Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
Our pilot began apparently to lose his understanding with fright. I
begged him to be steady, persuading him to take a glass of spirits,
and desired him not to dispute or doubt any thing that I should do or
order, for that I had seen much more terrible nights in the ocean; I
assured him, that all harm done to his vessel should be repaired when
we should get to Cosseir, or even a new one bought for him, if his own
was much damaged. He answered me nothing, but that _Mahomet was the
prophet of GOD_.--Let him prophecy, said I, as long as he pleases, but
what I order you is to keep steady to the helm; mind the vane on the
top of the mast, and steer straight before the wind, for I am resolved
to cut that main-sail to pieces, and prevent the mast from going
away, and your vessel from sinking to the bottom. I got no answer to
this which I could hear, the wind was so high, except something about
the mercy and the merit of Sidi Ali el Genowi. I now became violently
angry. “D--n Sidi Ali el Genowi, said I, you beast, cannot you give
me a rational answer? Stand to your helm, look at the vane; keep the
vessel straight before the wind, or, by the great G--d who sits in
heaven, (another kind of oath than by _Sidi Ali el Genowi_), I will
shoot you dead the first yaw the ship gives, or the first time that
you leave the steerage where you are standing.” He answered only,
Maloom, _i. e._ very well.--All this was sooner done than said; I
got the main-sail in my arms, and, with a large knife, cut it all to
shreds, which eased the vessel greatly, though we were still going at a
prodigious rate.
About two o’clock the wind seemed to fail, but, half an hour after,
was more violent than ever. At three, it fell calm. I then encouraged
my pilot, who had been very attentive, and, I believe, had pretty well
got through the whole list of saints in his calendar, and I assured him
that he should receive ample reparation for the loss of his main-sail.
We now saw distinctly the white cliffs of the two mountains above Old
Cosseir, and on the 19th, a little before sun set, we arrived safely at
the New.
We, afterwards, heard how much more fortunate we had been than some of
our fellow-sailors that same night; three of the vessels belonging to
Cosseir, loaded with wheat for Yambo, perished, with all on board of
them, in the gale; among these was the vessel that first had the Turks
on board. This account was brought by Sidi Ali el Meymoum el Shehrie,
which signifies ‘Ali, the ape or monkey, from Sheher.’ For though
he was a saint, yet being in figure liker to a monkey, they thought
it proper to distinguish him by that to which he bore the greatest
resemblance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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