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.
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 literatur