DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4020#0080
68 TRAVELS IN EGYPT
But what renders this city more particularly remarkable is, that it is the place
where begins, or rather, if you will, the place where ends the firsl cataract,
marked by rocks of granite, which are seen in the middle of the Nile, before
you arrive at them.
Our reys, who was a janislary, did not fail to go and acquaint the aga of
our arrival, and to give him notice, at the same time, that there were in his barque
some Franks, to whom Osman aga, the chief of the janissaries at Grand Cairo,
had given letters, which would be presented to him.
*
At eight of the clock in the morning, the aga sent to us two janisTaries, each
with a slaff in his hand; and they offered to conduct, us to the citadel.
We went thither; and the aga, who was lick, received us lying upon the
ground, and covered with an old Indian cloth. We presented to him our letters,
and made him undersland that our intention was to go quite to the sccond cata-
ract, which surprised him greatly, and induced him to tell us, that the advice he
had to give us was to confine our curiosity to the seeing the first cataract.
This counscl was not to our relish. We returned for answer, that we were
determined to go on, unless he had a design of putting a slop to us. " I shall
rather, repliedhe, do all that is in my power to facilitate your journey; and you
have nothing to do, but to get the necessiry preparations for setting out on your
expedition." Upon that, he ordered coffee to be served us; and after we had
drank it, we took leave of him.
When we were returned to our barque, there was nothing we were moresolici-
tous about, than the making him a proper present. We sent him a scarlet garment,
a silk waistcoat, two casks of sherbet, with some bottles of strong liquors ; and
he appeared extremely well satisfied with them. We received in return a shecp ;
and in the afternoon, he sent us some coffee aboard our barque. We were con-
tent, however, with tailing it, because it was boiled with sage ; which was done
probably to give it an higher flavour.
We had already talked in the morning of the camels, thehorses andasses,
that the aga was to furnim us with for money, in order to carry us and our
baggage to the port of the cataract. In the afternoon we sent to him to know,
whether we might depend on all being ready for the next day morning. The
answer was, that he would neglect nothing in that respect, and that the letters of
recommendation to the grandees of the country, through which we proposed to
pass, mould be ready.
W e had moreover petitioned, that he would let us be accompanied by some
one of his people, on condition of defraying him, and of making him also a
present. He offered us, for this purpose, his own brother. He sent him to us,
to agree on the price ; and we soon came to an agreement.
The aga treated us in a very civil manner; he had even offered us his house,
which we did not think proper to accept of, because we depended on slaying
before
But what renders this city more particularly remarkable is, that it is the place
where begins, or rather, if you will, the place where ends the firsl cataract,
marked by rocks of granite, which are seen in the middle of the Nile, before
you arrive at them.
Our reys, who was a janislary, did not fail to go and acquaint the aga of
our arrival, and to give him notice, at the same time, that there were in his barque
some Franks, to whom Osman aga, the chief of the janissaries at Grand Cairo,
had given letters, which would be presented to him.
*
At eight of the clock in the morning, the aga sent to us two janisTaries, each
with a slaff in his hand; and they offered to conduct, us to the citadel.
We went thither; and the aga, who was lick, received us lying upon the
ground, and covered with an old Indian cloth. We presented to him our letters,
and made him undersland that our intention was to go quite to the sccond cata-
ract, which surprised him greatly, and induced him to tell us, that the advice he
had to give us was to confine our curiosity to the seeing the first cataract.
This counscl was not to our relish. We returned for answer, that we were
determined to go on, unless he had a design of putting a slop to us. " I shall
rather, repliedhe, do all that is in my power to facilitate your journey; and you
have nothing to do, but to get the necessiry preparations for setting out on your
expedition." Upon that, he ordered coffee to be served us; and after we had
drank it, we took leave of him.
When we were returned to our barque, there was nothing we were moresolici-
tous about, than the making him a proper present. We sent him a scarlet garment,
a silk waistcoat, two casks of sherbet, with some bottles of strong liquors ; and
he appeared extremely well satisfied with them. We received in return a shecp ;
and in the afternoon, he sent us some coffee aboard our barque. We were con-
tent, however, with tailing it, because it was boiled with sage ; which was done
probably to give it an higher flavour.
We had already talked in the morning of the camels, thehorses andasses,
that the aga was to furnim us with for money, in order to carry us and our
baggage to the port of the cataract. In the afternoon we sent to him to know,
whether we might depend on all being ready for the next day morning. The
answer was, that he would neglect nothing in that respect, and that the letters of
recommendation to the grandees of the country, through which we proposed to
pass, mould be ready.
W e had moreover petitioned, that he would let us be accompanied by some
one of his people, on condition of defraying him, and of making him also a
present. He offered us, for this purpose, his own brother. He sent him to us,
to agree on the price ; and we soon came to an agreement.
The aga treated us in a very civil manner; he had even offered us his house,
which we did not think proper to accept of, because we depended on slaying
before