this lady, oh Sheykh Gibreel, take her happy
and well to her place and bring her back to us--_el Fathah, yah
Beshoosheh_!' and we said it together. I could have laid my head on
Sheykh Gibreel's wall and howled. I thanked him as well as I could for
caring about one like me while his own troubles were so heavy. I shall
never forget that tall athletic figure and the gentle brown face, with
the eleven days' moon of Zulheggeh, and the shadow of the palm tree.
That was my farewell. 'The voice of the miserable is with thee, shall
God not hear it?'

Next day Omar had a sharp attack of fever and was delirious--it lasted
only two days but left him very weak and the anxiety and trouble was
great--for my helping hands were as awkward as they were willing.

In a few days arrived the boat Urania. She is very nice indeed. A small
saloon, two good berths--bath and cabinet, and very large _kasneh_ (stern
cabin). She is dirty, but will be extremely comfortable when cleaned and
painted. On the 15th we sailed. Sheykh Yussuf went with me to Keneh,
Mustapha and Seyd going by land--and one of Hajjee Sultan's disciples and
several Luxor men were deck passengers. The Shereef gave me the bread
and jars of butter for his grandsons in Gama'l Azhar, and came to see me
off. We sat on the deck outside as there was a crowd to say good-bye and
had a lot of Hareem in the cabin. The old Shereef made me sit down on
the carpet close to him and then said 'we sit here like two lovers'--at
eighty-five _even_ an Arab and a Shereef may be "_gaillard_"--so I cried,
'Oh Shereef, what if Omar tells my master the secret thou hast let
out--it is not well of thee.' There was a great laugh which ended in the
Shereef saying 'no doubt thy master is of the best of the people, let us
say the _Fathah_ for him,' and he called on all the people '_El Fathah_
for the master of the lady!' I hope it has benefited you to be prayed
for at Luxor.

I had written so far and passed Minieh when I fell ill with
pleurisy--I've lots more to tell of my journey but am too weak after two
weeks in bed (and unable to lie down from suffocation)--but I am _much_
better now. A man from the Azhar is reading the Koran for me
outside--while another is gone with candles to Seyeedele Zeynet 'the
fanatics!'

June 16, 1865: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

_To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

CAIRO