[P.65]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Piastres.Faddah.
House rent at 18 piastres per mensem - - - - -0 - - - -24
Servant at 80 piastres per - - - do. - - - - - 2 - - - -26
Breakfast for 10 eggs - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - 5
self and Coffee - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - -10
servant. Water melon (now 5 piastres)-1 - - - - 0
Two rolls of bread - - - - - -0 - - - -10
2 lbs. of meat - - - - - - - -2 - - - -20
Two rolls of bread - - - - - -0 - - - -10
Dinner. Vegetables - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - -20
Rice - - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - 5
Oil and clarified butter - - -1 - - - - 0
A skin of Nile water - - - - -1 - - - - 0
Sundries. Tobacco[FN#25] - - - - - - - -1 - - - - 0
Hammam (hot bath) - - - - - - 3 - - - -20
Oil and clarified butter - - -1 - - - - 2
- -
Total - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -12 - - - -50
Equal to about two shillings and sixpence.
[p.66]In these days who at Cairo without a Shaykh? I thought it right
to conform to popular custom, and accordingly, after having secured a
servant, my efforts were directed to finding a teacher; the pretext
being that as an Indian doctor I wanted to read Arabic works on
medicine, as well as to perfect myself in divinity and
pronunciation.[FN#26] My theological studies were in the Shafe'i school
for two reasons: in the first place, it is the least rigorous of the
Four Orthodox, and, secondly, it most resembles the Shi'ah heresy, with
which long intercourse
[p.67]with Persians had made me familiar.[FN#27] My choice of doctrine,
however, confirmed those around me in their conviction that I was a
rank heretic, for the 'Ajami, taught by his religion to conceal
offensive tenets[FN#28] in lands where the open expression would be
dangerous, always represents himself to be a Shafe'i. This, together
with the original mistake of appearing publicly at Alexandria as a
"Mirza" in a Persian dress, caused me infinite small annoyance at
Cairo, in spite of all precautions and contrivances.
