in Arabia Petraea 2fr. 589 



Egyptitin Hdwh perhaps, which Straho ' defcribeth, contrary to 

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

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

 by the Mahometans to be facred ; upon which Account the 

 BaJJjaw diftributeth 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 Doves. 

 y4ntilofes\ befides which, and fome few Specks of Tnfe6ts, lAntiiopcs. 

 did not meet with any other Animal. 



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

 living Creatures than This; and indeed, where hath Nature "f"'^-" '' 

 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 Thirft in the Wildernels ? We can- "^^^ .^^"'"-^ 

 not therefore fufficiently admire the great Care and Wifdom ofaUy'creied 

 God, in providing the Camel for the Traffick and Commerce-'^'v/^./Sj 

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

 able Creature was not able to fublift feveral Days without 

 Water ; or if it required a Quantity of Nouriiliment in Pro- 

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

 cumberfome and expenlive, or altogether impradicable. 



CHAP. V. 



^hjjical and Mijcellaneons Obfervations in Egypt. 



E s I D E s the great Variety of Arts and Sciences that Egypt the 



B 



were known to the Egyptians , we read of no other Na- Ifar-Iivg. 

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

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

 tion, w hich Egypt had acquired, of being the School and Re ■ 

 pofitory of thefe feveral Branches of Knowledge and Ingenuity, 

 that engaged Orphetis, Tythagoras^ and other Perfons of the 

 firft Rank in Antiquity \ to leave their own Country to be 

 acquainted with This. And thefe Philofophers w ere fo artful 



I lay opviw *Js{*t 5 Aij-j'tt?®", 'iuA^Qr ^ '^^ti.t aMo5r. Strah. 1. 17. p. ')C6. 2 TaJuTa yJ (Sacra 

 Animalia) h hc/i! pC •iSuS'ohoif -Tfe^sra/, 3tf«7nJ»n ^ ainu. ■jo>f<.ei ^ a^iokiyiiy iyj^wy^ Tjojrif SiJinif nf 

 'ja\v7^K('dTci(. D'lod. Sic. BibliotI). 1. i. p. jj. i Such were Mufdtis, Melampos, Dddalus, 

 Homer, Lycurgus, Solon, Plato, Democr'ttus &c. Vid. D'tod. ut fupra. 



Fffff in 



