in Arabia Petrica &V. 589 



Egyptian Ha7i/k perhaps, which Straho ' defcribeth, contrary to 

 the ufualQiiahties of Birds of that Clafs, to be of no great Fierce- 

 nefs. For the ^cb Bobbas are very harmlefs Birds, and efteemed 

 by the Mahometans to be facred ; upon which Account the 

 Bapaw diitributeth among them, every Day, two Bullocks ; a 

 Relick, as it feems to be, of the antient Egyptian Superftition *. 

 At Corondel I faw a Pair of Doves, and the fame Number of dovcs. 

 ^ntilopes\ befides which, and fome few Species of Tnfeds, lAntiiopes. 

 did not meet with any other Annual. 



For there is no Place in the World that abounds lefs with ^"'"""'^ ''"''' 

 living Creatures than This; and indeed, where hath Nature i^^'• 

 made lefs Provifion for their Suftenance ? The Quails muft 

 have been fed, as well as brought, by a Miracle, if they had 

 continued alive with the I/raelites : and might they not, without 

 the like Miracle, have died of Third in the Wildernefs ? We can- ^'-^ F'""^^ 

 not therefore fufficiently admire the great Care and Wifdom Q^'^iiy'crlTed 

 God, in providing the Camel for the Traffick and CominerceS^S'/^ 

 of Thefe, and fuch like defolate Countries. For, if this fervice- ^'^"''' 

 able Creature was not able to fubfift feveral Days without 

 W^ater ; or if it required a Quantity of Nourifhment in Pro- 

 portion to it's Bulk, the travelling in thefe Parts would be either 

 cumberfome and expenlive, or altogether impradlicable. 



CHAP. V. 



ΨΙ:))[/ΐ€αϊ and Mifcelianeons Obfervations in Egypt. 



Β 



Ε s I D Ε s the great Variety of Arts and Sciences that Egypt th; 

 were known to the Egyptians y we read of no other Na- iT^rJ4. 



tion in Hiftory that could boaft of the like Number either of 

 natural or artificial Curiofities. It was the Fame and Reputa- 

 tion, which Egypt had acquired, of being the School and Re- 

 poiitory of thefe feveral Branches of Knowledge and Ingenuity, 

 that engaged Orphem, Tythagoras, and other Perfons of the 

 firft Rank in Antiquity ', to leave their own Country to be 

 acquainted with This. And thefe Philofophers were fo artful 



I Til' cpfeaiv */{{t{^ 5 Αϊ>ό•τ77®•, »/tiif©- ^ ■^^ m &?λοΟί. Strab. 1. i". p. joi. 2 Τί^τβ -/J (Sacra 

 Animalis) έν ifc^/f p^ tk^^hon 1ftφi^aι, θιρατηιίκη •5^' tw-m τολλίί "^j" άς/ολό^αν avJ'pmv^ ι^οίρα,; JiJivTit mf 

 τολι/τϊλίίάτώί. D'lvd. Sic\ BibliotI). J. i. p. yj. 3 Such were AJttfms^ \lcLtmpof, Dxdalas, 

 Homer, Lj/curgus, Solon, Plato, Deineaiuis &c. Vid. Diod. ut fjpra. 



Fffff in 



