I Was Not, However, Provided With The Means
Of Doing This In Ready Cash, And As The Rate Of Exchange
For the
thirty pounds in sovereigns which I possessed could not be decided
here, at the suggestion of one of
My fellow-passengers, I drew a
bill upon a banker in Bombay for the amount, eighty pounds, the sum
demanded for half a cabin, which, fortunately, I could divide with
the friend who had accompanied me from England. This transaction so
completely roused me, that I found myself equal to the continuation
of the journal which I had commenced at Cairo. I despatched also the
letter with which I had been kindly furnished to the British Consul,
and was immediately favoured by a visit from him. As we expressed
some anxiety about our accommodation on board the steamer, he
politely offered to take us to the vessel in his own boat; but to
this arrangement the purser objected, stating that the ship was in
confusion, and that one of the best cabins had been reserved for us.
With this assurance we were accordingly content.
We arrived at Suez on Wednesday, the 9th of October, and were told to
hold ourselves in readiness to embark on Friday at noon. We were not
sorry for this respite, especially as we found our hotel, which was
kept by a person in the employment of Mr. Waghorn, more comfortable
than could have been hoped for from its exterior. The greatest
annoyance we sustained was from the dust, which was brought in by a
very strong wind through the lattices. I endeavoured to remedy this
evil, in some degree, by directing the servants of the house to nail
a sheet across the upper portion of the perforated wood-work. The
windows of our chamber commanded as good a view of Suez as the place
afforded; one at the side overlooked an irregular open space, which
stretched between the house and the sea. At some distance opposite,
there were one or two mansions of much better appearance than the
rest, and having an air of comfort imparted to them by outside
shutters, of new and neat construction. These we understood to be the
abodes of officers in the Pasha's service. Mehemet Ali is said to
be extremely unwilling to allow English people to build houses
for themselves at Suez; while he freely grants permission to their
residence at Alexandria and Cairo, he seems averse to their settling
upon the shores of the Red Sea. Mr. Waghorn and Mr. Hill are,
therefore, compelled to be content to fit up the only residences at
their disposal in the best manner that circumstances will admit. I
had no opportunity of forming any opinion respecting Mr. Hill's
establishment, but am able to speak very well of the accommodation
afforded by the hotel at which we sojourned.
Judging from the exterior, for the desert itself does not appear to
be less productive than Suez, there must have been some difficulty in
getting supplies, notwithstanding we found no want of good things at
our breakfast and dinner-table, plenty of eggs and milk, fowl and fish
being supplied; every article doing credit to the skill of the
cook.
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