One of the dragomans here had been urging me to go down but Yussuf laughed at any idea of danger, he says the people here have fought the bedaween before and will not be attacked by such a handful as are out in the mountain now; du reste the Abu-l-Hajjajieh (family of Abu-l-Hajjaj) will ‘put their seal’ to it that I am their sister and answer for me with a man’s life.  It would be foolish to go down into whatever disturbance there may be alone in a small country boat and where I am not known.  The Pasha himself we hear is at Girgeh with steamboats and soldiers, and if the slightest fear should arise steamers will be sent up to fetch all the Europeans.  What I grieve over is the poor villagers whose little property is all confiscated, guilty and innocent alike, and many shot as they ran away.  Hajjee Ali tells me privately that he believes the discontent against the Government is very deep and universal and that there will be an outbreak—­but not yet.  The Pasha’s attempt to regulate the price of food by edicts has been very disastrous, and of course the present famine prices are laid to his charge—­if a man will be omnipotent he must take the consequences when he fails.  I don’t believe in an outbreak—­I think the people are too thoroughly accustomed to suffer and to obey, besides they have no means of communication, and the steamboats can run up and down and destroy them en detail in a country which is eight hundred miles long by from one to eight wide, and thinly peopled.  Only Cairo could do anything, and everything is done to please the Cairenes at the expense of the fellaheen.

The great heat has begun these last three days.  My cough is better and I am grown fatter again.  The Nile is so low that I fancy that six weeks or two months hence I shall have to go down in two little boats—­even now the dahabiehs keep sticking fast continually.  I have promised some neighbours to bring back a little seed corn for them, some of the best English wheat without beard.  All the wheat here is bearded and they have an ambition for some of ours.  I long to bring them wheelbarrows and spades and pickaxes.  The great folks get steamploughs, but the labourers work with their bare hands and a rush basket pour tout potage, and it takes six to do the work of one who has got good tools.

March 25, 1865:  Mrs. Ross

To Mrs. Ross.  LUXOR, March 25, 1865.

Dearest Janet,

I hope you have not had visions of me plundered and massacred by the crazy darweesh who has caused the destruction of Gau and three other villages.  I assure you we are quite quiet here and moreover have arranged matters for our defence if Achmet et Tayib should honour us with a visit.  The heat has just set in, thermometer 89 degrees to-day, of course I am much better, fatter and cough less.

Many thanks to Henry about Achmet Ibn-Mustapha, but his father is going to send him to England into Mr. Fowler’s workshop, which will be a much better training I think.  Mr. Fowler takes him without a premium most kindly.  Lord Dudley will tell you what a splendid entertainment I gave him; I think he was quite frightened at the sight of the tray and the black fingers in the dishes.