Notes of an Overland Journey Through France and Egypt to Bombay by Miss Emma Roberts

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Our commandant, Mr. Goldsmith, a descendant of the brother of the
poet, and who appeared to have inherited the benevolence of his
distinguished relative, was indefatigable in his exertions to render
us happy. He had procured abundant supplies for the table, which was
every day spread with a profusion of good things, while eight or ten
different kinds of wine, in addition to ale and porter, were placed
at the disposal of the guests. Nothing, indeed, was wanting, except a
French cook. No single meal had ever disagreed with us in France; but
though partaking sparingly, we felt the inconvenience of the heavy
English mode of cookery.

Amongst the attendants at table was one who speedily grew into the
good graces of all the passengers. A little fellow, eight years
old, but who did not look more than seven, placed himself at the
commandant's elbow, who immediately upon seeing him exclaimed, with a
benevolent smile, "What, are you here, Jemmy? then we are all right."
Jemmy, it seems, was the boatswain's son, and no diminutive page
belonging to a spoiled lady of quality, or Lilliputian tiger in the
service of a fashionable aspirant, could have been dressed in more
accurate costume. Jemmy was every inch a sailor; but, while preserving
the true nautical cut, his garments were fashioned with somewhat
coxcombical nicety, and he could have made his appearance upon any
stage as a specimen of aquatic dandyism. Jemmy would be invaluable on
board a yacht. His services at table were rewarded by a plateful of
pudding, which he ate standing at the captain's right hand, after
having, with great propriety, said grace. The little fellow had been
afloat for a year and a half; but during this period his education
had not been neglected, and he could read as well as any person in the
ship.

Amongst our passengers was a French gentleman, the commandant and
owner of an Indiaman, which had sailed from Bordeaux to Bombay under
the charge of the first officer. He had previously made twelve voyages
to India; but now availed himself of the shorter route, and proposed
to join his vessel at Bombay, dispose of the cargo, and, after taking
in a new freight, return through Egypt. The only coasts in sight,
during our voyage from Marseilles to Malta, were those of Sardinia
and Africa, Sicily being too far off to be visible. We were not near
enough to Sardinia to see more than a long succession of irregular
hills, which looked very beautiful under the lights and shades of a
lovely summer sky. The weather was warm, without being sultry, and
nothing was wanting excepting a few books. Mr. Goldsmith regretted the
absence of a library on board, but expressed his intention of making a
collection as speedily as possible.

The excessive and continual motion of the vessel caused me to suffer
very severely from seasickness; the exertion of dressing in the
morning always brought on a paroxysm, but I determined to struggle
against it as much as possible, and was only one day so completely
overpowered as to be unable to rise from the sofa. This sickness
was the more provoking, since there was no swell to occasion it, the
inconvenience entirely arising from Sir Somebody Symonds' (I believe
that is the name) method of building. What the _Megara_ would be in a
heavy sea, there is no saying, and I should be very sorry to make the
experiment.

We found ourselves at Malta at an early hour of the morning of
the 25th, having been only five nights and four days on board. Mr.
Goldsmith celebrated our last dinner with a profusion of champaigne,
and though glad to get out of the vessel, we felt unfeignedly sorry to
take leave of our kind commandant. We were, of course, up by daylight,
in order to lose nothing of the view.

Much as I had heard of the gay singularity of the appearance of Malta,
I felt surprise as well as delight at the beautiful scene around;
nor was I at all prepared for the extent of the city of Valetta. The
excessive whiteness of the houses, built of the rock of which
the island is composed, contrasted with the vivid green of their
verandahs, gives to the whole landscape the air of a painting, in
which the artist has employed the most brilliant colours for sea
and sky, and habitations of a sort of fairy land. Nor does a nearer
approach destroy this illusion; there are no prominently squalid
features in Malta, the beggars, who crowd round every stranger, being
the only evidence, at a cursory gaze, of its poverty.

Soon after the _Megara_ had dropped anchor, a young officer from the
_Acheron_, the steamer that had brought the mails from Gibraltar, came
on board to inquire whether I was amongst the passengers, and gave me
the pleasing intelligence that a lady, a friend of mine, who had left
London a few days before me, was now in Malta, and would proceed to
India in the vessel appointed to take the mails. She was staying at
Durnsford's Hotel, a place to which I had been strongly recommended.
Mr. Goldsmith was kind enough to promise to see our heavy baggage on
board the _Volcano_, the vessel under sailing orders; and a clergyman
and his wife, resident in Malta, who had gone to Marseilles for a
change of scene and air, inviting Miss E. and myself to accompany them
on shore, we gladly accepted their offer.

