AND LOWER EGYPT. 95 



anchorage and shelter in the worst of weather. 

 The other, which is to the east, and separated from 

 the former by a peninsula of no great breadth, has 

 got the name of new harbour ; it has but a small 

 depth of water ; it is encumbered with a multitude 

 of rocks and shelfs, and is entirely exposed to the 

 north winds. If, notwithstanding, any one were 

 to imagine that this last port is almost entirely neg- 

 lected, he would deceive himself. Fanaticism, in 

 this case, carried the day against a rational and in- 

 telligent regard to interest. While the Alexan- 

 drians cheerfully associated with the nations of 

 Europe in commercial operations, they refused to 

 European vessels the means of maintaining, with- 

 out risk, an intercourse from which they derived 

 so many advantages. The vessels of the disciples 

 of Mahomet alone were permitted to enter the old 

 harbour; and, were the ships of other nations to 

 be wrecked, for want of a safe retreat, they had 

 not the power of penetrating into a sanctuary so 

 absurdly and so impolitically privileged. 



At the entrance of new harbour is a shelf called 

 the Dia?nond. It is necessary to steer very close to 

 it, in order to escape the shallows which are on the 

 other side, and which, covered only with a few 

 feet water, are but the more dangerous. The 

 D'wrmnd t as well as the rocks adjacent on a level 



with 



