Hassaneyn were as thoroughly united as any Europeans could be.

I went afterwards to my boat, which I hope will be done in five or six
days. I am extremely impatient to be off. She will be a most charming
boat--both comfortable and pretty. The boom for the big sail is new--and
I exclaimed, 'why you have broken the new boom and mended it with
leather!' Omar had put on a _sham splice_ to avert the evil eye from
such a fine new piece of wood! Of course I dare not have the blemish
renewed or _gare_ the first puff of wind--besides it is too
characteristic.

There is some cholera about again, I hear--ten deaths yesterday--so
Olagnier tells me. I fancy the rush of Europeans back again, each
bringing 'seven other devils worse than himself' is the cause of it.

I think I am beginning to improve a little; my cough has been terribly
harassing especially at night--but the weather is very good, cool, and
not damp.

November 27, 1865: Mrs. Austin

_To Mrs. Austin_.

CAIRO,
_Monday_, _November_ 27, 1865.

DEAREST MUTTER,

I arrived here last night and found a whole heap of letters--and yours I
will answer first. I had no heart to write any more from Alexandria
where I was worried out of all courage and strength. At last after
endless delays and vexations the dahabieh was _tant bien que mal_ ready.

Talk of Arab dawdle! after what I went through--and now I have to wait
here for fresh repairs, as we came up baling all the way and I fear
cursing the Christian workmen who had bungled so shamefully.

However that is over, and I am much better as to my cough--indeed it is
all but gone. Omar was very ill having had dysentery for two months, but
he too is well again. He is very grateful for your kind mention of him
and says, 'Send the Great Mother my best Salaam, and tell her her
daughter's people are my people, and where she goes I will go too, and
please God I will serve her rich or poor till "He who separates us" shall
take me from her.' The words of Ruth came after all these centuries
quite fresh from the soft Egyptian lips.

The 'He who separated us' I must explain to you. It is one of the
attributes of God, _The Separator of Religions_ implies toleration and
friendship by attributing the two religions alike to God--and is never
used towards one whose religion is not to