We found a _caless_ in waiting for us; a very singular description of
vehicle, but one common to the island. I had seen representations of
these carriages in old engravings, but had not the least idea that
they were still in use. They have only two wheels, placed behind, so
that the horse has to bear the weight of the vehicle as well as to
draw it; and there is something so inexpressibly odd in the whole
arrangement, that it put me in mind of the equipages brought on the
stage in a Christmas pantomime. Our _caless_ held four persons very
conveniently, and was really a handsome vehicle, gaily lined with
scarlet leather, and having spring seats. We saw others plying for
hire, of a very inferior description; some only calculated for two
persons, and of a faded and dilapidated appearance. They seem to be
dangerous conveyances, especially for the poor horse; we heard of one
being upset, on a steep hill, and breaking the neck of the animal that
drew it. In driving, we were obliged to take rather a circuitous route
to our inn, though the distance, had we walked, would have been very
inconsiderable. We were glad of the opportunity of seeing a little
of the suburbs, and were almost sorry to arrive at the place of our
destination.

As we came along we were delighted with the picturesque appearance
of the Maltese women, whose national dress is at once nunlike and
coquettish. A black petticoat envelopes the form from the waist, and
over that is thrown a singular veil, gathered into a hood, and kept
out with a piece of whalebone. This covering, which is called the
_faldetta_, is capable of many arrangements, and is generally disposed
so as to "keep one eye free to do its worst of witchery." When one
of the poorer classes is enabled to clothe herself in a veil and
petticoat of silk, she considers that she has gained the _acme_ of
respectability. The streets of the city of Valetta are extremely
narrow, and the houses high; a great advantage in such a climate, as
it ensures shade, while, as they generally run at right angles, they
obtain all the breeze that is to be had.

The appearance of our hotel was prepossessing. We entered through a
wide gateway into a hall opening upon a small court, in the centre of
which stood a large vase, very well sculptured, from the stone of the
island, and filled with flowers. A wide handsome staircase, also of
stone, with richly-carved balustrades, and adorned with statues and
vases, conducted us to a gallery, two sides of which were open, and
the other two closed, running round the court-yard, and affording
entrance to very good apartments. Every thing was perfectly clean;
the bedsteads of iron, furnished with mosquito-curtains; and we were
supplied immediately with every article that we required.

As the rolling of the _Megara_ had prevented the possibility
of forming a sentence, we sat down to write letters, and having
despatched a few of the introductions to residents, with which my
friends in England had supplied me, I was agreeably surprised by some
visits which I had scarcely expected, as we found that we should be
obliged to embark for Alexandria in the evening.

I did not hear very flattering accounts of the state of society at
Malta, which, like that of all other confined places, is split into
factions, and where there seems to be a perpetual struggle, by the
least fortunate classes, to assert equality with those whose rank is
acknowledged; thus every person attached to the government assumes
eligibility for the _entre_ into the best circles, while the
magnates of the place are by no means inclined to admit them to these
privileges. It appeared that the endeavours of the Commissioner to
produce a greater degree of cordiality between the Maltese inhabitants
and the English residents, so far from succeeding, had tended to
widen the distance between them, and that the Maltese were by no means
grateful for the efforts made for their improvement. However, though
the fruits may not at present appear, the seed having been sown, we
may entertain a strong hope that they will show themselves in time.

While an undertaking so gigantic as the diffusion of the English
language throughout India has been attempted, it seems rather
extraordinary that the efforts of the committee should not have
been directed to the same result in Malta, and that the progress of
education should not have been conducted in the language that promised
to prove the most useful to subjects of the British crown; but it
appears that the committee decided otherwise, and complaints are
making, that the instruction now supplied at the schools is of the
most superficial nature, and by no means calculated to produce the
desired end.

