George Walker At Suez | Page 8

of the stout party in the turban, and
seeing that he came directly across the room to the place where I was
seated, I got upon my legs and made him some sign of Christian
obeisance.
I am a little man, and not podgy, as is Judkins, and I flatter myself that
I showed more deportment, at any rate, than he would have exhibited.
I made, as I have said, some Christian obeisance. I bobbed my head,
that is, rubbing my hands together the while, and expressed an opinion
that it was a fine day. But if I was civil, as I hope I was, the Arab was
much more so. He advanced till he was about six paces from me, then
placed his right hand open upon his silken breast,- and inclining
forward with his whole body, made to me a bow which Judkins never

could accomplish. The turban and the flowing robe might be possible in
Friday Street, but of what avail would be the outer garments and mere
symbols, if the inner sentiment of personal dignity were wanting? I
have often since tried it when alone, but I could never accomplish
anything like that bow. The Arab with the flowing robe bowed, and the
other Arabs all bowed also; and after that the Christian gentleman with
the coat and trousers made a leg. I made a leg also, rubbing my hands
again, and added to my former remarks that it was rather hot.
"Dat berry true," said the porter in the dirty dressing-gown, who stood
by. I could see at a glance that the manner of that porter towards me
was greatly altered, and I began to feel comforted in my wretchedness.
Perhaps a Christian from Friday Street, with plenty of money in his
pockets, would stand in higher esteem at Suez than at Cairo. If so, that
alone would go far to atone for the apparent wretchedness of the place.
At Cairo I had not received that attention which had certainly been due
to me as the second partner in the flourishing Manchester house of
Grimes, Walker, and Judkins.
But now, as my friend with the beard again bowed to me, I felt that this
deficiency was to be made up. It was clear, however, that this new
acquaintance, though I liked the manner of it, would be attended with
considerable inconvenience, for the Arab gentleman commenced an
address to me in French. It has always been to me a source of sorrow
that my parents did not teach me the French language, and this
deficiency on my part has given rise to an incredible amount of
supercilious overbearing pretension on the part of Judkins--who after
all can hardly do more than translate a correspondent's letter. I do not
believe that he could have understood that Arab's oration, but at any
rate I did not. He went on to the end, however, speaking for some three
or four minutes, and then again he bowed. If I could only have learned
that bow, I might still have been greater than Judkins with all his
French.
"I am very sorry," said I, "but I don't exactly follow the French
language when it is spoken."
"Ah! no French!" said the Arab in very broken English, "dat is one
sorrow." How is it that these fellows learn all languages under the sun?
I afterwards found that this man could talk Italian, and Turkish, and
Armenian fluently, and say a few words in German, as he could also in

English. I could not ask for my dinner in any other language than
English, if it were to save me from starvation. Then he called to the
Christian gentleman in the pantaloons, and, as far as I could understand,
made over to him the duty of interpreting between us. There seemed,
however, to be one difficulty in the way of this being carried on with
efficiency. The Christian gentleman could not speak English himself.
He knew of it perhaps something more than did the Arab, but by no
means enough to enable us to have a fluent conversation.
And had the interpreter--who turned out to be an Italian from Trieste,
attached to the Austrian Consulate at Alexandria--had the interpreter
spoken English with the greatest ease, I should have had considerable
difficulty in understanding and digesting in all its bearings, the
proposition made to me. But before I proceed to the proposition, I must
describe a ceremony which took place previous to its discussion. I had
hardly observed, when first the procession entered the room, that one of
my friend's followers--my friend's name, as I learned afterwards, was
Mahmoud al Ackbar, and I will therefore call him Mahmoud--that one
of Mahmoud's followers bore in his arms a bundle of long sticks, and
that another carried