December 5, 1866:  Mrs. Ross

To Mrs. Ross.  LUXOR, December 5, 1866.

Dearest Janet,

I write in answer to yours by the steamer, to go down by the same.  I fancy I should be quite of your mind about Italy.  I hate the return of Europe to

   ’The good old rule and ancient plan,
   That he should take who has the power,
   And he should keep who can.’

Nor can I be bullied into looking on ‘might’ as ‘right.’  Many thanks for the papers, I am anxious to hear about the Candia business.  All my neighbours are sick at heart.  The black boy Palgrave left with me is a very good lad, only he can’t keep his clothes clean, never having been subject to that annoyance before.  He has begun to be affectionate ever since I did not beat him for breaking my only looking-glass.  I wish an absurd respect for public opinion did not compel him to wear a blue shirt and a tarboosh (his suit), I see it is misery to him.  He is a very gentle cannibal.

I have been very unwell indeed and still am extremely weak, but I hope I am on the mend.  A eunuch here who is a holy man tells me he saw my boat coming up heavily laden in his sleep, which indicates a ‘good let.’  I hope my reverend friend is right.  If you sell any of your things when you leave Egypt let me have some blankets for the boat; if she is let to a friendly dragoman he will supply all deficiencies out of his own canteen, but if to one ‘who knows not Joseph’ I fear many things will be demanded by rightminded British travellers, which must be left to the Reis’s discretion to buy for them.  I hope all the fattahs said for the success of the ‘Urania’s’ voyage will produce a due effect.  Here we rely a good deal on the favour of Abu-l-Hajjaj in such matters.  The naivete with which people pray here for money is very amusing—­though really I don’t know why one shouldn’t ask for one’s daily sixpence as well as one’s daily bread.

An idiot of a woman has written to me to get her a place as governess in an ‘European or Arabian family in the neighbourhood of Thebes!’ Considering she has been six years in Egypt as she says, she must be well fitted to teach.  She had better learn to make gilleh and spin wool.  The young Americans whom Mr. Hale sent were very nice.  The Yankees are always the best bred and best educated travellers that I see here.

December 31, 1886:  Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon.  LUXOR, December 31, 1886.

Dearest Alick,