptian Fleets - Aspect of the City from the Sea - Landing.
At twelve o'clock on the morning of the 21st of September, we were
informed that the English Government-mails had not arrived, and that
the probabilities were in favour of their not reaching Marseilles
until five o'clock; in which event, the steamer could not leave the
harbour that night. We, therefore, anticipated another day in our
pleasant quarters; but thought it prudent to take our baggage
on board. Upon getting down to the quay, we were stopped by a
gens-d'armes, who desired to have our keys, which we of course
immediately surrendered. On the previous day, while driving about
the town, our progress had been suddenly arrested by one of these
officials, with an inquiry whether we had any thing to declare.
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