while.
I wish you could see my teacher, Sheykh Yussuf. I never before saw a
pious person amiable and good like him. He is intensely devout, and not
at all bigoted--a difficult combination; and, moreover, he is lovely to
behold, and has the prettiest and merriest laugh possible. It is quite
curious to see the mixture of a sort of learning with utter ignorance and
great superstition, and such perfect high-breeding and beauty of
character. It is exactly like associating with St. John.

I want dreadfully to be able to draw, or to photograph. The group at the
Sheykh-el-Ababdeh's last night was ravishing, all but my ugly hat and
self. The black ringlets and dirty white drapery and obsolete
weapons--the graceful splendid Sheykh 'black but beautiful' like the
Shulamite--I thought of Antar and Abou Zeyd.

Give my salaam to Mme. Tastu and ask her whether I may stay on here, or
if I go down stream during the heat whether I may return next winter, in
which case I might leave some of my goods. Hekekian strongly advises me
to remain here, and thinks the heat will be good. I will try; 88 degrees
seemed to agree with me wonderfully, my cough is much better.

April 14, 1864: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

_To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

LUXOR,
_April_ 14, 1864.

DEAREST ALICK,

I have but this moment received your letter of the 18th March, which went
after Janet, who was hunting at Tel-el-Kebir. We have had a tremendous
Khamseen wind, and now a strong north wind quite fresh and cool. The
thermometer was 92 degrees during the Khamseen, but it did me no harm.
Luckily I am very well for I am worked hard, as a strange epidemic has
broken out, and I am the _Hakeemeh_ (doctress) of Luxor. The _Hakeem_
Pasha from Cairo came up and frightened the people, telling them it was
catching, and Yussuf forgot his religion so far as to beg me not to be
all day in the people's huts; but Omar and I despised the danger, I
feeling sure it was not infectious, and Omar saying _Min Allah_. The
people get stoppage of the bowels and die in eight days unless they are
physicked; all who have sent for me in time have recovered.
_Alhamdulillah_, that I can help the poor souls. It is harvest, and the
hard work, and the spell of intense heat, and the green corn, beans,
etc., which they eat, brings on