[EGYPT]: PALMER EDWARD HENRY (1840-1882) English Orientalist & Explorer. A fine illustrated A.L.S., with his ...

[EGYPT]: PALMER EDWARD HENRY (1840-1882) English Orientalist & Explorer. A fine illustrated A.L.S., with his initials EHP, seven pages, 8vo, Wady Mugharak, Desert at El-Tih, 22nd July 1882, to a friend ('My dear old pal'). Palmer writes a lengthy and informative letter describing the conditions in the desert ('This is not nice - thermometer at about 110 in shade') and remarking that he rode for eight hours a day for seven consecutive days, further writing 'Then again Arabs are such a nuisance - for instance this morning some…..made a little gentle raid on us & appropriated some camels - they conveniently avoided waking me from my forenoon siesta as they did not come so far up the valley - but the sheikh & most of the men have gone off on the war track thirsting for blood & I & my man Bokhar & two or three ageds & youngs will have to do any fighting that may be necessary till they come back. This country is not exactly what you would call in a truthful spirit safe just now. I have had to dodge troops & Arabs & Lord knows what & am thankful but somewhat surprised at the possession of a whole skin. The pleasing part of my present journey has yet to come - I have somehow to dodge the Egyptian sentries…..You see if they, the Egyptians [rebels] get hold of me there will be but short shrift for me as I shall undoubtedly be shot. This business has its anxieties but I feel quite calm about it…..Many thanks for the revolver, it is a charming little weapon…..I have armed my man with yours, but it is a most useful addition to my small arsenal. I could get no one to come with me at first - people said it was dangerous - but at last I managed to engage a Jew!.....He speaks a little Italian too so that I can curse without my Arab friends understanding…..I have thus far succeeded in my preliminary run through the desert beyond my wildest hopes, but it was often risky opening the game. For instance when I made certain propositions to the big Boss of these parts he replied sententiously ''Ahmed Pasha Arabi is with the Muslims - you belong to our enemies''……They tried to bustle me one day - about 40 Arabs rode up to me while I was halting at midday & brought their camels to a standstill on their knees with one simultaneous motion & then jumped off & ran to me. But I spotted my friend the sheikh whom I had seen before & simply addressed him by name & asked him to sit down & smoke a cigarette which he did…..What a game it all is! How I long for the cool smoking room at the Savile & the cooler drinks…..I dread the 3 or 4 days march to Suez as it gets hotter the further south one goes……I am now 2 days from Suez & before the 3rd sun sets shall be either within reach of beer & baths or be able to dispense altogether with those luxuries for the future. The very equally balanced probabilities lend & certain zest to the journey…..My man stole some melons from a patch near some water…..& I feel better for the crime. Still I am dried up & burnt & thirsty & bored…..Just got into Suez safe! 24 hours consecutive travelling & have only had a piece of bread for 15 hours - no sleep. Mail just going out. Au revoir'. To the final page of the letter Palmer has drawn a small sketch of himself riding a camel through the desert. A letter of remarkable content, written just a few weeks before his murder. Some light overall age wear, a few minor stains and small areas of paper loss, G In 1882 Palmer had been instructed by the government to assist the Egyptian expedition, owing to his influence over the Arabs of the El-Tih desert, and was required to prevent the Arab sheikhs from joining the Egyptian rebels and to secure their non-interference with the Suez Canal. As the present letter illustrates, Palmer successfully made his way safely through the desert to Suez. Appointed interpreter-in-chief to the force in Egypt, Palmer was again sent into the desert from Suez to procure camels and gain the allegiance of the sheikhs with considerable gifts of money. It was during this mission that Palmer and his two companions were led into an ambush and murdered.