Every object in Malta bears witness to the ingenuity and industry of
its inhabitants. The softness of the stone renders it easily cut, and
the Dowager Marchioness of Hastings (who has left imperishable marks
of her desire to benefit those who came under her observation), in
supplying the best designs, has filled the shops of Malta with a
tasteful species of _bijouterie_, which is eagerly sought after by
all the visitors. The carved work of Malta is sold very cheap; but the
same quality, which renders it so easily cut, occasions it to chip,
and, therefore, great care is necessary in packing these fragile
articles.

As soon as possible, we sallied forth to inspect the far-famed church
of St. John, and found our expectations more than gratified by the
interior of this gorgeous edifice. It was not, however, without
melancholy feelings, that we reflected on the miserable remnant of
those valiant knights, who had made Malta celebrated throughout all
history, and who, on the suppression of the order, were suffered to
languish out the remainder of their existence in obscurity. Mass was
performing at the time of our entrance, and seating ourselves in one
of the side chapels until it should be over, we were at its conclusion
accosted by a priest, who, finding that we did not speak Italian, sent
another person to show the beauties of the church. Some Maltese ladies
greeted us very courteously, and though, perhaps, we would rather have
wandered about alone, indulging in our own recollections of the past,
we could not help being pleased with the attentions which were paid
us.

Upon returning to our inn, we met a gentleman with whom we were
slightly acquainted, who, upon learning that I had a letter to Sir
Henry Bouverie, the governor, recommended me to deliver it in person,
the palace being close at hand. Our party met with a very courteous
reception, and we were happy in the opportunity thus afforded of
seeing the palace, which showed remains of former grandeur far
more interesting than any modern improvements could have been. One
apartment, in particular, hung round with tapestry, which, though
brought from France 135 years ago, retains all the brilliancy of its
original colouring, pleased us exceedingly.

There are some good paintings upon the walls; but the armoury is the
most attractive feature in the palace. It consists of one splendid
apartment, running the whole length of the building, and makes a very
imposing appearance; the arms of various periods being well arranged.
The collection of ancient weapons was not so great as I had expected;
still there were very interesting specimens, and an intelligent
corporal, belonging to one of the Queen's regiments, who acted as
_Cicerone_, gave us all the information we could require.

Some of our party had the curiosity to visit the cemetery of the
Capuchin convent, in which the monks who die, after having undergone
a preserving process, are dressed in the habit of the order, and
fastened up in niches; when the skeletons, from extreme age, actually
fall to pieces, the skulls and bones are formed into funeral trophies
for the decoration of the walls; and the whole is described as a most
revolting and barbarous spectacle. The last occupant was said to have
departed this life as late as 1835, adding, by the comparative newness
of his inhumation, to the horrors of the scene.

The influence of the priesthood, though still very great, is
represented to be upon the decline; they have lately, however,
shown their power, by retarding the progress of the building of the
Protestant church, to which the Dowager Queen Adelaide so munificently
subscribed. All the workmen employed are obliged to have dispensations
from the Pope, and every pretext is eagerly seized upon to delay the
erection of the edifice. At present, the Protestant community, with
few exceptions, are content to have service performed in an angle of
the court-yard of the palace, formerly a cellar and kitchen, but now
converted into an episcopal chapel and vestry-room. The members of
the society have a small chapel, not adequate to the accommodation of
those who desire to attend it, belonging to the Methodist persuasion;
but its minister is afraid to encounter the difficulties and delays
which would be consequent upon an attempt to enlarge it. There is a
public library adjoining the palace, originally formed by the knights,
but considered now to be more extensive than valuable.

The period which I spent upon the island was too brief to allow me to
make any inquiries respecting its institutions, the novelties of
the scene engaging my attention so completely, that I could give no
thought to anything else. The shops and _cafes_ of La Valetta have a
very gay appearance, and the ingenuity of the inhabitants is displayed
in several manufactures; the black lace mittens, now so fashionable,
being particularly well made. Table-linen, also of superior quality,
may be purchased, wrought in elegant patterns, and, if bespoken, with
the coat-of-arms or crest worked into the centre or the corners. In
the fashioning of the precious metals, the Maltese likewise excel,
their filagree-work, both in gold and silver, being very beautiful:
the Maltese chains have long enjoyed a reputation in Europe, and other
ornaments may be purchased of equal excellence.

