d by Yussuf, as a proof that I have
'received direction,' and am of those Christians of whom _Seyyidna_
Mohammed (upon whose name be peace) has said 'that they have no pride,
that they rival each other in good works, and that God will increase
their reward.' There is no _arriere pensee_ of conversion that they
think hopeless, but charity covers all sins with Muslimeen. Next Friday
is the _Djuma el-Kebeer_ (Good Friday) with the Copts, and the prayers
are in the daytime, so I shall go to the church. Next moon is the great
Bairam, _el-Eed el-Kebeer_ (the great festival), with the Muslimeen--the
commemoration of the sacrifice of Isaac or Ishmael (commentators are
uncertain which)--and Omar will kill a sheep for the poor for the benefit
of his baby, according to custom. I have at length compassed the
destruction of mine enemy, though he has not written a book. A fanatical
Christian dog (quadruped), belonging to the Coptic family who live on the
opposite side of the yard, hated me with such virulent intensity that,
not content with barking at me all day, he howled at me all night, even
after I had put out the lantern and he could not see me in bed. Sentence
of death has been recorded against him, as he could not be beaten into
toleration. Michail, his master's son, has just come down from
El-Moutaneh, where he is _vakeel_ to M. Mounier. He gives a fearful
account of the sickness there among men and cattle--eight and ten deaths
a day; here we have had only four a day, at the worst, in a population of
(I guess) some 2,000. The Mouniers have put themselves in quarantine,
and allow no one to approach their house, as Mustapha wanted me to do.
One hundred and fifty head of cattle have died at El-Moutaneh; here only
a few calves are dead, but as yet no full-grown beasts, and the people
are healthy again. I really think I did some service by not showing any
fear, and Omar behaved manfully. By-the-by, will you find out whether a
_passaporto_, as they call it, a paper granting British protection, can
be granted in England. It is the object of Omar's highest ambition to
belong as much as possible to the English, and feel safe from being
forced to serve a Turk. If it can be done by any coaxing and jobbing,
pray do it, for Omar deserves any service I can render him in return for
all his devotion and fidelity. Someone tried to put it into his head
that it was _haraam_ to be too fond of us heretics and be faithful, but
he consu