214 



CJ-AIftO. 



Cairo. left between it and the xvell, in which a few windows 

 give a scanty light. In the lower division this pre- 

 caution of a partition is omitted, and the descent is 

 of course perilous in the extreme. The stage or floor 

 in the middle of the well serves a valuable purpose. 

 It contains a large basin, and affords sufficient space 

 for three oxen, that here raise the water by means of 

 a wheel ; this water is poured from the string of small 

 buckets connected with the wheel, into the basin al- 

 ready mentioned ; from which it is again raised in the 

 same way, by other oxen moving round the mouth of 

 the well. This stupendous excavation, it is unneces- 

 sary to add, is attributed by the vulgar to the patri- 

 arch Joseph. Some have supposed it to be the work 

 of Saladin, whose real name was Joseph, or Yussuf. 

 For our own part, we are disposed to consider it as 

 the work of a people much more scientific than the 

 Saracens, and worthy of the same engineers who 

 erected the pyramids. If this was really the site of 

 the Egyptian Babylon, which is the opinion of many 

 antiquaries, we cannot well suppose such a strong 

 place to have been at the mercy of an enemy for wa- 

 ter. Strabo, indeed, describes the water of Babylon 

 as being raised by manual labour from the Nile. But 

 this also is the case at Cairo; for though the water 

 of the well probably proceeds from the Nile, yet per- 

 colating through sand impregnated with various sa- 

 line substances, it is brackish ; for which reason fresh 

 water directly from the river is conveyed by an aque- 

 duct to the foot of the citadel, whence it is raised to 

 the castle by machinery. The tower of lights near 

 Fostat, which Savary, after Pococke, contends is the 

 real Babylon, is totally dependent on the water of the 

 Nile, and therefore could never have been a place of 

 great strength ; whereas, that of Cairo prefers indeed 

 the river water, but has, in case of necessity, an 

 abundant supply within itself, and a well which bears 

 every mark of the remotest antiquity. 



In the citadel is also Joseph's palace, an uncom- 

 monly fine building, exhibiting precious remains of its 

 ancient magnificence. The great hall, so much ce- 

 lebrated by all travellers, and of which the reader will 

 find a handsome engraving in Lord Valentia's Travels, 

 is truly admirable. On four gigantic pillars of red 

 granite, four elegant arches of Saracenic architecture 

 recline, which formerly supported the roof. The 

 capitals of the pillars are Egyptian, and belonged to 

 a more ancient building. Another grand apartment, 

 is adorned with numerous pillars of granite, each of 

 a single piece ; all of these except four, which have 

 Corinthian capitals, are in the Egyptian style, and 

 are evidently but the spoils of prior ages ingeniously 

 enough combined by the industrious, though far in- 

 ferior, hands of the Arabs. Opposite to this room 

 is another, which commands a view of the whola city 

 and neighbourhood. Here were woven and embroider- 

 ed with gold, the rich green hangings, and the black 

 covering of the Caaba, annually sent to Mecca by the 

 grand signior. The walls of this apartment, now 

 filled with ruins, were covered with figures in ex- 

 quisite mosaic, part of which still remains ; as were 

 those of a neighbouring room, with handsome paint- 

 ings, and the names of the ancient sovereigns of 

 Egypt. 



Another object of attention in the castle is, the 



mint, the only one in all Egypt. Here the gold 

 dust and silver ore, collected on account of govern- 

 ment, in Africa and other places, are converted into 

 coin ; the gold into mahboobs, zingerlys, and fun- 

 duklys, respectively of the value of 6s. 10^|d., 7s. 7d., 

 and 9s. 6d. ; the silver into pieces of one, five, ten, 

 fifteen, twenty, thirty, and forty paras ; the value of 

 the para being about three farthings of our money. 

 The scandalous adulteration of these coins is a source 

 of immense profit to the government : when the peo- 

 ple murmur, some cannon are pointed at the town, 

 which give instant currency to the money. On one 

 side of the coin is the name of the reigning sultan, 

 on the other is Masr, and the date. The machinery 

 for striking the coin is similar to that employed in 

 all the European mints before the invention of Mr 

 Bolton. Instead of flattening the metals by means 

 of rollers, they beat it out with hammers. 



The number of tombs in the neighbourhood of 

 Cairo is enormous. All the different races of men 

 have distinct burying grounds. The English are 

 buried with the Greeks. The tombs of the sultans 

 and of the Mamelukes are of white marble ; and these 

 immense cemeteries, crowned with domes and minarets 

 and gilt pavilions, are much more magnificent than 

 the abodes of the living. This Necropolis, this city 

 of the dead, is a little to the east of Cairo, without 

 the walls. 



About a mile to the west of the city, on the right 

 bank of the Nile, stands the once flourishing and po- 

 pulous town of Boulac. This being the principal 

 port of Cairo, it formerly presented a scene of per- 

 petual bustle and activity. All the various commo- 

 dities brought up from Rosctta aud Damietta, as well 

 as those from Upper Egypt, were brought in here in 

 an infinite number of vessels of all descriptions ; here 

 was the capital custom-house of Egypt, together with 

 an immense bazar, in which there was a perpetual 

 market. The magazines of rice, salt, nitre, and se- 

 veral productions of Upper Egypt, were aleo esta- 

 blished in this town, including the large granary of 

 the sultan, whence he sent an annual supply of corn 

 to the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. This town, 

 however, ve understand, is new a melancholy monu- 

 ment of French barbarity. Having joined Cairo in 

 an insurrection against these oppressors, this unfor- 

 tunate place was entered by storm, given up to be 

 pillaged for three days by the French soldiery, and 

 finally burnt to the ground. 



Fostat, otherwise called Masr-el-atik, or Old Masr, 

 improperly by us called Old Cairo, though greatly 

 decayed from its ancient grandeur, is still a consider- 

 able town, being half a league in extent. Its ruinous 

 citadel, chiefly inhabited by Christians, contains a 

 large convent of Greek monks, who used to accom- 

 modate with lodging and provisions, the numerous 

 visitors from Cairo, attracted hither in the hot months- 

 by the salubrity of the air, the vicinity of the river, 

 and the pleasant groves of the isle of Rhoda ; but of 

 late the cruel exactions of the Albanians have com- 

 pelled these industrious fathers to shut up their con- 

 vent, and retire to a smaller building. Fostat con- 

 tains three custom-houses, for the trade of the Said, 

 and the famous magazine called Joseph's Granary, 

 where is still deposited the corn of the Thebais, des- 



Cairo. 



