by far than any native one ever would have been’—­he added, ’We Muslims have this advantage over the Hindus—­that our religion is no barrier at all, socially or politically—­between us and you—­as theirs is.  I mean it ought not to be when both faiths are cleared of superstition and fanaticism.’  He spoke very highly of Sir Bartle Frere but said ’I wish it were possible for more English gentlemen to come out to India.’  He had been two years in England on mercantile business and was going back to his brother Ala-ed-deen much pleased with the English in England.  It is one of the most comforting Erscheinungen I have seen coming from India—­if that sort of good sense is pretty common among the very young men they certainly will work their way up.

I should like to see Bayley’s article though I am quite sick of my book—­it is very ungracious of me, but I can’t help it.

November 2, 1865:  Mrs. Austin

To Mrs. Austin.  ALEXANDRIA, November 2, 1865.

Dearest Mutter,

The boat like all other things goes but slowly—­however the weather here is unusually dry and fine.

I have just been to see my poor friend Sittee Zubeydeh, widow of Hassaneyn Effendi who died in England—­and I am filled with admiration at her good sense and courage.  She has determined to carry on her husband’s business of letting boats herself, and to educate her children to the best of her power in habits of independence.  I hope she will be successful, and receive the respect such rare conduct in a Turkish woman deserves from the English.  I was much gratified to hear from her how kindly she had been treated in Glasgow.  She said that nothing that could be done for her was left undone.  She arrived this morning and I went to see her directly and was really astonished at all she said about her plans for herself and her children.  Poor thing! it is a sad blow—­for she and Hassaneyn were as thoroughly united as any Europeans could be.

I went afterwards to my boat, which I hope will be done in five or six days.  I am extremely impatient to be off.  She will be a most charming boat—­both comfortable and pretty.  The boom for the big sail is new—­and I exclaimed, ’why you have broken the new boom and mended it with leather!’ Omar had put on a sham splice to avert the evil eye from such a fine new piece of wood!  Of course I dare not have the blemish renewed or gare the first puff of wind—­besides it is too characteristic.

There is some cholera about again, I hear—­ten deaths yesterday—­so Olagnier tells me.  I fancy the rush of Europeans back again, each bringing ‘seven other devils worse than himself’ is the cause of it.

I think I am beginning to improve a little; my cough has been terribly harassing especially at night—­but the weather is very good, cool, and not damp.

November 27, 1865:  Mrs. Austin