A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar

A Narrative of the Expedition to
Dongola and Sennaar

The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Narrative of the Expedition to
Dongola
and Sennaar, by George Bethune English This eBook is for the use of
anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project
Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org
Title: A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar Under the
Command of His Excellence Ismael Pasha, undertaken by Order of His
Highness Mehemmed Ali Pasha, Viceroy of Egypt, By An American In
The Service Of The Viceroy
Author: George Bethune English
Release Date: January 24, 2006 [EBook #17592]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
EXPEDITION TO DONGOLA AND SENNAAR ***

Produced by Charles Klingman

A
NARRATIVE
OF THE
EXPEDITION
TO
DONGOLA AND SENNAAR,
UNDER THE
COMMAND OF HIS EXCELLENCE ISMAEL PASHA,
UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER OF
HIS HIGHNESS MEHEMMED ALI PASHA, VICEROY OF EGYPT.
BY AN AMERICAN IN THE SERVICE OF THE VICEROY.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1822.

London: Printed by C. Roworth, Bell Yard Temple Bar

TO
HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S
CONSUL GENERAL IN EGYPT,
HENRY SALT, ESQ.

MY FATHERLY FRIEND IN A FOREIGN LAND, THIS WORK IS
DEDICATED, WITH AFFECTIONATE RESPECT, BY
THE AUTHOR:
AND RECOMMENDED TO THE KIND CARE AND PATRONAGE
OF
JOHN WILLIAM BANKES, ESQ.
BY HIS OBLIGED FRIEND AND SERVANT,
HENRY SALT.

By George Bethune English, General of Artillery in the U.S. Service

PREFACE
MEHEMMED ALI PASHA, the victorious pacificator of Egypt and
Arabia, is already renowned in the civilized world. Egypt, once the
home of discord and the headquarters of anarchy, under his
administration has long enjoyed peace and prosperity; is permeable in
all directions, and in perfect safety to the merchant and the traveler, and
is yearly progressing in wealth and improvement.[1]
The Viceroy has been particularly attentive to revive and extend those
commercial relations of Egypt with the surrounding countries, which
once rendered it the richest and most flourishing territory in the ancient
world.
A well chosen library of the best European books on the art military,
geography, astronomy, medicine, history, belles-lettres and the fine arts
has been purchased from Europe by the Viceroy and placed in the
palace of Ismael Pasha, where is also a school, at the Viceroy's expense,
for the instruction of the Mussulman youth in the Italian language and
the sciences of the Franks. To which establishments has been lately

added a printing press, for printing books in the Turkish, Arabic and
Persian languages, and a weekly newspaper in Arabic and Italian. The
library and the press are under the superintendence of Osman
Noureddin Effendi, a young Turk of great good sense, and who is well
versed in the literature of Europe, where he has resided for several
years, by order of the Viceroy, for his education: he is at present
engaged in translating into Turkish some works on tactics, for the use
of his countrymen.
For several years past the inland commerce of this favored land had
suffered great interruptions from the confusion and discord to which
the countries on the Upper Nile have been a prey. The chiefs of Shageia
had formed themselves into a singular aristocracy of brigands, and
pillaged all the provinces and caravans within their reach, without
mercy and without restraint; while the civil wars, which have distracted
the once powerful kingdom of Sennaar for these last eighteen years,
had occasioned an almost entire cessation of a commerce, from which
Egypt had derived great advantages.
His Highness the Viceroy, in consequence, determined, as the most
effectual means of putting an end to these disorders, to subject those
countries to his dominion.
Four thousand troops were accordingly put under the command of
Ismael Pasha, the youngest son of the Viceroy, with orders to conquer
all the provinces on the Nile, from the Second Cataract to Sennaar
inclusive.
Through the influence of the recommendation of Henry Salt, Esq., His
Britannic Majesty's Consul General in Egypt, I was ordered by the
Viceroy to accompany this expedition, with the rank of Topgi Bashi, i.e.
a chief of artillery, and with directions to propose such plans of
operation to the Pasha Ismael as I should deem expedient, but which
the Pasha might adopt or reject as he should think proper.
This expedition has been perfectly successful; and the conquest of the
extensive and fertile countries, which, in the reign of Candace, repulsed
the formidable legions of Rome, has been effected at an expense not

greater than the blood of about two hundred soldiers.
The principal cause of a success so extraordinary, at such a price, has
been the humanity and good faith of the Pasha Ismael towards