AND LOWER EGYPT, I93 



to Rossetta, the first city of Egypt on the Nile, and 

 to carry back to Alexandria the commodities of 

 Egypt and of Arabia, go by the name of germes. 

 They are good stout boats, and of a tolerably 

 handsome construction. They are not decked, 

 and draw but little water, and, according to their 

 size, have two or three masts, with very large tri- 

 angular sails, the yards of which, fixed to the top 

 of the mast, cannot be lowered ; so that whatever 

 weather it may be, the seamen are obliged to 

 mount to the mast-head to take in the sails, a pro- 

 cess as tedious as it is difficult. Their burden is, 

 in general, from five to six tons. It would be 

 very easy, no doubt, to construct vessels with 

 decks, of a much larger size, and which should 

 not require a greater draught of water. Goods 

 would not be so much exposed, on board of such 

 boats, to be wet and injured by the sea-water, as 

 is frequently the case, and conveyance would not 

 be subject to retardations, sometimes prejudicial 

 to commerce, from a swell of sea which forbids 

 the navigation of ihe germes. Though the distance 

 they have to run at sea is scarcely more than twelve 

 leagues, and though there is a bay on the passage, 

 in which they can find a safe retreat, at Aboukir, 

 this coasting voyage is far from being without dan- 

 ger. If a violent gale raises a swell on the shal- 

 lows, where it is always most tumultuous, they 

 run the risk of filling and sinking. But the most 

 vol. 1. o imminent 



