86 Arrangeme?tt — Egypt ^ 



heat, and turned day and night by an atten- 

 dant, would be hatched within the limited 

 period of incubation. 



This art, however, is not to be understood 

 as ever having been of general notorietj 

 even in Egypt. On the contrary, the know- 

 ledge of it is there confined to a single 

 village, named Berme, situate in the Delta, 

 within twenty leagues of Grand Cairo, and 

 to a few adjoining places. The inhabitants 

 teach the secret to their children, but con- 

 ceal it from strangers. When the season 

 for hatching approaches^ which is the com- 

 mencement of autumn, tliese Bermeans dis- 

 perse themselves over the country, each of 

 tliem taking upon himself the management 

 of an oven, in the Egyptian language cal- 

 led mamal. In the construction of these 

 ovens, w^hich, however, discovers a consider- 

 able degree of ingenuity, there can be no 

 secret, since they are open to all, foreign- 

 ers as ivell as natives : the peculiar skill of 

 the Bermeans consists in the arrangement, 

 gradual warming of the eggs, and success- 

 ftil developement of the young broods. 



