TRAVELS THROUGH

EGYPT AND ARABIA.

Damiata stands on the East side of the Nile, about four miles distant from the sea, and has been generally mistaken for the ancient Pelusium; whereas that city is now called Tineh, and is situated upon another branch of the river South East from Damiata, the great lake Menzale being interposed between them. This city is large, but most of the buildings are mean; however, I do not pretend to give a particular description of the place, as we had not an opportunity of viewing it with freedom; for the inhabitants are certainly the most ill-natured people in the Turkish dominions, and have such an aversion to the Europeans, that a stranger cannot go into any of the streets, except those that are chiefly inhabited by them without being insulted. At the North end of the town there is a fine round tower, built of hewn stone, which was probably the work of the Mamalukes, after they recovered Damiata from the Christians. It is one of the most con

siderable cities in Egypt for trade, vast quantities of rice and coffee being exported from hence to all parts of Turkey; and abundance of tobacco imported from Latikea,* and soap from the coasts of Syria and Palestine.

* Dr. Shaw tells us, that the inhabitants of the country near Latikea in Syria have of late neglected both their corn and their vineyards and employ themselves chiefly in the more profitable culture of tobacco. He adds that this as a very considerable, and indeed the only article of trade, which hath in a few years so greatly enriched that city: for there are annually shipped off from thence, to Damiata and Scandara, more than twenty thousand bales, to the no small diminu, tion of that branch of trade at Salonica. Shaw's Travels, p. 365.

TRAVELS THROUGH EGYPT AND ARABIA.

357

Having hired a bark to carry us to Cairo, we left Damiata on *the 8th in the morning; and, the wind being brisk, we had very *pleasant sailing up the river, and the prospect on each hand of us extremely delightful. Nothing indeed, can be imagined more beautiful than the country on each side of the Nile, especially this branch of it; a surprising number of villages, with groves of palm-trees round them, successively presenting themselves to our sight, and the whole being one continued scene of fruitfulness and plenty; though May is not the most advantageous season to take a view of Egypt, December being the month when it appears in its greatest beauty.

The day following we passed by a large town called Mansoura, on the East side of the river, which perhaps is the ancient Tanis, the Zoan of the scriptures,* from whence this branch of the Nile was named the Tanitic branch. During the Holy War, the Christian forces were twice defeated near Mansoura; the first time, when the earl of Artois was drowned, and the brave earl of Salisbury died fighting on his knees, the troops being all cut to pieces. Their second overthrow was when the French engaged with Lewis the ninth at their head, who was taken prisoner, and Damiata was given up to the Egyptians as a part of his ransom.

Proceeding on our voyage, we passed by Sammenud on the West, and soon afterwards Abousir, two considerable towns; for I purposely omit the names of most of the villages, which are almost innumerable. Father up, on the East side, we came to Benalhassar; to the North whereof are evident tokens of an ancient city, which perhaps was Bubastus, famous for the worship of Diana, who had a temple there, and who was called in the Egyptian language Bubastis. ·

Leaving several other towns of less note behind us, we came to the place where the Nile divided itself into two great branches, one of them (up which we had sailed) running North-East to Damiata, and the other North-West to Rosetto. That tract of land which is enclosed by these two branches of the river, and the Me

Numb. xiii. 22.

diterranean, was anciently called Delta from its triangular figure, like the Greek letter of that name, and is the most fruitful part of Egypt. There are likewise many smaller branches, or rather canals, from these large ones, some the work of art and others of 'nature; but none of them, as far as I could learn, are navigable, except those of Rosetto and Damiata. As to the ancient branches of the Nile, some of them have undoubtedly been choaked up for want of being cleaned, and the face of the Delta has undergone so many alterations, that it is very difficult, if not utterly impossible, to settle them at present.

