TAYLOR'S LIFE AND LANDSCAPES PROM EGYPT. * ale BAYARD TAYLOR, it
may be remembered, was an American printer's apprentice, with a turn for verse and a longing to see Europe. By dint of a volume of poetry, some assistance from friends, and a sort of foreign correspondent engagement from two Transatlantic journals, he travelled over a good part of Western Europe, under circumstances of great privation and resolution; • an account of which journey he published in Views Afoot.f His present volume appears to be an Americau importation, and was probably written for some American periodical. It contains an ascent of the Nile, a journey across, the Nubian Desert from Korosko, between the first and second Cataract, to Abou Earned, and thence along the Nile to Khartoum, situate at the junction of the Blue and White Niles, and now a commercial' emporium for the • Life and Landscapes from Egypt to the Negro iiingdoms of the White Nile: being a Journey to 'Central Africa. By Bayard Taylor, Author of " Views Afoot," Stc. With a Map and Illustrations by the Author. Published by Low and.Cu. + Spectator 1847, page 111. trade 'between Egypt and the interior. At Khartoum Mr. Taylor -sojourned Sonic little time ; and he ascended the White Nile in a ,hired vessel 'as far as the island of Aba, in about 121 degrees of • NorthIatitude. This was the limit of his agreement, and neither boatman nor dragoman could be induced to proceed further; .ae, he returned to Khartoum. The approach of the sickly season with premonitory symptoms of fever drove him back to Egypt; and he reached Cairo on the 1st April 1852, hAving left it on the 17th November 1851.
There is no novelty in an ascent of the Nile, or an account of the antiquities on its banks. Captain Peel's ride has made us fa- miliar with the fatigues, privations, and dangers of the Nubian desert. Peel and other writers have described the region and the traffic of which Khartoum is the centre. Wernet ascended the White Nile eight or nine degrees further than Mr. Taylor, and probably under greater advantages, except that Mr. Taylor escaped the fever which part of the time prostrated Werne : one or two other explorers have also pasied .beyond the island which limited our author's explorations. New information was hardly to be looked for, unless froin a man of greater acquirement than Mr. Tay- lor. He brings, however, considerable literary skill to his task. His descriptions are grapilic, lively, and more readable than might have been supposed ; the interest of the reader being kept alive till towards the close of -the-book, when the return journey be- comes monotonous. This peculiarity, no doubt, attends the book, especially as regards Egypt—that the descriptions are coloured by the writer's mind ; and as that happens to be through- out the journey in a mood of Epicurean satisfaction, it is likely that another traveller would see things in another light, and say that Mr. 'Taylor had deeeived him. The mono- tony which some find in a Nile voyage was to Mr. Tay- ler a period of placid' enjoyinent, varied by little land ex- cursions and conversations with the natives. The remains of Egyptian art impressed him historically, artistically, and arebteo- ; his poetical imagination leading him to find what a good many tourists will probably seek for in vain. Either judg- ment in the Choice of the season, or prudence in preparation, or good fortune, enabled him to. cross the Nubian desert without the Buffer- ings which many have experienced there; indeed, by some hippy peculiarity of constitution, he rarely felt the beat severely, arid-the rarity of the atmosphere stimulated his -vitality. , He was equally fortunate in his ascent of the White Nile. He_altogether escaped the fevers which redace or prostrate others of the White race; and, either from this cause, the novelty of the scenery,, or a rhetorieal turn, he paints the waters and- the banks of the mysterious river in more glowing colours than Warne. To the, reader the pictures trre:strikiag, and the impressions ileaSing, even thOugh he may have his doubts whether " our own correspondent " is not " touch- ing-up" matters for effect, and showing the reader beauties he would never find out for hineself.
