And the man went and did as the Kadee had desired, and went again at sunrise, and behold the staff had sprouted and was covered with leaves and fruit.  And he returned and told the Kadee what had happened, and the Kadee replied, ‘Praise be to God, the merciful, the compassionate.’

April 29, 1865:  Mrs. Austin

To Mrs. Austin.  LUXOR, April 29, 1865.

Dearest Mutter,

Since I wrote last I have received the box with the cheese quite fresh (and very good it tastes), and the various things.  Nothing called forth such a shout of joy from me as your photo of the village pothouse.  How green and fresh and tidy!  Many Mashallah’s have been uttered over the beyt-el-fellaheen (peasant’s house) of England.  The railings, especially, are a great marvel.  I have also heard from Janet that Ross has bought me a boat for 200 pounds which is to take four of his agents to Assouan and then come back for me.  So all my business is settled, and, Inshallah!  I shall depart in another three or four weeks.

The weather is quite cool and fresh again but the winds very violent and the dust pours over us like water from the dried up land, as well as from the Goomeh mountain.  It is miserably uncomfortable, but my health is much better again—­spite of all.

The Hakeem business goes on at a great rate.  I think on an average I have four sick a day.  Sometimes a dozen.  A whole gipsy camp are great customers—­the poor souls will bring all manner of gifts it goes to my heart to eat, but they can’t bear to be refused.  They are astounded to hear that people of their blood live in England and that I knew many of their customs—­which are the same here.

Kursheed Agha came to take final leave being appointed to Keneh.  He had been at Gau and had seen Fadil Pasha sit and make the soldiers lay sixty men down on their backs by ten at a time and chop them to death with the pioneers’ axes.  He estimated the people killed—­men, women, and children at 1,600—­but Mounier tells me it was over 2,000.  Sheykh Hassan agreed exactly with Kursheed, only the Arab was full of horror and the Circassian full of exultation.  His talk was exactly what we all once heard about ‘Pandies,’ and he looked and talked and laughed so like a fine young English soldier, that I was ashamed to call him the kelb (dog) which rose to my tongue, and I bestowed it on Fadil Pasha instead.  I must also say in behalf of my own countrymen that they had provocation while here there was none.  Poor Haggee Sultan lies in chains at Keneh.  One of the best and kindest of men!  I am to go and take secret messages to him, and money from certain men of religion to bribe the Moudir with.  The Shurafa who have asked me to do this are from another place, as well as a few of the Abu-l-Hajjajieh.  A very great Shereef indeed from lower Egypt, said to me the other day, ’Thou knowest if I am a Muslim or no.  Well, I pray to the most Merciful to send us Europeans to govern us, and to deliver us from these wicked men.’  We were all sitting after the funeral of one of the Shurafa and I was sitting between the Shereef of Luxor and the Imam—­and this was said before thirty or forty men, all Shurafa.  No one said ‘No,’ and many assented aloud.