Verily we are sorely visited.  The dead cattle float down by thousands.  M. Mounier buried a thousand at El-Moutaneh alone, and lost forty men.  I would not have left Luxor, but there were no new cases for four days before, and the worst had been over for full ten days.  Two or three poor people brought me new bread and vegetables to the boat when they saw me going, and Yussuf came down and sat with us all the evening, and looked quite sad.  Omar asked him why, and he said it made him think how it would seem when ’Inshallah should be well and should leave my place empty at Luxor and go back with the blessing of God to my own place and to my own people.’  Whereupon Omar grew quite sentimental too, and nearly cried.  I don’t know how Arthur would have managed without us, for he had come with two Frenchmen who had proper servants and who left the boat at Girgeh, and he has a wretched little dirty idiotic Coptic tailor as a servant, who can’t even sew on a button.  It is becoming quite a calamity about servants here.  Arthur tells me that men, not fit to light Omar’s pipe, asked him 10 pounds a month in Cairo and would not take less, and he gives his Copt 4 pounds.  I really feel as if I were cheating Omar to let him stay on for 3 pounds; but if I say anything he kisses my hand and tells me ‘not to be cross.’

I have letters from Yussuf to people at Assouan.  If I want anything I am to call on the Kadee.  We have a very excellent boat and a good crew, and are very comfortable.  When the Luxor folk heard the ‘son of my uncle’ was come, they thought it must be my husband.  I was diverted at Omar’s propriety.  He pointed out to Mustapha and Yussuf how he was to sleep in the cabin between Arthur’s and mine, which was considered quite satisfactory apparently, and it was looked upon as very proper of Omar to have arranged it so, as he had been sent to put the boat in order.  Arthur has been all along the Suez Canal, and seen a great many curious things.  The Delta must be very unlike Upper Egypt from all he tells me.  The little troop of pilgrims for Mecca left Luxor about ten days ago.  It was a pretty and touching sight.  Three camels, five donkeys, and about thirty men and women, several with babies on their shoulders, all uttering the zaghareet (cry of joy).  They were to walk to Koseir (eight days’ journey with good camels), babies and all.  It is the happiest day of their lives, they say, when they have scraped together money enough to make the hajj.

This minute a poor man is weeping beside our boat over a pretty heifer decked with many hegabs (amulets), which have not availed against the sickness.  It is heart-rending to see the poor beasts and their unfortunate owners.  Some dancing girls came to the boat just now for cigars which Arthur had promised them, and to ask after their friend el Maghribeeyeh, the good dancer at Luxor, whom they said was very ill.  Omar did not know at all about her, and the girls seemed much distressed.  They were both very pretty, one an Abyssinian.  I must leave off to send this to the post; it will cost a fortune, but you won’t grudge it.