If it were not for 'the -deadly nature of the climate, Khartoum would make a capital bead-quarters for African exploration. It is most favourably situate for a Southern expedition, to trace the White Nile to its sources, to explore the Mountains ef the Moon, and. possibly' to reach some part of theEastern coast of the conti- nent on the Indian Ocean. It is. equally well placed for an exilpee dition to the West,. to -Lake Tchad and Bornou, through Darfpr and Wady, regions unvisited by Eurbpeans ; thus completing the transit of Africa from the Red Sea to the Atlantic. In spite of
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climate' a few Europeans and a good many Levantine adventurers reside at Khartoum for business; and every year a boat-expedition ascends the White Ilile.for.00nimercial purposes, sometimes as far as the vessels can float. In addition tattle climate, the barbarism of the people interposes 'obstacles that at present could with aim- culty be overcome, though they might yield to acquaintanceship and management. In the 'Westerly direction the same political jealousy of White men is met, but as there is-a more consolidated monarchy there is a field for diplomacy. The late Dr. Bella,- the Austrian Consul, 'broke ground shortly before our traveller's arriVal, in a genuine diploinatie way. " A circumstance occurred lately which may help to open Dar-Fur to Eu- ropeans. The Sitteh (Lady) Sowakin,_ the aunt of Sultan Adab, the present Monarch of that kingdom, is a zealous Moslem, and lately determined to make a pilgrimage to the grave of the Piophet. 'She 'arrived in Khartoum in August 1851, attended by a large retinue of officers; 'attendants, and slaves; and after remaining a few days descended the' Nile to El Mekheyref, crossed the Desert to Sowakin, on the Red Sea, and sailed thence for Djidda, the port of Mecca. During her stay, Lattif Pasha was exceedingly courteous to her; introducing her to his Wives, bestowing upon her handso-me preeents, and furnishing her with boats and camels for her journey. Dr. Reitz availed himself of the occasion to make -the people of Dar-Fur better acquainted with 'Europeans. All the Erank residents assembled at his house, in Chris- tian costume, and proceeded to the residence of the Lady Sowakin. They foiled her sitting in state, with two black slavea before her on their hands and knees, motionless as sphinxes. On each side stood her officers and in- terpreters. She was veiled, as well as her female attendants; and all ex- hibited the greatest surprise and curiosity at the appearance of the Franks. The gifts they laid before her—silks, fine soaps, cosmetics' bon-bons, &e., she examined with childish delight; and when the Consul informed her that the only object of the Europeans in wishing to enter Dat-Fur was to exehange such objects as these for gum and elephants' teeth, she promised to persuade Sultan Achill to, open his kingdom-to them. " The next day her principal officers visited the Consul's house, and iperit a long thee ,examining its various wonders, The pictures, books, and furni- ture, filled them with astonishment, and they went from-one object to an- other, like children, uttering exclamations of surprise and delight. What most startled them was a box of lucifer=matches' which 'was entirely beyond their- comprehension. They regarded -the match with-superstitious awe; and seemed to consider that the fire was produced by some kind of magic. Their relation of Whit they saw so excited the curiosity of the Lady Sowakin, that I Spectator 1349, page 514. she came on the following flay, -with bar wrimen..,. She was no less astonished than her attendants had been, but was. most attracted by the Copses large mirror. She and her women spent higilit,hour before it, making gestures, and nimble to comprehend how they ,Were .mimicked by the reflected figures. As she was unacquainted with its priiperftes, .she threw back her'Vell to see whether the image would show her face. The Consul was standing behind her and thus caught sight of her features.: she was black, with a strongly marked but not unpleasant countenance, and about forty-five-years of age. He had a breakfast prepared for the ladies; but on reaching the room the attendants fill retired, and WaCinforiried that the women of rank in ear- Fur never eat in the presence of the men. After they had finished the re- pasti:he, observed that. they had not only partaken heartily of the various European dishes, but hod take.n,with. them what they could not eat, so that the. table .exhibited nothing but empty dishes. When they left, the lady reiterated her promise, and added, that if the Consul would visit Dar-Fur, the Sulthn would certainly present him with many, camel-loads of elephants' teeth, in consideration of his courtesy to her."
