DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0056
38 A THOUSAND MILES UP THE NILE.
luggage and packing-cases. But this they never did.
They just rolled themselves up at night, heads and all, in
rough brown blankets, and lay about the lower deck like
dogs.
The rei's, or captain, the steersman, and twelve sailors,
the dragoman, head cook, assistant cook, two waiters, and
the boy who cooked for the crew, completed our equip-
ment. Kei's Hassan—short, stern-looking, authoritative—
was a Cairo Arab. The dragoman, Elias Talhamy, was a
Syrian of Beyrout. The two waiters, Michael and llabib,
and the head cook (a wizened old cordon bleu named
Hassan Bcdawee) were also Syrians. The steersman and
five of the sailors were from Thebes; four belonged to a
place near Philai; one came from a village opposite Koin
Ombo ; one from Cairo, and two were Nubians from
Assuiln. They were of all shades, from yellowish bronze
to a hue not far removed from black; and though, at the
first mention of it, nothing more incongruous can well be
imagined than a sailor in petticoats and a turban, yet
these men in their loose blue gowns, bare feet, and white
muslin turbans, looked not only picturesque but dressed
exactly as they should be. They were for the most part
fine young men, slender but powerful, square in the
shoulders, like the ancient Egyptian statues, with the same
slight lugs and long, flat feet. More docile, active, good-
tempered, friendly fellows never pulled an oar. Simple
and trustful as children, frugal as anchorites, they worked
cheerfully from sunrise to sunset, sometimes towing the
dahabeeyah ona rope all day long, like barge-horses; some-
times punting for hours, which is the hardest work of all;
yet always singing at their task, always smiling when
spoken to, and made as happy as princes with a handful of
coarse Egyptian tobacco, or a bundle of fresh sugar-canes
bought for a few ponce by the river side. We soon came
to know them all by name — Mehemct Ali, Salame,
Khalifeh, Riskali, Hassan, Miisa, and so on; and as none
of us ever went on shore without one or two of them to
act as guards and attendants, and as the poor fellows were
constantly getting bruised hands or feet and coming to
the upper deck to be doctored, a feeling of genuine friend-
liness was speedily established between us.
The ordinary pay of a Nile sailor is- two pounds a month,
with an additional allowance of about three and sixpence a
luggage and packing-cases. But this they never did.
They just rolled themselves up at night, heads and all, in
rough brown blankets, and lay about the lower deck like
dogs.
The rei's, or captain, the steersman, and twelve sailors,
the dragoman, head cook, assistant cook, two waiters, and
the boy who cooked for the crew, completed our equip-
ment. Kei's Hassan—short, stern-looking, authoritative—
was a Cairo Arab. The dragoman, Elias Talhamy, was a
Syrian of Beyrout. The two waiters, Michael and llabib,
and the head cook (a wizened old cordon bleu named
Hassan Bcdawee) were also Syrians. The steersman and
five of the sailors were from Thebes; four belonged to a
place near Philai; one came from a village opposite Koin
Ombo ; one from Cairo, and two were Nubians from
Assuiln. They were of all shades, from yellowish bronze
to a hue not far removed from black; and though, at the
first mention of it, nothing more incongruous can well be
imagined than a sailor in petticoats and a turban, yet
these men in their loose blue gowns, bare feet, and white
muslin turbans, looked not only picturesque but dressed
exactly as they should be. They were for the most part
fine young men, slender but powerful, square in the
shoulders, like the ancient Egyptian statues, with the same
slight lugs and long, flat feet. More docile, active, good-
tempered, friendly fellows never pulled an oar. Simple
and trustful as children, frugal as anchorites, they worked
cheerfully from sunrise to sunset, sometimes towing the
dahabeeyah ona rope all day long, like barge-horses; some-
times punting for hours, which is the hardest work of all;
yet always singing at their task, always smiling when
spoken to, and made as happy as princes with a handful of
coarse Egyptian tobacco, or a bundle of fresh sugar-canes
bought for a few ponce by the river side. We soon came
to know them all by name — Mehemct Ali, Salame,
Khalifeh, Riskali, Hassan, Miisa, and so on; and as none
of us ever went on shore without one or two of them to
act as guards and attendants, and as the poor fellows were
constantly getting bruised hands or feet and coming to
the upper deck to be doctored, a feeling of genuine friend-
liness was speedily established between us.
The ordinary pay of a Nile sailor is- two pounds a month,
with an additional allowance of about three and sixpence a