is so grand to look at. Old
Mustapha had a son born yesterday--his tenth child. I must go and wish
him joy, after which I will go to Arthur's boat and have a bathe; the
sailors rig me out a capital awning. We had a good boat, and a capital
crew; one man Mahommed, called Alatee (the singer), sang beautifully, to
my great delight, and all were excellent fellows, quiet and obliging;
only his servant was a lazy beast, dirty and conceited--a Copt, spoiled
by an Italian education and Greek associates, thinking himself very grand
because he was a Christian. I wondered at the patience and good-nature
with which Omar did all his work and endured all his insolence. There
was one stupendous row at Assouan, however. The men had rigged out a
sort of tent for me to bathe in over the side of the boat, and Ramadan
caught the Copt trying to peep in, and half strangled him. Omar called
him 'dog,' and asked him if he was an infidel, and Macarius told him I
was a Christian woman, and not _his Hareem_. Omar lost his temper, and
appealed to the old reis and all the sailors, 'O Muslims, ought not I to
cut his throat if he had defiled the noble person of the lady with his
pig's eyes? God forgive me for mentioning her in such a manner.' Then
they all cursed him for a pig and an infidel, and threatened to put him
ashore and leave him for his vile conduct towards noble _Hareem_. Omar
sobbed with passion, saying that I was to him like the 'back of his
mother,' and how 'dare Macarius take my name in his dirty mouth,' etc.
The Copt tried to complain of being beaten afterwards, but I signified to
him that he had better hold his tongue, for that I understood Arabic,
upon which he sneaked off.

May 23, 1864: Mrs. Austin

_To Mrs. Austin_.

LUXOR,
_Monday_, _May_ 23, 1864.

DEAREST MUTTER,

I meant to have written to you by Arthur Taylor, who left for Cairo
yesterday morning, but the Simoom made me so stupid that I could hardly
finish a letter to Alick. So I begin one to-day to recount the wonders
of the season here. I went over to Mustapha's island to spend the day in
the tent, or rather the hut, of dourrah-stalks and palm-branches, which
he has erected there for the threshing and winnowing. He had invited me
and 'his worship' the Maohn to a picnic. Only imagine that it _rained_!
all