It was too generous for one to believe! Egerton’s chivalrous nature must have got the better of his diplomatic training when he wrote it! The clerks in my divan, to whom I disclosed it, are full of exclamations of wonder at this generosity! Egerton must consider that I was a complete idiot to have needed such a permission. I hope he will get promoted, and will not be blamed for his overstraining his instructions!
Another soldier escaped with his wife; he says: The Arabs brought three guns down to cover their foraging party, and have taken them back, which is a relief to me.
I own to a great fear that Stewart’s journal will not be published in extenso, but will be doctored; if so, it is a great pity, for there are lots of nice things in it. For really it is my journal as much as Stewart’s, though he wrote it.
When the escaped soldiers come in, they pay me a visit, and are given a dollar, made to look at their black pug faces in the mirrors, which are in the palace, and asked their opinion of the reflections. Some stare with wide open eyes, for they have never seen themselves before. They generally approve of the reflections, especially the black sluts, who think themselves “Venuses,” and shove their hands into their mouths, which is a general sign among blacks of great modesty, like the casting down of the eyes with us.
Faki Mustapha’s letter[51] caused great commotion among the Ulemas, for he says, “He will destroy the Korans, and shut the mosques, and listen only to the Mahdi.”
There is a tone in Egerton’s telegram[52] which grates on me; it is, to me, as if he said “You have got into a mess, and although you do not deserve it, I am willing to stretch a point in your favour, and authorize you,” &c. And in the previous part (the author unknown) of the telegram, it is as if I was enjoying this wretched fighting up here. I declare it is Egerton and Co., who made the mess, and would like to hang its fabrication and solution on me, not that I mind the burthen, if they did not send such telegrams (the Co. are Malet and Colvin).[53]
I must say I do not love Diplomatists as a rule (and I can fancy the turning up of noses at my venturing to express an opinion of them), I mean in their official attire, for, personally, the few I know are most agreeable (and I specially except Alston, the chief clerk, and Weller, the hall porter, who has, of late years, become quite amiable); but taking them on their rostrums, with their satellites, from their chiefs down to the smaller fry, no one can imagine a more unsatisfactory lot of men to have anything to do with. I have seen ——, ——, ——, ——, at different times, and when one left their august presences, one marvelled at the policy of Great Britain being in such hands. Lord Hammond was a Tartar, and one knew he was to be respected.
One would not so much mind if they did not inoculate with their virus those who get employed by them, but I have found Stokes of the Suez Canal, Wilson of Anatolia, and many others (I may say Stewart), all impregnated with their ideas of sun worship and expediency. I own to having read with pleasure the ‘Queen’s Messenger’ till Lord Carrington stopped its publication, and Marvin’s work on Public Offices.
A man has come in who says Stewart and his steamers have captured a large convoy of two hundred camel-loads of stuff belonging to the Arabs. They had passed Shendy, and had not been fired upon.