When the pasha of Egypt Mehemet Ali in the first part of the 19th Century to build a independent navy, he engaged French and British officers and engineers. Some of those wrote later about their experiences, for instance William Light.
P. 66: “In 1830 we find Colonel Light and his wife in Egypt, which was then at a curious traditional stage under the awakening rule of Mehemet Ali Pasha. From the Pasha, with whom they became acquainted, they obtained a Firman, containing “something more than the ordinary”, and Mrs. Light, armed with it, entered deeply into the study of Egyptology, becoming a friend and keen correspondent of Sir John Gardner Wilkinson. Excavating as they went, Colonel Light and his wife travelled all through Egypt, remaining for some time at Thebes, and then continued their journey into the little explored country of Nubia, as far as the Second Cataract. Colonel Light must not be confused (as is not uncommon) with Sir Henry Light, author of Travels in Egypt (1818), and afterwards Governor of British Guiana, nor with A. W. Light, Lieut.-Colonel 25th Regiment of Foot, July 1813.
p. 67: Mehemet Ali was at this time straining every nerve to increase his power on the sea, and to improve his navy, then manned chiefly by fugitive Frenchmen, under M. de Besson, the vice-admiral, who was “said to have projected a plan for the escape of Bonaparte from St Helena,” and Cerisy Bey, the naval architect. Mrs. Light enters in her Journal, on the 3rd of December, 1830, “The dockyard (of Alexandria) has only been built within these last two years, and is very spacious. On the stocks are three three-deckers to be called Alexandria, Mahomed Ali, and Ibrahim, There is also a seventy-four, and a small corvette, and as soon as they are launched,others will be commanded immediately. In short, Mahomet Ali, nothing daunted by his defeat at Navarino, is determined to have a fleet. He offers the command of his ships to any officers who have served in the English navy. One of them, a very fine frigate (the Kaffir es Sheikh), was built at Archangel, and was brought to Alexandria (by Mr. Prissick), a master in the English navy, who now commands her with a handsome salary. His first-lieutenant is likewise an Englishman, but there is a strong French party, who do all in their power to
p. 68: oppose the English.” The Lights grew friendly with the Pasha, and the Journal records several conversations with him - for example: “On leaving Cairo, we stopped at Shoubra to pay a visit to His Highness, who was staying there. He received us in one of the arbours in the garden, and was seated in an armchair. Two were placed for us before him. The conversation turned chiefly upon his navy, about which he was in great spirits, having just launched his first line-of-battle ships, the MehaJet el Kebir, the news of which had reached him by telegraph twenty-five minutes after the event had taken place.(1) He gave us a long account of different parts of the ship, and amused himself by completely puzzling his Dragoman Etienne Abro with the sea-terms. He told us that he had planted a vast tract of ground with timber-trees, which were thriving very well, and that in thirty years he expected to build all his ships with his own timber. He talked as confidently as if he was sure of living till then. When we were
p. 69: with him, some very good wax candles were brought to him as a specimen of the first made in Egypt.” And again on the 18th of June, 1831, “Soon after our return from Cairo the Pasha himself arrived, and did us the honour to visit us on board our little craft, and he said that it was not out of mere curiosity, but that he wished to return our visit. He was, as usual, in great good humour, laughing at everything. He examined closely every part of the vessel, and when he went forward he made an inclination of the head to our sailors, with which they were much gratified. He remained more than half an hour, and was greatly surprised to find so much accommodation in so small a vessel. When he returned to the palace, he scolded all his great Turks for not having been to call upon us, and said they sat smoking their pipes and doing nothing all day. Consequently, the next day we had visits from Osman Bey, Moutouch Bey, and M. Boghos.” The result of this friendship was an offer from the Pasha joyfully to admit Colonel Light into his navy and to give him command of one of his line-of-battle ships. The desire of the Pasha
p. 70: for English auxiliaries was so great, however, that Light, before the Syrian campaign began, sailed for England on the 7th of August, 1831, in his own vessel, entrusted by the Pasha with a mission “to bring out about seventy officers from an admiral, if he can get one, down to a boatswain.” This mission was originally arranged and intended to last three months only, but it was afterwards prolonged, and even after its completion, Light remained abroad until 1835. It is difficult to enumerate the names of those whom Light was able to recruit, but in the Egyptian service at the time, beside Captain Prissick and the engineer, Galloway Bay, his name is now chiefly associated with that of his friend Captain John Hindmarsh, R.N. The last was the gallant naval officer, distinguished under Lord Howe, and under Lord Cochrane, in many battles, and by the particular notice of Lord Nelson, whose thanks for his conduct at the Battle of the Nile.” William Light (27 April 1786-6 October 1839) made after his return towards England to recruit naval officers short visits to Alexandria in 1832 and 1834, bringing the paddle steamer Nile the last year to Egypt. She was fitted out at Flethcer&Frearnell’s Blackwall shipyard and arrived September 1834 at Alexandria. Her command was taken over by captain John Hindmarsch, who returned February 1835 to England.
There was one description of the Nile from the Dutch representative at Alexandria. He mentioned her in a letter dated 24-11-1834, to the Dutch representative at Constantinople. The letter was written in French in a quite nasty handwriting while using paper of not the finest quality. So I’m not sure if the whole translation was correct. Dimensions length of tillac=upper deck 190’3”, beam without the paddles 32’8½”, beam with paddles 54’0”, hold? 21’9”, length of engine room 60’6”, length of aft chamber 17’0”, height 7’½” and horsepower 412hp.
Sources
A.F. Steuart. A short Sketch of the lives of Francis and William Light, the Founders of Penang and Adelaide. London, 1901.
www.adbonline.anu.edua.au
Archive Legatie Turkije en de Levant no. 269 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands).
Note
1. Original footnote: “a fine round-sterned two-decker, carrying one hundred guns, all thirty-two pounders. Perhaps the best-regulated ship in the Egyptian navy” (“Rambles in Egypt and Candia,” C. Rochfort Scott, 1837).
