Letters from Egypt — 075 - March 6, 1866: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

DEAREST ALICK,

I write to be ready for the last _down_ steamer which will be here in a few days.

Mr. and Miss North are here working hard at sketching, and M. Brune will take a place in their Dahabieh (my old Zint el Bahreyn), and leave me in six or seven days.

I shall quite grieve to lose his company.

If ever you or yours fall in with him, pray cultivate his acquaintance, he is very clever, very hard working, and a 'thorough-bred gentleman' as Omar declares.

We are quite low-spirited at parting after a month spent together at Thebes.

I hear that Olagnier has a big house in Old Cairo and will lodge me.

The Norths go to-day (Thursday) and M. Brune does not go with them as he intended, but will stay on and finish a good stroke of work and take his chance of a conveyance.

I spent yesterday out in Mustapha's tent among the bean gatherers, and will go again.

I think it does me good and is not too long a ride.

The weather has set in suddenly very hot, which rather tries everybody, but gloriously fine clear air.

I hope you will get this, as old fat Hassan will take it to the office in Cairo himself--for the post is very insecure indeed.

I have written very often, if you don't get my letters I suppose they interest the court of Pharaoh.

March 17, 1866: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon _To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

THEBES,

_March_ 17, 1866. DEAREST ALICK,