34 Journal of Mr. Burckhardt's 



society of Ibrahim, that I felt his loss as severely as though our 

 intimacy had been of much longer duration, and it had the effect 

 of rendering me really melancholy throughout the day ; nor was 

 it an affected sensibility, though perhaps so short a period seems 

 insufficient to have inspired it : yet the distance from every other 

 friend, the occasion, and the place of meeting, were of themselves 

 strong auxiliaries, independent of the very high attraction of 

 such talents, manners, and sentiments. 



The writer of the Journal continued his progress up the Nile 

 from hence, and after passing the cataracts of Assouan, and, pe- 

 netrating beyond the tropic into Nubia, returned again, after an 

 absence of about 15 days, to Esneh, when the following letter 

 from Mr. Burckhardt was put into his hands by an old Arab, who 

 met him on the river's bank, when landing before sun-rise. 



My Dear Sir, Esneh, Dec 13, 1813. 



The regret I feel at being obliged to leave Esneh before your 

 return, much outweighs the pleasure I should else have experi- 

 enced from being at last enabled to put an end to my tedious 

 stay in Upper Egypt. But this is the unfortunate lot of tra- 

 vellers. They must suddenly part with persons whose character 

 and acquirements have inspired them with the greatest esteem, 

 in order to mix for months with beings, the shapes of whose 

 bodies alone entitle them to the name of human. The ^hope of 

 mutual remembrance is, then, the only consolation ; and, on my 

 part, I beg you to rest assured, that the memory of the two days 

 you kindly granted me at Esneh, shall never be obliterated from 

 my mind and heart. I am afraid the state of Nubia, after the 

 late invasion of the Osmaulys, has not been altogether propitious 

 to your pursuits. I had expected a note from you from Assouan, 

 but your Reis has not yet made his appearance. If you repair 

 to Syria, have the goodness to remember me to Mr. Chaboceau, 

 the French Doctor — and at Aleppo, to my friends Messrs. 

 Barker, Masseyk, and other families. I should b%. much inte- 

 rested to receive from you some details relative to your excur- 



