86" Letters Jrom Egypt. 



ftories. The large ft articles were in difhes of a proportion- 

 ate fizfe. All thefe difhes occupied the lower part : they" 

 were of a circular form and made of tin, as in France. 

 Three difhes, placed quite clofe to each other, left an empty 

 fpace in the middle, which was entirely concealed by a 

 fmaller difh. Thefe difhes contained the dainties, which are 

 made by the real Egyptian women. The company firft at- 

 tacked thele in order to get rid of them, and that they might 

 have accefs to the lower range. Thefe dainties confifted of 

 feven or eight kinds of cheefe, molaffes baked with flour 

 pafte, fricaffes of rice and mutton baked with raifins, prunes, 

 figs, grcnadilloes, &c. 



The folid difhes were fowls dreffed with rice, or prepared 

 other ways, &c. The ellipfis forming the whole of the fer- 

 vice was bordered with half a cubical foot of bread of twelve, 

 kinds and different forms : there were cakes of various 

 forts, elliptic and circular bread, &c. &c. 



The Cheik invited us all to fquat down around, and we 

 foon faw the Turks in the company put their hands into the 

 difhes, take the liquids in their palms and the folids in their 

 fingers, and in that manner convey them to their mouth. 

 We were obliged to do the fame \ for we had neither fpoons 

 nor forks. 



The dinner, which we partook of in a neighbouring vil- 

 lage, was not much different from our breakfaft, except by 

 the abfenceof milk difhes, and a lefs variety in the kinds of 

 bread. The new difhes were, a whole fheep in the middle, and 

 various other viands around, either roafted or fried in a very 

 whimiical manner,. 1 he principal domeftic, who waited on 

 us, croffed the fervice through a paffage which he made by 

 taking away fome of the difhes. When he cut up the fheep, 

 he divided it into pieces by means of his hands and a knife, 

 or broke and tore it without much ceremony, and diftributed 

 a part to each. 



The Cheik who entertained us at breakfaft had a fon 34 

 years of age, a rich farmer, and, next to his father, the moft 



conli- 