To the eye of a stranger, Malta, at this period of the year (the end
of September), seems bare and destitute of verdure; yet, from the
quantity of every kind of vegetables brought to market, it must be
amazingly productive. The growth of cotton, lately introduced into
Egypt, has been injurious to the trade and manufactures of Malta, and
the attempt to supply its place with silk failed. In the opinion of
some persons, the experiment made had not a fair trial. The mulberry
trees flourished, and the silk produced was of an excellent quality;
but the worms did not thrive, and in consequence the design was
abandoned. Inquiry has shown, that the leaves from old trees are
essential to the existence of the silk-worm, and that, had the
projectors of the scheme been aware of a fact so necessary to be
known, they would have awaited the result of a few more years, which
seems all that was necessary for the success of the undertaking.
How many goodly schemes have been ruined from the want of scientific
knowledge upon the part of their projectors, and how frequently it
happens that a moment of impatience will destroy the hopes of years!

Fruit is cheap, plentiful, and excellent at Malta, the figs and grapes
being of very superior quality, while the island affords materials for
the most luxurious table. The golden mullet and the _Becca fica_ are
abundant; and all the articles brought to market are procurable at
low prices. I can scarcely imagine a more agreeable place to spend a
winter in, and I promise myself much gratification in the sojourn of
a few weeks at this delightful island upon my return to England. I can
very strongly recommend Durnsford's Hotel as a place of residence, the
accommodation being excellent and the terms moderate. In remaining any
time, arrangement may be made for apartments and board, by which means
the rate of living is much cheaper, while the style is equally good.

There is an opera at Malta, in which performances of various degrees
of mediocrity are given. The gay period to a stranger is that of the
carnival; but, at other times, the festivals of the church, celebrated
in this isolated place with more of the mummeries of Roman Catholicism
than obtain in many other countries professing the same faith, afford
amusement to the lovers of the grotesque.

Though the thermometer at Malta seldom rises to 90 deg., yet the heat in
the sultry season is very great. Every person, who is in the habit of
studying the glass, becomes aware of the difference between the heat
that is actually felt and that which is indicated by instruments; and
in no place is this discrepancy more sensibly experienced than Malta,
in which the state of the winds materially affects the comfort of the
inhabitants. A good authority assures us, that "the heat of Malta
is most oppressive, so much so, as to justify the term 'implacable,'
which is often applied to it. The sun, in summer, remains so long
above the horizon, and the stone walls absorb such an enormous
quantity of heat, that they never have sufficient time to get
cool; and during the short nights, this heat radiates from them so
copiously, as to render the nights, in fact, as hot as the days, and
much more oppressive to the feelings of those who are accustomed
to associate the idea of coolness with darkness. I have seen the
thermometer, in a very sheltered part of my house, steadily maintain,
during the night, the same height to which it had arisen in the day,
while I marked it with feelings of incalculably increased oppression,
and this for three successive weeks in August and September, 1822."

At Malta, we were recommended, in consequence of the unsettled state
of affairs between Mehemet Ali and the European powers, to proceed
forthwith to Egypt, and though strongly tempted to prolong my stay in
the island, I thought it advisable to make the best of my way to the
Red Sea, and defer the pleasure, which a more protracted residence
promised, until my return in the ensuing year. Lieut. Goldsmith, our
kind commandant of the _Megara_, called upon us, according to promise,
to conduct us on board the new steamer, the _Volcano_, the vessel
appointed to carry the mails on to Alexandria. This ship was in
quarantine, and it was consequently necessary to take some precautions
in going on board. We proceeded, in the first instance, to a police
station, where we took a second boat in tow, and a _guadiano_, an
official appointed to see that no persons transgress the rules and
regulations of the port instituted for the preservation of health.

Upon getting alongside of the _Volcano_, our baggage was placed in
this boat; Miss E. and myself were then handed in, and cast adrift, to
my great astonishment; for not having had any previous intimation of
the method to be pursued, I was not at all prepared to hold on, as I
believe it is called, without assistance. Miss E., however, who was
more observant, hooked her parasol into one of the ropes, which
she subsequently caught. We were now to be taught a new lesson--the
extreme nonchalance with which the officers of a Government steamer
treat the passengers who have the misfortune to choose these boats
instead of making the voyage on board merchant vessels. Some minutes
elapsed before any notice was taken of us, or any assistance afforded
in getting up our baggage; our own people being obliged to look on
and do nothing, since, had they touched the ship, they would have been
obliged to perform eighteen days of quarantine.

