CHAPTER XIV.
THE “MINOS” AGAIN—CAFE FRANCAIS—THE ENFIELD STAGE—DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT—CHANGE OF BOATS AT SYRA—A GALE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN—MALTA—THE QUARANTINE HARBOUR—FORT MANUEL—INQUISITIVE GUARDIANO—TRAVELLERS’ COLLECTIONS—SANITARY REGULATIONS AND LOW DIET—THE PARLATORI—RESOURCES IN QUARANTINE—HAPPY RELEASE.
THE “MINOS” AGAIN—CAFE FRANCAIS—THE ENFIELD STAGE—DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT—CHANGE OF BOATS AT SYRA—A GALE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN—MALTA—THE QUARANTINE HARBOUR—FORT MANUEL—INQUISITIVE GUARDIANO—TRAVELLERS’ COLLECTIONS—SANITARY REGULATIONS AND LOW DIET—THE PARLATORI—RESOURCES IN QUARANTINE—HAPPY RELEASE.
On inquiring of my friend Furner, at the office, I found that the “Minos” French steamer was to start on the 7th, and that I had only one clear day to make my final arrangements for quitting Egypt. The packing of my few boxes was speedily accomplished, and my passport, which had so long laid dormant, was now once more drawn forth, and sent to the Consulate for the necessary stamps and signatures. I spent a portion of my last evening in Alexandria at my old quarters in the English Okella, now occupied byMr.Portenier and his wife, and so thoroughly repaired and decorated, that I should scarcely have recognised it for the same dwelling. The improvement had, however, been entirely confined to the interior of the house. TheOkella and its dark-covered gallery were unchanged, and on the outer-door of Portenier’s house, I could still remark the red plague-seal, which, on my first arrival in Egypt, had often caused a shudder.
I could not resist the inclination, before the evening had quite closed in, to pay a final visit to some old and well-known spots, so I strolled through the Café Français, as yet almost untenanted, and down its dirty stone-staircase to the back of the Okella, close to the sea-shore. There, in its cobwebbed solitude, stood the old Enfield stage, umwhile the pride of Glover, who little thought, as he rumbled along to and from the Bank twice a-day, with his six insides, that his rickety old machine was ever destined to run from Enfield Wash to the Red Sea. Such had nevertheless been the intention ofMr.Waghorn in purchasing it, and sending it out to Egypt, though if it ever get there now, it must certainly be through the intervention of miracle.
I had a long chat with Furner, who told me that he also was meditating a change, and that he looked either towards Bombay or Calcutta as his next location, waiting only for the transit business changing hands, which would be the signal for his departure. He andMr.Raven accompaniedme the next morning on board the “Minos,” where I found Lord E. and his suite, and a good sprinkling of passengers, among whom I recognised most of those of the dinner-party atMr.L.’s, on the Mahmoudieh. I had just time to bid my kind friends a hearty farewell, when the bell was heard, and we were off. I lingered to take a parting look at the quaint windmills and low sandy shores of Iskander, and then turned my back upon Egypt: with regret, it is true, for in that strange land I had been kindly received and treated, and had found friends, whose value appeared greatly enhanced now that I was leaving them behind, and with many of whom I should scarcely ever meet again. However, as the deck of a French war-steamer is one of the spots least suited to quiet reflection, I made my way to the cabin, where some of my countrymen had already betaken themselves to their sleeping-places, as a precautionary measure againstmal de mer. There was in truth but little inducement to remain above, for the wind was high and in our teeth, giving promise of an unfavourable passage.
