l62 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



The sands and rubbish which surround modern 

 Alexandria, are very much frequented by the jerbo. 

 They live there in troops, and with their nails and 

 teeth dig a habitation for themselves in the ground. 

 I have been told that they can penetrate even 

 through the softish stone which is under the layer 

 of sand. Without being actually wild, they are 

 exceedingly restless : the slightest noise, or any 

 new object whatever, makes them retire to their 

 holes with the utmost precipitation. It is impos- 

 sible to kill them, but by taking them by surprise. 

 The Arabs have the art of catching them alive, by 

 stopping up the outlets of the different galleries 

 belonging to the colony, one excepted, through 

 which they force them out. I never ate any of 

 them, but their flesh does not pass for a great de- 

 licacy ; the people of Egypt, however^ do not re- 

 ject it. Their skin, which is soft and shining, is 

 used as a common fur. 



I fed for some time, while I was in Egypt, six 

 of those animals in a large cage of iron wire. The 

 very first night they had entirely gnawed asunder 

 the upright and cross sticks of their prison ; and I 

 was under the necessity of having the inside of the 

 cage lined with tin. They lived on wheat, rice, 

 nuts, and every species of fruit. They were very 

 fond of basking in the sun : the moment you put 

 them in the shade, they clung close to each other, 



and 