Upon reaching the deck, we requested that our baggage might be taken
down into the ladies' cabin, in order that we might get our small
dormitories put to rights before the rest of the passengers came on
board; but, though it could have made no earthly difference to the
people employed, we met with a refusal, and the whole was deposited in
the grand saloon, already encumbered with luggage, every quarter of an
hour adding to the heap and the confusion, and the difficulty of each
person recognizing the identical carpet-bag or portmanteau that he
might claim as his property.[A]

Among our new fellow-passengers there was a young English gentleman,
who intended to travel into Syria, and who, though looking scarcely
twenty, had already spent some years in foreign countries. He was very
modest and unassuming, and both agreeable and intelligent; and, having
had a good deal of conversation together, I was sorry to lose sight of
him at Alexandria.

We had also one of Mehemet Ali's _proteges_ on board, a young
Egyptian, who had been educated at the Pasha's expense in England,
where he had resided for the last ten years, latterly in the
neighbourhood of a dock-yard, in order to study the art of
ship-building. This young man was a favourite with those persons on
board who could make allowances for the circumstances in which he had
been placed, and who did not expect acquirements which it was almost
impossible for him to attain. His natural abilities were very good,
and he had cultivated them to the utmost of his power. Strongly
attached to European customs, manners, and institutions, he will lose
no opportunity of improving the condition of his countrymen, or of
inducing them to discard those prejudices which retard the progress
of civilization. He was naturally very anxious concerning his future
destiny, for the Pasha's favour is not always to be depended upon,
while the salary of many of the appointments which he does bestow is
by no means adequate to the support of men whom his liberality has
enabled to live in great respectability and comfort in England. Our
new acquaintance also felt that, in returning to his friends and
relatives, he should shock all their prejudices by his entire
abandonment of those customs and opinions by which they were still
guided; he grieved especially at the distress which he should cause
his mother, and determined not to enter into her presence until he had
assumed the national dress, and could appear, outwardly at least, like
an Egyptian.

The weather, during our short voyage, was remarkably favourable,
although it got rather too warm, especially at night, for comfort.
There are, however, great alleviations to heat in the Mediterranean
steamers. The ladies can have a wind-sail in their cabin, which,
together with the air from the stern windows, renders the temperature
at all times very delightful. They enjoy another advantage in having
a light burning all night, a comfort which cannot be too highly
appreciated, since darkness on board ship increases every other
annoyance.

We left Malta on the evening of the 25th, and arrived at Alexandria
early in the morning of the 30th. Every eye was strained to catch the
first view of the Egyptian coast, and especially of the Pharos, which
in ancient time directed the mariners to its shores; but the great
object of attraction at this period consisted of the united fleets,
Turkish and Egyptian, which rode at anchor in the port. Our steamer
threaded its way amid these fine-looking vessels, some of which we
passed so closely, as to be able to look into the cabin-windows. To
my unprofessional eye, these ships looked quite as efficient as any
warlike armament of the same nature that I had yet seen. They all
appeared to be well kept, and in good order, while the sailors were
clean, neatly dressed, and actively engaged, some in boats, and others
performing various duties. Though steamers are now very common sights,
we in turn attracted attention, all eyes being directed to our deck.

Our Egyptian fellow-passenger was especially interested and agitated
at his approach to his native shore, and the evidences which he saw
before him of the power and political influence of the Pasha. From a
gentleman who came on board, we learned that an apprehension had
been entertained at Alexandria of the arrival of a hostile fleet from
Europe, in which event a collision would in all probability have
taken place. Mehemet Ali, it was said, was so foolishly elated by
his successes, and by the attitude he had assumed, as to be perfectly
unaware of his true position, and of the lesson which he would
receive, should he persist in defying the remonstrances of his
European allies. It was also said, that nothing but the favour
shown by the French cabinet to the Pasha had hitherto prevented the
commencement of hostilities, since the British Government, taking the
view of its representative at Constantinople, felt strongly inclined
to proceed to extremities. I merely, of course, state the rumour that
prevailed; whether they carried the slightest authority or not, I do
not pretend to determine.

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