way. Night came on, and we were wandering about amongst the rocks and
precipices on the mountains. We could not see our hands before our
faces. Our horses would not move, and we had to dismount, and grope
our way, and lead them. Richard's horse was dead-beat, and mine was
too fiery; and we had to wait till the moon rose, reaching home at
last half dead with fatigue and hunger.

Our daily life at Damascus, when we were not engaged in any expedition
or excursion, was much a follows: We rose at daybreak. Richard went
down every day to his Consulate in the city at twelve o'clock, and
remained there till four or five. We had two meals a day--breakfast
at 11 a.m., and supper at dusk. At the breakfast any of our friends and
acquaintances who liked used to drop in and join us; and immediately
after our evening meal we received friends, if any came. If not, Richard
used to read himself to sleep, and I did the same. Of Richard's great
and many activities at Damascus, of his difficult and dangerous work,
of his knowledge of Eastern character and Eastern languages, of his
political and diplomatic talents, all of which made him just the man
for the place, I have written elsewhere. Here I have to perform the
infinitely harder task of speaking of myself. But in writing of my
daily life at Damascus I must not forget that my first and best work
was to interest myself in all my husband's pursuits, and to be, as far
as he would allow me to be, his companion, his private secretary, and
his _aide-de-camp_. Thus I saw and learnt much, not only of native life,
but also of high political matters. I would only say that my days were
all too short: I wish they had been six hours longer. When not helping
Richard, my work consisted of looking after my house, servants, stables
and horses, of doing a little gardening, of reading, writing, and
studying, of trying to pick up Arabic, of receiving visits and returning
them, of seeing and learning Damascus thoroughly, and looking after the