AND LOWER EGYPT. 359 



CHAP. XXI. 



'Bedouins — Birds — Boghass — Tower of Canopus—r 

 Abou-Mandour — Grc.pes — Desert — Jackals — 

 Lizards — Inseels — Ser petit — Difficulties respect- 

 ing the pyramid of Aboukir — Opinion of thf 

 Egyptians ivith regard to travellers. 



On my return from Aboukir, I had a wish to 

 take a near view of the Mouth of the Nile, the 

 Bog/iass, so celebrated on account of its dangers, 

 and of the shipwrecks which happen there. The 

 vice-consul, his drogman, and a French mer- 

 chant had a desire to be of the party, and we took 

 our departure, mounted on asses. We stopped in 

 the gardens above the castle; some Bedouin Arabs 

 were encamped there ; their tents were not large, 

 and still less comfortable; they announced the 

 wretchedness of those to whom they served as a 

 shelter. The women do not cover their faces, as 

 is the custom of those people who are settled in 

 Egypt. The freshness of youth rendered those 

 who were the least aged among them sufficiently 

 agreeable, notwithstanding the embrowned tint of 

 their skin, and they seemed to be of a very com- 

 plaisant disposition. 



We were very soon surrounded by these women, 

 who demanded some assistance from us ; one or 



a a 4 two 



