AND LOWER EGYPT. 24;, 



resort of the most considerable personages of Ros- 

 sctta; he was a great friend to the French, and he 

 employed his credit to procure for me the means 

 of travelling comfortably through Lower Egypt. 



It is difficult for Frenchmen, especially for those 

 who are not in the habit of scorching their mouth 

 with our short pipes and strong tobacco, to con- 

 ceive the possibility of smoking all daylong. P^irst, 

 the Turkish tobacco is the best and the mildest in 

 the world ; it has nothing of that sharpness which, 

 ill European countries, provokes a continual dis- 

 position to spit ; next, the length of the tube into 

 which the smoke ascends, the odoriferous quality 

 of the wood ol which it is made, the amber tip 

 which goes into the mouth, the wood of aloes with 

 which the tobacco is perfumed, contribute more 

 towards its mildness, and to render the smoke of 

 it totally inoffensive in their apartments. The 

 beautiful women, accordingly, take pleasure in 

 amusing their vacant time, by pressing the amber 

 with their rosy lips, and in gently respiring the 

 fumes of the tobacco of Syria, embalmed with 

 those of aloe-. It is not necessary, besides, to draw 

 up the smoke with a strong suction; it ascends 

 almost spontaneously. They put the pipe aside, 

 they chat, they look about, from time to time they 

 apply it to the lips, and gently inhale the smoke, 

 which immediately makes its escape from the half- 



h 3 opened 



