DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12664#0102
SMALL FAVOURS THANKFULLY RECEIVED. 95
ing, which would probably be ready in four or
five days, and that perhaps before that time the
governor would return and give me a guard of sol-
diers. It did not suit my views to wait the uncer-
tain movements of a caravan, nor did it suit my
pocket to incur the expense of a guard. So, thank-
ing the gentleman for his civility (he had given us
pipes and coffee, as usual), I bade him good-by, and
started for my boat; but I had not gone far before
I found him trotting at my heels. In the palace he
had sat with his legs crossed, with as much dignity
as the governor himself could have displayed; but
as soon as he slid down from the divan he seemed
to have left dignity for his betters, and pounced
upon Paul for " bucksheesh." I gave him five pi-
asters (about equal to a quarter of a dollar), for
which the deputy of the Governor of Djiddeh,
formerly the capital of Upper Egypt, laid his hand
upon his heart and invoked upon my head the bles-
sing of Allah and the Prophet.
At Djiddeh, for the first time, I saw carried on
one of the great branches of trade on the Nile, a
trade which once stained the annals of our own
country, and the fatal effects of which we still con-
tinue to experience. There were two large boat-
loads—perhaps five or six hundred slaves—col-
lected at Dongola and Sennaar, probably bought
from their parents for a shawl, a string of beads,
or some trifling article of necessity. Born under
the burning sun of the tropics, several of them had
died of cold, even before reaching the latitude of
ing, which would probably be ready in four or
five days, and that perhaps before that time the
governor would return and give me a guard of sol-
diers. It did not suit my views to wait the uncer-
tain movements of a caravan, nor did it suit my
pocket to incur the expense of a guard. So, thank-
ing the gentleman for his civility (he had given us
pipes and coffee, as usual), I bade him good-by, and
started for my boat; but I had not gone far before
I found him trotting at my heels. In the palace he
had sat with his legs crossed, with as much dignity
as the governor himself could have displayed; but
as soon as he slid down from the divan he seemed
to have left dignity for his betters, and pounced
upon Paul for " bucksheesh." I gave him five pi-
asters (about equal to a quarter of a dollar), for
which the deputy of the Governor of Djiddeh,
formerly the capital of Upper Egypt, laid his hand
upon his heart and invoked upon my head the bles-
sing of Allah and the Prophet.
At Djiddeh, for the first time, I saw carried on
one of the great branches of trade on the Nile, a
trade which once stained the annals of our own
country, and the fatal effects of which we still con-
tinue to experience. There were two large boat-
loads—perhaps five or six hundred slaves—col-
lected at Dongola and Sennaar, probably bought
from their parents for a shawl, a string of beads,
or some trifling article of necessity. Born under
the burning sun of the tropics, several of them had
died of cold, even before reaching the latitude of