uropeans as far
removed from all care or knowledge of the distresses as if they were at
home. When I go and sit with the English I feel almost as if they were
foreigners to me too, so completely am I now _Dint el-Beled_ (daughter of
the country) here.

I dined three days running with the Kevenbrincks and one day after dinner
we sent for a lot of Arab Sheykhs to come for coffee--the two Abab'deh
and a relation of theirs from Khartoum, the Sheykh of Karnac, one
Mohammed a rich fellah, and we were joined by the A'gha of Halim Pasha's
Hareem, and an ugly beast he is. The little Baroness won all hearts.
She is a regular _vif argent_ or as we say _Efreeteh_ and to see the dark
faces glittering with merry smiles as they watched her was very droll. I
never saw a human being so thoroughly amused as the black Sheykh from the
Soudan. Next day we dined at the Austrian agent's and the Baroness at
last made the Maohn dance a polka with her while the agent played the
guitar. There were a lot of Copts about who nearly died of laughing and
indeed so did I. Next day we had a capital dinner at Mustapha's, and the
two Abab'deh Sheykhs, the Sheykh of Karnac, the Maohn and Sheykh Yussuf
dined with us. The Sheykh of Karnac gave a grand performance of eating
like a Bedawee. I have heard you talk of _tripas elasticas_ in Spain but
_Wallahi_! anything like the performance of Sheykh Abdallah none but an
eyewitness could believe. How he plucked off the lamb's head and handed
it to me in token of the highest respect, and how the bones cracked
beneath his fingers--how huge handfuls of everything were chucked right
down his throat all scorching hot. I encouraged him of course, quoting
the popular song about 'doing deeds that Antar did not' and we all grew
quite uproarious. When Sheykh Abdallah asked for drink, I cried 'bring
the _ballaree_ (the big jar the women fetch water in) for the Sheykh,'
and Sheykh Yussuf compared him to Samson and to Og, while I more
profanely told how Antar broke the bones and threw them about. The
little Baroness was delighted and only expressed herself hurt that no one
had crammed anything into her mouth. I told the Maohn her disappointment
which caused more laughter as such a custom is unknown here, but he of
course made no end of sweet speeches to her. After dinner she showed the
Arabs how ladies curtsey to the Queen in England, and the Abab'deh acted
the ceremonial of presentation at the court of Darfour, w