Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 20

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 20

The situation chosen for the city of Alexandria, which Alexander the

Great founded as the emporium of the Mediterranean after the destruction

of Tyre, was peculiarly favourable, for the seven mouths of the Nile

at that time existing were ill adapted for the safe passage of large

vessels; all of them were more or less obstructed by bars, upon which

during the stormy seasons there was a heavy surf, so that it was

extremely dangerous to attempt their navigation. Alexander therefore

resolved to adopt a situation totally independent of the Nile, and

accordingly selected Alexandria, as being the farthest point from the

mouths of that river, and the least affected by the alluvium brought down

by it, and that which is carried along the shore by the western littoral

current.

 

At the time the present situation was selected there was a small island

not far from the shore. This island he connected with the mainland

by means of an embankment faced with masonry, thus forming a double

harbour, namely, one on the eastern side, which was protected by the

promontory bounding the bay; and one on the western side, protected by a

reef of rocks running in a westerly direction from the original island,

and the projecting point of the bay to the west, so that the western

harbour was tolerably well shielded on all sides, with the exception of

the entrances between the rocks on the north; but through these only a

comparatively small amount of swell can penetrate. It contains space

for all the vessels that are likely to frequent this port, and the

accommodation may be further increased, to almost any extent required,

by making docks inland. It is true that in order to connect this port

with the Nile above the bars and the interior country, a canal or other

means of communication was requisite. A canal at that time was the only

effectual method known, and this was accordingly adopted, and was made

to the Canopic branch of the Nile, skirting along the shores of the Lake

Mareotis for a considerable distance; but it was frequently filled up

by the sand blown in from the desert and the adjacent shores. This sand

was as constantly removed, and the communication between Alexandria

and the Nile more or less imperfectly preserved. In 1851 the Pacha

completed a line of railway between Alexandria and Cairo, and thus got

rid of the uncertainty and expense of maintaining the canal and the

river navigation. This railway was made under the direction of the late

eminent engineer, Mr. Robert Stephenson, and now a perfect and economical

communication is kept up by this means between Alexandria, Cairo, and the

interior.

 

The eastern harbour of Alexandria, the water being very shallow, is now

scarcely used except for the small coasting vessels; but it does not

appear that in either the eastern or western harbours there is any

material tendency to shoal.

 

When I was there, Alexandria, although possessing considerable trade,

was but a poor place compared to the present city, and all the business

of shipping, transhipping, and storing of goods was carried on in a very

rude and costly manner, which is now materially changed for the better.

 

Besides Pompey’s Pillar, the other important relic is Cleopatra’s Needle,

then as now lying prostrate. This needle was given to the British army,

and a large subscription, amounting it is said to about 20,000_l._,

was raised to transport it to England, and there to erect it in some

conspicuous place in the metropolis, as a trophy of the signal success

of the British army. For some reason or other, never properly explained,

this has never been done, although seventy years have elapsed since the

money was subscribed. When I returned from Upper Egypt, in the month

of March, 1821, I found that the English Government, after repeated

applications, had sent the ‘Spry,’ sloop of war, commanded by Captain

Boswell, with my old friend and schoolfellow, Captain Wright, of the

Royal Engineers, to report upon the cost, and the best plan for bringing

Cleopatra’s Needle to England; but this all ended in nothing being done,

although Captain Wright’s report was very favourable, both as to the cost

and feasibility.

 

On reaching Cairo I had an audience with the celebrated or notorious

pasha, Mehemet Ali. He received me with great dignity and civility, and

said that the English were his best friends, upon which I could not help

saying to myself, Thank God we are not his subjects! He was no doubt a

very remarkable man--cool, determined, able, and courageous. He reduced

the turbulent rulers and Bedouin tribes of Egypt to subjection, and

procured a degree of tranquillity and peace for the oppressed inhabitants

which they had not enjoyed for many generations; and if he plundered

them himself, he would allow no one else to do so. Nevertheless, one

cannot but be horrified at the atrocities with which all this was

accompanied and accomplished. While here I saw a few Mamelukes who had

escaped the massacre of 1809, and who were permitted to reside here. I

was much struck by their martial air, their richly-embroidered costumes,

and superbly mounted pistols and scimitars. As a body they were nearly

exterminated, the survivors being allowed to subsist on the little

property saved from the wreck. Egypt, like Constantinople, has since

been so well described, and is now so well known (though at that time

my journey to the second cataract was deemed extraordinary), that it is

unnecessary for me to go over the same ground.

 

I hired a khangé, or small boat, manned by a reis, or captain, and eight

rowers, with a tolerably comfortable raised cabin behind, divided into

two parts, in neither of which, however, could I stand upright. But

by this time I had become pretty well accustomed to the usages of the

country, and my limbs being tolerably supple, I did not much mind it. I

engaged the khangé at so much per month, I finding provisions for myself

and servants, the reis agreeing to do the same for himself and his crew.