-The informatioe which Mr. Taylor does furnish in his volume is chiefly Of a 'commercial kind ; .buiiness being varied by social and fiacalcireumstances. The slave-trade flourished, briskly, though nominally abolished by Mehemet Ali, till the Government raised the transit-tax, and then it became profitable to enfranchise the
commodity. •
"'The traffic in sliii■es has decreased very much of late. The wealthy Egyptians still purchase slaves, and will continue to-do so, till the ' insti- tufion! is wholly abolished, but the despotin rule exereised:by the Pasha in Nubia has had the effect of greatly lessening:the demand; Vast:numbers of Nubians go into Egypt, where they are engaged as domestic servants ; and-their paid labour, Cheap as it is Thom' more profitable than the un- paid service of NegroslaVes, Besides, the tale -on the latter has been greatly increased, so that merchants End the commodity lea profitable than gum Or ivory. Ten years ago, the duty paid at Assouan was thirty piastres' for a Negro, and fifty for an Abyssinian : at present it is three Imdred.and:fifty for the former and five hundred and fifty for the latter; while the tax can be whollS, avoided by Making the slave free. Priers have risen in consequence, and tlaetraflic is proportionately diminished.' The Government probably de- rivearis.large a revenue as civet from it on account of the increased tax ; so that it has seamed to satisfy the demands of some ofthe Eurcipean powers by restricting.the trade, while it aotuallyloses nothing thereby:' Thu Govern.- meat slave-bunti in. the interior, however, are no longer carried -on, The greater part of the slaveshrought to Khartoum are purchased-from the Gallo and Shangalla tribes on the borders of Abyssinia, or from the Shillooks and Dinka,' on the White Nile. The captives taken in the wars between the various tribes are invariably sold.. The Abyssinian girls, who are in.great demand among the Egyptians, for wives,: are frequently sold by their own parents. They are treated with great respect,..and their lot is probably no worse than that of any Arab or Turkish female. The more beautiful of them often bring from two hundred to five hundred dollars. Ordinary household
servants may be had from one to two thousand piastres. My dragoman,
Achmet, purchased a small girl for twelve hundred piastres, as a present for his wife. He intended making her.- free, which he declared to be a good thing; Recording to his religion ; but the true reason, I suspect, was the tax at Amman."
This is a glowing picture of Central Africa, much brighter than
Werne saw. .
"With every hour of our progress the vegetation grew more rank and luxuriant. On the' astern-bank, the guns gave place to the flowering mimosa, which rose in a dense rampart from the vater's edge and filled the air with the fragrance of its blasts:mils. .Myriads of wild geese, ducks, cranes, storks, herons, and ibises, at on the narrow beaches of sandor circled in-the air with hoarse clang and croaking. Among them I saw niece than one specimen of that .reire ntid curious water-bird, whose large horny, bill curves upward stead of 'downward; so.that it appears to have been put on the wrong way. As he eats nothing but small fish, which he swallows with his head under water, this is not such a- great inconvenience as one would suppose. The bars which occasionally made out into the current served as a resting place for crocodiles, which now began to appear in companies of ten :or fifteen, and the forests were filled with legions of apes; which leaped chattering down from the branches to look at us. A whole family of them sat on the bank for some time, watching us ; and when we frightened them away by our shot*, it was amusing to see a mother pick up her infant ape and scamper off with it under her arm. The wild-fowl were astonishingly tame; and many of them so fat that they seemed scarcely able to fly., Here and there-along the shore large broods of the young were making their first essays in swim- ming. The boatthen took great delight in menacing the old birds with pieces of wood in order' to makethem dive under water. There were same superb white cranes, with a rosy-tinge along the edges of their wings, and I saw. two more of the crested king-herons. * * * ' "There are no habitations on this part of the river, but -all is wild and lonely and magnificent... I had been no sail since leaving Khartoum ; and as the sun that evening threw his last red rays on the mighty flood, I felt for the first time that I was alone, far in the savage heart of Africa."
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