A little above the Delta, about a league to the Eastward of the Nile, is a village called Mattarea, near which are the ruins of Heliopolis, the On of the scriptures,* a city of great antiquity, and famous for its temple dedicated to the sun, the chief object of their worship. They also worshipped a bull, under the name of Mnevis; as that animal was adored at Memphis by the name of Apis. The small remains of this city lie North East of Cairo, but contain nothing remarkable, except an obelisk, the head of a sphinx or two, and some stones adorned with hieroglyphics. The priests of Heliopolis were the most famous of any in Egypt, for their study of philosophy and astronomy, and were the first that formed the year, making it consist of three hundred and six. ty-five days, to which five more were added by Hermes Trismegistus. It is very probable that the country about Heliopolis was the land of Goshen, or of Rameses, inhabited by the children. of Israel; especially as Josephus makes that city the place of the first settlement of the Hebrews: and perhaps Cairo might be Rameses, the capital of the district of that name, where the Israelites had their rendezvous before their departure out of Egypt.

The village of Mattarea, and the country for two miles South of it, is remarkable for the excellent water that is found there, upon digging about four feet deep, which is said to be entirely free from salt, and lighter than the water of the Nile. It is cer

* Gen. xii. 45, 50.

tain, that, in any part of Egypt, by digging lower than the surface of that river, water may be found; but it is generally brackish, occasioned by the saltness of the earth, through which it is strained.

In three hours sailing from the Delta, we arrived at Bulac, where we landed, having been five days in our passage from Damiata. Bulac is the port to the city of Cairo, which stands about a mile and a half to the Eastward of the Nile. It is near two miles in circumference, and has a custom house, with many warehouses, and kanes or inns for travellers; but none of its buildings are worth notice, except one, which is a beautiful bagnio. At this place we hired asses to carry us and our baggage to Cairo, where we lodged the first night at an inn, but afterwards at a French merchant's, during our stay in that city.

Cairo, or Grand Cairo, by the Egyptians called Al Messer, is the capital of Middle Egypt, and the seat of the Turkish bashaw or viceroy of the whole kingdom. It is a mile and a half distant, as I have already observed, from the Eastern banks of the Nile, and stands in a plain, having a mountain to the South of it, upon which the ancient castle of the Babylonians was situated. Bulac, whose extent was mentioned above, lies a full mile North West of Grand Cairo; and Old Cairo, which is about two miles in compass, stands higher up the river, a mile and a half South West of the city. Those travellers, therefore, who have given us such wonderful accounts of the extent of Grand Cairo, and the number of its inhabitants, must have included Old Cairo, Bulac, and perhaps all the neighboring villages, in the computation, and even then have far exceeded the truth; for Grand Cairo, or the New City, properly so called, is not above ten miles in circumference. We must allow it, however, to be exceeding populous; several families, to the number of twenty or thirty persons, frequently living in a small house; and the streets in the daytime being so crowded with people, that it is difficult to pass along,

The streets of Cairo, as in most of the Turkish cities, are very narrow and crooked; the widest of them, which runs the

whole length of the city, from one gate to another, being no bet-. ter than such as are usually called lanes in London. This narrowness, however, is attended with one conveniency, that they can lay a slight covering across from the top of one house to another, whereby the streets are agreeably shaded from the sun in the hot season of the year.

Very good regulations are made in Cairo for the security of the city, especially in the night time; for most of the streets, at least every ward or district, have gates at each end, which are shut up as soon as it is dark, and every one of these divisions is watched by three or four Janizaries; by which means robberies are prevented, and all people obliged to retire early to their se-. veral habitations. Some little streets consist of shops only; and they have several bezestines, or exchanges, which are likewise filled with shops, those of the same trade being generally to gether; and all are locked up at night, the owners retiring to their houses.

I have long ago observed that the private buildings in the Turkish cities make but a very indifferent appearance; and the. observation holds particularly good with respect to those in Cairo.. The houses of the common people are usually built of sun-dried bricks or clay, and are two stories high; but those of the richer sort are built of free-stone to a certain height, above which is a kind of cage, work, sometimes filled up with unburnt brick; and, having few or no windows towards the street, they look quite disagreeable to one who has been accustomed to the European cities, where the buildings have something of beauty and regu larity on the outside, as well as conveniency and ornament within. Most of the houses have flat terrassed roofs, on which the inhabitants take the air in the summer evenings..

The best houses in Cairo are built round a court or square, and are richly furnished and adorned within, notwithstanding the meanness of their appearance. Their halls are generally paved with marble, over which are handsome, cupolas, sometimes opened at top, to let in the air; the walls and ceilings of the principal apartments shine with gold and, azure, the sofa's are furnished