CAIRO. 257. 
Lodge, Richmond Park, (whose brother is Consul-General here,) 
who gave me a cordial welcome. His Lordship kindly invited me 
to accompany him to the citadel at 2 o’clock, to be introduced to 
Mehemet Ali, and to bring as many officers as were inclined to 
come. This over, I rode back to the inn, and took another 
donkey for the Rhoda gardens, belonging to Ibrahim Pacha, 
(now in Italy) which are superintended by a Scotch gentleman, 
Mr. Traill. But as I shall mention them in another letter, I 
here content myself by saying that Mr. Traill received me and 
the plants from Kew very kindly, and that he will in return 
transmit seeds of the celebrated Doum Palm,* to obtain which 
he will send to Upper Egypt, the only place where it grows. 
I returned to the inn with barely time to dress for the Pacha’s 
Palace, whither we repaired in a handsome carriage full of officers. 
The road was long, through narrow and very crowded streets. 
We were preceded by two running attendants with long whips, 
which they laid about them right and left, to clear the way, 
utterly regardless of man or beast, who scurry out of the way, or 
cower under their Bernouse cloaks to fend off the blows. I saw an 
unfortunate Egyptian, whose cart struck across the street, receive 
a terrible whipping, to which he offered not the least resistance. 
We were rather late, and arrived just after the’Governor, and 
as the guns were pealing forth a royal salute. Passing under the 
gates through a magnificent new and half-finished alabaster 
mosque, (see the Panorama of Cairo,) we arrived at the quadrangle, - 
where the Governor-General and his lady were alighting from a 
splendid six-horse coach, like the Lord Mayor’s, with Egyptian 
Lancers as out-riders. The band played a sort of “ God save the 
Queen” to their Excellencies, and I know not what to the second 
carriage, conveying Fane and Courtenay ; but I was honoured with 
the Bohemian Polka for my share of the instrumental greeting. The 
` * Mr. Traill has already performed his promise : seeds in beautiful condition have 
reached Kew. The Doum Palm is the Cucifera Thebaica of Delile, who was the first 
modern author to give a detailed account of this singular dichotomous Palm. Theo- 
Phrastus deseribed it under the name of Cucifera, which Gaertner changed to 
Hypheene, _ It is known to the Arabs by the name of Doum. The wood is valuable ; 
but no use is made of the fruit.—Ep. 
