i$2, Travels through Turkey, 



obfervations on the arts, fcietices, natural hiftory, commerce,' 

 and political ftate of the countries through which they pais, 

 in order that I may give a faithful reprefentation to the exe- 

 cutive council, of their zeal, their labours, and their difco- 

 veries," — In the other, the minifter informed us, that he had 

 requefted C. Defcorches to give him an account of the ordi- 

 nary expences to which we would be fubjected. He con- 

 cluded by defiring us to tranfmit our fubmiffion in writing 

 to C. Defcorches, and to conform to the difpofitions con- 

 tained in the letter which he had addrefYed to him. 



We embraced the earlieft opportunity of complying, both 

 with the orders of the minifter, and thofe of the envoy. We 

 tranfmitted our fubmiffion; and, having terminated onr ob- 

 fervations on Cairo and the neighbourhood, repaired, with- 

 out delay, to Alexandria. We failed from that port on the 

 30th of April, and arrived at Conftantinople after a naviga- 

 tion of forty-eight days. We had the pleafure of 'touching 

 at the ifles of Rhodes and Lero, which we had not before 

 feen. The repairing of a leak in our veffel obliged us lo re- 

 main eight days at the former; and we were, detained as long 

 at the latter on account of the North winds. 



During this interval C. Defcorches had been fucceeded by 

 C. Verniac. We therefore delivered to the latter a (ketch 

 of our operations, from the period of our arrival in the 

 Levant; a ftatement of the fums we had received; and a 

 minute memoir on the fituation of the French in Egypt, the 

 government of the Mamelouks, the productions and revenue 

 of the country, the cultivation of the land, on its commerce, 

 and laftly on the improvements of which the country was 

 fufceptible *. This memoir concluded with refleclions ex- 

 cited 



* The following extract from Norden's Travels, rcfpe&ing a tradition 

 in E^vpt, that the country would he vifi-el by foies, who would report 

 its ftate, and at laft bring a great number of Franks who would conquer it, 

 may amufe Come of our readers, and by fome will be thought perhaps not 

 inapplicable to C. Olivier's miffion, and the event;, that have followed it : 



" January 



