AND LOWER EGYPT. I49 



its middle, from the hardly known Gulf of Sidra, 

 to the Cape of Good Hope. I claim the honour of 

 having conceived this project, which scares the 

 imagination, and of having felt myself possessed of 

 courage to put it in execution, had government 

 deigned to second my views. I shall return, after- 

 wards, to unfold the plan which I had traced, and 

 which, had it been followed out, would have en- 

 sured to France the glory of an enterprise till then 

 unattempted, and which other nations seem de- 

 sirous to take out of her hand. But I proceed to 

 the description of the jerbo. 



His size is nearly that of a large rat : the head 

 is broad, large in proportion to the body, flattened 

 a-top, and of a clear pale red with a blackish shade; 

 the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower; both 

 the one and the other furnished with two incisive 

 teeth only ; those above broad, cut in right angles, 

 flat and divided lengthwise, by a groove passing 

 through the middle; finally, those of the under jaw 

 longer, convex externally, pointed at their extre- 

 mity, and bent back inwardly. It is evident that 

 these teeth are, or not far from it, disposed and 

 formed as those of the hare, of the rat, and of the 

 field-mouse, and this resemblance has procured all 

 these names to the jerbo. It would have been just 

 as reasonable to take him for a beaver, or for a 

 porcupine, which are equally destitute of canine 



l 3 teeth, 



