Image 13 - Ali's wife breadmaking (1899)

Hilda letter November 1900 (Drower 2004: 159-160):

“outside the gate is Ali’s square hut, with a yard of bus, and a mud mastaba, and a mud oven where his wife bakes our bread.
She is a rather pleasant little girl who wears a great deal of Arab jewellery, bakes very good bread, and sits sewing a teqieh (embroidered skull-cap) all day long. We have short talks often, but she talks very provincial Arabic, or perhaps it is women’s talk, so we don’t understand each oteher very well.”

Image 15 - Ali Excavating (1899)

On Ali Suefi (1.12.1896, Drower 2004: 95):

“A telegram from Quibell at Luxor said that Ali was coming down by the Sunday train to Beni Mazar; so my plan of going up on Monday morn will do well. It will be a great pleasure to have him about me again; for I feel as if all must go well with such a faithful, quiet, unselfish right-hand to help. As far as character goes he is really more to me than almost any of my own race. Few men, I believe, have worked harder for me or trusted me more. Perhaps none are sorrier at parting, or gladder when we meet again. A curious link in life but a very real one, as character is at the bottom of it. Kipling's “East and West” is the only expression of such a link that I know in black & white.”

Image 16 - Ali Fishing (1898)

Hilda writing home (17.2.1922, Drower 2004: 209):

“Aly Swefy is here, one of our best old hands. Being a fisherman, he has a little rough boat below here, and rushes off sometimes to catch a fish.”

Image 17 - Ali buying antiquities (1899)

Hilda letter, Dandara Feb 6 1898:

“Ali is a great bargainer and is very proud of his successes in marketing.”

Hilda letter, second year at Abydos, November 1900 (Drower 2004: 160:

“Ali is delightful as ever ... He is now in a full place in cemetery E where plenty of good XII-XVIII things are turning up, and is very useful in working with 4 gangs of men at once, and training new recruits from Quft.