222 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



vanseras, which by no means supply their place, 

 present nothing, usually, here as well as in the 

 other countries under the Turkish government, 

 but a mere place of retreat, destitute of every man- 

 ner of accommodation except four bare walls, 

 where nothing is furnished but water, and where 

 the stranger is laid under the necessity of pro- 

 viding himself with every thing he wants. Tra- 

 tellers from Europe were usually received by the 

 merchants of their several nations, who were settled 

 in hired houses of their own. 



Rossetta is the commercial depository between 

 Cairo and Alexandria ; it there diffuses life, mo- 

 tion, and abundance. It likewise possesses some 

 branches of commerce peculiar to itself, such as 

 sp'Jin cotton dyed red, which comes to market from 

 the adjacent cantons ; dressed flax, linen and cot- 

 ton stuffs, drugs for silk-dying, the materials of 

 oriental clothing, &c. &c. Another object which, 

 without being so considerable as at Damietta, is not 

 for that of less importance, is the exportation of 

 rice, in Arabic, rouss *. At the time of my arrival, 

 toward the end of October, they were busily em- 

 ployed in the drying of this valuable grain, a whole- 

 some and pleasant aliment to many of the nations 

 of the earth ; they were spreading it out on the 

 terraces of the houses, and in the public squares. 



* Oryza sativa. Lin. 



It 



