Slept beautifully. Rose at sunrise ― the same old crimson hue of light against the pale & green-gray Esbeykyah.1 ― ! When dressed ― walked to Shepheard’s, & heard of an American D.D. who wished to go to Petra, but had gone to Alexandria for the day; ― also read a Dragoman’s characters ― but said nothing to decide anybody on the artist’s plans. Breakfast ― after a walk with Giorgio ― & after breakfast set off on 2 donkeys through those wonderful streets! ― as annoying & glorious in colour as ever to me! ― Left the Citadel, & the Mosque corner ― & overlooked that view ― first showed me by J. Cross in January 1849. Nothing can exceed its beauty as a city prospect. Then, by the Atmeidõn,2 to the tombs ― where from 11 to 1 I drew: ― then to other parts of the tombs, ― & returned by the Kalif’s tombs on the other side: ― about 4 got to the Hotel: afterwards strolled about more or less. ― Giorgio’s description of the mode of holding things ― “tutte pronte a buttar lo giù”3 ― is characteristic of Egyptian women’s portable manipulation: His vergogna4 & laughter at the Road-waterer, whose waterskin had displaced his hinder shirt to the wonderful exposure of the glutei &c. &c. his talk about his brothers, & his general conduct are all good in their way. ― “Agreed” to go to the Πυραμίδες αύριο5 ― & so dinner at 7. Colonel Hall, the French Marquis, & the Indian Anglican. ― Conversation on Cheltenham ― &c. &c. ― & bed at 10.

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. Ezbekîyeh, an enormous square in Cairo, named after Amîr Ezbeki, a brave Egyptian general who served under one of the last of the independent Mameluke sovereigns of Egypt in the last part of the fifteenth century. The Garden for which it was later famous was made by  M. Barillet in 1870. Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Nile. Notes for Travellers. London: Thomas Cook, 1902 (8th edition), 279-80. [↩]
  2. Hippodrome. [↩]
  3. Italian: “all ready to throw it down.” [↩]
  4. Italian: “bashfulness, shame.” [↩]
  5. “Pyramids tomorrow.” [↩]