I have just received your letters, including the one for Omar which I
read to him, and which he kissed and said he should keep as a _hegab_
(talisman). I have given him an order on Coutts' correspondents for the
money, in case I die. Omar proposes to wait till we get to Cairo and
then to buy a little house, or a floor in one. I am to keep all the
money till the house is found, so he will in no way be tempted to do
anything foolish with it. I hope you approve?
Janet's visit was quite an _Eed_ (festival), as the people said. When I
got up on the morning she was expected, I found the house decked with
palm branches and lemon blossoms, and the holy flags of Abu-l-Hajjaj
waving over my balcony. The mosque people had brought them, saying all
the people were happy to-day, because it was a fortunate day for me. I
suppose if I had had a mind to _testify_, I ought to have indignantly
torn down the banners which bore the declaration, 'There is no God but
God, and Mohammed is His Prophet.' But it appeared to me that if Imaams
and Muezzins could send their banners to decorate a Christian house, the
Christian might manage to endure the kindness. Then there was fantasia
on horseback, and all the notables to meet the boat, and general welcome
and jubilation. Next day I went on with Henry and Janet in the steamer,
and had a very pleasant time to Assouan and back, and they stayed another
day here, and I hired a little dahabieh which they towed down to Keneh
where they stayed a day; after which Sheykh Yussuf and I sailed back
again to Luxor. As bad luck would have it we had hot weather just the
week they were up here: since then it has been quite cool.
Janet has left me her little black and tan terrier, a very nice little
dog, but I can't hope to rival Omar in his affections. He sleeps in
Omar's bosom, and Omar spoils and pets him all day, and boasts to the
people how the dog drinks tea and coffee and eats dainty food, and the
people say Mashallah! whereas I should have expected them to curse the
dog's father. The other day a scrupulous person drew back with an air of
alarm from Bob's approach, whereupon the dog stared at him, and forthwith
plunged into Sheykh Yussuf's lap, from which stronghold he 'yapped'
defiance at whoever should object to him. I never laughed more heartily,
and Yussuf went into _fou rire_. The mouth of the dog only is unclean,
and Yussuf declares he is a very well-educated dog, and does not attempt
to lick; he pets him accordingly, and gives him tea in his own saucer,
only _not_ in the cup.
I am to inherit another little blackie from Ross's agency at Keneh: the
funniest little chap. I cannot think why I go on expecting so-called
savages to be different from other people. Mabrook's simple talk about
his village, and the animals and the victuals; and how the men of a
neighbouring village stole him in order to sell him for a gun (the price
of a gun is a boy), but were prevented by a razzia of Turks, etc. who
killed the first aggressors and took all the children--all this he tells
just as an English boy might tell of bird-nesting--delights me. He has
the same general notion of right and wrong; and yet his tribe know
neither bread nor any sort of clothes, nor cheese nor butter, nor even
drink milk, nor the African beer; and it always rains there, and is
always deadly cold at night, so that without a fire they would die. They
have two products of civilization--guns and tobacco, for which they pay
in boys and girls, whom they steal. I wonder where the country is, it is
called Sowaghli, and the next people are Mueseh, on the sea-coast, and it
is not so hot as Egypt. It must be in the southern hemisphere. The new
_negrillon_ is from Darfoor. Won't Maurice be amused by his attendants,
the Darfoor boy will trot after him, as he can shoot and clean guns, tiny
as he is Maurice seems to wish to come and I hope Alexander will let him
spend the winter here, and I will take him up to the second Cataract; I
really think he would enjoy it.
My boat will not return I think for another six weeks. Mr. Eaton and Mr.
Baird were such nice people! their dragoman, a Maltese, appeared to hate
the Italians with ferocity. He said all decent people in Malta would ten
times rather belong to the Mahommedans than to the Italians--after all
blood tells. He was a very respectable young man, and being a dragoman
and the son of a dragoman, he has seen the world, and particularly the
Muslims. I suppose it is the Pope that makes the Italians so hateful to
them.
The post here is dreadful, I would not mind their reading one's letters
if they would only send them on. Omar begs we to say that he and his
children will pray for you all his life, please God, not for the money
only but still more for the good words and the trusting him. But he
says, 'I can't say much _politikeh_, Please God she shall see, only I
kiss her hand now.' You will hear from Janet about her excursion. What
I liked best was shooting the Cataract in a small boat; it was fine
fantasia.