tered in a tone
which gives it the true meaning, though in a general way the commonest
word of abuse to a donkey, or a boy, or any other cattle. The wages of
prostitution are unclean, and this tax renders all Government salaries
unlawful according to strict law. The capitation tax too, which was
remitted for three years on the pasha's accession to the people of Cairo,
Alexandria, Damietta and Rascheed, is now called for. Omar will have to
pay about 8 pounds back tax, which he had fondly imagined himself excused
from. You may conceive the distress this must cause among artisans,
etc., who have spent their money and forgotten it, and feel cheated out
of the blessings they then bestowed on the Pasha--as to that they will
take out the change in curses.

There was a meeting here the other day of the Kadee, Sheykh el-Beled, and
other notables to fix the amount of tax each man was to pay towards the
increased police tax; and the old Shereef at the end spoke up, and said
he had heard that one man had asked me to lend him money, and that he
hoped such a thing would not happen again. Everyone knew I had had heavy
expenses this year, and most likely had not much money; that my heart was
soft, and that as everyone was in distress it would be 'breaking my
head,' and in short that he should think it unmanly if anyone tried to
trouble a lone woman with his troubles. I did offer one man 2 pounds
that he might not be forced to run away to the desert, but he refused it
and said, 'I had better go at once and rob out there, and not turn rogue
towards thee--never could I repay it.' The people are running away in
all directions.

When the Moolid of the Sheykh came the whole family Abu-l-Hajjaj could
only raise six hundred and twenty piastres among them to buy the buffalo
cow, which by custom--strong as the laws of the Medes and Persians--must
be killed for the strangers who come; and a buffalo cow is worth one
thousand piastres. So the stout old Shereef (aged 87) took his staff and
the six hundred and twenty piastres, and sallied forth to walk to Erment
and see what God would send them; and a charitable woman in Erment did
give a buffalo cow for the six hundred and twenty piastres, and he drove
her home the twenty miles rejoicing.

There has been a burglary over at Gourneh, an unheard-of event. Some men
broke into the house of the Coptic _gabit_ (tax-gatherer) and stole the
money-box containing about sixty purses--over 150 pounds.