The Egyptian navy as seen through the eyes of the missionary Smith in 1834

The Missionary Herald of April 1835 published an account of Mr. and Mrs. Smith while underway towards Beyruth. They left Malte 12 December 1833 and arrived 25th at Alexandria. He visited some Egyptian warships 3 January 1834 and gives an astonishing description of the live on board.

"A part of this morning was spent in visiting two or three of the pasha's ships now lying in the harbor. The first was a frigate built at Leghorn. She was a pretty ship, her decks were well cleaned, and more neatness and order were observable than I had expected to find. The next was a line-of-battle ship, under the command of an English captain. She was stripped for repairs. The ships of the pasha are furnished with Moslem mollahs, or priests, as chaplains. But what duty is required of them regularly, I was unable to learn. In one ship, while at sea, I was informed, the men were assembled only at the sunrise and evening prayers, when the mollah led the worship. In port at Crete, the Izan was regularly cried for all the ships from the on which had the chief mollah on board. But does all this apparatus of false religion prevent the growth of sin? The pasha has added his authority to that of the Koran, and has forbidden intoxicating liquors and even smoning to all on board, except Europeans. But intemperance is common from the admiral downwards, and a number of high officers were mentioned to me who indulged in it. And more than this, sodomy is the common sin of almost all on board, and much of their "filthy conversation" relates to it. It is forbidden by the pasha under a severe penalty, and therefore does not appear in public."

Source

The Missionary Herald: contains the proceedings at large of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions with a general view of other benevolent operations for the year 1835, April 1835, Vol, XXX, Boston.