day, a gentle slight rain, but enough to wet all the desert. I
laughed and said I had brought English weather, but the Maohn shook his
head and opined that we were suffering the anger of God. Rain in
summer-time was quite a terror. However, we consoled ourselves, and
Mustapha called a nice little boy to recite the 'noble Koran' for our
amusement, and out of compliment to me he selected the chapter of the
family of Amran (the history of Jesus), and recited it with marvellous
readiness and accuracy. A very pleasant-mannered man of the Shourafa of
Gurneh came and joined us, and was delighted because I sent away a pipe
which Abdurachman brought me (it is highly improper to smoke while the
Koran is being read or recited). He thanked me for the respect, and I
told him I knew he would not smoke in a church, or while I prayed; why
should I? It rather annoys me to find that they always expect from us
irreverence to their religion which they would on no account be guilty of
to ours. The little boy was a _fellah_, the child of my friend Omar, who
has lost all his cattle, but who came as pleasant and smiling as ever to
kiss my hand and wait upon me. After that the Maohn read the second
chapter, 'the Cow,' in a rather nasal, quavering chant. I perceived that
no one present understood any of it, except just a few words here and
there--not much more than I could follow myself from having read the
translation. I think it is not any nearer spoken Arabic than Latin is to
Italian. After this, Mustapha, the Maohn, Omar, Sally and I, sat down
round the dinner-tray, and had a very good dinner of lamb, fowls and
vegetables, such as bahmias and melucheeah, both of the mallow order, and
both excellent cooked with meat; rice, stewed apricots (mish-mish), with
nuts and raisins in it, and cucumbers and water-melons strewed the
ground. One eats all _durcheinander_ with bread and fingers, and a spoon
for the rice, and green limes to squeeze over one's own bits for sauce.
We were very merry, if not very witty, and the Maohn declared,
'_Wallahi_! the English are fortunate in their customs, and in the
enjoyment of the society of learned and excellent _Hareemat_;' and Omar,
lying on the rushes, said: 'This is the happiness of the Arab. Green
trees, sweet water, and a kind face, make the "garden"' (paradise), an
Arab saying. The Maohn joked him as to how a 'child of Cairo' could
endure _fellah_ life. I was looking at the heaps of wheat and t