Here I am again between Benisouef and Minieh, and already better for the
clear air of the river and the tranquil boat life; I will send you my
Christmas Salaam from Siout. While Alick was with me I had as much to do
as I was able and could not write for there was much to see and talk
about. I think he was amused but I fear he felt the Eastern life to be
very poor and comfortless. I have got so used to having nothing that I
had quite forgotten how it would seem to a stranger.
I am quite sorry to find how many of my letters must have been lost from
Luxor; in future I shall trust the Arab post which certainly is safer
than English travellers. I send you my long plaits by Alick, for I had
my hair cut short as it took to falling out by handfuls after my fever,
and moreover it is more convenient Turkish hareem fashion.
Please tell Dean Stanley how his old dragoman Mahommed Gazawee cried with
pleasure when he told me he had seen Sheykh Stanley's sister on her way
to India, and the 'little ladies' _knew his name_ and shook hands with
him, which evidently was worth far more than the backsheesh. I wondered
who 'Sheykh' Stanley could be, and Mahommed (who is a darweesh and very
pious) told me he was the _Gassis_ (priest) who was _Imam_ (spiritual
guide) to the son of our Queen, 'and in truth,' said he, 'he is _really_
a Sheykh and one who teaches the excellent things of religion, why he was
kind even to his horse! and it is of the mercies of God to the English
that such a one is the Imam of your Queen and Prince.' I said laughing,
'How dost thou, a darweesh among Muslims, talk thus of a Nazarene
priest?' 'Truly oh Lady,' he answered, 'one who loveth all the creatures
of God, him God loveth also, there is no doubt of that.' Is any one
bigot enough to deny that Stanley has done more for real religion in the
mind of that Muslim darweesh than if he had baptised a hundred savages
out of one fanatical faith into another?
There is no hope of a good understanding with Orientals until Western
Christians can bring themselves to recognise the common faith contained
in the two religions, the _real_ difference consists in all the class of
notions and feelings (very important ones, no doubt) which we derive--not
from the Gospels at all--but from Greece and Rome, and which of course
are altogether wanting here.
Alick will tell you how curiously Omar illustrated the patriarchal
feelings of the East by entirely dethroning me in favour of the 'Master.'
'That _our Master_, we all eat bread from his hand, and he work for
_us_.' Omar and I were equal before _our Seedee_. He can sit at his
ease at my feet, but when the Master comes in he must stand reverently,
and gave me to understand that I too must be respectful.
I have got the boat of the American Mission at an outrageous price, 60
pounds, but I could get nothing under; the consolation is that the
sailors profit, poor fellows, and get treble wages. My crew are all
Nubians. Such a handsome reis and steersman--brothers--and there is a
black boy, of fourteen or so, with legs and feet so sweetly beautiful as
to be quite touching--at least I always feel those lovely round young
innocent forms to be somehow affecting. Our old boat of last summer
(Arthur Taylor's) is sailing in company with us, and stately old reis
Mubharak hails me every morning with the Blessing of God and the Peace of
the Prophet. Alee Kuptan, my steamboat captain will announce our advent
at Thebes; he passed us to-day. This boat is a fine sailer, but iron
built and therefore noisy, and not convenient. The crew encourage her
with 'Get along, father of three,' because she has three sails, whereas
two is the usual number. They are active good-humoured fellows--my
men--but lack the Arab courtesy and _simpatico_ ways, and then I don't
understand their language which is pretty and sounds a little like
Caffre, rather bird-like and sing-song, instead of the clattering
guttural Arabic. I now speak pretty tolerably for a stranger, _i.e._ I
can keep up a conversation, and understand all that is said to me much
better than I can speak, and follow about half what people say to each
other. When I see you, _Inshallah_, next summer I shall be a good
scholar, I hope.