Autograph Letter Signed to "___Harrison Esq".

One page, 8vo, some spotting but mainly good condition, complete and legible. "I send you a translation of an Arabian Tale written by Al Mohdi, an employé [underlined] of the French govt during the time that Egypt was occupied by the French Army. It has been modified & abridged for some of the details were unfit for European eyes & others would not be understood without lengthened notes. I had at one time designed to transate the entire collection, for in my opinion many of the stories surpass those of the Arabian Nights. [?] Al Mohdi had a dash of humour in his composition, and was one of the few Mohammedans that derived intellectual improvement from intercourse with Europeans. | Should the tale not suit your purpose, I wish you would return it . . . " Note; Googling brings up part of an article in the "Foreign Quarterly Review" which is interesting on Al Mohdi's background and use of European influences.