rmenian, so they had a grand fantasia; people feasted all over the house
and in the street. Arab music _schmetterte_, women yelled the
_zaghareet_, black servants served sweetmeats, pipes, and coffee, and
behaved as if they belonged to the company, and I was strongly under the
impression that I was at Nurreddin's wedding with the Vizier's daughter.
Yesterday I went to Heliopolis with Hekekian Bey and his wife, and
visited an Armenian country lady close by.

My servant Omar turns out a jewel. He has _deterre_ an excellent boat
for the Nile voyage, and I am to be mistress of a captain, a mate, eight
men and a cabin boy for 25 pounds a month. I went to Boulak, the port of
Cairo, and saw various boats, and admired the way in which the English
travellers pay for their insolence and caprices. Similar boats cost
people with dragomans 50 to 65 pounds. But, then, 'I shall lick the
fellows,' etc., is what I hear all round. The dragoman, I conclude,
pockets the difference. The owner of the boat, Sid Achmet el-Berberi,
asked 30 pounds, whereupon I touched my breast, mouth and eyes, and
stated through Omar that I was not, like other Ingeleez, made of money,
but would give 20 pounds. He then showed another boat at 20 pounds, very
much worse, and I departed (with fresh civilities) and looked at others,
and saw two more for 20 pounds; but neither was clean, and neither had a
little boat for landing. Meanwhile Sid Achmet came after me and
explained that, if I was not like other Ingeleez in money, I likewise
differed in politeness, and had refrained from abuse, etc., etc., and I
should have the boat for 25 pounds. It was so very excellent in all
fittings, and so much larger, that I thought it would make a great
difference in health, so I said if he would go before the American
Vice-Consul (who is looked on as a sharp hand) and would promise all he
said to me before him, it should be well.

Mr. Thayer, the American Consul-General, gives me letters to every
consular agent depending on him; and two Coptic merchants whom I met at
the fantasia have already begged me to 'honour their houses.' I rather
think the poor agents, who are all Armenians and Copts, will think I am
the republic in person. The weather has been all this time like a
splendid English August, and I hope I shall get rid of my cough in time,
but it has been very bad. There is no cold at night here as at the Cape,
but it is nothing like so clear and bright.

Omar