On the night of the 10th, we anchored at Syra, and were there transferred to another boat of the same enterprise, called the “Rhamses,” parting company at the same timewith several of our fellow-passengers, who were bound for Constantinople. On again standing out to sea, the wind had increased to a gale, which tossed us about most unpleasantly, and I shall not easily forget the appearance of things on the morning of the 12th, when I ascended to the deck before the breakfast hour. The hatchways closely battened down, benches lashed together, and guns carefully encased in tarpaulin, while the pumps were got into readiness, and an extra tiller-bar fished up from below, looked, to my unpractised eye, like symptoms of an impending storm, whilst our skipper, having laid aside his gold-laced cap and swallow tails, had donned a stiff pea-jacket and indisputable sou’-wester, and was now darting a rapid but penetrating glance at the disposition of things aloft, as he held on to the rail of the companion-ladder. The aspect of the sea was terrific, and I really could scarcely venture to keep my eye upon waves, over which it seemed morally impossible that our ship could ride. Now, the horizon would appear limited to the compass of a few acres only, and then again, elevated upon the crown of some gigantic sea, we seemed poised, as it were, in mid-air, surrounded by an interminable boundless waste of waters. Our good ship struggled gallantly with the waves, but it was evident, with all herpuffing and groaning, that she made no way whatever, and our captain at length reluctantly gave the order to put about and go before the wind. This proceeding altered things for the better: the heavy seas no longer broke over our deck, and the severe shocks against our bows, which had previously thrown the whole ship into convulsions, were felt less frequently. Thus we passed the ensuing day and night, by which time the gale had somewhat abated, and we resumed our course.
On the 14th, about midnight, we espied the friendly and cheering light of Malta, and I believe we all felt considerably grateful to find ourselves riding in the smooth water and safety of the quarantine harbour. We were however destined to pass another day and night on board the “Rhamses,” as the Lazaretto was not ready for our reception, but on the 16th, we were landed at Fort Manuel, and consigned in lots to the care of the health officers, every three persons having a separateGuardiano.
The first appearance of the Lazaretto is by no means pleasing to one who knows that he must there undergo a three weeks’ imprisonment, but I have often heard it affirmed, and can in my own case bear ample testimony to the truth of the assertion, that under ordinary circumstances,the term of quarantine may prove a period of great enjoyment. Of course, much depends upon the character of the persons with whom you are associated, but it would be strange indeed, if among the large and mixed party thus thrown together, there were not some one more gifted than the rest with the power and will to amuse or instruct his companions, whilst for the development of character, few places are better situated than Fort Manuel. Our steamer’s boats landed us and our baggage at the stairs, from whence we were escorted, by our guardians, through a formidable sort of fortification, and across a large quadrangle, to an opposite building, where we were shown into a series of empty rooms, and requested to make our selection. I found one in an angle of the building, containing an iron bedstead and table, and no sooner had I thrown my bag upon the brick-floor, in token of right of possession, than a functionary from below put into my hands the price-current of the furniture-broker of the Lazaretto, who undertakes to supply, for a trifling sum, the wherewith to furnish your chamber. Having made my selection, I was next waited upon by the cuisinier of the establishment, who likewise solicited my patronage. I got rid of him by ordering dinner.
The next visitation that I experienced, was on the part ofmy own particular guardian, who having begged the key of my portmanteau, most unceremoniously exposed the whole of its contents. My linen he unfolded and hung on a clothes-horse, whilst from pegs in the wall, he suspended an array of coats and trousers, giving my furnished lodging the appearance of an old-clothes shop. Nothing escaped his vigilance. Dressing-case and drawing-box were fished out and opened, and the secret recesses of my writing-desk, which it almost puzzledmeto arrive at, flew apart as if by magic, at the “open-sesame” of my unnatural guardian, who finished up by taking the tops off my pill-boxes, and the stoppers out of my medicine-bottles. On visiting some of my neighbours, I found that they had been served in the same way, and the odd mixture of articles in an apartment called themess (!)room, which contained five or six beds, was quite laughable, and as a museum, was perfectly unique, each individual’s private collection giving a sufficiently good clue to his tastes and character. There were enough of cherry-sticks and chibouques to have stocked a cigar-divan, whilst we might easily have managed a bal-costumè with the variety of Oriental dresses which were here brought to light. One of our company was highly indignant, and I thought, justly ashamed of the exposè made of a quantityof chippings from the glorious temples of Upper Egypt, which had been cracked off during his antiquarian ramble, to serve as trophies and mementos when he should regain his own fireside.
