The Land of Midian, vol 1 | Page 8

latter gave me a tough piece of work in the shape of his "Ægypten,"
which will presently be quoted in these pages. It would be vain to
repeat a description of the little voyage described in "The Gold-Mines
of Midian." The Dalmatian, or first day; the second, or day of Corfu
loved and lost; and the third, made memorable by Cephalonia and the

glorious Canale, all gave fine smooth weather. But the usual rolling
began off still-vexed Cape Matapan. It lasted through the fourth day, or
of Candia, this insula nobilis et amæna--
"Crete, the crown of all the isles, flower of Levantine waters"
--while the fifth, or Mediterraneo-Alexandrian day, killed two of the
seventeen fine horses, Yuckers and Anglo-Normans, which Sefer Pasha
was conveying to Cairo.
On Thursday morning (October 25), after rolling through the night off
the old port Eunostus, which now looks brand-new, we landed, and the
next day saw me at Cairo. Such was my haste that I could pay only a
flying visit to the broken beer-bottles, the burst provision-tins, the
ice-plants, and the hospitable society of Ramleh the Sand-heap; and my
many acquaintances had barely time to offer their congratulations upon
the prospects of my "becoming an Egyptian."
My presence at the capital was evidently necessary. A manner of
association for utilizing the discoveries of the first Expedition had been
formed in London by the Messieurs Vignolles, who knew only the
scattered and unofficial notices; issued, without my privity, by English
and continental journals. Their representative, General Nuthall,
formerly of the Madras army, had twice visited Cairo, in August and
October, 1877, seeking a concession of the mines, and offering
conditions which were perfectly unacceptable. The Viceroy was to
allow, contrary to convention, the free importation of all machinery; to
supply guards, who were not wanted; and, in fact, to guarantee the
safety of the workmen, who were perfectly safe. In return, ten per cent.
on net profits, fifteen being the royalty of the Suez Canal, was the
magnificent inducement offered to the viceregal convoitise. I could not
help noting, by no means silently, this noble illustration of the principle
embodied in Sic vos non vobis. I was to share in the common fate of
originators, discoverers, and inventors: the find was mine, the profits
were to go--elsewhere. General Nuthall professed inability to regard the
matter in that light; while to all others it appeared in no other. However,
after a few friendly meetings, the representative left Egypt, with the
understanding that possibly we might work together when the

exploration should have been completed. His Highness, who had
verbally promised me either the concession or four per cent. on gross
produce, acted en prince, simply remarking that the affair was in my
hands, and that he would not interfere with me.
I must not trouble the reader with the tedious tale of the pains and the
labour which accompany the accouchement of such an Expedition. All
practicals know that to organize a movement of sixty men is not less
troublesome--indeed, rather more so--than if it numbered six hundred
or six thousand. The Viceroy had wisely determined that we should not
only carry out the work of discovery by tracing the precious metals to
their source; but, also, that we should bring back specimens weighing
tons enough for assay and analysis, quantitive and qualitive, in London
and Paris. Consequently, miners and mining apparatus were wanted,
with all the materials for quarrying and blasting: my spirit sighed for
dynamite, but experiments at Trieste had shown it to be too dangerous.
The party was to consist of an escort numbering twenty-five Súdán
soldiers of the Line, negroes liberated some two years ago; a few
Ma'danjiyyah ("mine-men"), and thirty Haggárah ("stone-men" or
quarrymen).
The Government magazines of Cairo contain everything, but the
difficulty is to find where the dispersed articles are stored: there is a
something of red-tapeism; but all is plain sailing, compared with what
it would be in Europe. The express orders of his Highness Husayn
Kámil Pasha, Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of War, at once
threw open every door. Had this young prince not taken in the affair a
personal interest of the liveliest and most intelligent nature, we might
have spent the winter at Cairo. And here I cannot refrain from
mentioning, amongst other names, that of Mr. Alfred E. Garwood, C.E.,
locomotive superintendent; who, in the short space of four months, has
introduced order and efficiency into the chaos known as the Bulák
magazines. With his friendly cooperation, and under his vigorous arm,
difficulties melted away like hail in a tropical sun. General Stone
(Pasha), the Chief of Staff, also rendered me some assistance, by
lending the instruments which stood in his own cabinet de
travail.[EN#13]

Poor Cairo had spent a seedy autumn. The