Having stocked my boat with everything we were likely to require for

four months, I embarked at Bouloe, accompanied by my servant Demetrius

and a janissary. We came to anchor every night near the most convenient

village, and started next morning soon after daybreak. At midday I halted

for an hour, and sometimes more, in order to allow the captain and his

crew to take their dinner comfortably, whilst I and my servants took

ours. When the wind was unfavourable the crew were obliged to row or

track the boat against the current; at such times I used to land and walk

along the bank, gun in hand, exploring the adjacent antiquities or the

surrounding country; and I found that I could easily keep pace with the

boat. Where there was any object particularly worthy of remark, I had

the boat moored as near to the bank as I could, whilst I went ashore,

examined, sketched, and measured the objects in question at my leisure,

and in this way I took measurements of all the edifices of any note.

When there were none, I used to indulge in a sporting excursion, and

found ample amusement. I not only procured many interesting objects of

natural history, but shot numerous wild fowl, that were a very welcome

addition to my table. Thus I passed a very agreeable time. Never idle

for a moment--always employed, either for instruction or amusement; and

my whole time was my own. I carried my house with me; and when there was

nothing interesting on the route, and I had filled my book with sketches,

if my journal was in arrear, I used to remain in the boat posting it up,

whilst we were sailing, tracking, or rowing.

 

On my way up a sad accident deprived me of the services of my faithful

attendant--I may say friend--Demetrius. We met a boat, having on board

the O’Conor Don, Captain Groding, and another, coming down. They hailed

us, and as they were short of provisions, I gave them a liberal supply,

and invited them to dinner, the two crews regaling themselves and firing

_feux de joie_ at the same time. Suddenly a tremendous explosion,

followed by a loud cry, was heard, and hastening on deck I found poor

Demetrius covered with blood from two deep wounds in the throat and

breast, his pistol having burst in his hand. At first I thought it

would have been fatal, the effusion of blood was so great. I succeeded,

however, in tying up the wounds and stopping the hemorrhage. It was then

a question what should be done with him, as I was not surgeon enough

to cure him, and no advice was to be had. In this emergency my new

friends were so kind as to offer to take him to Cairo, where he could

be properly attended to. I gladly accepted the offer, and supplied him

with a sufficient sum of money, and requested them to place him in charge

of the Consul, with directions to procure the best medical advice, for

which I was of course responsible. Independently of the accident, I was

much grieved to part with him, and was at first greatly at a loss for his

services; but my janissary, an Italian turned Mussulman, and who spoke

Arabic very well, and was not a bad cook, cheerfully consented to do what

he could; and the reis also, a very civil fellow, as well as his crew,

did all in their power to compensate me for the loss of Demetrius, so

that after a short time we managed between us to get along pretty well.

 

I will only add one more incident, because it seems to show that the

serpents used by serpent-charmers are not always deprived of their fangs,

as is usually supposed, but that there is some real secret which renders

them harmless or powerless. I was measuring the Temple of Edfou, when I

saw a peculiarly venomous serpent come out of its hole, whilst an Arab

boy who stood by fixed his eye steadily upon it the moment he saw it,

the reptile fixing his eyes on the boy. The lad began waving his hands

gently up and down, humming a peculiar tune in a low, monotonous tone.

The serpent seemed to be charmed, and lay perfectly still, listening to

and keeping its eyes attentively on the boy, who, finding that he had

charmed it, was about to secure it; but at this I was so horrified, that

I took up a large stone and killed the reptile. The boy was very angry,

and assailed me with the most vehement gestures and imprecations, at

which I laughed heartily. I afterwards learned that he was the son of a

serpent-charmer, and was collecting these reptiles for his father.

 

In proceeding along the banks of the Nile, I observed that the land

inclined from the margin of the river to the base of the adjacent hills.

This is nothing more than might have been expected, as it is usual under

all similar circumstances, and is caused by the periodical inundation.

Thus, whenever the river rises above the margin, the current naturally

diminishes in velocity as it encroaches on the banks, and to a certain

extent becomes stagnant, and then deposits the alluvial matter with which

the waters are charged; and as the water spreads farther on both sides

from the main body of the river, it becomes clearer, and contains less

alluvial matter. This is a wise provision of nature, for it enables the

waters to extend a long way, and thus to irrigate a great extent of land.

In order to ensure this irrigation more effectually, it is only necessary

to keep open sufficient channels, which may be done with facility. But

suppose this was not the case; suppose the land farthest off silted

up first, then it would be necessary, for the purpose of irrigation,

to raise the water by artificial means at considerable extra cost, to

irrigate those lands farthest from the river. However, in process of

time, as the land rises both at the sides of the river and the parts more

remote from it where they have attained the utmost level of the floods,

recourse must be had to art to irrigate the lands, otherwise their

fertility and cultivation must cease, as the quantity of rainfall in the

lower valley of the Nile, as it passes through Egypt, is comparatively

trifling; in fact, the fertility of the country depends almost entirely