I hope very much, that in a cold bracing climate, and with less fatigue, I may perhaps not feel it at all.  I was very thankful to receive your letter, dated 8th May,—­the first since leaving home.  I was delighted to hear of your health and safety, and of the peaceful communion at St. Peter’s.  The public news was alarming and humbling.[15] I suppose I had better begin at the beginning, and go over all our journeyings from the land of Egypt through the howling wilderness to this sweet land of promise.  I would have written journalwise (as my mother would say) from time to time, so that I might have had an interesting budget of news ready; but you must remember it is a more fatiguing thing to ride twelve or fourteen hours on a camel’s back, in a sandy wilderness, than in our home excursions; and I could often do nothing more than lie down on my rug and fall asleep.

     [15] He alludes here to the decision of the House of Lords in the
     Auchterarder case.

“We left Alexandria on 16th May 1839, parting from many kind friends in that strange city.  We and our baggage were mounted on seventeen donkeys, like the sons of Jacob, when they carried corn out of Egypt.  Our saddle was our bedding, viz. a rug to lie on, a pillow for the head, and a quilt to wrap ourselves in.  We afterwards added a straw mat to put below all.  We had procured two tents,—­one large, and a smaller one which Andrew and I occupy.  The donkeys are nice nimble little animals, going about five miles an hour; a wild Arab accompanies each donkey.  We have our two Arab servants, to whom I now introduce you,—­Ibrahim, a handsome small-made Egyptian, and Achmet the cook, a dark good-natured fellow, with a white turban and bare black legs.  Ibrahim speaks a little English and Italian, and Achmet Italian, in addition to their native Arabic.  I soon made friends with our Arab donkey-men, learning Arabic words and phrases; from them, which pleased them greatly.  We journeyed by the Bay of Aboukir, close by the sea, which tempered the air of the desert.  At night we reached Rosetta, a curious half-inhabited eastern town.  We saw an eastern marriage, which highly pleased us, illustrating the parables.  It was by torch-light.  We slept in the convent. 17.  Spent morning in Rosetta; gave the monk a New Testament.  Saw some of Egyptian misery in the bazaar.  Saw the people praying in the mosque, Friday being the Moslem’s day of devotion.  In the evening we crossed the Nile in small boats.  It is a fine river; and its water, when filtered, is sweet and pleasant.  We often thought upon it in the desert.  We slept that night on the sand in our tents, by the sea-shore. 18.—­In six hours we came to Bourlos (you will see it in the map of the Society for Diffusing Useful Knowledge):  were ferried across.  Watched the fishermen casting their nets into the sea:  hot—­hot.  In two hours more through a palmy wilderness, we came to Balteen,—­’the Vale of Figs,’ an Arab village of mud huts.