AND LOWER EGYrr. 189 



the gate was open ; he perceived no one within 

 sight, and had the curiosity to step in. Some chil- 

 dren who had observed him, flocked together and 

 surrounded him with loud outcries. Had they 

 been heard, it would have proved fatal to the Por- 

 tuguese prince ; he pulled out his purse, and si- 

 lenced the children by throwing some pieces of 

 money among them, which purchased him a free 

 and peaceable exit. Since then, M. Montague, 

 whom I have formerly had occasion to mention, 

 offered in vain a very considerable sum for per- 

 mission to visit the interior of the mosque. But 

 some time afterward, being committed to the 

 charge of a scheick, whose thirst of gold triumph- 

 ed over the laws of fanaticism, it was opened for 

 the admission of every stranger who was disposed 

 to pay a chequin for it. The same year that 1 ar- 

 rived at Alexandria, several Englishmen went in 

 without ceremony ; some of the populace per- 

 ceived them, and murmured aloud. The com- 

 mandant of Alexandria hastened to reprimand the 

 scheick, and laid him under an injunction to ad- 

 mit no Christian whatever. The noise occasioned 

 by this incident, in a country where Europeans 

 live in a state of continual alarm, was too recent 

 not to leave some solicitude behind. But our visit 

 to the mosque was so prudently conducted, that 

 no injury ensued, and no one ever received in- 

 formation on the subject. 



I was 



