Warburton, Eliot: Travels in Egypt and the Holy Land, or, The crescent and the cross: comprising the romance and realities of eastern travel (Philadelphia, 1859)

142

THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS.

[chap. xx

ever, their lot is happier, as I have before observed, or rather less
wretched, than that of the free Egyptian: while our boat passed
by, with song and music, as if its progress were all one festival,
these poor creatures would turn round to gaze after us, and grin
till their faces seemed all teeth.

When we anchored for the night near a town, the Turkish
governor generally came on board to visit us, accompanied by
his janissary and pipe-bearer. We rose as he entered, and made
room for him on the divan ; then he would, lay his hand on his
heart, and pray that peace might be upon us; the pipe from our
lips was then passed to him, of which he took one whiff, then
returned it with a salute, and his own pipe was handed to him
by his submissive slave. There was little variety in the con-
versation. " English very good ; very fond of travelling ; know
great deal ; have very good brandy." This last hint was al-
ways complied with, Mahmoud assuring the scrupulous Turk that
it was made of grapes, or anything else that occurred to him.
Sometimes, the curtain of the cabin was to be drawn before he
would taste the forbidden draught; and sometimes he carried off
the bottle bodily, " for a daughter, or a friend who was sick."

There is no denying their taste for brandy, and their passion
for maraschino ; but we invariably found these authorities ex-
tremely courteous, complimentary, and willing to oblige us.

Now to our travel once more.