270 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



I met with satisfied me fully as to this point, I 

 presented myself before the superior, an old man 

 with a long white beard, and rather of a graceful 

 deportment. He satisfied himself with looking at 

 the date of the letter which I put into his hands, 

 and perceiving it was written some time back, he 

 threw the paper in my face, telling me the letter 

 was worth nothing. I confess 1 had occasion for 

 all my patience to restrain myself from punishing 

 such excessive insolence, and of wtiich several 

 people were the witnesses. The monk perceived 

 my agitation ; he took up the letter, read it, and 

 began to pour forth a torrent of apologies, which 

 I received by turning my back upon him, and quit- 

 ting the house, fully determined never to set foot 

 again within these abodes of folly and impertinence. 



NexttoCairo, thecity ofGirge, which is situated 

 at about the distance of a hundred leagues from it, 

 built along the Nile, the shore of which is there 

 lofty and steep, may be reckoned the most consi- 

 derable in Egypt — It is the capital of the Said. 

 A bey resides in this place, and the Cophts there 

 maintain a bishop. The architecture is modern 

 and irregular, and the stranger meets with nothing 

 to attract his attention. 



We departed thence on the morning of the 

 29th. The north wind, which for several days past 



had 



