Travels through Egypt and Syria. 405 



ings, day and night, for a hundred and more verfts, and 

 never cealbs until ftie has played her enemy fome trick, or is 

 killed by him. 



They ftink much more horribly than even the red foxes. 

 In rutting time they run together day and night, the males 

 biting each other, from jealoufy, like dogs. When they cou- 

 ple, they fcream like the cats. In florms and heavy falls of 

 fnow, they bury themfelves in the fnow, and lie ftill as long 

 as it lafts. They fwim acrofe rivers with great agility ; will 

 feize the fea-fowl by night on the cliffs when they have 

 fettled to fleep ; but are themfelves frequently victims to the 

 birds of prey. Thefe animals, which are now in fuch inex- 

 preffible numbers on the ifland, were moll probably con- 

 veyed there (fince there is no other land animal in it) from 

 the Continent on the drift ice, and have been nouridied by 

 the great quantity of animal fubftances thrown up by the fea. 



This fpecies is entirely white, and their furs compofe a 

 confiderable article of commerce. 



XVI. An Ac(o.ttnt of Mr. Brown'^ Travels through 

 Egvpt and Syria, Sec. 



[Continuc'-l from I'age 247.3 



o 



N the aSlh of December 1792, Mr, Brown left Kahira 



to vifit Fcium, a city diftarit about fixty miles to the fouth- 



wert. U ftands on the principal canal leading from the Nile 



to the lake Moeris, and is furroundcd with cultivated ground 



producing that profufion of rofcs for which this place was 



celebrated, and which were diftilled into rofe-water. The 



mode of propagating them was by continued layers; the 



young twigs thence arifing being found to produce the 



largell and moft fragrant flowers. The rofe-water was ex- 



'■ellent, and fent to all quarters ; but the cultivation is now 



running gradually to decay : wheat and other grain abound 



\ii the vicinity. 



D d 3 After 



