AND LOWER EGYPT. 2?i^ 



Altbougb such as I saw at Ahonfige were far from 

 being ugly, they inspired disgust, by the diseases 

 with whicli they were eaten up, and the traces of 

 which were to be seen even on the faces of many 

 of them. 



Between Ahnut'ige and S'lout a canal is to be 

 seen, which the Nile already filled with its waters. 

 We were on horseback, and our guides had ima- 

 gined that we might cross it nearer the chains of 

 mountains, where they supposed the water would 

 of course be more shallow. But having found the 

 passage impracticable, we were obliged to return 

 the same way we came, coasting along the canal, 

 as far as the bank of the river. There we found a 

 little boat, constructed of old pieces of wood, 

 joined together with mud, and into which we bad 

 considerable trouble in getting our horses to enter. 

 At length we arrived at Slouf- about mid- day. 



During the journev, I observed that my compa- 

 <\\ovi the Turk stopped from time to time, and 

 gave orders to a servant io pick up some pieces of 

 dirt, which he immediately devoured. I inquired 

 what relish he could possibly have for such a sin- 

 gular repast. He informed me, that an invincible 

 appetite made it necessary to hira, and that no- 

 thing in the world could prevent him from grati- 

 fying it. This man was about sixty years of age. 



Although 



