_To Mrs. Austin_.

BOULAK, ON BOARD A RIVER STEAM-BOAT,
_December_ 27, 1863.

DEAREST MUTTER,

After infinite delays and worries, we are at last on board, and shall
sail to-morrow morning. After all was comfortably settled, Ismail Pasha
sent for _all_ the steamers up to Rhoda, near Minieh, and at the same
time ordered a Turkish General to come up instantly somehow. So Latif
Pasha, the head of the steamers, had to turn me out of the best cabin,
and if I had not come myself, and taken rather forcible possession of the
forecastle cabin, the servants of the Turkish General would not have
allowed Omar to embark the baggage. He had been waiting all the morning
in despair on the bank; but at four I arrived, and ordered the _hammals_
to carry the goods into the forecabin, and walked on board myself, where
the Arab captain pantomimically placed me in his right eye and on the top
of his head. Once installed, this has become a hareem, and I may defy
the Turkish Effendi with success. I have got a good-sized cabin with
good, clean divans round three sides for Sally and myself. Omar will
sleep on deck and cook where he can. A poor Turkish lady is to inhabit a
sort of dusthole by the side of my cabin; if she seems decent, I will
entertain her hospitably. There is no furniture of any sort but the
divan, and we cook our own food, bring our own candles, jugs, basins,
beds and everything. If Sally and I were not such complete Arabs we
should think it very miserable; but as things stand this year we say,
_Alhamdulillah_ it is no worse! Luckily it is a very warm night, so we
can make our arrangements unchilled. There is no door to the cabin, so
we nail up an old plaid, and, as no one ever looks into a hareem, it is
quite enough. All on board are Arabs--captain, engineer, and men. An
English Sitt is a novelty, and the captain is unhappy that things are not
_alla Franca_ for me. We are to tow three dahabiehs--M. Mounier's, one
belonging to the envoy from the Sultan of Darfour, and another. Three
steamers were to have done it, but the Pasha had a fancy for all the
boats, and so our poor little craft must do her best. Only fancy the
Queen ordering all the river steamers up to Windsor!

At Minieh the Turkish General leaves us, and we shall have the boat to
ourselves, so the captain has just been down to tell me.