It was half-past nine o'clock, on the evening of the 4th of October,
1839, that we arrived at the port of Boulak. We expected to find some
person in waiting to give us the pass-word, and thus enable us to
get into Cairo, the gates of the city being closed at nine o'clock.
Depending upon the attendance of the hotel-keeper at Cairo, who had
been apprised of our approach, we had not put the janissary on shore,
as we ought to have done, at the British Consul's country-house, who
would have furnished us with a talisman to pass the gates. We sent
Mohammed and the janissary on shore, to see what could be done.
Including the voyage up the canal, Miss E. and myself had passed (we
could not say slept) three nights on board a boat, the first without
an attempt at repose, the two latter lying down in our dressing-gowns
upon thin mattresses, stretched upon hard boards; we, therefore, could
not very easily relinquish the endeavour to procure a bed during
the time which would intervene between the period (an hour before
day-light) in which the gates of the city would be open.
I had a letter to the British Consul, which I gave Mohammed, telling
him to try the effect of bribery upon the guardians of the city.
During his absence, the Arab captain, feeling that we were left
under his protection, came and seated himself beside us, outside the
cabin-door.
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