Whilst viewing his collection, we were summonsed by the sound of the dinner-bell, and repaired to the common-hall, somewhat curious to test the powers of the Maltese restaurateur, who was to feed us in quarantine, at the rate of four-and-sixpence for dinner, and fourteen-pence for breakfast. From the price of the former, we naturally expected a substantial meal, but finding the sanitary authorities decidedly in favour of low diet, such as weak broth with salads and sour-krout, and no end of gherkins and beet-root, and an appeal to the cook proving unproductive of better fare, I resolved to send over the way to my friend Baker, of the “Princess Royal,” and trust to his discrimination to send me something more substantial. Nor was I disappointed; the next morning witnessed the arrival of a well-stocked hamper, containing among other things, a formidable “piece de resistance,” in the shape of a boiled round of beef, and an apple-pie that excited the wonder of the whole establishment of Quarantine officers. Some of my companions followed my example, and thus by alternately diningwith each other, we managed constantly to vary our bill of fare, and get our meal at less expense than when served by the Maltese cook, who viewed our private larder with great indignation, and no doubt regretted having voluntarily submitted to a term of quarantine destined to profit him so little.
The Lazaretto at Fort Manuel, consists of three separate buildings, each capable of accommodating from twelve to twenty persons, one of these being exclusively devoted to the use of such as may be reported under the yellow flag, or taken ill subsequent to their admission. In our case, we came with a clean bill of health, a fact which seemed in no way to influence the vigilance of our guardians, who never came nearer to us than was absolutely necessary; and during the whole period of our probationary imprisonment, treated us as though we had been really plague-stricken. On one occasion, I was severely reprimanded for having scattered some torn fragments of letters from my window, as, had the breeze been sufficiently strong to carry any portion over the water into Citta Vecchia, I should innocently have placed the whole island in quarantine. Each particle was carefully picked up and destroyed. All letters out were duly punctured and fumigated, and ourconverse with visitors from the island across the double bars of the Parlatori, where secrets of great import were necessarily confided in the loudest key, was curious enough.
On the Sabbath we attended Divine service in the church attached to the Fort, two clergymen of our party officiating alternately, but for our Catholic attendants there was no place of worship, from the fact, I suppose, that no priest could be found sufficiently zealous to devote himself to a perpetual quarantine. Morning mass, however, was not to be neglected, and our good Catholics resorted to the only means within their reach to secure its enjoyment. Rising one day somewhat earlier than usual, I was surprised to observe a number of persons kneeling on the stones at the end of the open corridor, extending along the front of the building we occupied. As they simultaneously made the sign of the cross, and appeared all to direct their attention to one particular object, I soon discovered that their altar and officiating priest were at least a good half-mile off on the opposite shore. Waiting until the ceremony was over, I fetched my glass, and could then remark a small chapel in the side of the rock, wherein the service had been conducted, and from which the priest and a little crowd of devotees were now departing. This was, indeed,silent worship, yet doubtless as acceptable as though it had been offered in a gorgeous temple, and accompanied with all the pomp and ceremony of the most elaborate Catholic mass.
Our walks and rambles in quarantine were necessarily very limited, being confined to the ramparts and fortifications which surrounded us, and the spacious court-yard in front of the Lazaretto. We had books from Muir’s Library to read, and, as Murray says, “drawings to finish, and journals to fetch up,” and these resources occupied the hours of daylight, whilst our evenings passed away round the tea-table of one or other of our company, either in social chat, and the relation of bye-gone experiences, or in the enjoyment of embryo tales and poems from the portfolio of one of our party, who has since given them to the world. We had besides, a very amusing companion, who had been everywhere and seen everything, and could perform the most astounding feats in legerdemain, so that with these resources, it is no wonder if our time passed away pleasantly enough, and that we almost regretted an unexpected piece of news brought to us one morning by a smilingguardiano. This was to the effect, that the Board of Health had decided upon cutting short our term ofquarantine by several days, and that we were now at liberty. Soon afterwards a servant from the “Princess Royal” came for my luggage, and stepping into a gaudy-coloured little Maltese boat, I was ferried across the harbour, and was once more at large. I made the best of my way to the hotel, for I was conscious that my appearance was anything but calculated to excite respect in the eyes of the Maltese signory, whom I encountered in my passage through the town. One sleeve of my frock-coat was all but off, to say nothing of divers rents and holes in other parts of my dress. Boots I had none, their place being usurped by a pair of Arab slippers, whilst my head, which had not yet recovered its legitimate thatch, was crowned with a Feztarboosh. My friend Borg, who had kindly met me at the water’s edge, though apparently ashamed of my acquaintance, insisted upon introducing me to a tailor, who might help me to assume a less questionable appearance, and with the prospect of some decent apparel on the morrow, I took refuge in the hotel.