DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0080
28
obliged to send to Great Britain for officers and engineers, and to Trieste lor a crew. The chief
engineer, a Scotchman, had been in the Egyptian postal service, and had served several years on
the " Dessoug " while she was employed in that service. He was engaged the day alter the steamer
was purchased, and remained on full pay during the five months and a half that elapsed between
that date and our departure. He was supposed during this time to be engaged in thoroughly examin-
ing, overhauling, and repairing the machinery and boilers, having been provided with skilled mechan-
ics to assist him. Yet he allowed a serious daw in the shaft to escape detection. The drst and
second officers, the second and third engineers, and three quartermasters were sent lor, to England.
The drst and second officers turned out to be condrmed drunkards ; the latter so bad that he had to
be dismissed to prevent him from killing himself. He fell twice from the second deck into the hold,
and twice overboard, while drunk. The engineers were useful, hard-working, hard-drinking men. The
quartermasters would do credit to a pirate's crew. The number of men who solemnly enlisted for
the voyage and speedily deserted before it began, was forty-eight. Despairing of being able to
secure a crew in Alexandria, I sent my power of attorney to Trieste, to a ship-agent there, with
authority to enlist the requisite number, and, in addition, to make a contract with each one for the
voyage. I relied on having these men arrive upon the day the vessel was ready for sea, and on
getting away from the port before they had time to think about it. They arrived, however, the
day the vessel was floated out of the dock. All but three remained. One man that had been
shipped in Alexandria, named Jacob Zuratich, a Delmatian, stuck to the vessel throughout. It was
his influence over his countrymen from Trieste that made them remain by the vessel and under-
take the voyage. As the " Dessoug" had no nationality, deserters could not be arrested. But four
of the crew, besides the quartermasters, could speak or understand a word of English. It must be
evident that, considering the circumstances, commanding the " Dessoug" was not the most desirable
and comfortable of occupations. Without the means of legally enforcing discipline, the only avail-
able method was the summary one.
The embarkation of every thing but coal was completed by June ?th. On the 8th the vessel
was hauled away from the quay and moored to buoys. On that day and the next, five hundred
tons of coal were taken on board. On the qth and nth I visited Cairo to take my leave of the
Khedive and his Ministers, and to thank them for not having yielded to the pressure and influence
exerted by foreign residents to revoke the gift, and for their steadfast friendship throughout. They
expressed the greatest gratification at the successful removal and embarkation of the obelisk without
damage, stating that otherwise it would have been embarrassing to them.
On my return to Alexandria the only thing remaining to complete our preparations was the final
arrangements for insurance. The underwriters had yielded gradually from their demands for twenty-
five per cent, premium down to five per cent., at which they stuck. I had insisted that the marine
risk was not an extraordinary one if the general average clause was omitted and their liability for dam-
age limited to total loss, and I gave notice to my London agent that I would pay no more than two
per cent., and make the voyage without insurance if this rate was not conceded. After holding out
for five per cent, until the day before our departure, the agents telegraphed to Europe that the steamer
would certainly proceed to sea without insurance on the next day. This brought me a great many
acceptances of two per cent., and insurance was effected by telegraph at this rate in a number of
selected companies. Finally, at 2 p. M., of Saturday, June 12th, the moorings were cast off and the
" Dessoug" steamed out of port amidst the sounding of steam-whistles, the cheers of ships' crews
and boatmen, and a general dipping of colors. One gentleman who had watched our work with close
attention bade me good-by, saying that he hoped we had good boats, well equipped and provisioned.
A boat load of the Arabs who had been employed on the work all the time we were in Alexandria
accompanied us to the entrance of the port, and hastily took their departure when the vessel began
obliged to send to Great Britain for officers and engineers, and to Trieste lor a crew. The chief
engineer, a Scotchman, had been in the Egyptian postal service, and had served several years on
the " Dessoug " while she was employed in that service. He was engaged the day alter the steamer
was purchased, and remained on full pay during the five months and a half that elapsed between
that date and our departure. He was supposed during this time to be engaged in thoroughly examin-
ing, overhauling, and repairing the machinery and boilers, having been provided with skilled mechan-
ics to assist him. Yet he allowed a serious daw in the shaft to escape detection. The drst and
second officers, the second and third engineers, and three quartermasters were sent lor, to England.
The drst and second officers turned out to be condrmed drunkards ; the latter so bad that he had to
be dismissed to prevent him from killing himself. He fell twice from the second deck into the hold,
and twice overboard, while drunk. The engineers were useful, hard-working, hard-drinking men. The
quartermasters would do credit to a pirate's crew. The number of men who solemnly enlisted for
the voyage and speedily deserted before it began, was forty-eight. Despairing of being able to
secure a crew in Alexandria, I sent my power of attorney to Trieste, to a ship-agent there, with
authority to enlist the requisite number, and, in addition, to make a contract with each one for the
voyage. I relied on having these men arrive upon the day the vessel was ready for sea, and on
getting away from the port before they had time to think about it. They arrived, however, the
day the vessel was floated out of the dock. All but three remained. One man that had been
shipped in Alexandria, named Jacob Zuratich, a Delmatian, stuck to the vessel throughout. It was
his influence over his countrymen from Trieste that made them remain by the vessel and under-
take the voyage. As the " Dessoug" had no nationality, deserters could not be arrested. But four
of the crew, besides the quartermasters, could speak or understand a word of English. It must be
evident that, considering the circumstances, commanding the " Dessoug" was not the most desirable
and comfortable of occupations. Without the means of legally enforcing discipline, the only avail-
able method was the summary one.
The embarkation of every thing but coal was completed by June ?th. On the 8th the vessel
was hauled away from the quay and moored to buoys. On that day and the next, five hundred
tons of coal were taken on board. On the qth and nth I visited Cairo to take my leave of the
Khedive and his Ministers, and to thank them for not having yielded to the pressure and influence
exerted by foreign residents to revoke the gift, and for their steadfast friendship throughout. They
expressed the greatest gratification at the successful removal and embarkation of the obelisk without
damage, stating that otherwise it would have been embarrassing to them.
On my return to Alexandria the only thing remaining to complete our preparations was the final
arrangements for insurance. The underwriters had yielded gradually from their demands for twenty-
five per cent, premium down to five per cent., at which they stuck. I had insisted that the marine
risk was not an extraordinary one if the general average clause was omitted and their liability for dam-
age limited to total loss, and I gave notice to my London agent that I would pay no more than two
per cent., and make the voyage without insurance if this rate was not conceded. After holding out
for five per cent, until the day before our departure, the agents telegraphed to Europe that the steamer
would certainly proceed to sea without insurance on the next day. This brought me a great many
acceptances of two per cent., and insurance was effected by telegraph at this rate in a number of
selected companies. Finally, at 2 p. M., of Saturday, June 12th, the moorings were cast off and the
" Dessoug" steamed out of port amidst the sounding of steam-whistles, the cheers of ships' crews
and boatmen, and a general dipping of colors. One gentleman who had watched our work with close
attention bade me good-by, saying that he hoped we had good boats, well equipped and provisioned.
A boat load of the Arabs who had been employed on the work all the time we were in Alexandria
accompanied us to the entrance of the port, and hastily took their departure when the vessel began