84 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 



is no better built than any other town or village that we Had 

 panned, yet it intereib by its extent; it is the moil conuderable 

 place we had yet feen fmce our leaving Cairo. It has a cacheff 

 and a mofque, with three large iteeples, and is a market- 

 town. 



The country all around is well cultivated, and Teems to 

 be of the utmoft fertility; the inhabitants are better cloathed, 

 and feemingly lefs miferable, and oppreffed, than thole we» 

 had left behind in the places nearer Cairo. 



The Nile is very mallow at Beni Suef, and the current: 

 ftrong. We touched feveral times in the middle of the; 

 ftream, and came to an anchor at Baha, about a quarter of; 

 a mile above Beni Suef, where we palled the night. 



We were told to keep good watch here all night, that 

 there were troops of robbers on the eaft-fide cf the water, 

 who had lately plundered fome boats, and that the cacheff 

 either dared not, or would not give them any affiftance. We 

 did indeed keep ftri6t watch, but faw no robbers, and were, 

 no other way molefted. 



The i 8th we had fine weather and a fair wind. Still 

 I thought the villages were beggarly, and the conftant groves, 

 of palm-trees fo perfectly verdant, did not compenfate for 

 the penury of fown land, the narrownefs of the valley, and 

 barrennefs of the mountains. 



We paffed Manmra,Gadami, Magaga, Malatiah, and other 

 fmall villages, fome of them not coniifting of fifteen houfes, 

 Then follow Gundiah and Kerm on the weft-fide of the 



river, 



